31:1 Et factum est in anno undecimo, tertio mense, una mensis : factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens :
*H And it came to pass, in the eleventh year, the third month the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Ver. 1. Year, about a month before the fall of Jerusalem.
A.M. 3416.
31:2 Fili hominis, dic Pharaoni regi Aegypti et populo ejus : [Cui similis factus es in magnitudine tua ?
Son of man, speak to Pharao king of Egypt, and to his people: To whom art thou like in thy greatness?
31:3 ecce Assur quasi cedrus in Libano, pulcher ramis, et frondibus nemorosus, excelsusque altitudine, et inter condensas frondes elevatum est cacumen ejus.
*H Behold, the Assyrian like a cedar in Libanus, with fair branches, and full of leaves, of a high stature, and his top was elevated among the thick boughs.
Ver. 3. Assyrian. The ruin of this great empire (C.) might have admonished the king of Egypt of his frail condition. H. — About thirty-eight years before (C.) Ninive had been taken, and its king (Sarac or Chinaladan) slain by his own general, Nabopolassar, and by Astyages, of Media. They divided the empire between them, and the father of Nabuchodonosor fixed his residence at Babylon. Usher, A. 3378. — Cedar. Sept. "cypress." — Top; the king of Ninive. C. — Egypt's monarch thought himself invincible; yet would fall like the Assyrian. W.
31:4 Aquae nutrierunt illum ; abyssus exaltavit illum : flumina ejus manabant in circuitu radicum ejus, et rivos suos emisit ad universa ligna regionis.
*H The waters nourished him, the deep set him tip on high, the streams thereof ran round about his roots, and it sent, forth its rivulets to all the trees of the country.
Ver. 4. Roots. Various nations paid tribute to the Assyrian, (S. Jer. C.) while he sent his troops, like rivulets, to keep all in subjection. Theod.
31:5 Propterea elevata est altitudo ejus super omnia ligna regionis, et multiplicata sunt arbusta ejus, et elevati sunt rami ejus prae aquis multis.
Therefore was his height exalted above all the trees of the country and his branches were multiplied, and his boughs were elevated because of many waters.
31:6 Cumque extendisset umbram suam, in ramis ejus fecerunt nidos omnia volatilia caeli : et sub frondibus ejus genuerunt omnes bestiae saltuum, et sub umbraculo illius habitabat coetus gentium plurimarum.
And when he had spread forth his shadow, all the fowls of the air made their nests in his boughs, and all the beasts of the forest brought forth their young under his branches, and the assembly of many nations dwelt under his shadow.
31:7 Eratque pulcherrimus in magnitudine sua, et in dilatatione arbustorum suorum : erat enim radix illius juxta aquas multas.
And he was most beautiful for his greatness, and for the spreading of his branches: for his root was near great waters.
31:8 Cedri non fuerunt altiores illo in paradiso Dei ; abietes non adaequaverunt summitatem ejus, et platani non fuerunt aequae frondibus illius : omne lignum paradisi Dei non est assimilatum illi, et pulchritudini ejus.
The cedars in the paradise of God were not higher than he, the fir trees did not equal his top, neither were the plane trees to be compared with him for branches: no tree in the paradise of God was like him in his beauty.
31:9 Quoniam speciosum feci eum, et multis condensisque frondibus, et aemulata sunt eum omnia ligna voluptatis quae erant in paradiso Dei.]
For I made him beautiful and thick set with many branches: and all the trees of pleasure, that were in the paradise of God, envied him.
31:10 [Propterea haec dicit Dominus Deus : Pro eo quod sublimatus est in altitudine, et dedit summitatem suam virentem atque condensam, et elevatum est cor ejus in altitudine sua :
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because he was exalted in height, and shot up his top green and thick, and his heart was lifted up in his height:
31:11 tradidi eum in manu fortissimi gentium : faciens faciet ei : juxta impietatem ejus ejeci eum.
*H I have delivered him into the hands of the mighty one of the nations, he shall deal with him: I have cast him out according to his wickedness.
