10 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because that thou hast been high in stature, And he yieldeth his foliage between thickets, And high is his heart in his haughtiness, 11 I give him into the hand of a god of nations, He dealeth sorely with him, In his wickedness I have cast him out. 12 And cut him off do strangers, The terrible of nations, and they leave him, On the mountains and in all valleys have his thin shoots fallen, And broken are his boughs at all streams of the land, And go down from his shade do all peoples of the land, and they leave him. 13 On his ruin dwell do all fowls of the heavens, And on his boughs have been all the beasts of the field, 14 In order that none of the trees of the waters May become haughty because of their stature, Nor give their foliage between thickets, Nor any drinking waters stand up unto them in their haughtiness, For all of them are given up to death, Unto the earth—the lower part, In the midst of the sons of men, Unto those going down to the pit. 15 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the day of his going down to sheol I have caused mourning, I have covered for him the deep, and diminish its flowings, And restrained are many waters, And I make Lebanon black for him, And all trees of the field have been covered for him. 16 From the sound of his fall I have caused nations to shake, In My causing him to go down to sheol, With those going down to the pit, And comforted in the earth—the lower part, are all trees of Eden, The choice and the good of Lebanon, All drinking waters. 17 Also they with him have gone down to sheol, Unto the pierced of the sword, And—his arm—they dwelt in his shade in the midst of nations. 18 Unto whom hast thou been thus like, In honour and in greatness among the trees of Eden, And thou hast been brought down with the trees of Eden, Unto the earth—the lower part, In the midst of the uncircumcised thou liest, With the pierced of the sword? It 'is' Pharaoh, and all his multitude, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 31:10-18

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.