Ezekiel 31:2

Son of man speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? WHOM ART THOU LIKE IN THY GREATNESS? (Ezek. 5:18 .) The answer is, Thou art like the haughty King of Assyria: as he was overthrown by the Chaldeans, so shalt thou be by the same....

1-9 The falls of others, both into sin and ruin, warn us not to be secure or high-minded. The prophet is to show an instance of one whom the king of Egypt resembled in greatness, the Assyrian, compared to a stately cedar. Those who excel others, make themselves the objects of envy; but the blessings of the heavenly paradise are not liable to such alloy. The utmost security that any creature can give, is but like the shadow of a tree, a scanty and slender protection. But let us flee to God for protection, there we shall be safe. His hand must be owned in the rising of the great men of the earth, and we must not envy them. Though worldly people may seem to have firm prosperity, yet it only seems so....

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

SON OF MAN, SPEAK UNTO PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT,.... To Pharaohhophra, the then reigning king; not to him personally by word of mouth, for the prophet was now in Chaldea; but by delivering out a prophecy concerning him, and which he might have an opportunity of sending to him: AND TO HIS MULTITUDE; the multitude of his subjects, of which he boasted, and in whom he trusted: WHOM ART THOU LIKE IN THY GREATNESS? look over all the records of time, and into all the empires, kingdoms, and states that have been; draw a comparison between thyself and the greatest potentate that ever was; fancy thyself to be equal to him; this will not secure thee from ruin and destruction; for as they have been humbled, and are fallen, so wilt thou be: pitch for instance on the Assyrian monarch, whose empire has been the most ancient, extensive, and flourishing, and yet now crushed; and as thou art like him in gr...

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

SON OF MAN. See note on Ezekiel 2:1....

_his multitude_ The population of Egypt; hardly merely his army. _Whom art thou like_ The question seems to imply that none can be compared to him; he is unapproached in his greatness; cf. Ezekiel 31:18....

A. The Description of the Cedar 31:1-9 TRANSLATION (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, (2) Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and unto his multitude: Unto whom would you compare yourself in greatness? (3) Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, a foliage that provided shade, and a high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs. (4) Waters nourished it, the deep made it grow; her rivers ran around about her plantation, and she sent forth her channels unto all the trees of the field. (5) Therefore, its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long, because of the many waters when it put them forth. (6) In its boughs all the birds of the heaven made their nests, and under its bra...

THE FALL OF THE GREAT CEDAR Egypt was a stately cedar, thick, lofty, and spreading; sheltering all the fowls and beasts (the nations) in its branches and under its shadow (Ezekiel 31:1). It was the envy of all the trees (other great empires) in Eden, the garden of God (Ezekiel 31:7). But because of its pride it is given into the hands of a mighty one (Nebuchadrezzar), who will cut it down. Those whom it sheltered will be scattered or will trample on it when it has fallen (Ezekiel 31:10). This will be a warning to all trees (empires) against pride (Ezekiel 31:14). Egypt will go down to the nether world, and all the great nat