Ezekiel 31ASV
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Ezekiel31

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

4The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow: the rivers thereof ran round about its plantation; and it sent out its channels unto all the trees of the field.

5Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot them forth.

6All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young; and under its shadow dwelt all great nations.

7Thus was it fair in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir-trees were not like its boughs, and the plane-trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like unto it in its beauty.

9I made it fair by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.

10Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou art exalted in stature, and he hath set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

11I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness.

12And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

13Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches;

14to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up in their height, even all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

15Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

17They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that are slain by the sword; yea, they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.

18To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 31.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The glory of Assyria. (1-9). Its fall, and the like for Egypt. (10-18).

vv1-9

The falls of others, both into sin and ruin, warn us not to be secure or high-minded. The prophet is to show an instance of one whom the king of Egypt resembled in greatness, the Assyrian, compared to a stately cedar. Those who excel others, make themselves the objects of envy; but the blessings of the heavenly paradise are not liable to such alloy. The utmost security that any creature can give, is but like the shadow of a tree, a scanty and slender protection. But let us flee to God for protection, there we shall be safe. His hand must be owned in the rising of the great men of the earth, and we must not envy them. Though worldly people may seem to have firm prosperity, yet it only seems so.

vv10-18

The king of Egypt resembled the king of Assyria in his greatness: here we see he resembles him in his pride. And he shall resemble him in his fall. His own sin brings his ruin. None of our comforts are ever lost, but what have been a thousand times forfeited. When great men fall, many fall with them, as many have fallen before them. The fall of proud men is for warning to others, to keep them humble. See how low Pharaoh lies; and see what all his pomp and pride are come to. It is best to be a lowly tree of righteousness, yielding fruit to the glory of God, and to the good of men. The wicked man is often seen flourishing like the cedar, and spreading like the green bay tree, but he soon passes away, and his place is no more found. Let us then mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

Cross References

Ezekiel 31
v3Daniel 4:10allusion

Daniel's vision of the great tree reaching to heaven represents a proud king, paralleling the Assyrian cedar.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v6Ezekiel 17:23thematic

Both passages use the imagery of birds nesting in branches to depict nations dwelling under a king's rule.

Supported by JFB

v8Ezekiel 28:13allusion

Like Tyre, the Assyrian king's matchless glory is compared to the pristine splendor of Eden.

Supported by JFB

v8Genesis 2:9allusion

The reference to the trees of the garden of God directly evokes the paradise trees of Genesis.

Supported by JFB

v14Ezekiel 32:18-32thematic

Both sections depict the descent of uncircumcised nations and their leaders to the nether parts of earth.

Supported by JFB

The phrase 'dwelling under his shadow' refers to trusting in a king's political and military protection.

Supported by JFB

v17Isaiah 14:9thematic

The descent of mighty earthly rulers to Sheol (hell) stirring up the dead matches Isaiah's taunt.

Supported by JFB

v1Ezekiel 30:20thematic

Establishes the chronological sequence of prophecies against Egypt, dated just two months earlier.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

Metaphor of 'waters' and 'deep' representing vast tributary peoples and national resources.

Supported by JFB

v6Daniel 4:12thematic

Identical imagery of beasts finding shadow and birds nesting in the branches of a grand tree.

Supported by JFB

v14Psalms 82:7thematic

Verifies that despite their godlike stature, great earthly monarchs will fall and die like common men.

Supported by JFB

v18Ezekiel 28:10thematic

Dying 'the death of the uncircumcised' by the sword is the ultimate humiliation for pagan rulers.

Supported by JFB

v3Ezekiel 17:3thematic

Ezekiel elsewhere uses the great cedar of Lebanon to symbolize royal dynasties and kingdoms.

Supported by JFB

v10Ezekiel 28:17thematic

The heart being 'lifted up' because of beauty and height is the direct cause of divine judgment.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v12Ezekiel 30:11thematic

Identifies the 'strangers, the terrible of the nations' as the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar.

Supported by Matthew Poole