Ezekiel Chapter 31: A Bible Commentary By Charles R Sabo

Ezekiel: A Bible Commentary

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????????????????????????????????????????? ?Chapter 31

As I read through the various Bible commentaries on this chapter, I was appalled at the conclusions made. Did they not research before going along with the previous commentaries? The Lord uses means of esoteric writings to include only those specially educated to interpret what He is referring to. There are certain variables that need to be researched within this chapter! The translators and scribes of the past do not have an unblemished reputation. Though the scribes of Israel have all done an excellent job in recopying these ancient books, they have made copying errors.

Why would an experienced theologian agree and conclude that verse 31:2 Pharoah was being compared to the 31:3 Assyrian? The allegory is obvious here, while Ezekiel presented God’s clues to these metaphoric trees, boughs, branches, water, rivers, and the deep. No Assyrian had ever been in the Garden of Eden (31:9, 16).

There is a scribal error concerning the Hebrew noun “'a???r” (????????) translated as “the Assyrian.” The Hebrew noun “t?'a???r” (???????????) has historically been thought to be a species of either the cypress, or the cedar tree. This Hebrew noun “t?'a???r” was translated as the box tree in Isaiah 60:13, while the Lexicons reveal uncertainty of what tree it actually is. The translators should have translated Isaiah 60:13 as either a cypress or cedar, but failed there, and then did not investigate the potential error here in Ezekiel 31:3. Modern-day arboriculture classifies this te’ashur tree to likely be a cypress, but Ezekiel confirms here that it is an actual cedar in the eyes of the Creator. I believe the Creator over the opinions of the world.

When we look at this “t?'a???r” (???????????), we can see that the garden of God in Eden is a key indicator that this metaphoric cedar tree was no human, because the only humans that ever walked in the garden of God in Eden were Adam and his wife. Angels, however had free access to this garden of God before the fall; therefore, this cedar tree was an angel.

Ezekiel 31:1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The last date change for Ezekiel and receiving the word of the Lord occurred in 30:20. It was the eleventh year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin and Ezekiel by the Chebar River in Babylon. It was the sixth year of the priesthood of Ezekiel, which began on Tammuz 5, 593 B.C. (in the estimated secular year). On Nisan 7, 587 B.C, the Lord had brought him word from 30:20 to the end of chapter 30, when Ezekiel was thirty-six years old. It was the Sivan 1, 587 B.C., which was fifty-four days after Ezekiel’s 30:20 receiving of the word of the Lord.

Ezekiel 31:2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; “Who are you like in your greatness?” The question asked seems to be insinuating that the Pharaoh of Egypt and his population (multitude) are incomparable to anyone else.

Ezekiel 31:3 Behold, the te’ashur was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. To make a note first of all, the use of past tense (was) begins here, so this is to be determined that it occurred from a time in the past. There is a scribal error concerning the Hebrew noun “'a???r” (????????) translated as “the Assyrian.” The Hebrew noun “t?'a???r” (???????????) has historically been thought to be a species of either the cypress, or the cedar tree. This Hebrew noun “t?'a???r” was translated as the box tree in Isaiah 60:13, while the Lexicons reveal uncertainty of what tree it actually is. The translators should have translated Isaiah 60:13 as either a cypress or cedar, but failed there, and then did not investigate the potential error here in Ezekiel 31:3. Modern day arboriculture classifies this te’ashur tree to likely be a cypress, but Ezekiel confirms here that it is an actual cedar in the eyes of the Creator.

The Lord presents an entirely allegorical account beginning here in 31:3, as He began to use a male gender to refer to this te’ashur tree. Typically, the prophets have designated the use of allegory concerning trees to be people, while a forest would designate multitudes of people (see commentary for 20:46-47, 21:4). As we move through chapters 31-32, the alarming designation of the use of this te’ashur tree becomes directed towards a fallen angel, from before the Flood of Noah. The Lord uses means of esoteric writings to include only those specially educated to interpret what He is referring to.

This tree is said to be in Lebanon with beautiful (fair) branches, along with a shadowing “shroud” (?ōre? = wooded height). The translators used the English noun “shroud” to allow themselves the ability to acknowledge the following attribute being “of a high stature.” When speaking of the treetop (?ammere?), Ezekiel inflected this to be a male gender, in order to reveal that this was moving in the direction of allegory. The treetop was among the thick boughs (???ō? = interwoven foliage).

