CHAP. XXXI. V. J. This prophecy was Jerusalem was taken. ( Marg . Ref .)
V. 2. The prophet could not personally address Pharaoh, or his numerous attendants, forces, or subjects: but his prophecies would
That power which renders men proud must doubtless be made known in Chaldea, and by
in Lebanon with fair branches, and with garden of God was like unto him in his a shadowing shroud, and of an high stat- beauty. ure; and his top was among the thick boughs.
4 The waters made him great, the deep # set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the
field.
5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
6 All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
7 Thus was he fair in his greatness in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir-trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut-trees were mnor any tree in the 4,18,19. 37:11-13. Dan. 4:11. Or, il sent them forth .
not like his branches;
* Heb. fair of branches.
g 6. Judg. 9:15. Dan. 4:12.
h 175,8. Prov. 14:28. Jer. 51:
36. Rev. 17:1,15.
↑ Or, nourished him.
Or, brought him up.
Or, conduits.
1 Ps. 37:35,36. Is. 10:8-14.36:
k 17:23. Dan. 4:12,21. Matt. 13:32.
1 23:13. Gen. 2:8. 13:10. Ps. 80:10.
m Ps. 37:35. Is. 10:7-14.36:4 -18. 37:11-13.
9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches; so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, Penvied him. [Practical Observations.]
10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; The shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains, and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
n Ex. 9:16. Ps. 75:6,7. Dan. 2:21,37,38. 4:22-25, 5:20-23. o 17:22-24. Judg. 9:8-20. Ps. 96:12,13. Is. 55:12,13. Zech. 11:2.
p Gen. 26:14. 37:11. 1 Sam. 18:15. Prov. 27:4. Ec. 4.4. Jam. 4:5,6.
q 14. 28:17. 2 Chr. 25:19. 32: 25. Job 11:11,12. Prov. 16: 18. 18:12. Is. 14:13-15. Dan. 1:30. 5:20. Ob. 3. Jam. 4:6. r 11:9. 21:31. 23:28. Judg. 16:
23. 1 Tim. 1:20.
s 32:11,12. Jer. 25:9. Dan. 5: 18,19.
Heb. in doing he shall do unto him. Judg. 1:7. Matt. 7:1,2. Jam. 2:13.
t Lev. 18:24-28. 20:22,23. Deut. 18:12.
น 28:7. 30:11. Hab. 1:6,11. x 32:4,5. 35:8. 39:4. 15. 34:5-7. y Dan. 4:12-14. Nah. 3:17,18. Rev. 17:16.
degrees in other countries; and thus they might ly exalted in his kingdom: and his great powcome to the ears of the Egyptian king.-Pha-er, and extensive dominions, with the protec
raoh was very proud of his power and greatness: and the prophet inquired to whom he supposed himself to be like. (Note, 29:2-5.) Doubtless he thought himself, and was celebrated by his flatterers, as equal to the greatest monarchs who had ever lived: but even if this had been the case, it would not have secured the continuance of his prosperity; for the event had shewn, that the most renowned and successful kings and kingdoms might soon be brought to destruction. ( Marg . Ref . )
V. 3-9. The Assyrian monarchy was one of the most ancient and prosperous, which we read of in history. It seems to have attained its summit of greatness under Shalmaneser and Sennacherib. ( Notes , 2 Kings 15:19,20. 17: 18: 19: 2 Chr . 28:16-18. Is . 7:17-25. 8:18. 10:33:) But it is not certainly known when and by whom it was destroyed. Probably it was reduced by Nabopollasar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyaxares king of Media, some years before Nebuchadnezzar began to reign at Babylon. Nineveh, the capital of that monarchy, which was one of the most extensive cities ever built, was then taken, and from that time began to decay; till it was at length so entirely desolated, that modern travellers
tion he afforded to his friends, resembled the spreading branches, the thick shade, and the high stature of a very flourishing cedar on mount Lebanon. The fruitful lands of As- syria; the large revenues which the king drew from vast multitudes all over his extensive ter- ritories; his extensive commerce, through the river Tigris, with the countries bordering on the Indian ocean; or, in a word, the various sources of his wealth and prosperity, resembled the rivers and streams, which cause the trees planted by them to grow exceedingly.
By these means this empire and its head were exalted above all the kingdoms of the earth; their power became more formidable, and their vassals more numerous, than those of any oth- er people: so that cities, provinces, and nations courted their alliance; took shelter under their powerful protection; and increased and pros- pered under it, as the fowls of the air amidst the boughs, and the beasts of the field under the covert, of the wide spreading, lofty cedar. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . h-k. -Notes , 17:22- 24. 19:10-13. Dan . 4:10-18,20-26.
