Yechezkel 31:12

12 And zarim, the most terrible of the Goyim, have cut him down, and have left him; upon the harim and in all the ge’ayot (valleys) his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the ravines of the earth; and kol Amei HaAretz (all the nations of the earth) departed from his tzel (shade), and forsook him.

Yechezkel 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.''

Yechezkel 31:12 In-Context

10 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast increased thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top above the thick boughs, and his lev is proudly lifted up in his height,

11 I have therefore delivered him into the yad of the mighty one of the Goyim; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out according to his wickedness.

12 And zarim, the most terrible of the Goyim, have cut him down, and have left him; upon the harim and in all the ge’ayot (valleys) his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the ravines of the earth; and kol Amei HaAretz (all the nations of the earth) departed from his tzel (shade), and forsook him.

13 Upon his ruin shall all the oph Shomayim remain, and all the beasts of the sadeh shall come to his branches;

14 To the end that none of all the trees by the mayim exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top above the thick boughs, and that no trees that drink mayim may reach up to them in height; for they are all delivered unto mavet, to the depths of ha’aretz, in the midst of the bnei adam, with them that go down to the bor (pit).