Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 31:11

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.

11. have delivered ] I will deliver.

mighty one of the heathen ] of the nations, Nebuchadnezzar.

for his wickedness ] The traditional reading is: according to his. On “driven out” cf. Gen 3:24. The whole clause, “I have wickedness” appears to fail in LXX.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 11. The mighty one of the heathen] Nebuchadnezzar. It is worthy of notice, that Nebuchadnezzar, in the first year of his reign, rendered himself master of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. See Sedar Olam. This happened about twenty years before Ezekiel delivered this prophecy; on this account, Ashshur, Eze 31:3, may relate to the Assyrians, to whom it is possible the prophet here compares the Egyptians. But see on Eze 31:3.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

I have therefore delivered: no prophetic style, as some think, I have because I will, for most certainly God would deliver.

Him; the proud king of Assyria, who inherited all the vices of his progenitors more than their kingdoms; infamous Sardanapalus.

The mighty one: some say Cyrus, or rather Arbaces, who first struck at the root of this cedar, and cut him down; and well might this man, though no king when he attempted this, be styled the mighty one of the heathen, who could bring together four hundred thousand of Medes, Persians, Babylonians, and Arabians, a power sufficient to besiege the Assyrian king two years in his own city and palace.

He shall surely deal with him; so he did, for he held him besieged without hope of relief, till at two years end this vicious king burned himself with his palace.

Driven him out, with disgrace, for his lewd, shameless courses, as a wife is cast out by divorce for adultery, Lev 21:7.

For his wickedness; so Sardanapalus was cast out for his effeminacy and lewdness; for it is reported this gave Arbaces first encouragement to lay a design against him. He was driven out, as the prophet words it, by the breach two miles and a half wide, made by the mighty floods from continual rains, which the walls of Nineveh could not withstand: so God rather than man did drive this beast out.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

11. Here the literal supersedesthe figurative.

shall surely deal withhimaccording to his own pleasure, and according to theAssyrian’s (Sardanapalus) desert. Nebuchadnezzar is called “themighty one” (El, a name of God), because he was God’srepresentative and instrument of judgment (Dan 2:37;Dan 2:38).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the Heathen,…. Or, into the hand of the mightiest of the nations o; the mightiest prince among them. Some understand this of Arbaces the Mede, by whom Sardanapalus had been defeated long before this time: others of Merodachbaladan king Babylon, by whom Esarhaddon the Assyrian monarch was vanquished; or rather Nebuchadnezzar, who was called Nabopolassar; who, in the first year p of his reign, in conjunction with Cyaxares king of Media, took Nineveh, the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy; and this was by the appointment of God, and under the direction of his providence, and through the success he gave to the arms of these princes, according to his own decrees and prophecies. Some render it, “into the hand of the god of the nations” q; yet meaning either Cyaxares or Nebuchadnezzar; so called because of their great power and might, and which they had from the Lord:

he shall surely deal with him; or, “in doing he shall do to him” r; he shall do with him as he pleases he shall easily manage him, though so powerful; and deal with him according to his deserts; or, as the Targum, he shall take vengeance on him, as he did:

I have driven him out for his wickedness; out of his court and palace; out of his royal city Nineveh; out of his kingdom and dominions; and he shall reside and reign no more there; and all this for his wickedness, pride, and oppression, and other sins: when God strips men of their honour, riches, power, and dominion, it is because of their abuse of them; for some sin, or sins, or wickedness they have been guilty of, both against him and men; and therefore it is but just and righteous in him to dethrone such princes, and drive them from their seats.

o “in manum fortissimi gentium”, Pagninus, Junius Tremellius, Polanus “potentissimi”, Piscator. p Seder Olam Rabba, p. 69. q “In manum dei gentium”, Montanus, Starckius; “deo gentium”, Castalio. r “faciendo faciet ei”, Pagninus, Montanus; “faciendo faciebat ipsi”, Starckius.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(11) The mighty one of the heathen.The Chaldan monarch. At the time of the fall of Assyria this was Nabupolassar, Nebuchadnezzars father. In this verse, and partially in the next, the prophet drops his figure to make clear literal statements.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

11. I have therefore delivered R.V., “I will even deliver.”

Heathen R.V., “nations.” Because of unholy pride Egypt will fall before Nebuchadnezzar, as he in turn, for the same reason, must hereafter fall (Daniel iv).

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Eze 31:11. Into the hand of the mighty one That is, into the hands of the Chaldeans.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Eze 31:11 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.

Ver. 11. I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one. ] Of Merodach Baladan, who of governor had made himself King of Babylon; and in the twelfth year of his reign, having overcome Esarhaddon, son to Sennacherib, and last monarch of Assyria, he adjoined that whole empire to the Babylonians, and reigned after that forty years. a

He shall surely deal with him. ] Heb., In doing he shall do unto him; i.e., he shall do what he list with him; b as Tamerlane since did with Bajazet, whom he carried about in an iron cage, using him on festival days for a footstool, and feeding him like a dog with crumbs fallen from his table. All which Tamerlane did, not so much for hatred to the man, saith the historian, c as to manifest the just judgment of God against the arrogant folly of the proud.

a Metashenes, Josephus, lib. i. cap. 2.

b Pro libitu tractabo. – Piscat.

c Turkish History, 220.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

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.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

delivered: Eze 11:9, Eze 21:31, Eze 23:28, Jdg 16:23, 1Ti 1:20

the mighty: Nebuchadnezzar, the subverter of the Assyrian empire. Eze 32:11, Eze 32:12, Jer 25:9, Dan 5:18, Dan 5:19

he shall surely deal with him: Heb. in doing he shall do unto him, Jdg 1:7, Mat 7:1, Mat 7:2, Jam 2:13

I have driven: Lev 18:24-28, Lev 20:22, Lev 20:23, Deu 18:12, Lam 1:21, Nah 3:18

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Eze 31:11. The king of Assyria (who was Saracus at this time) was a heathen as well as were others, but the original means “nations also, and the prediction means he was delivered into the hands of other heathen. The mighty one was Nabopalassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar. At this place I believe it will be well to make a quotation from history. This will give information from a secular source that will help the reader. There will be items that are related to the present verse and also some others to follow, therefore I urge the reader to give close attention and thus be prepared to refer to it. as occasion may suggest. “Saracus, who came to the throne towards the end of the seventh century B. C,, was the last of the long line of Assyrian kings. For nearly or quite six centuries the Ninevite [capital of Assyria] kings had now lorded it over the East. There was scarcely a state in all Western Asia that during this time had not, in the language of the royal inscriptions, borne the heavy yoke of their lordship; scarcely a people that had not suffered their cruel punishments, or tasted the bitterness of enforced exile. But now swift misfortunes were bearing down upon the oppressor from every quarter. Egypt revolted and tore Syria away from the empire; from the mountain defiles on the east issued the armies of the recent-grown empire of the Aryan Medes, led by the renowned Cyaxares; From the southern lowlands, anxious to aid in the overthrow of the hated oppressor, the Babylonians joined the Medes as allies, and together they laid close siege to Nineveh. The city was finally taken and sacked [plundered], and dominion passed away forever from the proud capital (606 B. C.)”-Myers Ancient History, page 66, Nabopolassar (625-605 B. C.) was the founder of what is known as the Chaldean Empire. At first a vassal king [subject or dependent king], when troubles and misfortunes began to thicken about the Assyrian court, he revolted and became independent. -Myers Ancient History, page 72.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

31:11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the {e} mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

(e) That is, of Nebuchadnezzar, who was the monarch and only ruler of the world.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes