וַיְהִי בְּאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃

It was in the eleventh year. In the book of Ezekiel, the years are generally counted from the exile of Yehoyakhin and the reign of Tzidkiyahu. If so, the eleventh is the year of the destruction of Jerusalem. It was in that year, in the third month, Sivan, on the first of the month; the word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם אֱמֹר אֶל־פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם וְאֶל־הֲמוֹנוֹ אֶל־מִי דָּמִיתָ בְגָדְלֶךָ

Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his horde. Do not address this prophecy only to Pharaoh, the private individual, but also to him in his role as the ruler of the oldest and greatest power at that time: To whom were you likened in your greatness?

הִנֵּה אַשּׁוּר אֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יְפֵה עָנָף וְחֹרֶשׁ מֵצַל וּגְבַהּ קוֹמָה וּבֵין עֲבֹתִים הָיְתָה צַמַּרְתּוֹ

Behold, Assyria, the great empire from earlier times, to which you bear a great resemblance, was a cedar in Lebanon, the tallest and strongest tree in the region, fair and magnificent of branches, a shading thicket. It was a single tree that provided shade like a small forest, and it was tall of stature, and among the tangled branches was its top; alternatively, its top was among the clouds.

מַיִם גִּדְּלוּהוּ תְּהוֹם רֹמְמָתְהוּ אֶת־נַהֲרֹתֶיהָ הֹלֵךְ סְבִיבוֹת מַטָּעָהּ וְאֶת־תְּעָלֹתֶיהָ שִׁלְחָה אֶל כָּל־עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה

Water nourished it, the waters of the depths elevated it, its rivers, the mighty streams of the deep, flowed around its grove, the cedar, and its tributaries, it, the deep, sent out to all the other trees of the field, around the cedar.

עַל־כֵּן גָּבְהָא קֹמָתוֹ מִכֹּל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה וַתִּרְבֶּינָה סַרְעַפֹּתָיו וַתֶּאֱרַכְנָה פֹארֹתָו מִמַּיִם רַבִּים בְּשַׁלְּחוֹ

Therefore its, the cedar’s, stature grew higher (see 36:5) than all the trees of the field, and its boughs multiplied, and its branches lengthened, became entwined and magnificent (see commentary on 17:6), from the abundant water, when it, the cedar, generated them. The increased growth of the cedar was caused by continuous, intense irrigation. Similarly, Assyria’s growth was due to its conquests and subjugation of many nations, and its seizure and control of their resources.

בִּסְעַפֹּתָיו קִנְנוּ כָּל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתַחַת פֹּארֹתָיו יָלְדוּ כֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּבְצִלּוֹ יֵשְׁבוּ כֹּל גּוֹיִם רַבִּים

In its, the cedar’s, boughs all the birds of the heavens nested, and beneath its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, and in its shade all the many nations dwelled. Assyria spread its protection over many nations and kingdoms. Note that by mentioning nations in this last phrase, the prophet momentarily returned to the meaning of the allegory.

וַיִּיף בְּגָדְלוֹ בְּאֹרֶךְ דָּלִיּוֹתָיו כִּי־הָיָה שָׁרְשׁוֹ אֶל־מַיִם רַבִּים

It, the cedar, became beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches that extended for great distances, as its roots were planted upon abundant waters.

אֲרָזִים לֹא־עֲמָמֻהוּ בְּגַן־אֱלֹהִים בְּרוֹשִׁים לֹא דָמוּ אֶל־סְעַפֹּתָיו וְעַרְמֹנִים לֹא־הָיוּ כְּפֹרֹאתָיו כָּל־עֵץ בְּגַן־אֱלֹהִים לֹא־דָמָה אֵלָיו בְּיָפְיוֹ

Cedars did not obscure it, that impressive cedar, in the garden of God; the towering junipers in the Lebanon did not compare to its boughs, and plane trees, also tall trees with many boughs, were not like, the equivalent of, its branches; every tree in the garden of God did not compare to it in its beauty. It had no rival in strength or splendor.

יָפֶה עֲשִׂיתִיו בְּרֹב דָּלִיּוֹתָיו וַיְקַנְאֻהוּ כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן אֲשֶׁר בְּגַן הָאֱלֹהִים

I made it beautiful in the multitude of its branches, and all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied it. Assyria developed into a strong, magnificent power, without equal in all lands.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים יַעַן אֲשֶׁר גָּבַהְתָּ בְּקוֹמָה וַיִּתֵּן צַמַּרְתּוֹ אֶל־בֵּין עֲבוֹתִים וְרָם לְבָבוֹ בְּגָבְהוֹ

Therefore, so said the Lord God to the cedar, Assyria: Because you grew high in stature, and it, the tree, placed its crown among the tangled branches, and its heart grew haughty because of its height, it will therefore receive the punishment described in the following verses. Assyria had grown at the expense of other nations, while boasting of its immense power. This is evident from the oration delivered by Sennacherib’s emissary, Rabshakeh, with his depictions of Assyria’s extensive conquests and victories.

