Ezekiel 31 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Ezekiel 31 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter uses an allegory of a mighty cedar tree in Lebanon to illustrate the inevitable fall of Pharaoh and Egypt.

The Cedar of Lebanon (vv. 1-9): Ezekiel compares the Pharaoh to a majestic cedar tree, taller than all others, with its top reaching the clouds. This symbolizes Egypt's power, prosperity, and pride. The tree is described as well-watered, with deep roots and abundant branches, providing shade and shelter for many creatures. This represents Egypt's vast resources, influence, and dominance over other nations.

Pride and Boasting (vv. 10-14): God speaks, highlighting the cedar's arrogance and pride. The tree boasts about its height and beauty, believing itself invincible and superior to others. This reflects Pharaoh's arrogance and his belief in Egypt's unmatched power.

Judgment and Fall (vv. 15-18): God declares judgment on the cedar, using the imagery of a powerful storm and a foreign army to symbolize Babylon's impending attack on Egypt. The tree is uprooted and cast down, its branches broken and scattered. This signifies the complete destruction and humiliation of Egypt at the hands of Babylon.

Lessons for All Nations (vv. 18-19): The fall of the mighty cedar serves as a warning to all nations, especially those who, like Assyria before it, might take comfort in Egypt's demise. God emphasizes that pride and self-reliance lead to destruction. He alone is sovereign, and no nation, however powerful, can stand against his judgment.

Key Themes:

The danger of pride and arrogance: The chapter warns against the dangers of pride and self-reliance, emphasizing that true strength and security come from God alone.
God's sovereignty over nations: Ezekiel highlights God's absolute power and authority over all nations. He raises up some and brings down others according to his divine plan.
The inevitability of judgment: The chapter emphasizes that God will judge wickedness and pride, regardless of a nation's power or influence.

Overall, Ezekiel 31 delivers a powerful message about the fleeting nature of earthly power and the importance of humility and dependence on God.

Ezekiel 31 bible study ai commentary

Ezekiel 31 uses the allegory of a magnificent cosmic cedar tree to deliver a prophetic warning to Egypt and its Pharaoh. The tree, explicitly identified as Assyria, grew to unparalleled greatness, rivaling the trees in God's own Eden, only to be cut down because of its pride. This parable serves as a direct message to Pharaoh: just as the proud Assyrian empire fell, so too will the equally proud Egyptian empire. It will be brought down to the netherworld (Sheol) to join the other fallen nations, demonstrating God's supreme authority over all earthly powers and the inevitable judgment that awaits arrogant pride.

Ezekiel 31 context

This oracle is dated to June 587 BC, just before the final destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. At this time, King Zedekiah of Judah had looked to Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt for military aid, a hope that proved futile. This prophecy serves to dismantle any lingering hope in Egypt's power by foretelling its complete downfall. The chapter uses the common Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) motif of the "cosmic tree"—a symbol for a kingdom's power and connection to the divine—but subverts it to declare Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over all empires, including the great powers of Assyria and Egypt.

Ezekiel 31:1-2

In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: 'Whom are you like in your greatness?'"

In-depth-analysis

Dating: The specific date (June 587 BC) places this oracle in a time of intense crisis for Judah, showing God addressing the false hopes of His people.
The Question: The central question, "Whom are you like in your greatness?" sets up the entire parable. It is a rhetorical question designed to confront Pharaoh's pride. Egypt saw itself as unique and peerless.
Pharaoh and his multitude: The prophecy is not just for the king but for the entire nation and its military power, highlighting the collective pride and subsequent collective judgment.

Bible references

Ezekiel 29:1-3: ...set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt... ‘I am against you, Pharaoh... the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams'. (Another direct oracle against Pharaoh).
Isaiah 10:5, 12-13: Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger... when the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion... he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it...". (God's use and judgment of Assyria for its pride).
2 Kings 18:19-21: Do not listen to Hezekiah... on what do you rest this trust of yours? ...you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff. (Highlights Egypt as a long-standing source of false hope for Judah).

Cross references

Ezek 32:1-2 (Another lament for Pharaoh), Dan 4:20-22 (Nebuchadnezzar's tree vision), Jer 46:2, 8 (Prophecies against Egypt's army and pride).

