Ezekiel 31 15

Ezekiel 31:15 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 31:15 nkjv

"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.

Ezekiel 31:15 niv

"?'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.

Ezekiel 31:15 esv

"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.

Ezekiel 31:15 nlt

"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.

Ezekiel 31 verses

Ezekiel 31 15 meaning

Ezekiel 31:15 vividly portrays the profound and divinely orchestrated judgment on Assyria, personified as a majestic cedar. This verse announces that the Lord GOD himself actively instigates universal mourning and a cosmic response when this once-great power descends into Sheol, the realm of the dead. God explicitly states His involvement in covering the deep, restraining rivers, and withholding great waters, demonstrating absolute control over nature's forces. Furthermore, the land of Lebanon, famed for its cedars, is made to mourn, and all other lesser trees (representing nations) faint in despair, signifying the immense impact and finality of God's judgment against such overwhelming pride and power.

Ezekiel 31 15 Context

Ezekiel chapter 31 is part of a series of prophecies directed at Egypt. However, in this specific chapter, Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) is called upon to consider the fate of Assyria. The entire chapter uses a powerful and elaborate allegory of a majestic cedar tree in Lebanon to symbolize a great and powerful nation. Verses 3-9 describe the tree's unparalleled height, beauty, widespread branches, and how all other trees/nations thrived under its shadow, indicating Assyria's historical dominance and its perception of self-sufficiency and invincibility.

Verse 15 marks a pivotal shift, moving from the description of Assyria's glory and pride to the immediate consequences of its impending downfall, specifically focusing on the moment it "went down to Sheol." Historically, Assyria, particularly its capital Nineveh, had already fallen to a coalition of Babylonians and Medes in 612 BCE, with its remaining power fully crushed by 609 BCE. Ezekiel, writing around 592 BCE from Babylonian exile, uses Assyria's well-known fate as a chilling, contemporary object lesson. He intends to demonstrate to Pharaoh—whose nation, Egypt, was still relatively strong—that God’s judgment will inevitably befall any power that exalts itself to such a degree, just as it did to Assyria. The verse is thus set against a backdrop of ongoing international power struggles, with God unequivocally asserting His ultimate authority over all nations.

Ezekiel 31 15 Word analysis

• Thus says the Lord GOD: (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה - koh amar Adonai YHWH). This is a standard prophetic formula, directly attesting that the subsequent words are not human speculation but an authoritative, divinely revealed pronouncement, emphasizing certainty and solemnity.
• On the day it went down to Sheol: (בְּיוֹם רִדְתּוֹ שְׁאוֹלָה - b'yom ridto she'olah)
  • ridto: "its going down." The definite act of descent, marking the point of ultimate demise.
  • Sheol (שְׁאוֹל): The Old Testament concept for the realm of the dead, the grave, or the underworld. Here, it is used metaphorically for the complete destruction and end of Assyria's power and existence as an exalted kingdom, a fall from a high and proud state to oblivion. It denotes finality in terms of earthly dominion.
• I caused mourning: (הֶאֱבַלְתִּי - he'evati). This is the Hiphil causative form of aval (אָבַל), "to mourn." God actively, intentionally, and directly initiated a universal lament, signifying that the downfall was not merely a natural event but a divinely orchestrated tragedy with widespread repercussions.
• I covered the deep over it: (וָאֲכַס עָלָיו תְּהוֹם - va'akhas alav tehom)
  • va'akhas: "And I covered." From kasah (כָּסָה), implying deliberate action to overwhelm or submerge.
  • tehom (תְּהוֹם): "the deep, abyss." This primordial cosmic term often refers to the deep waters of creation (Gen 1:2) or devastating floods (Gen 7:11). Here, it denotes God’s command over the foundational elements of chaos, overwhelming Assyria with judgment.
• and restrained its rivers: (וָאֶכְלָא נַהֲרוֹתֶיהָ - va'ekla naharoteha)
  • va'ekla: "And I restrained/held back." From kala' (כָּלָא), denoting a forceful, divine halt.
  • naharoteha: "its rivers." Rivers often symbolize a nation's life, prosperity, and power (like the Tigris and Euphrates for Assyria, or Nile for Egypt). Restraining them represents the cessation of its vital flow and resources, leading to desolation.
• and the great waters were withheld: (וַיֵּחַשְׁכוּ מַיִם רַבִּים - vayeḥashkhu mayim rabbim)
  • vayeḥashkhu: "and they became dark/withheld." From hashakh (חָשַׁךְ), to withhold or become dim. It signifies cutting off or obscuring their source, symbolizing the end of power, life, and abundance.
  • mayim rabbim: "great waters." An expression for large bodies of water, also often symbolic of immense power or nations (Rev 17:15).
• I made Lebanon mourn for it: (לְמַעַן הַאֲבִיל עָלָיו לְבָנוֹן - l'ma'an ha'avil alav L'vanon)
  • ha'avil: "made to mourn" (causative of aval). God directly caused the land to grieve.
  • L'vanon (לְבָנוֹן): "Lebanon." Renowned for its magnificent cedars (Isa 2:13), it serves here as the archetype of majestic trees and a metaphor for grandeur. Its mourning for a fallen cedar emphasizes the loss of unparalleled greatness.
• and all the trees of the field fainted because of it: (וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה עָלָיו עֻלְפִי - v'khol atzei hassadeh alav ulfi)
  • ulfi: "fainted, grew faint, withered." From alaph (עָלַף), conveying a state of overwhelming weakness or distress, even collapsing. This refers to the nations that once prospered or felt secure under Assyria’s sway, or perhaps just nature reacting to a monumental change.

