17 They also went down H3381 into hell H7585 with him unto them that be slain H2491 with the sword; H2719 and they that were his arm, H2220 that dwelt H3427 under his shadow H6738 in the midst H8432 of the heathen. H1471
The wicked H7563 shall be turned H7725 into hell, H7585 and all the nations H1471 that forget H7913 God. H430
After H310 him repaired H2388 the Levites, H3881 Rehum H7348 the son H1121 of Bani. H1137 Next unto him H3027 repaired H2388 Hashabiah, H2811 the ruler H8269 of the half H2677 part H6418 of Keilah, H7084 in his part. H6418 After H310 him repaired H2388 their brethren, H251 Bavai H942 the son H1121 of Henadad, H2582 the ruler H8269 of the half H2677 part H6418 of Keilah. H7084
Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 They also that uphold H5564 Egypt H4714 shall fall; H5307 and the pride H1347 of her power H5797 shall come down: H3381 from the tower H4024 of Syene H5482 shall they fall H5307 in it by the sword, H2719 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069 And they shall be desolate H8074 in the midst H8432 of the countries H776 that are desolate, H8074 and her cities H5892 shall be in the midst H8432 of the cities H5892 that are wasted. H2717 And they shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I have set H5414 a fire H784 in Egypt, H4714 and when all her helpers H5826 shall be destroyed. H7665
Son H1121 of man, H120 I have broken H7665 the arm H2220 of Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt; H4714 and, lo, it shall not be bound up H2280 to be healed, H7499 H5414 to put H7760 a roller H2848 to bind H2280 it, to make it strong H2388 to hold H8610 the sword. H2719 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I am against Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 and will break H7665 his arms, H2220 the strong, H2389 and that which was broken; H7665 and I will cause the sword H2719 to fall H5307 out of his hand. H3027 And I will scatter H6327 the Egyptians H4714 among the nations, H1471 and will disperse H2219 them through the countries. H776 And I will strengthen H2388 the arms H2220 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and put H5414 my sword H2719 in his hand: H3027 but I will break H7665 Pharaoh's H6547 arms, H2220 and he shall groan H5008 before H6440 him with the groanings H5009 of a deadly wounded H2491 man. But I will strengthen H2388 the arms H2220 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and the arms H2220 of Pharaoh H6547 shall fall down; H5307 and they shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I shall put H5414 my sword H2719 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and he shall stretch it out H5186 upon the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
They shall fall H5307 in the midst H8432 of them that are slain H2491 by the sword: H2719 she is delivered H5414 to the sword: H2719 draw H4900 her and all her multitudes. H1995 The strong H410 among the mighty H1368 shall speak H1696 to him out of the midst H8432 of hell H7585 with them that help H5826 him: they are gone down, H3381 they lie H7901 uncircumcised, H6189 slain H2491 by the sword. H2719 Asshur H804 is there and all her company: H6951 his graves H6913 are about H5439 him: all of them slain, H2491 fallen H5307 by the sword: H2719 Whose graves H6913 are set H5414 in the sides H3411 of the pit, H953 and her company H6951 is round about H5439 her grave: H6900 all of them slain, H2491 fallen H5307 by the sword, H2719 which caused H5414 terror H2851 in the land H776 of the living. H2416 There is Elam H5867 and all her multitude H1995 round about H5439 her grave, H6900 all of them slain, H2491 fallen H5307 by the sword, H2719 which are gone down H3381 uncircumcised H6189 into the nether parts H8482 of the earth, H776 which caused H5414 their terror H2851 in the land H776 of the living; H2416 yet have they borne H5375 their shame H3639 with them that go down H3381 to the pit. H953 They have set H5414 her a bed H4904 in the