Ezek. 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,
This message from God to Ezekiel is two months after the last one in chapter 30. Adam Clarke makes note that this is a month before Jerusalem fell to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.
Ezek. 31:2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
This message is also directed to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and all his allies. It starts out with a question: To whom would you compare yourself in greatness?
Ezek. 31:3 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.
Ezek. 31:4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
Evidently, the answer to the question in verse two was “the king of Assyria,” referenced here as “the Assyrian.” The KJV implies that the LORD is suggesting that Pharoah consider the Assyrian. The Assyrian is compared to one of the great cedar trees of Lebanon. He is pictured as having many branches, so many that he casts a great shadow all around him. He is also pictured as the tallest among the trees. Part of his greatness was due to the water resources in his kingdom.
Ezek. 31:5 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.
Ezek. 31:6 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.
Ezek. 31:7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
The Assyrian is easily recognized by how he towers above all the other trees in the field. His branches multiplied quickly and became very long from the sustenance provided by the waters. All the birds of heaven are pictured as making nests in his branches. All the beasts of the field are pictured as finding shelter and protection under those branches. This tree is beautiful in size and has abundant water resources.
Ezek. 31:8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
Not even the cedar trees from the Garden of Eden could hide this great cedar. Neither the fir trees or the chestnut trees or any other tree in the Garden of Eden could compare to the beauty of this great cedar.
This is obviously painting a word picture of a very great and powerful ruler of a very prosperous kingdom, a ruler who had absorbed many other peoples and nations into his kingdom as he stretched out his many great branches of power. Burton Coffman’s Commentary makes this comment: “The Assyrian empire had existed since the days of Nimrod; and it was doubtless considered to be as established and permanent as the earth itself…”
Ezek. 31:9 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.
By the time I got to this verse I began to make some other connections. In this verse God declares that He is the One that is responsible for making the Assyrian so beautiful to the envy of all the other trees in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of God is here specifically identified as the Garden of Eden. I believe that there is a double reference regarding “the Assyrian.” I believe this passage can be compared with the message of chapters 26-28 regarding the prince/King of Tyre.
I know that in context at the beginning of this message reference is being made to the earthly king of the great kingdom of Assyria. When I looked up the Hebrew for “the deep” in verse 4, reference was made to an abyss. That quickly took my mind to Revelation where the abyss is described as a place where the minions of Satan are imprisoned. (Revelation 9 - bottomless pit = abussos = abyss, deep) Though natural water resources would have contributed to the prosperity of Assyria, I believe the wicked spiritual forces at work in her were more responsible. Though I don’t feel I can even begin explain it all, I think the argument can be made that Satan was the most beautiful creature of all God’s creation. When he turned against God and was able to get man to disobey God, he earned the privilege of a certain amount of control in this world. Scripture describes him as the “god of this world” (2Corinthians 4:4). With this privilege he has used all the resources within his sphere of dominion to empower the wicked and thwart the purposes of God in every possible way. I believe he is the source of power behind the Assyrian king. This in no way takes away from the fact that God’s sovereign hand is in ultimate control; this is all according to His sovereign decision to allow men the privilege of choice regarding their response to Him and how to live their lives.
Ezek. 31:10 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;
Ezek. 31:11 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.
Pride is again the reason that God decides to bring judgment upon this ruler. This is a true statement regarding both Satan and the Assyrian king. The earthly king was conquered by “the mighty one of the heathen,” Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. God has brought this judgment upon the king not only because of his pride, but because in his pride he acted wickedly.
“I have driven him out…” – This seems to apply more directly to Satan being driven out of the Garden of Eden, but can also reference the king of Assyria being driven out of power.
Ezek. 31:12 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.
The Babylonian army is described as strangers/foreigners who had become the most feared among the nations. God had chosen the armies of Babylon to bring judgment upon most of the recognized heathen powers of that time. They are pictured as having chopped down the tree that represented the Assyrian and chopping off all the branches that were part of that tree.
Ezek. 31:13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
Ezek. 31:14 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.
This verse pictures the remains of the tree as still providing for the birds and beasts, but not from a position of power. None of the other trees (or heathen kingdoms, i.e., Egypt) are able to gain the power and influence that he enjoyed at the height of his kingdom.
“all that drink water” – The trees that were drinking of this water were pictured as “delivered unto death.” We know that water is normally good for supporting the growth of trees. This again seems to connect with the thought that the waters being referenced are demonically provided as discussed above. The death that comes from the partaking of these waters results in the other trees (heathen kings) being delivered to the “nether part of the earth…with them that go down to the pit.” Their fate rests with the “children of men” as opposed to with the “children of God.”
Ezek. 31:15 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.
After all I’ve learned about the cruelty of the Assyrians, I have to wonder why the demise of this king and his empire would cause such mourning. I think one reason would have to be because of the fear the other nations felt concerning his conqueror. They didn’t mourn for him as much as they feared for themselves. If the mighty Assyrian was taken down, what hope could they have? It would also represent a great defeat for Satan and his demonic forces. God is in complete control. He will only allow Satan and his forces temporary successes until their ultimate total defeat. Lebanon was representative of the forest home of the cedar to which the Assyrian was compared. All the other trees in the forest fainted at his fall; they recognized their own perilous position before his conqueror.
Ezek. 31:16 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.
Ezek. 31:17 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.
These verses make me think of the old saying, “Misery loves company.” When the mighty Assyrian fell, all the other mighty men who were sustained by the same source as he (Satanic) would be consoled in that he didn’t get away with his pride and wickedness any more than did they. He too was subject to the ultimate authority and will of Almighty God.
Ezek. 31:18 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.
God again has the prophet pose the question to Pharaoh with which He began this message—To whom would you compare yourself in greatness? The “trees of Eden” represent earthly kings. I think this reference emphasizes the fact that all men are God’s creation; you may deny and/or reject your Creator, but the fact remains that you are His creation. God is saying that just as surely as the Assyrian met his demise by the sword, Pharaoh and his allies will meet their end in the same way.
“in the midst of the uncircumcised” – On the surface this seems to be just another reference to the heathen nations. The Jews are generally known as “the circumcision.”
Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We learned in chapters 26-28, however, that Israel wasn’t the only nation that practiced circumcision. Though maybe not understood by the people at that time, I think the “uncircumcised” here is referring to all those that have rejected God as LORD, the uncircumcised of heart.
Rom. 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Phil. 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
It is those who have uncircumcised hearts who will end up with the wicked in the nether parts of the earth, specifically identified as “hell” in verse 17.
Because of my interest in prophecy, I can’t help but make connection with the Assyrian as a type of the Antichrist. Just as with the prince of Tyre and the Assyrian of this chapter, he is a man who will basically sell his soul to the devil. Although allowed a temporary time of power and authority on planet earth—to a degree never yet experienced by any other man to have lived on the planet—he will be completely defeated by the Almighty Son of God. I think we Christians don’t often think about the influence that Satan and his forces for evil exert on planet earth in the affairs of men. Scripture clearly declares this to be the case.
Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Though he is limited by God as to his use of them, Satan has great powers and abilities. He will one day empower the Antichrist to show great signs and wonders to the extent that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24;24)
Ezek. 32:1 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
This message from the LORD to Ezekiel is dated almost two years after that of the last chapter.
Ezek. 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, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.
Again, the message is directed to Pharaoh and Egypt. The message is identified as a lamentation, a funeral dirge for Pharaoh. It would seem that the Pharaoh and maybe even the people of other nations considered him a “young lion,” a strong, fierce ruler among the nations. He is also compared to a great sea monster that causes a great disturbance in the waters and stirs up the mud when he emerges to come upon the land. In other words, he is recognized as a formidable force among the nations.
Ezek. 32:3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.
Ezek. 32:4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.
God is basically saying that no matter how great you (Pharaoh) or the other nations think you are, you are no match for Me. God declares His intent to capture the sea monster in His net. The picture is of a dead animal that is left upon the land for the vultures and scavenger creatures to feed on. This removal of the great sea monster from the water takes me back to my thoughts at 31:9. The wicked king will no longer be allowed to profit or be sustained by his connection with evil spiritual forces.
Ezek. 32:5 And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.
Ezek. 32:6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
The destruction in Egypt is going to result in a lot of dead bodies pictured as filling the valleys and covering the mountains. The gory picture also includes the blood of the dead as covering the land and filling its rivers.
Ezek. 32:7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
Ezek. 32:8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
“Put thee out” is a reference to “expire or extinguish light.” That explains why the Lord uses the terminology of covering the heavens and the sun and making the stars and moon dark. There will be no light of life left in Egypt. It makes me think of the philosophical argument regarding whether there’s sound if there is no one to hear it. In this context it would be whether there is light if there is no one left to see it. Darkness is often associated with judgment in scripture.
Is. 13:9-10 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Jer. 4:27-28 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Lam. 3:1-2 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
Ezek. 32:9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
Ezek. 32:10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.
Point is made that the destruction of Pharaoh/Egypt will “vex the heart of many people”; vex has reference to causing sorrow and grief as well as anger in the Hebrew. The people being referenced in verse 9 are not Egypt’s allies; it is a reference to other nations of the world that were basically unaware of Egypt until this time. As the news spreads of the destruction of the mighty Egypt and its king, it will cause fear in the hearts of the kings of these nations. They will recognize that there is a mighty hand of power at work that could just as easily destroy their own nations. God’s judgment on Egypt will cause the people of other nations to fear for their own lives.
Ezek. 32:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.
Ezek. 32:12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.
This chapter is basically summarizing all that has been prophesied in God’s previous messages to Pharaoh/Egypt through Ezekiel. It’s being summarized as a funeral dirge that chronicles the events that will come to pass.
Point is made again that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, will be the chosen instrument of God to implement His judgment against Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar is recognized as the greatest and most powerful tyrant of his day.
Ezek. 32:13 I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
Ezek. 32:14 Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.
These verses paint a word picture of completely calm waters and rivers in the land of Egypt that will no longer be troubled by the feet of cattle or men; Egypt will be desolate of both. God states His intent to make the waters run deep and smooth—like oil.
Burton Coffman sees it differently and states the following in his commentary: "The rivers of oil here are not rivers that flow quietly like oil, but rivers which contain oil and not water; they are symbolical of the rich blessings of God." It should be noted that the great blessing to come to Egypt in future times is that they shall know that Jehovah is indeed God, and that there is none else beside him.”
That last sentence (from Coffman) is a reference to Egypt’s place of blessing in the millennial kingdom as foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
Is. 19:24-25 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
I still believe that in context, however, these verses refer to the effects of God’s judgment.
Ezek. 32:15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD.
Again, the tragic statement, “When I shall….” They are going to be made to know God as LORD, but sadly it takes a terrible act of judgment to cause the Egyptians to understand this truth.
Ezek. 32:16 This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
This verse is declaring the end of the lamentation that will be voiced among the nations for Pharaoh and his land.
Ezek. 32:17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
It would seem that this message from the LORD to Ezekiel came a couple of weeks after the last one.
Ezek. 32:18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
This time the prophet is told to wail or groan for all the people of Egypt. We know the prophet is not literally going to “cast them down….” I think I would compare it in our vernacular to consigning them to hell (“the nether parts of the earth” and “the pit”). Most of those who possess great power and are feared here on earth are going to meet the same fate. Having sold their souls to the devil on earth, they will find their abode with all the wicked and eventually the devil himself for eternity.
Ezek. 32:19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
The Egyptians will find themselves in company of many over whom they exalted themselves. They will find themselves doomed to eternity with the rest of the uncircumcised (cf comments at 31:18), all those who have rejected God as LORD.
Ezek. 32:20 They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
They will find themselves in the company of many others who had met their demise through the enemies’ sword—many due to specific judgment at the hand of Almighty God.
Ezek. 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
When the wicked of Egypt get to hell (the Hebrew term for Hades, the place of the dead), they will be met by the mighty of other wicked nations that are already there. Again, I believe the fact that they are uncircumcised is a reference to their spiritual condition.
Ezek. 32:22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
Ezek. 32:23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.
The Lord now begins to give us a listing of some of the wicked nations that Egypt will be joining in death, other nations that have “fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.” The first one mentioned is Asshur, or Assyria. I think this is significant since it was the fall of Assyria, who was certainly the dominant power on earth before her fall, that God used to emphasize the fact that Egypt would fall just as surely.
Ezek. 32:24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
Ezek. 32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.
Next is listed Elam, known in the past as Persia and today as Iran. Although we don’t hear as much about this nation until the defeat of Nebuchadnezzar, a word search shows that it was a mighty nation as far back as the time of Abraham.
Again, point is made that they were destroyed at the point of a sword and caused great terror in the land of the living. Now they are in a position of shame for eternity with the rest of the “uncircumcised.”
Ezek. 32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
Ezek. 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Meshech and Tubal are next on the list. They represent the descendants of Japheth through his sons that settled in the northern parts probably in the area now recognized as Turkey. These people are more widely connected with the yet to come battle with Gog of Magog. Evidently, some of these descendants had already faced judgment at the hand of the LORD. According to Wikipedia, they were aligned with the Scythians in attacking Assyria around 770 BC, but were defeated by the Assyrians.
Point is made that their swords and weapons of war eventually proved useless to them all. Death is the great equalizer.
Ezek. 32:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.
Emphasis is made again that Egypt will be destroyed and find their eternity among the rest of the uncircumcised (of heart) many of whom had also been destroyed at the point of a sword.
Ezek. 32:29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
Next on the list is Edom, the descendants of Esau. Though also a mighty people that had despised their Israeli cousins, they too met their destruction at the end of the sword and were part of the multitudes of the uncircumcised in “the pit.” JFB made a pertinent comment: “Though Edom was circumcised, being descended from Isaac, he shall lie with the uncircumcised…”
This comment stood out to me because it emphasizes that physical circumcision is not the point—it is circumcision of the heart that is the significant issue.
Ezek. 32:30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.
It was interesting to note that when I looked at the Hebrew for “north,” it made reference to “dark, gloomy, hidden, lurking.” Though I know that this is a reference to the nations of the north on the compass (from the reference point of Israel), I think you can truthfully deduce that these are all nations that are under great influence from the spiritual forces of the dark. The Zidonians were representative of the Phoenicians. Again, these are all nations and their rulers whom men have considered great and powerful, yet who all were eventually conquered and will face a shameful eternity with all others who have rejected God Almighty.
Ezek. 32:31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezek. 32:32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
The first thing that jumps out to me is the fact that Pharaoh will “see” and “be comforted” after his death. Destruction of the body does not equate to destruction of the soul. It’s hard to imagine finding comfort in “the pit,” but again the old saying, “Misery loves company,” comes to mind. Pharaoh will realize that he and his people are in the company of many who, in their lifetimes, were successful and powerful according to worldly estimation. In the afterlife, however, they have found themselves no longer powerful and no longer in a position of influence among their peers. They all form one big multitude of sinners who rejected God Almighty.