Words-group analysis:

• "Thus says the Lord GOD... I caused... I covered... I restrained... I made Lebanon mourn": The recurring "I" pronouns unequivocally highlight YHWH's direct and absolute agency in the judgment of Assyria. This is not a passive observation but an active, sovereign act.
• "Sheol... deep... rivers... great waters... Lebanon... trees of the field": This sequence reveals a progressively widening concentric circle of impact, starting from the underworld, encompassing cosmic and natural elements, and finally all living things symbolized by trees. It stresses the profound, far-reaching, and universal consequences of God's judgment against national pride.
• "On the day it went down": This phrase emphasizes a singular, definitive point in time for Assyria's irreversible fall, a landmark moment marking its complete transition from imperial glory to the state of the dead.

Ezekiel 31 15 Bonus section

• The deliberate personification of inanimate or natural elements (deep, rivers, Lebanon, trees) heightens the dramatic impact of Assyria’s fall. This poetic device, common in prophetic literature, communicates a reality beyond human understanding: the entire created order witnesses and responds to God’s justice.
• The language surrounding "the deep" and "waters" holds subtle polemical implications for ancient Egyptian belief. In Egyptian cosmology, Nun represented the primordial, chaotic waters from which creation emerged. By portraying YHWH as actively covering the deep and restraining waters, Ezekiel asserts God's absolute dominion over even these chaotic or fundamental forces, demonstrating His power as infinitely superior to any presumed cosmic forces or deities in rival pantheons.
• The extensive focus on a non-Israelite nation (Assyria, as a warning to Egypt) demonstrates God's universal governance and His concern for justice not only within His covenant people but among all nations. It underscores that all earthly powers are accountable to the divine King.

Ezekiel 31 15 Commentary

Ezekiel 31:15 is a potent theological statement about divine sovereignty and judgment. It transcends mere historical recounting of Assyria’s fall, elevating it to a cosmic event. God’s declaration "I caused mourning" immediately establishes His active hand in the judgment, transforming a political collapse into a universally significant spiritual lesson. The control exercised over "the deep," "rivers," and "great waters" symbolizes God's absolute mastery not only over national destinies but over the fundamental forces of creation, implicitly countering any notion that these entities possess independent power or divine status (as sometimes conceived in ancient Near Eastern mythologies, including Egyptian ones concerning primordial waters).

The imagery of Lebanon, the ultimate symbol of arboreal grandeur, mourning and all other trees fainting, vividly communicates the immense impact of such a powerful nation's demise. It represents a ripple effect through the "family" of nations, a demonstration that when a nation elevates itself beyond its divinely appointed place, its downfall creates a vacuum and a sense of awe that resounds across the earth. The entire passage functions as a stern warning against national pride and hubris, urging Pharaoh (and implicitly, any powerful leader) to recognize that ultimate power resides only with the Lord GOD, who is both the planter and the feller of nations.