The Great Cedar Tree
Study note
God asked Pharaoh who he was comparable to in greatness. He described Assyria as a magnificent cedar in Lebanon, taller than all other trees. Its branches sheltered all the great nations, and birds nested in its limbs. It was watered by deep springs and grew so tall that it towered above the forest. Even the trees in God's garden of Eden envied it. This represented Assyria at the height of its power.
1 During the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day, the Lord spoke to me. And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, ask Pharaoh king of Egypt and his vast armies: Who in all the world can match your greatness?" Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
3 "Consider Assyria. It was like a towering cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches creating deep shade. It grew so tall that its top reached into the clouds." Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
4 "Underground springs fed it and made it tower high. Rivers encircled where it was planted, and streams channeled out to nourish all the other trees nearby." The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
5 "So it outgrew every other tree. Its branches became thick and long because it received so much water." Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
6 "Every kind of bird nested in its branches. Wild animals gave birth beneath its boughs. Powerful nations from all around flourished in its shade." All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
7 "It was beautiful, with branches spread wide. Its roots reached deep into plenty of water." Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
8 "Not even the cedars in God's own garden could compare. No cypress had branches like it, and no plane tree had limbs to rival it. No tree in God's garden could match its beauty." The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
9 "I made it gorgeous with its lush, spreading branches. Every tree in Eden, in God's own garden, envied it." I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
The Tree Is Cut Down
Study note
Because the tree grew proud and arrogant because of its height, God handed it over to a ruler of the nations (Babylon's Nebuchadnezzar). The foreigners cut it down and left it lying across mountains and valleys. All the nations that had sheltered under its branches left it. This was a warning: God brings down every nation or person who becomes too proud, no matter how powerful they are.
10 "So the Lord God says: Because it grew so very tall, pushing its top into the clouds, and because its height made its heart swell with pride," Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 "I handed it over to the mightiest ruler of the nations, who dealt with it as its wickedness deserved. I threw it out." I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 "The most savage foreign armies chopped it down and abandoned it. Its branches crashed onto the mountains and into every valley. Its broken limbs littered every ravine across the land. Every nation left its shade and walked away from it." And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
13 "Birds settled on the fallen trunk, and wild animals trampled through its scattered branches." Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
14 "This happened to teach a lesson. No tree growing beside water should ever become proud of its height or push its top into the clouds. Every well-watered tree will face the same end -- death and the grave. They are just like every person who goes down into the pit." To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
The Tree Goes to the Grave
Study note
When the great tree went down to the grave, God made the nations mourn. All the trees of Eden, the finest trees of Lebanon, were comforted in the world below because the great cedar had joined them. God asked Pharaoh directly: which of the trees of Eden can you compare to? You too will be brought down to the world below, lying among the uncircumcised and those killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his hordes.
15 "The Lord God says: On the day this great tree descended to the grave, I caused the underground waters to mourn for it. I blocked its rivers and held back its flooding streams. I draped Lebanon in darkness on its account, and all the surrounding trees wilted with grief." Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
16 "Nations shook at the crash of its fall when I sent it down to the grave with those already in the pit. All the trees of Eden — the finest trees of Lebanon, every well-watered tree — found comfort in the world below." 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.
17 "The nations that had prospered under its shadow also went down to the grave with it, joining those killed by the sword." They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
18 "Which of Eden's trees can compare to you in splendor and stature? Yet you will be dragged down with the trees of Eden to the underworld. You will lie among outcasts, alongside those killed in battle. This is what awaits Pharaoh and all his hordes, says the Lord God." To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.