Ezekiel 31:14
12 Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.
13 All the birds of the air nested on its fallen trunk, and all the beasts of the field lived among its boughs.
This 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.’
15 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it; I held back its rivers; its abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.
16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- This 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.’
- 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.
- WEB
- to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, and don’t set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones don’t stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of men, with those who go down to the pit.’
- 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 on 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.
- DARBY
- to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, nor set their top amidst the thick boughs, and that none of them that drink water stand up in his height by himself; for they are all given over unto death in the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
- BLB
- in order that not any trees by the waters will exalt in their height, and they will not give their tops to among the thick boughs. All those drinking from the waters should not reach their oaks to their height, for they all have been given to death, to the land [far] below, in the midst of the sons of men, with those going down [to] the Pit.’
- ÅB
- for at ingen trær som vokser ved vann, skal bli overmodige av sin vekst og strekke sin krone opp mellom skyene, og de sterkeste av dem, alle de som suger vann til seg, ikke skal stå der i sin høyde; for de er alle sammen overgitt til døden og må ned til dødsrikets land, blant menneskenes barn, til dem som har faret ned i graven.
- OTB
- Slik vil ingen andre trær ved vannet noensinne stolt ruve i høyde, eller sette sine topper blant skyene, heller ikke vil deres velvannede mektige stå høyt i sin høyde. For de er alle overgitt til døden, til jorden nedenfor, blant dødelige som stiger ned til graven.
- B1930
- forat ingen trær som vokser ved vann, skal bli overmodige av sin vekst og strekke sin krone op mellem skyene, og de sterkeste av dem, alle de som suger vann til sig, ikke skal stå der i sin høide; for de er alle sammen overgitt til døden og må ned til dødsrikets land, blandt menneskenes barn, til dem som har faret ned i graven.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Nehemiah 13:18
Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
Read in contextPsalms 63:9–10
But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth.
Read in contextPsalms 82:7
But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
Read in context2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
Read in contextEzekiel 26:20
then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living.
Read in context1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 13:11
Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 21:21
Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
Read in context