Ezekiel 31

Ezekiel 31:1

the eleventh year. See note on Ezekiel 30:20, and p. 1105. the third month. About two months before the fall of Jerusalem.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Ezekiel 31:2

Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1.

Ezekiel 31:3

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6

the Assyrian. Ginsburg thinks this should read teashshur (= a box = tree) instead of ’ashshur (= an Assyrian). There is no article; and Egypt is the subject here, not Assyria. See note on Ezekiel 27:6, and compare Isaiah 41:19; Isaiah 60:13. The subject is the proud exaltation of Egypt, which is likened to a box or cypress, exalting itself into a cedar of Lebanon.

shroud = foliage.

Ezekiel 31:4

waters . . . deep : i.e. the water = ways, and the Nile. Compare Ezekiel 31:15.

Ezekiel 31:5

branches. Hebrew text reads “branch” (singular); but margin, with some codices and four early printed editions, road “branches” (plural) Occurs only in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 31:6

boughs = arms. Occurs only here and in 31:8.

Ezekiel 31:8

the garden of God. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 2:8). God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Ezekiel 31:9

Eden. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 2). Compare Ezekiel 28:13. App-92.

Ezekiel 31:10

thus smith, he. See note on Ezekiel 44:9.

the Lord God. Hebrew Adonai Jehovah. See note on Ezekiel 2:4.

thou. Pharaoh,

he. Ashur.

Ezekiel 31:11

heathen = nations.

for. Many codices, with five early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “according to”, as our text does. Other codices, with four early printed editions and Aramaean, read “in”.

wickedness = lawlessness. Hebrew. rasha. App-44.

Ezekiel 31:12

strangers = foreigners.

rivers = torrents. Hebrew ’aphikim. See note on" channels", 2 Samuel 22:16.

Ezekiel 31:14

all. All the trees. So in Ezekiel 31:16.

children = sons.

men. Hebrew ’adam. App-14.

Ezekiel 31:15

the grave. Hebrew. Sheol. App-35.

Ezekiel 31:16

I east gim down = I caused tint to descend.

hell = Sheol. Same word as “the grave” in Ezekiel 31:15. the pit. Hebrew. bor. Showing the sense in which Sheol is used in Ezekiel 31:15 and Ezekiel 31:16. See notes on “well”, Genesis 21:19; and “pit”, Isaiah 14:19.

Ezekiel 31:17

and they that were his arm. Septuagint and Syriac rend “and his seed”.

Ezekiel 31:18

saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah’s oracle.