Ezekiel 31:18 kjv
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 31:18 nkjv
'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 31:18 niv
"?'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 31:18 esv
"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 31:18 nlt
"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!"
Ezekiel 31 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 31:1 | 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, | God's word came concerning nations |
| Ezekiel 31:18 | To whom are you most like in glory and greatness in the Garden of God? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath. You shall be cast down among the uncircumcised, among those slain by the sword. And Pharaoh and all his multitude shall fall by the sword, declares the Lord GOD. | Prophecy of downfall |
| Ezekiel 28:13 | You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle, and made of gold your settings and your inlays on the day that you were created. | King of Tyre's pride compared to Eden |
| Isaiah 14:13 | You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; | Satan's original fall |
| Isaiah 10:33 | Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will strike the boughs with terror, and the lofty trees will be felled, and the supercilious will be brought low. | God's judgment on Assyria's pride |
| Jeremiah 51:37 | And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for jackals, an astonishment and a hiss, without inhabitants. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Daniel 4:10 | The visions in my head as I lay in my bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. | Nebuchadnezzar's vision |
| Daniel 4:22 | It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong! Your greatness has increased and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. | Nebuchadnezzar's exaltation |
| Matthew 23:12 | Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Jesus' teaching on humility |
| Luke 14:11 | For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. | Jesus' teaching on humility |
| Revelation 18:7 | As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit on a throne, I am no widow, I shall never see mourning.’ | Judgment on Babylon |
| Psalm 37:35 | I have seen a wicked man utterly put down, and occupying his place like a green bay tree. | Wickedness leads to destruction |
| Amos 1:14 | Then I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour its palaces with a war cry on the day of battle, with a tempest on the day of the whirlwind, | Judgment on Ammon |
| Amos 2:2 | then I will kindle a fire in the wall of Moab, and it shall devour the fortresses of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, with the blast of the trumpet and the sound of the horn. | Judgment on Moab |
| Isaiah 37:24 | By your messengers you have rebuked the Lord, and you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the remotest parts of Lebanon; I will fell its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses; I will enter its farthest lodging, its most fruitful forest. | Sennacherib's boast |
| Jeremiah 22:6 | For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are but Gilead in my sight, the head of Lebanon; yet I will surely make you a wilderness, cities not inhabited. | Judgment on King of Judah |
| Lamentations 2:2 | The Lord has utterly swept away all the habitations of Jacob and has not pitied them. He has broken down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought them down to the ground; he has defiled the kingdom and its princes. | Destruction of Judah |
| Joel 3:1 | For behold, in those days and in that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, | Restoration promised |
| Hosea 4:5 | You shall stumble by day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. | Judgment on Israel |
| Zechariah 11:1-3 | Open your doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars. Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the mightiest are overthrown! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage has come down! There is the sound of the shepherds wailing, for their pastures are destroyed; there is the sound of the roaring lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are ruined. | Judgment on Lebanon/North |
Ezekiel 31 verses
Ezekiel 31 18 Meaning
This verse concludes the pronouncement against Pharaoh, likening him to a great cedar tree that has fallen among the other trees of Eden. It signifies the complete ruin and loss of glory that has befallen Egypt under Pharaoh's leadership, demonstrating God's judgment on his pride and oppressive power. The fallen cedar will serve as a reminder and a grave for his descendants and all his might.
Ezekiel 31 18 Context
Ezekiel 31 presents a powerful oracle against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. The chapter uses the metaphor of a magnificent cedar tree in the Garden of God (Eden) to represent the Pharaoh's former glory, power, and pride. This cedar had grown to great heights, envied by all the trees of Eden. However, due to its arrogance and reliance on its own strength, God declared its inevitable downfall. The surrounding nations (like Assyria, depicted as other mighty trees) have witnessed this grand tree's growth, but now they will also see its utter destruction. This specific verse, Ezekiel 31:18, serves as the culmination of this prophetic judgment. It contrasts Pharaoh's former greatness with his ultimate humiliation, predicting that he and his forces will be brought down to the earth, cast among those killed by the sword. This highlights that his pride, which made him emulate God in his own eyes, has led to his utter ruin, and his people will suffer the same fate. The historical context is during the Babylonian exile of Judah, and Egypt's growing influence and Pharaoh's policies were significant factors in the region, making this prophecy directly relevant to God's people.
Ezekiel 31 18 Word Analysis
- To whom: (Hebrew: מִי לְךָ / mi lekha) - Implies a question of comparison, asking "With whom are you like?" or "What is your likeness?" It sets up a contrast between the king's former state and his future state.
- are you most like: (Hebrew: נִדְמִיתָ / nidmitha) - Refers to being compared, likened, or resembled. It emphasizes that Pharaoh's perceived magnificence and power were indeed remarkable, even comparable to the most splendid elements in God's creation.
