Ezekiel 31:2 kjv
Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
Ezekiel 31:2 nkjv
"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: 'Whom are you like in your greatness?
Ezekiel 31:2 niv
"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: "?'Who can be compared with you in majesty?
Ezekiel 31:2 esv
"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness?
Ezekiel 31:2 nlt
"Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes: "To whom would you compare your greatness?
Ezekiel 31 2 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, | Judgment of Egypt |
| Genesis 1 | 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. | Great creatures of the sea |
| Psalm 74 | 14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. | God's power over chaos |
| Isaiah 27 | 1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. | Leviathan as symbol of power |
| Jeremiah 51 | 36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry. | God's vengeance |
| Nahum 3 | 4 ...she is naught but vanity, her shame of face; 5 Through the multitude of the whoredoms of the worthless harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. | Egypt as harlot |
| Matthew 11 | 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, have not been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. | Divine judgment on nations |
| Luke 10 | 13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they had a great while ago repented, being cast into sackcloth and ashes. | Woe to unrepentant cities |
| Revelation 13 | 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. | Beast from the sea |
| Revelation 17 | 3 ... and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. | Beast with many heads |
| Psalm 18 | 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. | God's power in judgment |
| Job 41 | 1 While thou makest thy life an enviable state, and by the favor of divine Providence it happens to thrive; if this could happen in regard to you. | Description of Behemoth/Leviathan |
| Job 40 | 15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. | Description of Behemoth |
| Psalm 8:4 | 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? | God's care for humanity |
| Genesis 1:20 | 20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. | Creation of sea creatures |
| Psalm 104:26 | 26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. | Leviathan in creation |
| Isaiah 19:1 | 1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. | Prophecy against Egypt |
| Jeremiah 46 | 2 Of Egypt, of the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote. | Battle of Carchemish |
| Ezekiel 29 | 3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. | Pharaoh as dragon in the Nile |
| Ezekiel 29 | 18 And Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled; yet he nor his army, had no wages from Tyrus for the service that he served against it. | Nebuchadnezzar's conquests |
| Ezekiel 32 | 2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, but thou art become a dragon in the seas; and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and thou troubledst my waters with thy feet, and fouledst them with thy feet. | Pharaoh compared to a lion, then dragon |
Ezekiel 31 verses
Ezekiel 31 2 Meaning
The verse declares God's word came to Ezekiel concerning Pharaoh, king of Egypt, comparing him to a great monster in the waters. This prophetic oracle speaks of divine judgment against Egypt's ruler for his pride and oppressive actions.
Ezekiel 31 2 Context
This verse is the beginning of a prophecy in Ezekiel chapter 31 directed against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Ezekiel received this message in the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile. The immediate context is Ezekiel's pronouncements against powerful nations surrounding Israel. This particular oracle is a continuation of prophecies against Egypt, starting in chapter 29. It uses the imagery of a great and majestic cedar tree in Lebanon to symbolize Egypt's former power and influence, which has now led to its downfall due to pride and oppression. The verse sets the stage for the detailed description of Egypt's inflated self-importance and the subsequent judgment to be enacted by Assyria (symbolized by the powerful Assyrian empire, the "fir tree" in the next verse) and eventually Babylon.
Ezekiel 31 2 Word Analysis
- And (וְ - we): A conjunction, linking this prophecy to previous messages and indicating a continuation of divine revelation.
- it came (בּוֹא - bo): Implies arrival or happening. The word of the LORD actively arrived unto the prophet.
- to pass (הָיָה - hayah): "To be," "to come to pass." A common verb indicating an event or a state of being.
- in the eleventh year (בְּאַחַד עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה - b'eḥad esreh shanah): Specifies the timeframe, aiding historical placement of the prophecy during the Babylonian exile.
- in the third month (בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי - bachodesh hashlishi): Further narrows down the date.
- in the first day of the month (בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ - b'eḥad lachodesh): Provides the precise date for the divine message.
- that the word of the LORD (וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה - vayehī d'var-YHWH): "And the word of the LORD was..." or "came." The direct, authoritative message from God. This structure emphasizes the divine origin of Ezekiel's prophecy.
- came unto me (אֵלַי - elay): "To me." Directly conveying the message to the prophet Ezekiel.
- saying (לֵאמֹר - le'mor): Introduces the direct speech of God.
- Speak (דַּבֵּר - dabeir): Imperative verb, commanding Ezekiel to proclaim God's message. This highlights the prophetic calling and responsibility.
- and say (וֶאֱמֹר - we'emor): Further emphasizes the command to speak and declare.
- Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם - ben-adam): A characteristic address to Ezekiel by God, signifying his humanity in contrast to God's divinity, and perhaps to convey the human frailty that Egypt, despite its might, would experience. It also identifies Ezekiel as a human messenger for God's human pronouncements.
- speak (דַּבֵּר - dabeir): Reinforces the imperative.
- and say (וְאָמַרְתָּ - we'amarta): Repeated command for clarity and emphasis on conveying the message accurately.
- What (מַה־ - mah): An interrogative pronoun introducing a question of great significance regarding Pharaoh's status and perceived greatness.
- hath (כִּי־ - kī): "Because," "that." Introducing the reason or the subject of the discourse about Pharaoh.
- done (עָשָׂה - asah): "To do," "to make." Referring to actions or accomplishments.
- great things (גָּדֹל – gadol): Signifies magnificence, importance, or might. Pharaoh considered his actions to be great and worthy of notice.
- for himself (לָךְ - leḵa): "To you," "for you." This implies Pharaoh acted for his own glory, aggrandizement, and self-exaltation, not for God.
- the great dragon (תַּנִּין - tannin): This word can refer to a sea monster, serpent, or dragon. In this context, it is a powerful metaphor for Pharaoh and Egypt's immense power, but also their chaotic, untamed nature that defies God. It echoes imagery of primeval sea monsters overcome by God in creation and in other biblical passages symbolizing destructive and rebellious powers. The reference here to a "dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers" specifically links Pharaoh to the Nile River, Egypt's lifeblood, which he claimed as his own dominion and source of power. This evokes Ezekiel 29:3, where Pharaoh is called "great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers."
- that lieth (הָרֹבֵץ - harovetz): "Lying down," "resting." It portrays a powerful, yet settled, dominant presence within his realm.
- in the midst (בְּתוֹךְ - betoch): Indicates being in the center or heart of.
- of his rivers (נְהָרָיו - nehārayv): Referring to the Nile River and its canals, the source of Egypt's prosperity and Pharaoh's power, which he identified with his own.
Word-group Analysis:
- "Son of man, speak, and say": This repetitive structure emphasizes the divine origin and the prophet's role as a human mouthpiece, highlighting the solemnity and authority of the message.
- "What hath done great things for thee": This phrase points to Pharaoh's self-exaltation and pride in his own achievements and perceived divine status, contrasted with actions benefiting others or God.
- "the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers": This powerful imagery likens Pharaoh to a monstrous, chaotic force inhabiting and controlling the life-giving Nile. It signifies his immense power, his pride, his claim over his territory as if by divine right, and his eventual defeat as a consequence of that power and arrogance. This imagery is often used in the ancient Near East to represent ruling deities or primordial monsters that kings or gods defeat to establish order; here, God's judgment is bringing down the dragon of Egypt.
Ezekiel 31 2 Bonus Section
The description of Pharaoh as a "great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers" is deeply symbolic. In Mesopotamian and Egyptian mythology, serpents or sea monsters often represented chaos, a power that the supreme deity or ruler must subdue to establish order. By likening Pharaoh to such a creature, particularly within the Nile, God highlights Egypt's potent but ultimately chaotic and defiant stance against God's divine order. This also reflects the biblical understanding of Leviathan (Job 41, Psalm 74, Psalm 104, Isaiah 27) as a symbol of powerful, unruly forces in creation that God controls or overcomes. Pharaoh, in his arrogance, was seen as a rival to God's power, a national dragon. The prophecy therefore signifies not just political defeat, but a theological statement about the limits of earthly power and the futility of opposing God. The "eleventh year" date is significant; it is during a period of turmoil and conquest for Judah and Jerusalem. This message serves as a warning and a sign of the wider scope of God's judgment beyond Judah's borders.
Ezekiel 31 2 Commentary
Ezekiel 31:2 serves as the introduction to a lengthy prophecy against Egypt, personified by Pharaoh. God directly instructs Ezekiel to question Pharaoh's boastfulness, asking what he has done that was so uniquely "great" for himself. The immediate response uses the powerful metaphor of Pharaoh as a "great dragon" or monster, nestled in the Nile, the very source of Egypt's power. This imagery suggests that Pharaoh's greatness is seen as a brute, self-contained power, claiming absolute dominion over his realm (the Nile). God is about to reveal that this self-claimed, colossal power will be overthrown, much like primeval sea monsters are defeated. The verse sets up a direct confrontation between Pharaoh's perceived self-sufficiency and God's ultimate sovereignty and judgment. It speaks to the danger of equating personal achievement or national power with divine favor, especially when accompanied by pride and oppression. The prophecy unfolds by comparing Egypt to a great cedar tree in Lebanon, whose grandeur was surpassed by even greater trees, foreshadowing Egypt's fall before other dominant empires.