Ezekiel 31:3-9

Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. The waters made it grow; the deep made it high... All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs... It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches... The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it... no tree in the garden of God was like it in its beauty... I made it beautiful... and all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied it.

In-depth-analysis

The Riddle's Answer: The question of v.2 is immediately answered not with Egypt, but with Assyria ('Ashshur). This is a powerful rhetorical move; the object of comparison is already fallen.
Cedar in Lebanon: The Lebanon cedar ('erez) was the prime building material of the ancient world, a symbol of unparalleled strength, height, and value.
Cosmic Imagery: The tree's top is "among the clouds," a classic symbol of royal hubris, aspiring to divine status.
The Deep (tehom): The tree is nourished by the "deep," the primeval subterranean waters. In ANE mythology, this was the source of all life, a force often associated with chaos or deities. Here, God claims control over this ultimate life source.
Haven for Nations: The imagery of birds nesting and animals finding shade represents smaller nations seeking protection under the empire's power and influence.
Garden of God / Eden: The comparison to Eden is extreme hyperbole. The prophet claims this man-made empire, in its glory, was so magnificent that it was envied by the legendary trees of God's own paradise. This magnifies Assyria's worldly splendor to make its fall all the more shocking.

Bible references

Daniel 4:10-12: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong... and all flesh was fed from it. (Nebuchadnezzar's similar vision of his own kingdom as a world tree).
Genesis 2:9-10: And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden... A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. (Echoes the "Garden of God" imagery, the ultimate standard of beauty and life).
Psalm 80:10-11: The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out its boughs to the sea and its branches to the River. (Israel depicted as a glorious vine planted by God, using similar cosmic growth imagery).

Cross references

Judg 9:15 (parable of trees anointing a king), Isa 2:13 (cedars of Lebanon as symbols of pride), Matt 13:32 (parable of the mustard seed, where birds nest in branches).

Polemics

Ezekiel co-opts the widespread ANE "cosmic tree" myth. Kings of Assyria and Babylon often depicted themselves as a world tree connecting realms. Ezekiel uses their own propaganda against them, showing that Yahweh is the one who "made it beautiful" (v. 9) and, therefore, is the one who has the power to unmake it. The polemic is sharp: Your perceived divine status and cosmic power are derivative and subject to the true God.

Ezekiel 31:10-14

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations... He shall surely deal with it. I have cast it out for its wickedness... Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down... On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen... I have cut it down... so that no trees by the waters may grow so tall again or set their tops among the clouds... for they are all consigned to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit.

In-depth-analysis

The Sin: The explicit reason for the fall is pride: "its heart was proud of its height." It forgot the Source of its nourishment and gloried in its own stature.
The Judge: God ('adonay YHWH) is the judge who pronounces the sentence.
The Executioner: God gives the tree to a "mighty one of the nations" ('el goyim), a clear reference to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, the agent of God's judgment. The term is deliberately singular to emphasize his unrivaled power at the time. Babylon is described as "the most ruthless of nations."
The Sentence: Total destruction and humiliation. The fallen branches litter the landscape. All who took shelter under it (v. 6) now flee from its ruin.
The Universal Lesson: The judgment serves as a permanent warning "so that no trees... may grow so tall again." This isn't a literal restriction but a theological principle: human pride that aspires to divine status will always be cut down. All earthly powers are "consigned to death... to the pit."

Bible references

Daniel 5:20: But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened... he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. (Nebuchadnezzar's pride leading to his humbling).
Isaiah 14:12-15: How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!... You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven... But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. (The king of Babylon's hubris and subsequent fall, using similar imagery of heavenly aspiration and descent to the pit).
Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (The core wisdom principle underlying the entire chapter).

Cross references

Hab 1:6-7 (describing the Chaldeans/Babylonians as ruthless), Ezek 28:17 (the king of Tyre's fall due to pride), Obad 1:3-4 (Edom's pride and fall), Isa 10:12 (God's judgment on Assyria's pride).

Ezekiel 31:15-17

"Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day it went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for it; I restrained its rivers... I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit... and all the trees of Eden... were comforted in the world below... They also went down to Sheol with it...

