Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 31:16
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.
16. at the sound of his fall ] See on Eze 26:15; cf. Eze 32:10.
to hell into the pit ] to Shel with them that are gone down to the pit, ch. Eze 32:18; Isa 14:15. The nations living on the earth shake with terror (ch. Eze 26:15) at the noise of his fall; while those already gone down to the pit are “comforted” that one so mighty has fallen as well as themselves, Eze 32:19; Eze 32:31; Isa 14:10. The language does not imply that those comforted were hostile to Pharaoh.
the trees of Eden ] The figure of “trees” for states, or for the representatives of states like Pharaoh, is continued. The term Eden is used generally to suggest great trees or the place where trees are found, for the next words describe the trees as the “choice of Lebanon.”
choice and best ] An anomalous construction, which is obviated in LXX. by the want of “best.”
drink water ] i.e. trees nourished by water, Eze 31:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To shake; all that heard the noise of his fall trembled at it, it was as God intended it should be, an astonishment to them all.
Cast him down to hell; brought the king and kingdom, as a dead man, to the grave, among them that be. fore were dead and buried.
All the trees of Eden; all kings, and particularly the greatest and richest, called here
the choice and best of Lebanon. All that drink water; did enjoy great power, riches, and worldly glory.
Shall be comforted: it is a prosopopoeia, and he speaks of the dead with allusion to the manner of the living, who rejoice to see the proud brought as low as the lowest; thus the prophet, Isa 14:9,10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. hellSheol or Hades, theunseen world: equivalent to, “I cast him into oblivion”(compare Isa 14:9-11).
shall be comfortedbecauseso great a king as the Assyrian is brought down to a level with them.It is a kind of consolation to the wretched to have companions inmisery.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall,…. As, when a large cedar was cut down and fell in Lebanon, the noise of it was heard at a distance; so when this mighty monarch and monarchy fell, the nations of the world, and the kings of them, heard of it far and near, and shook through fear of what would be the consequence, lest they should fall also in like manner:
when I cast him down to hell, or “the grave”,
with them that descend into the pit; in common with other men that die, and are buried: it may refer to his subjects and soldiers that perished with him, who were slain by the sword, and were buried with him, and he with them; no distinction being made between them:
and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water; the greatest kings and potentates of the world, the chief and principal of the Assyrian empire; all that ruled over multitudes of people, and partook of their wealth and riches, and were supported in grandeur and dignity; who had been in the state of the dead before this time:
shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth; when they see so mighty a monarch depressed, and brought as low as they, into the same state of meanness and contempt; as it is some kind of solace for persons in distress to have partners with them: this is a poetic expression, representing the dead as rejoicing to see others in the same condition with themselves. The Targum is,
“all the kings of the east, the governors, and those that are rich in substance, all that hold a kingdom, are comforted in the lower part of the earth.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) Hell is here, as generally, Sheol, or Hades, the world of the departed.
Shall be comforted.Comp. Isa. 14:9-10, which was probably in Ezekiels mind.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. The living nations mourn because they fear a like destruction (note Eze 26:15-16), while the dead monarchies, which once comforted themselves in earthly paradises, now in the cold, shadowy, monotonous existence of Sheol “comfort themselves” that they can welcome another kingdom to their midst. (Compare Eze 32:17, etc.; Isa 14:4, etc.).
Eden Lebanon The trees of Lebanon were so majestic that they could be called Edenic.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 31:16. With them that descend, &c. To those who have descended, &c. At the same time all the trees, &c. Houbigant. That is to say, all the deceased princes, confederates with Pharaoh.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 31:16 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.
Ver. 16. I made the nations shake at the sound of his fall. ] As the earth seems to shake at the fall of some mighty cedar.
“ Sic subito casu, quae valuere, ruunt. ”
Shall be comforted.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I east gim down = I caused tint to descend.
hell = Sheol. Same word as “the grave” in Eze 31:15. the pit. Hebrew. bor. Showing the sense in which Sheol is used in Eze 31:15 and Eze 31:16. See notes on “well”, Gen 21:19; and “pit”, Isa 14:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hell
Heb. “Sheol,” (See Scofield “Hab 2:5”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
made: Eze 26:10, Eze 26:15, Eze 27:28, Nah 2:3, Hag 2:7, Heb 12:26, Heb 12:27, Rev 11:13, Rev 18:9-24
When I: Eze 32:18-32, Isa 14:15
and all: Eze 31:9, Eze 31:18, Isa 14:8, Hab 2:17
shall be comforted: Eze 31:14, Eze 32:31, Isa 14:15
Reciprocal: Gen 2:8 – eastward Gen 2:9 – every Isa 23:11 – stretched Jer 50:46 – General Dan 4:20 – General Mat 11:23 – which art
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 31:16. His fall refers to the downfall of Assyria which caused the reactions that are described in figurative terms. The nations all wondered at such a remarkable revolution, and all of them had a feeling of relief because they had stood in awe of such a powerful and heartless empire. Hell is from SHEOL and pit is from Down, Both are used figuratively in this place and mean that Assyrian greatness was to be buried and forgotten.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 31:16-17. I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall Through fear and terror. When I cast him down to hell Rather, to the grave; with them that descend into the pit That die and are buried. All the trees of Eden, &c. The greatest kings on earth. All that drink water That partake of wealth and other worldly enjoyments; shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth The deceased princes, confederates to the Assyrians, described here as so many stately trees and cedars, shall feel some mitigation of their calamities, when they see thee brought down as low as themselves: compare Eze 32:31, and see notes on Isa 14:8-16, a passage exactly parallel to this. They also went down into hell Or, the grave; with him His allies underwent the same fate with himself, and were cut off in the common destruction. And they that were his arm His auxiliaries; that dwelt under his shadow Who lived under his protection; in the midst of the heathen Or, the nations: see on Eze 31:11; namely, in several countries and provinces: see Lam 4:20. When the Assyrian power was overthrown, it was easy for the Chaldeans to subdue all its allies.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to the grave with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall {h} be comforted in the lower parts of the earth.
(h) To cause this destruction of the king of Assyria to seem more horrible, he sets forth other kings and princes who are dead, as though they rejoiced at the fall of such a tyrant.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The fall of Assyria created the same reaction among the nations as the felling of a mighty tree does in the forest; all the other nations (trees) quaked. The other nations also were able to grow better themselves since they no longer had to live in the shadow of mighty Assyria.