Ezekiel 31
In Ezekiel 31, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, uses the allegory of a mighty tree to describe the downfall of Assyria as a warning to Pharaoh and Egypt. The chapter emphasizes how nations that rise to great heights in power and pride without honoring God will inevitably fall, no matter their strength or influence. This serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty over all kingdoms.
Ezekiel 31:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness?’”
God addresses Ezekiel to speak directly to Pharaoh, challenging him to consider whom he resembles in his greatness. This question sets up a comparison with Assyria, which was once powerful and seemingly invincible but ultimately fell due to its pride and sin.
Ezekiel 31:3-5 (NKJV)
3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
4 The waters made it grow; underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place where it was planted, and sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field.
5 Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the abundance of water, as it sent them out.
Assyria is compared to a towering cedar tree in Lebanon, symbolizing its strength, height, and vast influence. Its growth was sustained by abundant waters, a metaphor for resources and favor, allowing it to spread and dominate. Yet, this imagery also foreshadows the dangers of excessive pride that often accompany great power.
Ezekiel 31:6-9 (NKJV)
6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and in its shadow all great nations made their home.
7 Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.
Assyria’s power and reach were so vast that it provided shelter and sustenance to many nations, represented by birds and beasts finding refuge under its branches. This tree was unparalleled in beauty, even in comparison to the trees in Eden, signifying how God granted it splendor and influence.
Ezekiel 31:10-14 (NKJV)
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,
11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness.
12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.
13 On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—
14 So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. For they have all been delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’
Because of its pride, Assyria faced destruction. God handed it over to a “mighty one of the nations,” leading to its downfall. This symbolizes the judgment that awaits those who grow arrogant in power. The desolation of Assyria’s “tree” serves as a warning that no nation should exalt itself too high, as all will face the reality of mortality.
Ezekiel 31:15-17 (NKJV)
15 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it; I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it.
16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth.
17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations.
God’s judgment on Assyria was so impactful that it caused mourning in the land and even among other nations. The trees of Eden metaphorically “comforted” it, reflecting how even the mightiest can fall. Assyria’s allies and supporters also faced downfall, sharing its fate in the “Pit,” symbolizing death and destruction.
Ezekiel 31:18 (NKJV)
18 ‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord God.”
In conclusion, God challenges Pharaoh, warning that Egypt will share the same fate as Assyria. Just as the mighty were humbled and brought low, so too will Egypt, despite its current power and greatness. This final verse reinforces the message that no nation is exempt from God’s judgment when pride and self-exaltation lead them away from Him.