Ver. 11. I have delivered. Here the time past is put for the future; i.e. I shall deliver. — The mighty one, &c. viz. Nabuchodonosor, who conquered both the Assyrians and Egyptians; (Ch.) or rather his father, Nabopolassar, subdued the former. v. 3. H.
31:12 Et succident eum alieni, et crudelissimi nationum, et projicient eum super montes : et in cunctis convallibus corruent rami ejus, et confringentur arbusta ejus in universis rupibus terrae : et recedent de umbraculo ejus omnes populi terrae, et relinquent eum.
*H And strangers, and the most cruel of the nations shall cut him down, and cast him away upon the mountains, and his boughs shall fall in every valley, and his branches shall be broken on every rock of the country: and all the people of the earth shall depart from his shadow, and leave him.
Ver. 12. Strangers; revolted Assyrians. See Ps. xvii. 46.
31:13 In ruina ejus habitaverunt omnia volatilia caeli, et in ramis ejus fuerunt universae bestiae regionis.
*H All the fowls of the air dwelt upon his ruins, and all the beasts of the field were among his branches.
Ver. 13. Branches. The nations continued, but submitted to another master.
31:14 Quam ob rem non elevabuntur in altitudine sua omnia ligna aquarum, nec ponent sublimitatem suam inter nemorosa atque frondosa, nec stabunt in sublimitate sua omnia quae irrigantur aquis : quia omnes traditi sunt in mortem ad terram ultimam, in medio filiorum hominum, ad eos qui descendunt in lacum.
*H For which cause none of the trees by the waters shall exalt themselves for their height: nor shoot up their tops among the thick branches and leaves, neither shall any of them that are watered stand up in their height: for they are all delivered unto death to the lowest parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down into the pit.
Ver. 14. Pit. The new king would appoint fresh governors.
31:15 Haec dicit Dominus Deus : In die quando descendit ad inferos, induxi luctum : operui eum abysso, et prohibui flumina ejus, et coercui aquas multas : contristatus est super eum Libanus, et omnia ligna agri concussa sunt.
*H Thus saith the Lord God: In the day when he went down to hell, I brought in mourning, I covered him with the deep: and I withheld its rivers, and restrained the many waters: Libanus grieved for him, and all the trees of the field trembled.
Ver. 15. Waters, as if they bewailed his fate. C. — Those whom the king of Ninive had exalted, and the people, who wished not to submit to a foreigner, would no doubt lament the slaughtered monarch, now silent (H.) in the grave. Theod.
31:16 A sonitu ruinae ejus commovi gentes cum deducerem eum ad infernum cum his qui descendebant in lacum : et consolata sunt in terra infima omnia ligna voluptatis egregia atque praeclara in Libano, universa quae irrigabantur aquis.
*H I shook the nations with the sound of his fall, when I brought him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of pleasure, the choice and best in Libanus, all that were moistened with waters, were comforted in the lowest parts of the earth.
Ver. 16. Comforted. The ghosts of princes who had been subject to Serac, seeing his fall, bore their own misfortune with greater content. In the grave there is no distinction of master and slave. C. — Surviving princes expected some emolument from the change. H.
31:17 Nam et ipsi cum eo descendent in infernum ad interfectos gladio : et brachium uniuscujusque sedebit sub umbraculo ejus in medio nationum.
*H For they also shall go down with him to hell to them that are slain by the sword; and the arm of every one shall sit down under his shadow in the midst of the nations.
Ver. 17. Arm; those in power. Sept. "his seed." Heb. Zora, (H.) means both.
31:18 Cui assimilatus es, o inclyte atque sublimis inter ligna voluptatis ? ecce deductus es cum lignis voluptatis ad terram ultimam : in medio incircumcisorum dormies, cum eis qui interfecti sunt gladio : ipse est Pharao, et omnis multitudo ejus, dicit Dominus Deus.]
*H To whom art thou like, O thou that art famous and lofty among the trees of pleasure? Behold, thou art brought down with the trees of pleasure to the lowest parts of the earth: thou shalt sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword: this is Pharao, and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.
Ver. 18. Famous king of Assyria, or of Egypt. — Pharao. C. —