וְאֶתְּנֵהוּ בְּיַד אֵיל גּוֹיִם עָשׂוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ בְּרִשְׁעוֹ גֵּרַשְׁתִּיהוּ

I delivered it, Assyria, into the hand of the mightiest of the nations [eil goyim]. Eil goyim, which literally means “ram of nations” might be alluding to an iron battering ram that was used for breaching the walls of an enemy city. It, the mighty one of the nations, did to it in accordance with its wickedness; I banished it, Assyria.

וַיִּכְרְתֻהוּ זָרִים עָרִיצֵי גוֹיִם וַיִּטְּשֻׁהוּ אֶל הֶהָרִים וּבְכָל־גֵּאָיוֹת נָפְלוּ דָלִיּוֹתָיו וַתִּשָּׁבַרְנָה פֹרֹאתָיו בְּכָל־אֲפִיקֵי הָאָרֶץ וַיֵּרְדוּ מִצִּלּוֹ כָּל־עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ וַיִּטְּשֻׁהוּ

Furthermore, strangers, the ruthless of the nations, cut it down, scattering the fallen tree. Like the cedar, Assyria did not entirely collapse after its fall, until the cruel Chaldeans destroyed it to its foundations. And they cast it upon the mountains and in all valleys; its branches fell and its boughs broke in all the water channels of the earth, and all the peoples of the earth, who had formerly enjoyed its protection, went out from its shade and abandoned it;

עַל־מַפַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁכְּנוּ כָּל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם וְאֶל פֹּרֹאתָיו הָיוּ כֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה

on its fallen trunk, all the birds of the heavens which had previously nested high up in the tree, rest, and upon its branches were all the beasts of the field.

לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִגְבְּהוּ בְקוֹמָתָם כָּל־עֲצֵי־מַיִם וְלֹא־יִתְּנוּ אֶת־צַמַּרְתָּם אֶל־בֵּין עֲבֹתִים וְלֹא־יַעַמְדוּ אֵלֵיהֶם בְּגָבְהָם כָּל כִּי כֻלָּם נִתְּנוּ לַמָּוֶת אֶל־אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם אֶל־יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר

I cast the cedar down so that all the trees that are planted by the water will not grow high in their stature and will not place their crown among the tangled branches, and all that drink water will not reach up to them [eleihem] in their height. According to this reading of the verse, the word is understood as though it were aleihem, “to them.” In contrast, according to the accepted vocalization of the word, eleihem, some maintain that this means “their terebinth [ela] trees,” which represent the trees of the field. As they are all given to death, to the nether land, among the children of man, with those who descend into the pit. The grand, mighty tree fell and disappeared. Likewise, even great and powerful kings will eventually meet eternal ruin.

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים בְּיוֹם רִדְתּוֹ שְׁאֹלָה הֶאֱבַלְתִּי כִסֵּתִי עָלָיו אֶת־תְּהוֹם וָאֶמְנַע נַהֲרוֹתֶיהָ וַיִּכָּלְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וָאַקְדִּר עָלָיו לְבָנוֹן וְכָל־עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה עָלָיו עֻלְפֶּה

So said the Lord God: On the day that it, the huge cedar tree, descended to the netherworld, I caused mourning, or I destroyed it; I covered the depths for it, and I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were withheld in the deep, and I darkened Lebanon for, because of, it, and all the trees of the field grew faint over it, as they became aware of the fate of the enormous cedar tree; they became mindful that the source of their vitality had dried.

מִקּוֹל מַפַּלְתּוֹ הִרְעַשְׁתִּי גוֹיִם בְּהוֹרִדִי אֹתוֹ שְׁאֹלָה אֶת יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר וַיִּנָּחֲמוּ בְּאֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן מִבְחַר וְטוֹב לְבָנוֹן כָּל־שֹׁתֵי מָיִם

From the sound of its fall, I caused the nations to quake, when I brought it down to the netherworld with those who descend into the pit, and all the trees of Eden that had been felled, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were consoled in the nether land.

גַּם־הֵם אִתּוֹ יָרְדוּ שְׁאֹלָה אֶל־חַלְלֵי־חָרֶב וּזְרֹעוֹ יָשְׁבוּ בְצִלּוֹ בְּתוֹךְ גּוֹיִם

They, too, the trees, the nations that took refuge under the patronage of the cedar, Assyria, descended with it to the netherworld, to those slain by the sword, and its arm, those who attached themselves to the Assyrian kingdom, dwelled in its shade, among the nations.

אֶל־מִי דָמִיתָ כָּכָה בְּכָבוֹד וּבְגֹדֶל בַּעֲצֵי־עֵדֶן וְהוּרַדְתָּ אֶת עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן אֶל־אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית בְּתוֹךְ עֲרֵלִים תִּשְׁכַּב אֶת חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב הוּא פַרְעֹה וְכָל־הֲמוֹנוֹ נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

Having finished his account of the earlier fall of Assyria, the prophet once again turns his attention to Pharaoh: To whom were you so likened in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden, that is, Assyria? You too will be brought down together to the nether land with the trees of Eden; you will lie among the contemptible uncircumcised (see 28:10), with those slain by the sword. It is Pharaoh and all his horde – the utterance of the Lord God. Pharaoh and his people will share the fate of Assyria; they too will perish like other mighty empires.