From what can be determined so far, this individual stood tall, while his beauty was above the others; this might imply that he stood tall and was considered a leader of the others like him.

Ezekiel 31:4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. If this is indeed the pre-flood world, then the waters allegorically would be the multitudes of people of the Earth at that time (see Rev. 17:15). The multitudes of people made this fallen angel (him) great. No, this was not Satan, but we can find his name within a non-canonical book called the Book of Enoch.

Semjaza, who was their leader, Urakibaramêêl, Akibêêl, Tamiêl, Ramuêl, Danêl, Ezêqêêl, Saraqujal, Asaêl, Armers, Batraal, Anan?, Zaqêbê, Samsavêêl, Sartaêl, Turêl, Jomjaêl, Arazjal.?8. These are the leaders of the two hundred angels, and the others all were with them. (Enoch 6:7-8)

The “te’ashur” was Semjaza, who was the leader of the two-hundred angels who left their first estate (Jude 1:6) in heaven, and came down among the inhabitants of the Earth and ruled over them. Semjaza was the one who the multitudes made great.

The depths of the multitudes of people set him (Semjaza) up on high as their lord. The translators used the English verb “running,” when the Hebrew verb “hāla?” is defined in Qal form as: “to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away.” The rivers (in allegory) still refers to people, but represents her arm of the waters (multitude) who moved round about his (Semjaza’s) garden (plants). “An approach is to think of a garden as a metaphorical neighborhood. Gardens tend to be at their best when plants are grouped with others that have the same or similar growing condition (village).”[1] The multitudes sent little rivers of people to all two-hundred trees of the field (sons of God [Gen. 6:2, 4]).

Ezekiel 31:5 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. At this point we must first look to a passage from the Book of Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning himself before the Lord had humbled and converted him. ?

10 Thus were the visions of my head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the Earth, and the height thereof was great.

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the Earth:

12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. (Dan. 4:10-12)

King Nebuchadnezzar relied on the Prophet Daniel to interpret his dream for him, and Daniel interpreted this for him as shown in Daniel 4:20-22. We must use Daniel's interpretation as a guide only, for this allegory used here in Ezekiel.

20 The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the Earth;

21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:

22 It is you, O king, that has grown and become strong: for your greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the end of the Earth. (Dan. 4:20-22)?

The “te’ashur” (Semjaza) was exalted above all the other angels (sons of God) who can be recognized here as the “trees of the field.” He grew in such great authority, that his big branches (boughs) were multiplied, while his branches grew long because of the multitudes of people (waters) empowered him, as he shot forth (rose to power). The branches should be discerned to be his domain of governance, which grew over his kingdom. ?

And Semjaza, who was their leader, said to them: “I fear that perhaps you will not be willing to do this deed, and I alone shall suffer for this great sin.”?4. Then all answered him and said: “We all will swear an oath, and bind ourselves mutually by a curse, that we will not give up this plan, but will make this plan a deed.” (Enoch 6:3-4)

Ezekiel 31:6 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. As we read in Daniel 4:12 & 4:21, the great king had big branches (boughs) that hosted all living creatures of the Earth; the birds (fowls) made their nests in his domain, the beasts of the field birthed their young within his kingdom, and under the coverage of his kingdom (shadow of branches) the great nations lived. The “te’ashur” (Semjaza) had ruled over the great nations of the Earth before the Flood of Noah.

“And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared” (Gen. 5:15): At this point in Genesis 5:15, the Creation was 460 years of age, which means Adam was 460 years old at this time. Mahalaleel became a father at age sixty-five years young. The wife of Mahalaleel is said to be Dinah, who was the daughter of Barakiel, the daughter of his father Cainan’s brother (not named) (Book of Jub. 4:15). Mahalaleel beget Jared at age sixty-five.

