Introduction
In this chapter Egypt is compared to the glory and fall of Assyria.
The allegory of the great cedar Egypt is compared to Assyria, a towering and mighty cedar. Ezekiel 31:1-9.
How that great cedar fell from power because of pride. Ezekiel 31:10-18.
Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon
‘In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: ‘Who can be compared with you in majesty? Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. So, it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased, and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs, all the animals of the wild gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade. It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.’ Ezekiel 31:1-9
This message is dated about two months after the previous message, Ezekiel 31:1 / Ezekiel 30:20-26. The prophecy here was directed to Pharaoh Hophra and to his hordes, Ezekiel 31:2 / Ezekiel 31:18. The focus is on Assyria, but it is going to act as a warning to Egypt. Assyria, Ezekiel 31:3, is used to illustrate that no matter how great a kingdom might be, it can be brought down by God.
In order to exemplify the greatness of the Assyrian Empire, it was compared to a great cedar of Lebanon, Ezekiel 31:3 / Ezekiel 17:1-10 / Ezekiel 17:22-24 / Ezekiel 19:10-14 / Ezekiel 26:19-21 / Ezekiel 28:11-19 / Isaiah 14:3-21.
The Assyrian Empire became extensive throughout the Near East. As Egypt gained most of its power from the river Nile, Assyria too, gained most of their strength and power using the Tigris river, Ezekiel 31:4.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The great cedar, Assyria (Ezekiel 31:3), was well-watered, perhaps an indirect reference to her great water sources in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Ezekiel 31:4). Egypt, of course, equally prided herself in her unending supply of Nile water.’
Through its far-reaching governance of the Near East, nations could trade in peace, Ezekiel 31:5. Other nations founded their security on its existence, trusting that it would never fall, hence why the bird and animals are mentioned as living in their trees for security, Ezekiel 31:6 / Ezekiel 31:12-13 / Ezekiel 17:23 / Daniel 4:12 / Matthew 13:32.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By means of the different nations under the Egyptians, that government became very opulent. These nations are represented as fowls and beasts, taking shelter under the protection of this great political Egyptian tree.’
Assyria was majestic because of the waters that sustained it, Ezekiel 31:7, and there was no tree in God’s garden that it could be compared with, Ezekiel 31:8. Notice it was God who made it beautiful, hence why other nations were jealous of envious of it, Ezekiel 31:9.
‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches. Therefore, no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.’ Ezekiel 31:10-14
The kings of the Empire were arrogant because of the greatness of the kingdom, Ezekiel 31:10 / Ezekiel 28:17.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is worthy of notice, that Nebuchadnezzar, in the first year of his reign, rendered himself master of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. This happened about twenty years before Ezekiel delivered this prophecy; on this account.’
God had raised up this empire for the purpose of using it to discipline His people of the northern kingdom of Israel. Notice it God who gave it into the hands of other rules because its wickedness, Ezekiel 31:11.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The argument the prophet presented was simple. Egypt boasted in its greatness, yet Egypt wasn’t as great as Assyria, and Assyria was conquered by Babylon. Conclusion: if Babylon can conquer Assyria, Babylon can conquer Egypt.’
The most ruthless of foreign nations, that is Nebuchadnezzar would cut it down and leave it just lying there, Ezekiel 31:12. It lay in pieces, parts of mountains, parts in valleys and parts in the ravines, Ezekiel 31:12.
As a result, all the nations removed themselves from its shade and left, Ezekiel 3:12. However, those who used to feel secure and safe, that is the other nations represented by the birds and animals, still used the remains it to their advantage, Ezekiel 31:13.
The Babylonian army was composed of a coalition of forces that were of a warrior culture. They existed off the plunder of other nations. Their survival, therefore, depended on their plunder of those cities they conquered. The Assyrians could not stand against such an army.
God wanted other trees, that is, the nations, to learn from the Assyrians, He wanted them to learn not to become proud, Ezekiel 31:14. If they do, they too like the Assyrians would be brought down to the realm of the dead, Ezekiel 31:14.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Let this ruin, fallen upon Egypt, teach all the nations that shall hear of it to be humble, because, however elevated, God can soon bring them down; and pride and arrogance, either in states or individuals, have the peculiar abhorrence of God. Pride does not suit the sons of men; it made devils of angels and makes fiends of men.’
‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away. I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations. ‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendour and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. ‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign LORD.’ Ezekiel 31:15-18
Assyria was brought down and when it fell, the nations around mourned, Ezekiel 31:15. It was God who held back its streams, causing the waters to be restrained, it was God clothed Lebanon with gloom, and caused the trees, that is, the other nations to wither away, Ezekiel 31:15. This is all speaking about mourning the fall of Assyria, this is all speaking about God’s judgement against them, Ezekiel 29:10 / Ezekiel 30:12.
As Assyria fell as a great tree to the ground, it caused a tremor throughout the nations that depended on her existence, Ezekiel 31:16 / Ezekiel 31:14. Other nations also fell as Assyria did, implying as Assyria fell it took other nations with it to the realm of the dead, Ezekiel 31:16-17.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No matter how high and mighty a tree may have been during its earthly existence, in death all are equal. The glorious cedar may have evoked jealousy in its earthly life, Ezekiel 31:9, but in Sheol it has nothing to be envied; all are on the same level.’
God now asks which of the trees, that is, nations in God’s garden can they compare themselves with, Ezekiel 31:18.
Jamieson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Pharaoh’s end shall be the same humiliating one, just as I have depicted Assyria’s end to have been. Thus, the prophet, as it were, points to Pharaoh.’
Just like the Assyrians, Egypt was full of themselves, maybe even comparing themselves as mighty as the Assyrians were. However, God was going to cut them down, Ezekiel 31:18. Such would be the fate of Egypt.
Egypt was never the extensive empire that Assyria was. And since Assyria was brought down by the Babylonians, Ezekiel wanted the Egyptians to know that they did not have a chance. They too would come crumbling down in order to find their place among the uncircumcised, Ezekiel 30:18 / Ezekiel 28:10 / Ezekiel 29:5 / Ezekiel 32:19 / Ezekiel 32:21 / Jeremiah 9:25-26.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The reference to the uncircumcised is especially forceful because the Egyptians did practice circumcision and were amazingly meticulous, as the pyramids show, about proper burial, so this placing of them on the level of those mentioned was the deepest disgrace possible to them. To the Egyptians those in this condition were outside the range of the civilized world.’
Just in case anyone is in doubt about whom God is speaking about, He tells us this is Pharaoh and all his hordes, Ezekiel 31:18 / Ezekiel 31:2.