Ezekiel 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. I COVERED THE DEEP FOR HIM - as mourners cover their heads in token of mourning. 'I made the deep that watered the cedar to wrap itself in mourning for him.' The waters of "the deep" are the tributary peoples of Assyria (, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues"). ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD FAINTED FOR HIM - literally, were faintness (itself); more forcible than the verb....

10-18 The king of Egypt resembled the king of Assyria in his greatness: here we see he resembles him in his pride. And he shall resemble him in his fall. His own sin brings his ruin. None of our comforts are ever lost, but what have been a thousand times forfeited. When great men fall, many fall with them, as many have fallen before them. The fall of proud men is for warning to others, to keep them humble. See how low Pharaoh lies; and see what all his pomp and pride are come to. It is best to be a lowly tree of righteousness, yielding fruit to the glory of God, and to the good of men. The wicked man is often seen flourishing like the cedar, and spreading like the green bay tree, but he soon passes away, and his place is no more found. Let us then mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace....

Verse Ezekiel 31:15. _I CAUSED LEBANON TO MOURN FOR HIM_] All the confederates of Pharaoh are represented as deploring his fall, Ezekiel 31:16....

Effect of Assyria’s fall. Ezekiel 31:15 I COVERED THE DEEP - To cover with sack-cloth was an expression of mourning Ezekiel 27:31. The deep, the source of Assyria’s prosperity Ezekiel 31:4, was made to mourn, being dried up instead of giving forth its waters, its glad abundance. FOR HIM - Upon his account. FLOODS ... GREAT WATERS - Or, rivers ... the multitude of waters (as in Ezekiel 31:4). Lebanon represents the country which Assyria gov

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 31:1 IN THE ELEVENTH YEAR, etc. June, B.C. 586. Two months all but six days had passed since the utterance of Ezekiel 30:20, when Ezekiel was moved to expand his prediction of the downfall of Egypt into a parable which is partly a _replica _of these in Ezekiel 17:1. and Ezekiel 19:1, and which also finds a parallel in Daniel 4:10. EZEKIEL 31:2 The parabl

THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, IN THE DAY WHEN HE WENT DOWN TO THE GRAVE,.... The Assyrian monarch; when his monarchy was destroyed, and he ceased to be king, and was stripped of all his majesty, power, and authority, and was as one dead, and laid in the grave, and buried: I CAUSED A MOURNING: that is, for him, in the waters, and among the trees, among the people and the kings of the earth, as follows: I COVERED THE DEEP FOR HIM; with mourning, with thick darkness, which set him up on high Ezekiel 31:4: AND I RESTRAINED THE FLOODS THEREOF, AND THE GREAT WATERS WERE STAYED; which made him great, Ezekiel 31:4, signifying by all this that the kingdoms of the world, comparable to the sea, of which his monarchy consisted, and all the inhabitants and people of t

Ezekiel 31:1. Pharaoh's greatness is described in the first part of the chapter (Ezekiel 31:1). He is compared to the Assyrian, once so powerful and proud. The fall and desolation of the proud monarch under the picture of a tree follows in Ezekiel 31:10. The overthrow of Egypt and the resulting consternation among the nations is predicted in the last section of this chapter (Ezekiel 31:15). Ezekiel 32:1. The lamentation over Pharaoh is contained in Ezekiel 3

EZEKIEL 31. FALLEN IS THE MIGHTY CEDAR. In this striking poem, Pharaoh (= Egypt) is likened to a cedar of surprising height and beauty, fed by the waters of the deep (_i.e._ the Nile) and giving shelter to birds and beasts (_i.e._ protection to dependent peoples). For beauty, height, luxuriance no tree (= nation) could compare with it it was the envy of all (Ezekiel 31:1). (In Ezekiel 31:3 delete the Assyrian, and read simply, there was a cedar, etc. For thick boughs read clouds with LXX. In Ezekiel 31:4 for the trees of the field, read its soil.) But the mighty Nebuchadrezzar, with his terrible army, will send it crashing with a blow, boughs and branches will be scattered over mountain and valley, those who

THE GRAVE. Hebrew. _Sheol_. App-35....

Creation puts on mourning and is paralysed at Pharaoh's fall. Lebanon is covered with blackness, and all the trees faint. _down to the grave_ to SHEÒL, the place of the dead. _caused a mourning_ Rather: I CAUSED TO MOURN, I COVERED the deep for him. The term "covered" (wanting in LXX.) is used as in Ezekiel 32:7, "cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof black," having the same meaning as "caused to mourn." The "deep" and the "floods" (rivers in Ezekiel 31:4) are those mentioned in Ezekiel 31:4, but though the ref. is to the Nile and the waters of Egypt, a universal magnitude is given to these, they are the "deep" absolutely. This deep which had nourished the great cedar is covered with mourni