Ezekiel 31:2-12

2 "Human being, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: 'Whom are you like in your greatness?

3 Like Ashur, a cedar in the L'vanon. It had beautiful branches, dense foliage, its tall crown surrounded by leafy boughs.

4 The water nourished it; the deep made it grow, sending its rivers round the place where it was planted, sending its streams to all the trees in the fields.

5 So it grew taller than any other tree, its branches grew in number and spread far and wide, for it had plenty of water to make them grow.

6 In its boughs all the birds of the air had their nests, beneath its branches all the wild animals gave birth to their young, and all great nations lived in its shade.

7 It was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches, because its roots went down to plenty of water.

8 No cedar in God's garden was like it, no cypress tree could compare with its boughs, no chestnut tree could rival its branches, no tree in God's garden could match its beauty.

9 I made it so beautiful, with its many branches; all trees in 'Eden, God's garden, envied it.'

10 "Therefore here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you are so tall, because he has lifted his crown above the leafy boughs, because he has grown so arrogant about his height,

11 I am handing him over to the mightiest of the nations, who will certainly deal with him as his wickedness deserves; I reject him.

12 Foreigners, the most barbarous of the nations, will destroy him and leave him lying where he is. His branches will lie fallen on the mountains and in the valleys, his boughs will lie broken in all the rivers of the land, and all the peoples of the earth will withdraw from his shade and leave him.

Ezekiel 31:2-12 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.