In-depth-analysis

Cosmic Mourning: The fall of this tree has cosmic repercussions. The "deep" (tehom) that once nourished it now mourns. Nature itself—Lebanon, the trees—convulses in grief or shock.
Shaking the Nations: The fall of a superpower like Assyria sent shockwaves through the geopolitical world. Everyone took notice.
Sheol / The Pit: The destination is Sheol, the Old Testament realm of the dead. It is a place of leveling, where even the greatest powers are reduced to mere shades.
The Comfort of the Fallen: In a dark, ironic twist, the previously fallen "trees of Eden" (other great, ancient powers) are "comforted" by Assyria's arrival. Misery loves company; their own humiliating fate is now shared by the one who surpassed them.
Allies Share the Fate: "They also went down to Sheol with it" refers to the smaller nations (v. 17b) who allied with or depended on Assyria. They share in its demise.

Bible references

Ezekiel 32:22-23: "Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword... who spread terror in the land of the living." (A detailed 'roll call' in Sheol, listing Assyria first).
Isaiah 14:9-11: Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you... It rouses the shades... all the kings of the nations. All of them will answer... 'You also have become weak as we are!' (Describes Sheol being stirred to greet the fallen king of Babylon).
Amos 8:8-10: "Shall not the land tremble on this account... I will make the sun go down at noon... I will make it like the mourning for an only son." (Describes cosmic upheaval and mourning at God's judgment).

Cross references

Rev 18:9-11 (kings of the earth weeping over the fall of Babylon the Great), Ps 88:4-6 (description of being in the pit), Job 3:13-19 (where the dead, great and small, are at rest).

Ezekiel 31:18

"‘To which of the trees of Eden are you thus like in glory and in greatness? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.'"

In-depth-analysis

The Climax: The riddle from verse 2 is finally answered directly. The "you" is explicitly Pharaoh.
The Verdict: You, Pharaoh, are just like this great cedar. And just as it was felled for its pride, "you shall be brought down" to share its exact fate.
Midst of the Uncircumcised: For an Egyptian, who practiced circumcision, to lie among the "uncircumcised" (‘arelim) was a profound cultural and religious humiliation. This refers especially to the Babylonians, considered unclean warriors. To die by their sword and be buried among them was the ultimate dishonor.
Finality: The phrase "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude" leaves no room for doubt. The allegory's application is sealed with the divine authority of "declares the Lord GOD."

Bible references

Ezekiel 32:19, 21: 'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.' The mighty chiefs shall speak of them... out of the midst of Sheol. (The theme of being laid with the uncircumcised is central to the next oracle against Egypt).
Ezekiel 28:10: You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners. (The same curse of a dishonorable death pronounced on the proud prince of Tyre).
Galatians 5:12: (Contextually opposite, but highlights the cultural significance of the rite). In the OT context, to be "uncircumcised" was to be outside the covenant and, for many neighbors, a sign of being uncivilized or unclean.

Cross references

1 Sam 17:26 (David's indignation at the "uncircumcised Philistine"), Jer 9:25-26 (God will punish the circumcised, like Egypt, along with the uncircumcised).

Ezekiel chapter 31 analysis

Rhetorical Structure: The chapter is a masterfully constructed rhetorical argument. It begins with a question (v. 2), provides an extended allegorical example (vv. 3-17), and then drives home the application with a damning conclusion (v. 18).
The Use of Myth: Ezekiel doesn't affirm ANE mythology but hijacks its symbols. By taking the "cosmic tree" (a symbol of the king's power) and "the deep" (a symbol of primordial power) and making Yahweh the master of both, he declares the God of Israel as supreme over the self-deifying ideologies of the ancient world's superpowers.
Prophetic Parallelism: The fate of Assyria is not just an analogy but a template for the fate of Egypt. What God has done to one proud empire, He will do to another. This establishes a pattern of divine justice that transcends specific nations.
Theology of Pride: The chapter is one of the Bible's most powerful statements on the sin of pride (hubris). Pride is defined as forgetting one's createdness and dependence on God, attributing one's success to oneself, and aspiring to a divine status that belongs to God alone.

