Ezekiel 31:14
in Ezekiel 31This happened so that no other trees by the waters would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the depths of the earth, among the mortals who descend to the Pit.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up in their height, even 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 31
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
FAIRBAIRN points the Hebrew differently, so as for "their trees," to translate, "(And that none that drink water may stand) on themselves, (because of their greatness)." But the usual reading is better, as Assyria and the confederate states throughout are compared to strong trees.
This site's exposition
the most ruthless of the nations
on Ezekiel 31:12-14
Strangers, the terrible of the nations, cut him down, and his branches lie broken by every river of the land he once shadowed. Verse 14 turns the fall into a standing warning, language JFB reads as aimed past Assyria at every power that measures itself by its resources.
This site's exposition
among the mortals who descend to the
The Pit is a poetic name for Sheol, the place of the dead beneath the earth in Hebrew thought. The word rendered mortals is literally sons of man. Every tree, however high, dies as a man dies.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 31.) And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his people: Whom are you like in your greatness? Behold, Assyria was like a cedar (or cypress) in Lebanon, beautiful in branches and dense with foliage, towering in height, and its top was among the thick foliage (or in the midst of clouds).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He must leave the king of Egypt to apply all this to himself, to see his own face in the looking-glass of the king of Assyria's sin, and to foresee his own fall through the perspective glass of his ruin,
Note, The fall of proud presumptuous men is intended for warning to others to keep humble. It would have been well for Nebuchadnezzar, who was himself active in bringing down the Assyrian, if he had taken the admonition. Here is a prophecy of the fall of the king of Egypt in like manner,
To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
To the end that none of all the trees - Let this ruin, fallen upon Egypt, teach all the nations that shall hear of it to be humble, because, however elevated, God can soon bring them down; and pride and arrogance, either in states or individuals, have the peculiar abhorrence of God. Pride does not suit the sons of men; it made devils of angels, and makes fiends of men.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
water trees which are tender and frail, but have numerous and long branches because of the moisture of the water, should not compare themselves to the cedars of Eden; i.e., he should not have been haughty over Israel and should not have stood over them.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Upon its carcass..rested as the Targum paraphrases: Upon the carcass of his slain.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
35 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַ֡עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִגְבְּה֨וּ | yigbehu | they may be lifted up | H1361 → | 34 times |
| בְקוֹמָתָ֜ם | vekomatam | in height their | H6967 → | 45 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲצֵי־ | ʾatzei- | trees of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| מַ֗יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתְּנ֤וּ | yitenu | they may set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צַמַּרְתָּם֙ | tzamartam | treetop their | H6788 → | 5 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּ֣ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| עֲבֹתִ֔ים | ʾavotim | branches | H5688 → | 24 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעַמְד֧וּ | yaamdu | they may stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אֵלֵיהֶ֛ם | ʾeleihem | leaders their | H352 → | 187 times |
| בְּגָבְהָ֖ם | begaveham | by height their | H1363 → | 17 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שֹׁ֣תֵי | shotei | drinkers of | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מָ֑יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֻלָּם֩ | khulam | all of them | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נִתְּנ֨וּ | nitenu | they have been given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַמָּ֜וֶת | lamavet | to <the> death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| תַּחְתִּ֗ית | tachtit | lowest | H8482 → | 19 times |
| בְּת֛וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֖ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| י֥וֹרְדֵי | yordei | [those who] go down of | H3381 → | 381 times |
| בֽוֹר׃ ס | vor | [the] pit | H953 → | 66 times |
לְמַ֡עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
אֲשֶׁר֩that
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִגְבְּה֨וּthey may be lifted up
yigbehuH1361 →34 times
בְקוֹמָתָ֜םin height their
vekomatamH6967 →45 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עֲצֵי־trees of
ʾatzei-H6086 →328 times
מַ֗יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתְּנ֤וּthey may set
yitenuH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
צַמַּרְתָּם֙treetop their
tzamartamH6788 →5 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּ֣יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
עֲבֹתִ֔יםbranches
ʾavotimH5688 →24 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעַמְד֧וּthey may stand
yaamduH5975 →521 times
אֵלֵיהֶ֛םleaders their
ʾeleihemH352 →187 times
בְּגָבְהָ֖םby height their
begavehamH1363 →17 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שֹׁ֣תֵיdrinkers of
shoteiH8354 →217 times
מָ֑יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כֻלָּם֩all of them
khulamH3605 →5413 times
נִתְּנ֨וּthey have been given
nitenuH5414 →2011 times
לַמָּ֜וֶתto <the> death
lamavetH4194 →156 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] earth
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
תַּחְתִּ֗יתlowest
tachtitH8482 →19 times
בְּת֛וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֖םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
י֥וֹרְדֵי[those who] go down of
yordeiH3381 →381 times
בֽוֹר׃ ס[the] pit
vorH953 →66 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
it leads to
- Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
- Romans 13:11
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
- 1 Corinthians 9:10
Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
- 1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
- Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near.
- Romans 15:4
Through
2 Peter 2:6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
it leads to
- Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal…
- Luke 17:28–30
It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
- Jude 1:7
Through
Psalms 82:7But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
it leads to
- Psalms 49:12
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
- Psalms 49:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel; Patrick Fairbairn, Ezekiel and the Book of His Prophecy and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.