Matt . 13: 31,32.) Thus the monarch became renowned and honorable: and this cedar in Lebanon grew more lofty than any "cedar in the garden
are not agreed where it was situated. These of God," or in Eden; or any of the kingdoms events will be more particularly considered or independent states, which might be comupon several passages in the prophecies of Jo-pared to fir-trees, and chesnut-trees, or any nah, Nahum, and Zephaniah. ( Marg . and other stately and beautiful trees. Perhaps the
ascendency acquired by the Assyrian monarchs over the kings of Judah likewise, may be alluded to by the expression, that "no tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty." However, they were so prospered in the prov
Marg. Ref . e-g.-Notes, Gen. 10:8-12, v . 11. Jon. 1:2,3. 3:1-4. 4:9-11. Nah . 1:1,9-14.2: 3: Zeph . 2:13-15.) But here the prophet mentioned the fall of the Assyrian monarchy, as a fact which was well known to have lately taken place. The Assyrian king had been high-idence of God, that all other kings and princes
13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
14 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.
15 Thus saith the Lord GoD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof,
envied them their great success and renown. ( Marg . Ref . Notes , 28:12-15.)
V. 10-13. The allegory and its interpretation are here interwoven. The Assyrian monarch, though already destroyed, was poetically addressed; and probably the whole race of those princes who reigned in succession was intended, as the description so exactly suits the character of Sennacherib. They were ambitious of reducing all other kings and nations to subjection, and of establishing an universal monarchy; and their pride increased in proportion to their power and success. The Lord had therefore delivered the last of that line into the hand of "the mighty one of the heathen," ," or the conqueror of the nations, who was able to deal with him; even Nebuchadnezzar, the subverter of the Assyrian monarchy. (See on Note , 3-9.) By By him the Lord had driven the king of Assyria from his throne, his palace, his royal city, and his
and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
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, h shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
God, had been "delivered to death;" and their bodies were gone under the earth, amidst the rest of the "children of men," even like the meanest of them, who without funeral pomp are thrown into the pit: and this was the end of their greatness, to which many of them had been hurried by a violent and premature death. -Indeed, when the Assyrian monarch went down to the grave, the Lord so ordered it, that there was a great mourning for him.
The deep, that nursed up this fair tree; (4) is de'scribed as mourning ing at its downfal: ... as if 'the floods had sto had stopped their usual course, on 'purpose to lament his fate.... The forest of 'Lebanon, and all the stately trees in it, sym'pathized with his misfortunes; that is, all his 'confederates and allies.' Lowth . His fall affected many nations and provinces, and vast multitudes of people, who had lived under his government and contributed to his greatness. A stop was put by his death to their enriching
kingdom, for his wickedness. The Chalde-commerce, and to all the business connected
ans, a people to whom the nations had hitherto been strangers, (as they were but lately risen into eminence,) but who were most terrible for valor and fierceness, cut down this lofty cedar, and left him to wither and decay. So large was it grown, that its fallen branches covered the mountains and valleys, and its broken boughs were found near all the rivers: that is, the fragments of this very large dismembered empire formed many states and kingdoms.-And when the nations perceived that the Assyrian king could no longer protect them, they renounced their allegiance to him: nay, the very persons, who had courted his friendship, now preyed upon him and insulted over him!-Or, literally, the birds and beasts of prey came to devour the carcasses of the multitudes, who were slain in these conflicts. Marg . Ref . Notes , 28:6-10, υυ . 6,7. 32:2-6. Is . 18:4-6.)
V. 14-17. God had destroyed the Assyrian monarchy, for a warning to all other kings and nations, not to be ambitious of dominion, or proud of pre-eminence, or secure in prosperity; and not to depend on themselves, or forget the great Author of their advantages; for the rivers, whence they drank waters, came originally from that Ocean. All the monarchs of Assyria, or the last king and all his proud princes; and all those in every age, who had domineered over their neighbors, and despised
with the government of so extensive an empire: and all who grew rich by collecting the revenue, or by honorable and lucrative offices, would doubtless lament his fall.
This seems to be meant by the Lord's "covering the deep, and restraining the floods," as in mourning for him: which denotes a stagnation of that profitable circulation, which there must be in a prosperous empire, betwixt all parts of it and the seat of government.-Especially the Assyrian nobles and people, the Lebanon where this cedar grew, no doubt deplored the loss of that empire which they had so long possessed, and fainted for grief, and for apprehensions of the fatal effects that might follow this catastrophe.
The surrounding nations also shook at the sound or report of this revolution, as the fall of a mighty cedar may be heard at a great distance. Yet when the Lord cast him into the grave and the invisible world, those who had formerly envied or rivalled him, and who had grown prosperous by similar resources, till he had reduced and ruined them, would be comforted, and rejoice to see him ruined in like manner.
This is represented under the bold figure of those who lay in the grave, or in the state of the dead, congratulating each other, when they saw their destroyer coming to join them in that abject situation. And they also, who confided in his protection and were his support, (his soldiers, captains, and confed
18 To whom mart thou thus like in