Ezekiel 31 summary

This chapter is a prophecy against Egypt, framed as a taunt song. It compares Pharaoh to the fallen Assyrian empire, which is depicted as a colossal, magnificent cedar tree. Despite its unrivaled greatness and beauty, Assyria was cut down by God for its pride and cast into Sheol (the underworld). The message is a direct warning: Egypt, in its similar pride, will suffer the exact same humiliating fate, brought down to join the other dead empires in the pit.

Ezekiel 30 AI Ezekiel 32 AI

Ezekiel 31 AI Image Audio and Video

Ezekiel chapter 31 kjv

¹ And 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,
² Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
³ Behold, 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.
⁴ The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
⁵ Therefore 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.
⁶ All 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.
⁷ Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
⁸ The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
⁹ I 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.
¹⁰ Therefore 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;
¹¹ I 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.
¹² And 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.
¹³ Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
¹⁴ To 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.
¹⁵ Thus 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.
¹⁶ I 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.
¹⁷ They 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.
¹⁸ To 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.

Ezekiel chapter 31 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?
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.
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.'
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.'
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.
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."

Ezekiel chapter 31 niv

¹ In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:
² "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: "?'Who can be compared with you in majesty?
³ Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage.
⁴ 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.
⁵ So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters.
⁶ 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.
⁷ It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters.
⁸ 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.
⁹ I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.
¹⁰ "?'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,
¹¹ 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,
¹² 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.
¹³ All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.
¹⁴ 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.
¹⁵ "?'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.
¹⁶ 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.
¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ "?'Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor 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 chapter 31 esv

¹ In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
² "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness?
³ Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.
⁴ The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field.
⁵ So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots.
⁶ All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations.
⁷ It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters.
⁸ The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty.
⁹ I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.
¹⁰ "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height,
¹¹ I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out.
¹² Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it.
¹³ On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field.
¹⁴ All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit.
¹⁵ "Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day the cedar went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it, and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.
¹⁶ I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the world below.
¹⁷ They also went down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were its arm, who lived under its shadow among the nations.
¹⁸ "Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel chapter 31 nlt

¹ On June 21, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
² "Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes: "To whom would you compare your greatness?
³ You are like mighty Assyria,
which was once like a cedar of Lebanon,
with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade
and with its top high among the clouds.
⁴ Deep springs watered it
and helped it to grow tall and luxuriant.
The water flowed around it like a river,
streaming to all the trees nearby.
⁵ This great tree towered high,
higher than all the other trees around it.
It prospered and grew long thick branches
because of all the water at its roots.
⁶ The birds nested in its branches,
and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations of the world
lived in its shadow.
⁷ It was strong and beautiful,
with wide-spreading branches,
for its roots went deep
into abundant water.
⁸ No other cedar in the garden of God
could rival it.
No cypress had branches to equal it;
no plane tree had boughs to compare.
No tree in the garden of God
came close to it in beauty.
⁹ Because I made this tree so beautiful,
and gave it such magnificent foliage,
it was the envy of all the other trees of Eden,
the garden of God.
¹⁰ "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because Egypt became proud and arrogant, and because it set itself so high above the others, with its top reaching to the clouds,
¹¹ I will hand it over to a mighty nation that will destroy it as its wickedness deserves. I have already discarded it.
¹² A foreign army ? the terror of the nations ? has cut it down and left it fallen on the ground. Its branches are scattered across the mountains and valleys and ravines of the land. All those who lived in its shadow have gone away and left it lying there.
¹³ "The birds roost on its fallen trunk,
and the wild animals lie among its branches.
¹⁴ Let the tree of no other nation
proudly exult in its own prosperity,
though it be higher than the clouds
and it be watered from the depths.
For all are doomed to die,
to go down to the depths of the earth.
They will land in the pit
along with everyone else on earth.
¹⁵ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When Assyria went down to the grave, I made the deep springs mourn. I stopped its rivers and dried up its abundant water. I clothed Lebanon in black and caused the trees of the field to wilt.
¹⁶ I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of its fall, for I sent it down to the grave with all the others who descend to the pit. And all the other proud trees of Eden, the most beautiful and the best of Lebanon, the ones whose roots went deep into the water, took comfort to find it there with them in the depths of the earth.
¹⁷ Its allies, too, were all destroyed and had passed away. They had gone down to the grave ? all those nations that had lived in its shade.
¹⁸ "O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"