The name “Jared” comes from the Hebrew noun “yere?,” which is defined as “descent.” The Book of Jubilees indicates that Jared was given this name, “because in his days the angels of the Lord ‘descended’ on the Earth, those who are named the Watchers, that they should instruct the children of men what they should do.” (Book of Jub. 4:15c) Speculating, I would conclude that the Lord God sent his angels to watch over the Creation and to advise men of their rebellion and transgression against God. It had been since the birth of Enos, which was two-hundred and thirty-five years into the Creation that this rebellion and transgression against God had begun (Bk. of Jasher 2:3, 9).

“And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:” (Gen. 5:18) At this point in Genesis 5:18, the Creation was 622 years of age, which means Adam was 622 years old at this time. Jared was one hundred sixty-two years young, when he beget Enoch. This Enoch should not be confused with Enoch, the son of Cain (Gen. 4:17). The wife of Jared was named Baraka, the daughter of Rasujal, a daughter of his father Mahalaleel’s brother (Book of Jub. 4:16)

Enoch has several extra-biblical writings about him, as well as by him. This is a sensitive topic, since the Book of Enoch has been tampered with (by Jerome, Augustine, and popes of Roman Catholicism). The half-brother of the Lord Jesus (Jude 1:14-15) had quoted the Book of Enoch in the first century A.D., therefore it was the disagreement with the Book of Enoch by Roman Catholicism that attempted to cast it away from the church. If all that we take from the Book of Enoch is that Enoch walked with God, warned the angels of God of their sin, and that the angels of God had sinned a great sin, we can look at his writings as additional verbal exchanges that help us to understand such a horrific time on the Earth. While the Book of Jasher reveals that Enoch ruled the Earth, we should realize that he was the spiritual leader of the Earth, while he attempted to set the people, as well as the two-hundred angels straight concerning the word of God. ?

9 And all the kings of the sons of men, both first and last, together with their princes and judges, came to Enoch when they heard of his wisdom, and they bowed down to him, and they also required of Enoch to reign over them, to which he consented. (Bk. of Jasher 3:9)?

This reign of Enoch can best be described as an evangelism of the angels, who gave in to their lusts over the beautiful daughters of men. Enoch had been taken by good angels of the Lord and then sent back with his ministry to teach sons of men, as well as warn the angels of coming judgment (Enoch 12:1-6). ?

Ezekiel 31:7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. Once again, we must look at the allegory of this verse, to best understand what is being implied. This is not an arboriculture lesson concerning a tree, but it is allegory. Daniel 4:12 described King Nebuchadnezzar as being “fair” looking because of his greatness, while this angel is so great that he was beautiful in the length of his branches (large kingdom), because he rooted himself among the great multitudes (waters) of people.

Ezekiel 31:8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

The cedars (angels) were in the garden of God; was this garden the society of angels in heaven, or were these also hanging out in the Garden of Eden? If we hold to the allegory being used, these cedar trees, fir trees, chestnut trees, and other trees in the garden of God should be recognized as the remaining species of angels of heaven. God had given this “te’ashur” (Semjaza) great beauty and as he was so lifted up (great authority), that he stood out among other angels (could not hide him). It is so tempting to assign the identity of this angel to be Satan, but Ezekiel eliminates that assumption by what he had written in 31:11; Satan is the “mighty one of the heathen.”

Ezekiel 31:9 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, envied him. God is not teaching us about envious trees in the Garden of Eden. Is this verse declaring that there were other angels in the Garden of Eden, besides Satan (serpent of Gen. 3)? ?The Lord God states here that the “te’ashur” (Semjaza) was made fair (beautiful) by the Lord Himself, which was manifested by a multitude of his branches (the domain of his rule). If there were angels (trees of Eden) in the Garden, they were in envy of this exalted angel after the fall of mankind; common sense tells us this is stating that this envy existed after the fall, during the time of this reign of “te’ashur” (Semjaza). As stated in my commentary of 31:6, the sons of God (trees of the field) were first sent down to persuade mankind away from their rebellion. God apparently lifted up this “te’ashur” (Semjaza) to be the leader of this endeavor. These two-hundred angels made a pact between them to go after the beautiful daughters of men (Enoch 6:3-4), so this was a rebellion of God’s original assignment. The envy was for the ruling power that God had given him.

