Ezekiel 31:17 kjv
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.
Ezekiel 31:17 nkjv
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.
Ezekiel 31:17 niv
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.
Ezekiel 31:17 esv
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.
Ezekiel 31:17 nlt
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.
Ezekiel 31 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 31:17 | They also are joined with him in his descent to Sheol with his slain; and they who followed him have gone down into the pit; and the trees of Eden envied him no more in the land of his glory. | Judgment on Egypt, Egypt's fall. |
| Genesis 10:8-10 | Cush also begot Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Indeed, it is said, "The same is Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord." The beginning of his kingdom was Babel... | Egypt's power, early empires. |
| Isaiah 19:5-10 | The waters from the Nile will be dried up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will become foul, and the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The papyrus reeds and the rushes will wither. | Nile's importance, Egypt's dependence on water. |
| Jeremiah 46:1-12 | The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations. Against Egypt... Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain you multiply medicines; there is no healing for you. | Prophecies against Egypt, futility of remedies. |
| Ezekiel 30:14-15 | And I will put a fire in Egypt; Mizraim shall be in great anguish. And the people of Noah shall be in profound distress... Egypt is a very smooth heifer, but disaster from the north has come upon her. | Judgment on Egypt, foreign invasion. |
| Psalm 89:46-47 | How long, Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? Shall Your wrath burn like fire? Oh, remember how fleeting my time is! For what vanity You have created all the children of men! | God's justice, the brevity of human life and power. |
| Isaiah 14:11-15 | Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the noise of your lyres; you lay woven over with worms; beneath you, covered with the maggots of the pit. How you have fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! ... Yet you were brought down to Sheol... | Fall of proud nations, boasting humbled. |
| Lamentations 4:19 | Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they ran us down in the wilderness. | Overwhelmed by enemies. |
| Revelation 18:9-10 | And the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality with her and lived sensuously will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, saying, "Alas! Alas! Babylon the great city, so mighty in one hour your judgment has come!" | Downfall of oppressive cities, universal mourning. |
| Ezekiel 28:12-19 | Son of man, wail over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God... By the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned... So I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God... | Fall of proud leaders, comparison to Tyre's fall. |
| Psalm 37:35-36 | I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a luxuriant green native tree. But he passed, and behold, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. | Wicked prospering then vanishing. |
| Proverbs 11:10 | When the righteous triumph, there is great rejoicing, but when the wicked perish, there are cries of joy. | Consequences of wickedness and righteousness. |
| Romans 8:38-39 | For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Unchanging divine love, ultimate security. |
| Galatians 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Unity in Christ, transcendence of earthly divisions. |
| Revelation 11:15 | Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and great voices in heaven cried out, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forevermore." | Establishment of God's eternal kingdom. |
| Psalm 2:4 | He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. | God's sovereignty over earthly powers. |
| Proverbs 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Danger of pride. |
| Isaiah 10:5-6 | Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff that is in their hand is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I give him a charge, to take the spoil and plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. | God using nations for judgment. |
| Ezekiel 29:1-3 | In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt..." | Specific prophecy against Egypt. |
| Daniel 4:30-37 | The king spoke, and said, "Is this not that great Babylon, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" While the words were still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven, "O Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said..." | Nebuchadnezzar's pride and fall. |
Ezekiel 31 verses
Ezekiel 31 17 Meaning
This verse describes the downfall of the great Egyptian empire, symbolized by a mighty cedar tree. The nations who were strengthened and sheltered by Egypt's power now witness its destruction and mourn with it. They share in its sorrow and recognize the extent of its former glory and the depth of its subsequent ruin.
Ezekiel 31 17 Context
This verse is found in Ezekiel chapter 31, which contains a prophetic oracle against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God compares Egypt, specifically its power and splendor, to a magnificent cedar tree in Lebanon that brought shade and shelter to many nations. However, due to its pride and arrogance, symbolized by its towering height and grandeur, this great tree (Egypt) will be cut down by God and cast into the "depths of the earth" (Sheol), representing its utter destruction and humiliation. This judgment on Egypt serves as a warning to other nations and illustrates God's sovereign power over all earthly kingdoms. The surrounding nations, who once benefited from Egypt's might, now lament its demise, recognizing its former glory and the magnitude of its fall.
Ezekiel 31 17 Word Analysis
- "They also": This refers back to the nations mentioned in the previous verses.
- "are joined with him": signifies their association and shared fate with Egypt.
- "in his descent": points to the act of going down.
- "to Sheol": the Hebrew word is שְׁאוֹל (she'ol), meaning the grave, the abode of the dead, the underworld. It represents utter ruin and the place of the forgotten.
- "with his slain": indicating that their destiny is tied to the fallen Egyptian empire, its dead warriors.
- "and they who followed him": this includes lesser nations or peoples that were influenced or allied with Egypt.
- "have gone down": further emphasizes the downward movement towards destruction.
- "into the pit": a metaphor for destruction, ruin, or a place of no return.
- "and the trees of Eden": likely refers to the grandest and most beautiful trees, representing other powerful nations or empires that previously envied or felt secure because of Egypt's prominence. The "trees of Eden" evoke imagery of beauty, strength, and perhaps even pride like that of a well-established forest.
- "envied him no more": signifies the complete loss of Egypt's prestigious status and imposing presence. Its former power that might have evoked envy is now gone.
- "in the land of his glory": highlights that Egypt's greatness and pride were rooted in its earthly power and prosperity, which have now been stripped away.
Ezekiel 31 17 Bonus Section
The imagery of a fallen majestic tree is a common prophetic motif in the Old Testament for the downfall of kings and nations, often associated with pride (cf. Isaiah 10:33-34, Jeremiah 51:30-32). The comparison of Egypt to a cedar of Lebanon emphasizes its former magnificence, beauty, and widespread influence. Sheol represents the ultimate destruction and humiliation that awaits proud and defiant earthly powers. The verse also highlights the interconnectedness of nations in the historical narrative; the rise and fall of one powerful empire affects others, either through alliance, opposition, or dependency. This fall means they too lose their refuge or their object of envy.
Ezekiel 31 17 Commentary
Ezekiel 31:17 depicts the universal mourning for a fallen mighty power, specifically Egypt. The powerful cedar, once a source of pride and shelter, is brought down to the lowest depths. The nations that once sought protection or even felt envious of Egypt now witness its utter downfall and share in its humiliation. This verse underscores the transience of earthly power and the devastating consequences of pride. It illustrates God's judgment not just on the powerful entity itself but also on the ensuing emptiness and lack of security for those who depended on it. The once-envied entity is now a spectacle of ruin, no longer a source of comparison but a cautionary tale, showing that even the greatest human-established glories fade. The "trees of Eden" now find no cause for envy as the "cedar" is no more, signifying a leveling in their perceived status in the face of divine judgment.