Ezekiel 31:16

Egypt Will Fall like Assyria · Ezekiel 31:1–18
Read Ezekiel 31

Translations

Modern
I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.
Traditional
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.
Literal
At the sound of its fall, I made the nations quake, in My casting it down to Sheol together with those going down to the Pit. And were comforted in the land below all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all those drinking the waters.
Latin
A sonitu ruinæ ejus commovi gentes cum deducerem eum ad infernum cum his qui descendebant in lacum: et consolata sunt in terra infima omnia ligna voluptatis egregia atque præclara in Libano, universa quæ irrigabantur aquis.

Original

Hebrew
English
I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.

Notes

The nations trembled with fear when Assyria fell. Other great nations had already fallen and gone down to death. They were pleased when Assyria joined them in defeat. Assyria’s allies also followed the same path and shared in its destruction.

Ezekiel asked the Egyptians to compare themselves to Assyria, which was like a great tree in Eden (Ezekiel 31:9). If that tree was cut down and sent to the underworld, how could Egypt, whose glory was less than Assyria's, believe it could survive?

  • The seventh and final message of judgment against the nations targets Egypt, an old enemy and ally of Israel. This message is the longest and, like the one against Tyre, it addresses both Egypt and its ruler.

  • Egypt often tempted Israel and Judah to turn away from their loyalty to the Lord. Soon after leaving Egypt, Israel fell into the trap of Egypt's idolatry. Egypt led Judah to rely on chariots and horses instead of the Lord, but Egypt was unreliable when it mattered most. The Lord judged Egypt for leading his people astray (compare Luke 17:1–2).

  • This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

  • One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.

Theme notes and profiles

Messages Against the Nations

Events

Places

Eden: The perfect garden where God placed Adam and Eve Lebanon: A mountainous region known for its cedar trees

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Cedar Ezekiel, Book of Hophra Lord Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar

Topics

Assyria: The Greatness, Extent, Duration, and Fall, Illustrated Eden: The Garden of Eden Hell in the RV of Nt It Appears Only In