Ezekiel 31

Ezekiel 31:1-18

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?

Ezekiel 31:2-4

• The cedar of Lebanon was a tree known for its beauty and great value. People used its wood for building, trade, and even military purposes.

• Assyria is compared to a tall cedar tree. Its army had once been stronger than any other army. Like a tree whose top reaches the clouds, Assyria’s power seemed greater than all others.

Ezekiel 31:6

Like a great tree, Assyria provided shelter for all of the birds and wild animals of the earth. This tree was more magnificent than all the trees in the garden of God, the garden of Eden. It had a God-given beauty and stature similar to the prince of Tyre in Ezekiel 28. Assyria's power was so great that all the great nations of the world lived under its influence.

Ezekiel 31:10-11

• Egypt forgot that God created her beauty, and she became proud and arrogant. Like Tyre, such pride would lead to a fall. The God who placed Egypt in a high position would send a powerful nation to destroy it, as its wickedness deserved.

• I have banished it: The human agent would only be carrying out what God had already decided.

Ezekiel 31:12-14

Egypt’s judgment would teach the other nations an important lesson. No matter how powerful they believed themselves to be, they would all one day die and go down to the Pit (the place of the dead).

Ezekiel 31:15

• The mourning for the great tree, Assyria, was as great as the tree itself. Its fall brought deep sorrow.

• The tallest cedar trees in the ancient world grew in Lebanon. These trees were known for their great height and strength.

Ezekiel 31:16-17

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 31:18

The main message of this long comparison now becomes clear.

Egypt was strong and glorious. However, it would be destroyed just as Assyria had been. It would also share in the shame of other nations that trusted in their own power and greatness.

Aquifer Open Study Notes © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.