Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 31:14
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.
14. The downfall of Pharaoh is a chastisement for his pride and a warning.
for their height ] Or, in their. It is not merely pride of heart because of the height, it is the height itself, the shooting up their top among the clouds aspiring to a greatness belonging only to heaven that is the sin.
thick boughs ] the clouds.
neither their trees stand up ] Rather: and that their mighty ones (those of the nations) stand not up (or, forward, i.e. display themselves) in their height. The phrase “all that drink water” is a circumlocution for “trees,” fed by water.
nether parts of the earth ] i.e. Shel, the place of the dead, deep down in the earth, or under it.
the children of men ] i.e. men in general, common men. The meaning is hardly that expressed in Psa 49:10, that all die, the wise as well as the fool and the brutish, and that the “mighty ones” have no privilege over common men in this respect; the death referred to here is rather the violent death, the death of them slain with the sword, attended with no funeral honours. Cf. ch. Eze 32:17 seq.
them that go down ] them that are gone down to the pit. So everywhere. The allegory of the tree here passes over into the reality.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To the end; all this is designed to be a warning to mortals.
All the trees, i: e. the emperors, potentates, kings, or rich flourishing states.
By the waters; planted most commodiously, and furnished most abundantly with power and wealth.
Exalt themselves; grow proud, because they are high, shoot out tops above all the thick boughs, their neighbours. This caution against pride and self-exalting is three times repeated, that all, especially great men, and this proud king of Egypt, to whom this parable is propounded, should be humble.
For they are all delivered unto death; for if by office they are gods, yet by nature they are men, and by the decree of God, who cannot die, these gods must, as men, die, be laid in the grave, forgotten like other men, like the children of mean men, for death and the grave make no distinction.
Be not proud, God will pull down such; be humble, you must die.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. trees by the watersthatis, that are plentifully supplied by the waters: nations abounding inresources.
stand up in their heightthatis, trust in their height: stand upon it as their ground ofconfidence. FAIRBAIRNpoints the Hebrew differently, so as for “their trees,”to translate, “(And that none that drink water may stand) onthemselves, (because of their greatness).” But the usualreading is better, as Assyria and the confederate states throughoutare compared to strong trees. The clause, “All that drinkwater,” marks the ground of the trees’ confidence “in theirheight,” namely, that they have ample sources of supply. MAURER,retaining the same Hebrew, translates, “that neithertheir terebinth trees may stand up in their height, nor all(the other trees) that drink water.”
to . . . nether . . . earth .. . pit (Eze 32:18;Psa 82:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height,…. The end proposed by the Lord in the destruction of the king of Assyria, and the use to be made of it, is this; that the kings of the earth take warning hereby, who rule over a multitude of people, comparable to waters, and who abound in riches and wealth; that they are not elated with pride and vanity, because of their exalted estate, their grandeur, and dignity; and do not behave insolently against God, on whom they depend; nor haughtily and in an oppressive manner towards their own subjects, over whom they rule:
neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs; affect universal monarchy, as he did; and set up themselves over all kingdoms and states, as he had over them, and make all subject to them:
neither their trees stand up in their height, that drink water; that is, kings and potentates, who rule over the people, and are supplied and supported by them in their exalted stations, by the tribute and taxes they pay them and so abound in riches and power, should not trust in the height of honour and power they are raised to, and treat contemptuously God and man; but consider what they are, that they are but men, and are in slippery places, where there is no standing long, and especially when death comes, as follows:
for they are delivered unto death in the nether parts of the earth; they are mortal by nature, as other men; they are appointed to die, and will be delivered into the hands of death, when the time is come, who will not spare them because of their crowns and sceptres; and when they will be laid in the grave, in the lowest parts of the earth, who used to sit upon elevated thrones of state:
in the midst of the children of men, with those that go down to the pit; the grave, where they are upon a level with the poorest and meanest of their subjects. The Targum is,
“that all the kings of the east might not be lifted up with their strength, nor exercise tyranny over the kingdoms; nor all that hold a kingdom lift up themselves in their own strength, for all are delivered unto death, &c.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Stand up in their height.The original is more closely followed by the margin, stand upon themselves for their height, and the thought is that the trees (princes) shall no longer rely on their own strength and be infatuated by the prosperity which has been given them.
All that drink water is only a poetical expression for the trees. (Comp. Eze. 31:16.) In the constant mention of water and rivers throughout this parable there may be a covert allusion to Egypt, made fertile by the irrigation of the Nile.
To the nether parts of the earth.See Note on Eze. 26:20. In the latter part of this verse the figurative is again exchanged for literal language.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Neither their trees Rather, R.V., “nor that their mighty ones.” All of these majestic trees that drink water these proud kingdoms of men are soon to fall to the earth and drop into “Sheol.” (Compare Eze 32:17-32.) Their princes have claimed to be divine (Eze 28:2; Eze 28:9; Eze 29:3) and their kingdoms have seemed divine creations, gardens of Eden, but they shall die like men and go down to the realms of dust.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 31:14. To the end that none of all the trees “Thy destruction shall be a warning to other kings and potentates, to deter them from insolence in the time of their prosperity.” Instead of, Neither their trees stand up, &c. Houbigant reads, Neither any of those which drink the waters apply themselves to it; namely, this lofty tree, while it is high; after they are all thrust down to death, to the lower parts of the earth, to the multitude of the children of men, who are gone down to the pit.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 31:14 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.
Ver. 14. To the end that none of all the trees. ] This is the use men should make of God’s heavy judgments upon others. This man’s father Sennacherib had a statue set up in Egypt, saith Herodotus, a with this inscription, Let him that looketh upon my misery learn to be modest and to fear God.
Neither their trees stand up in their height.
For they are all delivered uuto death.
“ Sub tua purpurei veniunt vestigia reges,
Deposito luxu, turba cum paupere mixti;
Omnia mors aequat. ” – Claudian.
a Lib. ii.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
all. All the trees. So in Eze 31:16.
children = sons.
men. Hebrew ‘adam. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the end: Deu 13:11, Deu 21:21, Neh 13:18, Dan 4:32, Dan 5:22, Dan 5:23, 1Co 10:11, 2Pe 2:6
stand up in their height: or, stand upon themselves for their height
delivered: Psa 82:7, Heb 9:27
the nether: Eze 32:18-32, Psa 63:9, Psa 63:10
Reciprocal: Isa 10:12 – the glory Eze 31:10 – and his Eze 31:16 – shall be comforted
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 31:14. To the end means the purpose of this revolution was to humble the king and country of Assyria from their position of pride. Trees and K-aters, etc., are figures used because, while Assyria is the one immediately in the mind of the Lord, it is for a comparison to Egypt which did boast of her River Nile with its canals and ditches.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
This fate had befallen Assyria in part so other greatly blessed, proud nations would learn not to exalt themselves. All nations, like trees, eventually fall down and return to oblivion like human corpses do to the dust.