Ezekiel 31:12

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.

Ezekiel 31:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 31:12

And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off,
&c.] Cut off the boughs and branches of this cedar, and cut him down to the ground; that is, utterly destroyed him, his empire and monarchy: these "strangers" were the Medes, who lived in a country distant from Assyria; and "the terrible of the nations", the cruel and merciless Chaldeans, the soldiers of the king of Babylon's army; see ( Ezekiel 30:11 ) : and have left him upon the mountains,
like a tree cut down there, and its boughs and branches lopped off, which roll down from thence into the valleys, and by the rivers of water signifying his depression from a high and exalted state to a very low one, as follows: and in all the valley his branches are fallen, and his boughs are
broken by all the rivers of the land;
signifying that many provinces and countries under his dominion were broken off, and by force taken away from him; or they broke off and revolted of themselves, and either set up for themselves, and recovered their former power and authority; or gave up themselves to the conqueror. The Targum is,

``and in all valleys his army fell, and his auxiliaries were scattered by all the rivers of the land:''

and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have
left him:
those that joined themselves to his empire, put themselves under his protection, or sought his friendship and alliance, now withdrew themselves from him, and left him alone to shift for himself; as frightened birds and beasts will do, when a tree is cut down and fallen, in the boughs or under the shadow of which they dwelt. The Targum paraphrases it,

``from the shadow of his kingdom.''

Ezekiel 31:12 In-Context

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.