Ezekiel 31

1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

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.

13 All the birds will settle on his fallen trunk, and all the wild animals will be on his branches.

14 This is to warn all the trees growing near water not to grow so tall, not to lift their crowns above the leafy boughs, and all that take up water not to reach up in their height. For they are all given over to death, to the depths of the underworld, along with human beings, with those who descend to the pit.'

15 "Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'On the day he descended to Sh'ol, I caused the abyss to mourn and cover itself for him; I held back its rivers, so that its deep waters were stopped. I made the L'vanon mourn for him, and all the field trees withered because of him.

16 At the sound of his fall I made the nations shake, when I hurled him down to Sh'ol with those who descend to the pit. All the trees of 'Eden, the pick of the best in the L'vanon, all that take up water, were consoled in the underworld.

17 They descended with him to Sh'ol to those who were killed by the sword, to those who were his fighting arm, those among the nations who lived in his shade.

18 Which of the trees of 'Eden was your equal in glory or size? Yet you will be brought down to the underworld along with the trees of 'Eden. You will lie there among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and his hordes,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

PREVIOUS Ezekiel 30 NEXT Ezekiel 32

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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

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.