- in glory: (Hebrew: בְּכָבֹד / be-khavod) - Refers to splendor, honor, majesty, or renown. Pharaoh's glory was earthly and self-derived.
- and greatness: (Hebrew: וּבְגֹדֶל / u-ve-godel) - Denotes size, magnitude, importance, and influence. Pharaoh's perceived greatness was rooted in his military strength and kingdom.
- in the Garden of God: (Hebrew: גַּן־אֱלֹהִים / gan-Elohim) - This phrase, used also for the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis, evokes the ultimate beauty, perfection, and divine presence of Eden. It sets a high standard of comparison, indicating Pharaoh had aspired to or exhibited a magnificence reminiscent of Paradise. It's important to note that while the cedar was like trees in the Garden of God, Pharaoh is being addressed directly as if he, in his pride, had been like those magnificent trees.
- Yet: (Hebrew: וְגַם / ve-gam) - A conjunction introducing a strong contrast, signifying a turning point from past grandeur to future desolation.
- you shall be brought down: (Hebrew: הוּרַדְתָּ / huradeta) - A passive verb indicating forceful descent, implying subjugation and demotion from a high position.
- with the trees of Eden: (Hebrew: עִם־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן / im-atzei-Eden) - This comparison reinforces the theme of the fall of mighty entities. Just as the symbolic great cedar falls among other majestic trees, so Pharaoh and Egypt will fall among nations similarly judged.
- to the earth beneath: (Hebrew: אֶל־אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּיָּה / el-erets takhtitiyyah) - Denotes the lowest depths, the lowest strata of the earth, signifying ultimate abasement and burial among the common dead, or perhaps even Sheol.
- You shall be cast down: (Hebrew: תֻּשְׁלַךְ / tushlakh) - An even stronger term than "brought down," meaning to be thrown, hurled, or discarded with violence and contempt.
- among the uncircumcised: (Hebrew: בְּקִרְבַּת הַעֲרֵלִים / be-kirvat ha-aralim) - This phrase has significant theological weight. The uncircumcised were considered unclean and separate from God's covenant people (Israel). To be cast down among them signifies total impurity, dishonor, and being cast out from God's presence and favor, aligning with the fate of pagan nations.
- among those slain by the sword: (Hebrew: עִם־חַלְלֵי־חָרֶב / im-halalei-khaverev) - Refers to those who have met a violent end in battle, reinforcing the judgment by warfare.
- And Pharaoh: (Hebrew: וּפַרְעֹה / u-Par‘oh) - The specific king of Egypt being addressed, embodying the nation's pride and power.
- and all his multitude: (Hebrew: וְכָל־הֲמֹנֹה / ve-khol-hamono) - This encompasses his armies, his people, and all his associated might and strength.
- shall fall by the sword: (Hebrew: יִפְּלוּ־בֶחָרֶב / yiflu-ve-khaverev) - A direct pronouncement of their violent and complete destruction through warfare.
- declares the Lord GOD: (Hebrew: נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה / ne’um-Adonai Yehovah) - A formal closing emphasizing the divine authority and certainty of the pronouncement.
Ezekiel 31 18 Bonus Section
The imagery of being "cast down among the uncircumcised" also carries a strong resonance with the spiritual state of those who reject God. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a sign of God's covenant with His people. To be uncircumcised was to be outside of that covenant and considered impure. Therefore, Pharaoh being cast down with the uncircumcised implies his ultimate spiritual exclusion from God's favor and remembrance, alongside other nations that had not submitted to the Lord. The reference to "those slain by the sword" links his political and military demise directly to God's judgment being executed through earthly conflict, a common theme throughout prophetic literature. The entirety of chapter 31 serves as a profound lesson on divine sovereignty and the inevitable downfall of pride, as mirrored in Nebuchadnezzar's story in Daniel 4 and even in the implicit fall of Satan before him.
Ezekiel 31 18 Commentary
This verse is the climax of the judgment on Pharaoh, which began with the extended metaphor of the cedar tree. Pharaoh, who had aspired to the glory and beauty of the trees in God's Garden, equating himself with divine attributes due to his power and perceived invincibility, is starkly reminded of his mortal and fallen state. He will not remain majestically elevated but will be forcefully removed and thrown down. His destiny is to be buried "beneath," "among the uncircumcised," and "among those slain by the sword." This indicates utter degradation, shame, and association with the most despised and violently defeated peoples. The ultimate consequence of his pride is to be grouped with the refuse of humanity, completely stripped of honor and divine favor. The closing "declares the Lord GOD" signifies the absolute finality and authority behind this pronouncement. It underscores that no amount of earthly power can withstand God's judgment against presumptuous pride. Pharaoh's fall is presented as a spectacle, serving as a lesson for all nations that exalt themselves against the Almighty.