Ezekiel 31

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

2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his people. Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud and of a high stature; and his top was highest among the thick boughs.

4 The waters made him grow; the deep set him up on high; her rivers ran round his feet and sent her flow to all the trees of the field.

5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of his many waters, which he sent forth.

6 All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt many Gentiles.

7 He made himself beautiful in his greatness, with the extension of his branches: for his root was by many waters.

8 The cedars in the garden of God did not cover him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

9 I have made him beautiful with the multitude of his branches: and all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

10 Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he has shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the strong one of the Gentiles; he shall surely deal with him; I have cut him down for his wickedness.

12 And strangers, the strong ones of the Gentiles, shall cut him down and shall leave him; his branches shall fall upon the mountains and by all the valleys, and his boughs shall be broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth shall go forth from his shadow and shall leave him.

13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:

14 to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their tops among the thick boughs, neither in their branches shall all that drink waters stand up in their height: for they shall all be delivered unto death, to the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the sons of men, with those that go down to the grave.

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

16 I made the Gentiles to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those that descend into the pit: and all the choice trees of Eden, and the best of Lebanon, all that drink waters, shall be comforted in the lower parts of the earth.

17 They also went down into Sheol with him, with those that were slain with the sword; and those that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the Gentiles.

18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet thou shalt be cut down with the trees of Eden unto the lower parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his people, said the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

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

Verses 1-9 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.

Verses 10-18 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 31

This chapter contains a confirmation of the preceding prophecy, of the ruin of the king of Egypt, by the example of the king of Assyria, to whom he was like in grandeur and pride, and would be in his fall. The time of the prophecy is observed, Eze 31:1, the prophet is ordered to give the following relation to the king of Egypt, Eze 31:2 in which the king of Assyria is compared to a large and flourishing cedar, for the extent of his dominions, the prosperous state of his empire, and his exaltation above all other princes, which drew upon him their envy Eze 31:3-9, wherefore because of his pride, his heart being lifted up with these things, Eze 31:10, ruin came upon him; which is described by the instruments and manner of it, and the effects following it; mourning and fear in some, solace and comfort to others, and destruction to his associates, Eze 31:11-17, wherefore Pharaoh is called upon to consider all this, who was like to him in greatness and pride, and should have the like fate with him; nor could his greatness any more secure him than it did the Assyrian monarch, Eze 31:18.