Ezekiel 31:13-18

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 31:13-18 Meaning and Commentary

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.