midst H8432 of the slain H2491 with all her multitude: H1995 her graves H6913 are round about H5439 him: all of them uncircumcised, H6189 slain H2491 by the sword: H2719 though their terror H2851 was caused H5414 in the land H776 of the living, H2416 yet have they borne H5375 their shame H3639 with them that go down H3381 to the pit: H953 he is put H5414 in the midst H8432 of them that be slain. H2491 There is Meshech, H4902 Tubal, H8422 and all her multitude: H1995 her graves H6913 are round about H5439 him: all of them uncircumcised, H6189 slain H2490 by the sword, H2719 though they caused H5414 their terror H2851 in the land H776 of the living. H2416 And they shall not lie H7901 with the mighty H1368 that are fallen H5307 of the uncircumcised, H6189 which are gone down H3381 to hell H7585 with their weapons H3627 of war: H4421 and they have laid H5414 their swords H2719 under their heads, H7218 but their iniquities H5771 shall be upon their bones, H6106 though they were the terror H2851 of the mighty H1368 in the land H776 of the living. H2416 Yea, thou shalt be broken H7665 in the midst H8432 of the uncircumcised, H6189 and shalt lie H7901 with them that are slain H2491 with the sword. H2719 There is Edom, H123 her kings, H4428 and all her princes, H5387 which with their might H1369 are laid H5414 by them that were slain H2491 by the sword: H2719 they shall lie H7901 with the uncircumcised, H6189 and with them that go down H3381 to the pit. H953 There be the princes H5257 of the north, H6828 all of them, and all the Zidonians, H6722 which are gone down H3381 with the slain; H2491 with their terror H2851 they are ashamed H954 of their might; H1369 and they lie H7901 uncircumcised H6189 with them that be slain H2491 by the sword, H2719 and bear H5375 their shame H3639 with them that go down H3381 to the pit. H953 Pharaoh H6547 shall see H7200 them, and shall be comforted H5162 over all his multitude, H1995 even Pharaoh H6547 and all his army H2428 slain H2491 by the sword, H2719 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069
The tree H363 grew, H7236 and was strong, H8631 and the height H7314 thereof reached H4291 unto heaven, H8065 and the sight H2379 thereof to the end H5491 of all H3606 the earth: H772 The leaves H6074 thereof were fair, H8209 and the fruit H4 thereof much, H7690 and in it was meat H4203 for all: H3606 the beasts H2423 of the field H1251 had shadow H2927 under H8460 it, and the fowls H6853 of the heaven H8065 dwelt H1753 in the boughs H6056 thereof, and all H3606 flesh H1321 was fed H2110 of it. H4481
But G2532 when G3752 it is sown, G4687 it groweth up, G305 and G2532 becometh G1096 greater than G3187 all G3956 herbs, G3001 and G2532 shooteth out G4160 great G3173 branches; G2798 so that G5620 the fowls G4071 of the air G3772 may G1410 lodge G2681 under G5259 the shadow G4639 of it. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 31
Commentary on Ezekiel 31 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 31
Eze 31:1-18. The Overthrow of Egypt Illustrated by That of Assyria.
Not that Egypt was, like Assyria, utterly to cease to be, but it was, like Assyria, to lose its prominence in the empire of the world.
1. third month—two months later than the prophecy delivered in Eze 30:20.
2. Whom art thou like—The answer is, Thou art like the haughty king of Assyria; as he was overthrown by the Chaldeans, so shalt thou be by the same.
3. He illustrates the pride and the consequent overthrow of the Assyrian, that Egypt may the better know what she must expect.
cedar in Lebanon—often eighty feet high, and the diameter of the space covered by its boughs still greater: the symmetry perfect. Compare the similar image (Eze 17:3; Da 4:20-22).
with a shadowing shroud—with an overshadowing thicket.
top … among … thick boughs—rather [Hengstenberg], "among the clouds." But English Version agrees better with the Hebrew. The top, or topmost shoot, represents the king; the thick boughs, the large resources of the empire.
