Ezekiel 31

Downfall of Egypt and Assyria

1 In the eleventh year, in the third [month], on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: Who are you like in your greatness?

3 Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon,^[a] with beautiful branches and shady foliage, and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds.^[b][c]

4 The waters caused it to grow; the underground springs made it tall, directing their rivers all around the place where the tree was planted and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.

5 Therefore the cedar became greater in height than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread [them] out because of the plentiful water.^[d]

6 All the birds of the sky nested in its branches,^[e] and all the animals of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant water.

8 The cedars in God's garden could not rival it; the pine trees couldn't compare with its branches, nor could the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with it in beauty.

9 I made it beautiful with its many limbs, and all the trees of Eden, which were in God's garden, envied it.^[f]

10 "Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Since it^[g] became great in height and set its top among the clouds,^[h] and it^[i] grew proud^[j] on account of its height,

11 I determined to hand it over to a ruler of nations; he would surely deal with it. I banished it because of its wickedness.^[k]

12 Foreigners, ruthless men from the nations,^[l] cut it down and left it lying. Its limbs fell on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth's ravines. All the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.

13 All the birds of the sky nested on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field were among its boughs.

14 [This happened] so that no trees [planted] beside water would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds,^[m] and so that no [other] well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the underworld, among the people who descend to the Pit.^[n]

15 "This is what the Lord God says: I caused grieving on the day the cedar went down to Sheol.^[o] I closed off the underground deep because of it:^[p] I held back the rivers of the deep, and [its] abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn on account of it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol [to be] with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden,^[q] all the well-watered trees, the choice and best of Lebanon, were comforted^[r] in the underworld.

17 They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies^[s][t]they had lived in its shade among the nations.

18 "Who then are you like in glory and greatness among Eden's trees? You also will be brought down to the underworld [to be] with the trees of Eden.^[u] You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword.^[v] This is Pharaoh and all his hordes"-the declaration of 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Isa 10:33-34
• [b]. Or thick foliage
• [c]. Ezk 19:11
• [d]. Ezk 17:8
• [e]. Ezk 17:23; Dn 4:12,21; Mt 13:32
• [f]. Ezk 28:13; Gn 2:8; Isa 51:3
• [g]. Syr, Vg; MT, LXX read you
• [h]. Or thick foliage
• [i]. Lit its heart
• [j]. Ezk 28:17; Dn 5:20
• [k]. Ezk 28:16
• [l]. Ezk 28:7; 32:12
• [m]. Or thick foliage
• [n]. Ezk 26:20, 32:18,24
• [o]. Ezk 32:21
• [p]. Or I covered it with the underground deep
• [q]. Ezk 28:13; Isa 51:3
• [r]. Ezk 32:31
• [s]. LXX, Syr read offspring
• [t]. Lit arm
• [u]. Ezk 26:20; 32:24
• [v]. Ezk 32:21,25

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.