Ezekiel — Chapter 31

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1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

4The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

5Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.

6All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

7Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

9I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

10Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

11I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

12And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

13Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:

14To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

15Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

17They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.

18To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third [month], in the first [day] of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

4The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow: the rivers thereof ran round about its plantation; and it sent out its channels unto all the trees of the field.

5Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot [them] forth.

6All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young; and under its shadow dwelt all great nations.

7Thus was it fair in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir-trees were not like its boughs, and the plane-trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like unto it in its beauty.

9I made it fair by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.

10Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou art exalted in stature, and he hath set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

11I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness.

12And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

13Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches;

14to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up on their height, [even] all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

15Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

17They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that are slain by the sword; yea, they that were his arm, [that] dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.

18To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.

1In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:

2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes: “‘Who are you like in your greatness?

3Consider Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade, and extremely tall; its top reached into the clouds.

4The water made it grow; underground springs made it grow tall. Rivers flowed all around the place it was planted, while smaller channels watered all the trees of the field.

5Therefore it grew taller than all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches grew long, because of the plentiful water in its shoots.

6All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth; in its shade all the great nations lived.

7It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not eclipse it, nor could the fir trees match its boughs; the plane trees were as nothing compared to its branches; no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty.

9I made it beautiful with its many branches; all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied it.

10“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because it was tall in stature, and its top reached into the clouds, and it was proud of its height,

11I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly, as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out.

12Foreigners from the most terrifying nations have cut it down and left it to lie there on the mountains. In all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs lie broken in the ravines of the land. All the peoples of the land have departed from its shade and left it.

13On its ruins all the birds of the sky will live, and all the wild animals will walk on its branches.

14For this reason no watered trees will grow so tall; their tops will not reach into the clouds, nor will the well-watered ones grow that high. For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth; they will be among mere mortals, with those who descend to the Pit.

15“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament. I covered it with the deep and held back its rivers; its plentiful water was restrained. I clothed Lebanon in black for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it.

16I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I threw it down to Sheol, along with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all that were well-watered, were comforted in the earth below.

17Those who lived in its shade, its allies among the nations, also went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword.

18Which of the trees of Eden was like you in majesty and loftiness? You will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword! This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

1In the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?

3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.

4The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation; and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.

5Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied. Its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it spread them out.

6All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow.

7Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it. The cypress trees were not like its boughs. The pine trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.

9I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.’

10“Therefore thus said the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you are exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

11I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He will surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness.

12Strangers, the tyrants of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him. His branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

13All the birds of the sky will dwell on his ruin, and all the animals of the field will be on his branches;

14to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, and don’t set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones don’t stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of men, with those who go down to the pit.’

15“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers. The great waters were stopped. I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth.

17They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, who lived under his shadow in the middle of the nations.

18“‘To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Pharaoh is compared to the great cedar of Assyria — the tallest, most magnificent tree in the garden of God. Its top reached into the clouds, all nations sheltered in its branches, and even Eden's trees envied it. But because its heart was lifted up in pride, God cut it down and cast it into Sheol. The lesson for Pharaoh: if ASSYRIA — greater than you — was felled, what hope do you have?

Authorship & Background

Author: Ezekiel son of Buzi (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Oracle Against the Nations (Egypt Series: 3 of 7) Key Themes: Pharaoh compared to Assyria's cedar, the greatest tree in Eden, pride in height and beauty, God cuts down the tallest tree, descent to Sheol, the lesson of Assyria's fall for Egypt, no tree is too great for God's axe
Historical Context: Dated to June 587 BC — just weeks before Jerusalem's fall. Ezekiel delivers a parable aimed at Pharaoh Hophra by using the historical example of Assyria's fall. The logic: "You think you're great, Pharaoh? Consider Assyria — she was GREATER than you. A cedar so tall it reached the clouds. And I cut her down. What makes you think you're safe?"
Assyria had fallen to Babylon in 612 BC (the fall of Nineveh) — less than 25 years before this prophecy. The memory was fresh. The greatest empire the world had ever seen, ruling from Egypt to Persia, was suddenly gone. Ezekiel uses this as a cautionary tale: if Assyria couldn't survive God's axe, Egypt certainly cannot.
The "garden of God" language (vv.8-9) echoes Eden — the cedar of Assyria is depicted as a tree IN Eden, surpassing all others. This Eden imagery connects to chapter 28 (the king of Tyre in Eden) and creates a pattern: pride in the garden leads to expulsion from the garden. The same story repeating.
Structure:
  • The Question: Whom Are You Like? (vv.1-2)
  • The Great Cedar: Unmatched Beauty and Height (vv.3-9)
  • The Sin: Heart Lifted Up (vv.10-11)
  • The Fall: Cut Down and Cast Out (vv.12-14)
  • The Mourning: Sheol and the Nations (vv.15-18)

Map & Geography

  • Egypt (v.2): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.
  • Lebanon (v.3, v.15, v.16): Region north of Israel known for its cedar forests.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Charles Spurgeon: "The tallest tree in the forest catches the most lightning. Assyria towered above all nations and drew God's axe by the very height of her pride. Let every nation, every institution, every soul that grows tall take warning: the Woodsman is watching, and His arm does not tire."

Reflection

  • 1. "To whom art thou thus like?" (v.18). God asks Pharaoh to COMPARE himself to Assyria's fate. Are you comparing yourself to the right examples? Look at those who fell before you and ask: "Am I repeating their pattern?" History teaches those willing to learn.
  • 2. Height produces pride produces fall (v.10). It's a consistent formula: the taller you grow, the more your heart is tempted to "lift up." Success is the most dangerous season. The bigger the blessing, the bigger the temptation to self-worship.
  • 3. No tree is immune (v.14). "NONE of all the trees" — no exception. Not Assyria, not Egypt, not Babylon, not Rome, not America, not YOU. Every human system is mortal. Every human achievement is temporary. Only God's kingdom endures.
  • 4. Even the garden of God provides no immunity. Being IN Eden didn't prevent the fall (Adam). Being LIKE Eden didn't prevent Assyria's fall. Proximity to beauty, privilege, or blessing doesn't protect against pride. Only HUMILITY protects.
  • 5. God comforts in Sheol (v.16). A strange note: "all the trees of Eden... shall be comforted in the nether parts." Even in judgment, there's a bitter "comfort" — you're not alone in your fall. Every empire eventually joins you. Cold comfort, but God notes it.