4. waters … little rivers—the Tigris with its branches and "rivulets," or "conduits" for irrigation, the source of Assyria's fertility. "The deep" is the ever flowing water, never dry. Metaphorically, for Assyria's resources, as the "conduits" are her colonies.
5. when he shot forth—because of the abundant moisture which nourished him in shooting forth. But see Margin.
6. fowls … made … nests in … boughs—so Eze 17:23; Da 4:12. The gospel kingdom shall gather all under its covert, for their good and for the glory of God, which the world kingdoms did for evil and for self-aggrandizement (Mt 13:32).
8. cedars … could not hide him—could not outtop him. No other king eclipsed him.
were not like—were not comparable to.
garden of God—As in the case of Tyre (Eze 28:13), the imagery, that is applied to the Assyrian king, is taken from Eden; peculiarly appropriate, as Eden was watered by rivers that afterwards watered Assyria (Ge 2:10-14). This cedar seemed to revive in itself all the glories of paradise, so that no tree there outtopped it.
9. I … made him—It was all due to My free grace.
10. thou … he—The change of persons is because the language refers partly to the cedar, partly to the person signified by the cedar.
11. Here the literal supersedes the figurative.
shall surely deal with him—according to his own pleasure, and according to the Assyrian's (Sardanapalus) desert. Nebuchadnezzar is called "the mighty one" (El, a name of God), because he was God's representative and instrument of judgment (Da 2:37, 38).
12. from his shadow—under which they had formerly dwelt as their covert (Eze 31:6).
13. Birds and beasts shall insult over his fallen trunk.
14. trees by the waters—that is, that are plentifully supplied by the waters: nations abounding in resources.
stand up in their height—that is, trust in their height: stand upon it as their ground of confidence. Fairbairn points the Hebrew differently, so as for "their trees," to translate, "(And that none that drink water may stand) on themselves, (because of their greatness)." But the usual reading is better, as Assyria and the confederate states throughout are compared to strong trees. The clause, "All that drink water," marks the ground of the trees' confidence "in their height," namely, that they have ample sources of supply. Maurer, retaining the same Hebrew, translates, "that neither their terebinth trees may stand up in their height, nor all (the other trees) that drink water."
to … nether … earth … pit—(Eze 32:18; Ps 82:7).
15. covered the deep—as mourners cover their heads in token of mourning, "I made the deep that watered the cedar" to wrap itself in mourning for him. The waters of the deep are the tributary peoples of Assyria (Re 17:15).
fainted—literally, were "faintness" (itself); more forcible than the verb.
16. hell—Sheol or Hades, the unseen world: equivalent to, "I cast him into oblivion" (compare Isa 14:9-11).
shall be comforted—because so great a king as the Assyrian is brought down to a level with them. It is a kind of consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery.
17. his arm, that dwelt under his shadow—those who were the helpers or tool of his tyranny, and therefore enjoyed his protection (for example, Syria and her neighbors). These were sure to share her fate. Compare the same phrase as to the Jews living under the protection of their king (La 4:20); both alike "making flesh their arm, and in heart departing from the Lord" (Jer 17:5).
18. Application of the parabolic description of Assyria to the parallel case of Egypt. "All that has been said of the Assyrian consider as said to thyself. To whom art thou so like, as thou art to the Assyrian? To none." The lesson on a gigantic scale of Eden-like privileges abused to pride and sin by the Assyrian, as in the case of the first man in Eden, ending in ruin, was to be repeated in Egypt's case. For the unchangeable God governs the world on the same unchangeable principles.
thou shall lie in … uncircumcised—As circumcision was an object of mocking to thee, thou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, slain by their sword [Grotius]. Retribution in kind (Eze 28:10).
This is Pharaoh—Pharaoh's end shall be the same humiliating one as I have depicted the Assyrian's to have been. "This" is demonstrative, as if he were pointing with the finger to Pharaoh lying prostrate, a spectacle to all, as on the shore of the Red Sea (Ex 14:30, 31).