3 'Behold , Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade , And very high , And its top was among the clouds . 4 'The waters made it grow , the deep made it high . With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place , And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field . 5 'Therefore e its height was loftier than all the trees of the field And its boughs became many and its branches long Because of many waters as it spread them out. 6 'All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs , And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth , And all great nations lived under its shade . 7 'So it was beautiful in its greatness , in the length of its branches ; For its roots extended to many waters . 8 'The cedars in God's garden could not match it; The cypresses could not compare with its boughs , And the plane trees could not match its branches . No e tree in God's garden could compare with it in its beauty . 9 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches , And all the trees of Eden , which were in the garden of God , were jealous of it.
10 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD , "Because e it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds , and its heart is haughty in its loftiness , 11 therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations ; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away . 12 " Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land . And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it. 13 "On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell , and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches 14 so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature , nor set their top among the clouds , nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height . For they have all been given over to death , to the earth beneath , among the sons of men , with those who go down to the pit ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 31:3-14
Commentary on Ezekiel 31:1-9
(Read Ezekiel 31:1-9)
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.
Commentary on Ezekiel 31:10-18
(Read Ezekiel 31:10-18)
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.