Ezekiel 31:10 Therefore, thus says the Lord God; Because you have lifted up yourself in height, and he has shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; The “te’ashur” (Semjaza) lifted up himself in height (ruling domain), while he raised himself above the other angels (among the thick boughs), and his heart was lifted up in pomp, just like Satan was (28:17). This becomes the reason for the special judgment against him, while the other one-hundred ninety-nine would face other judgments soon to be stated. Though the one-hundred ninety-nine would face judgment, the te’ashur” (Semjaza) was going to face the following judgment alone (31:11-13).

?Ezekiel 31:11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness. The evangelism probably went so well for a time that Semjaza was puffed up by it. In judgment, the Lord God had delivered the te’ashur” (Semjaza) into the hand of Satan (mighty one of the heathen), because he will always deal with those who are delivered into his hand. The Apostle Paul knew this to be the case:

?Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Tim. 1:20)?

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:5)

The Lord God has implied here, that because he delivered te’ashur” (Semjaza) into Satan’s hand, Satan would deal with him; he had been driven out of his position as the assigned evangelism leader (see commentary for 31:6), because of the wickedness of his pomp (Enoch 6:3-4).

Ezekiel 31:12 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. Though biblical accounts of this are not available, the prophets had known of the extra-biblical accounts, because those accounts were still revered as truth; the horrible censorship of the evil Roman Catholic religion had corrupted the Book of Enoch, hidden the Book of Jasher in Spain, and demoralized the belief in the truth of the Book of Jubilees. The truth of this pre-flood corruption had been denigrated by those that felt it was too upsetting to believe. Certain places in the Book of Enoch had been changed, to bring disbelief in its authenticity; the history book called the Book of Jasher was stashed in a Roman Catholic library in Spain until the eighteenth century A.D., which caused the church to not reach out to it. The Book of Jubilees was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which was found to have fourteen copies protected in the caves by the Essenes of the second century B.C.?

18 And their judges and rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals. (Bk. of Jasher 4:18)

The Book of Jasher reveals that the judges and rulers were not human, because human status of the daughters of men and sons of men did not include these rulers. If it was a biological man against another man, it would not have been such an issue as this. It had been known that God sent these angels down originally to evangelize (Book of Jubilees 4:15c), meanwhile these ruling angels (trees of the field) had made a pact with Semjaza (Enoch 6:3-4) to take the daughters of men as wives. God’s judgment consisted of handing Semjaza over to Satan. The pact between the two-hundred angels was due to this corruption by Satan. If God’s angels came down to the Earth, then stole the wives of men, this would anger these men exceedingly. This had caused mankind to separate from this exalted leader of the two-hundred angels. Sons of men were bitter over the fact that it was the Lord who had sent these angels, therefore their anger was against these angels, as well as the Lord God. They rebelled against the Lord and mixed species of animals together (taught by the angels).

The translators have used a noun “stranger” in place of an adjective describing the terrible of the nations. The Hebrew adjective “z?r” is defined as: “to be estranged, be one alienated.” The Hebrew adjective “?ār??” was translated as a noun “the terrible,” when the adjective means: “terrifying, ruthless, mighty.” The Lord states here in Ezekiel 31:12 that He had caused this leader, Semjaza, to be hated by mankind (And the alienated and mighty of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him). Instead of exalting the “te’ashur” (Semjaza), the alienated and mighty of the nations became his enemies. This “te’ashur” (Semjaza) was judged by God for being puffed up and pompous (31:11). When Semjaza was handed over to Satan (31:11), he and the other one-hundred and ninety-nine angels had fallen into this corrupt act of stealing the wives (daughters of men) of the sons of men, which caused all the people of the Earth to go down from his shadow (dominion), and had left him. ?

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. (Gen. 6:12)

In Genesis 6:12, the Hebrew verb “?ā?a?” had been inflected as Niphal, feminine singular, third person perfect. This should be read as: “it was corrupted.” This statement by Moses implied that God looked upon the Earth (creation minus the heavens), then Moses brought his reader’s attention, by inserting the Hebrew interjection “behold,” which is actually the same as saying “look!” “Behold, it was corrupted” should not stop with a semi-colon, since the conjunction “for” begins a clause that supports the previous sentence, as an incomplete sentence. The conjunction “for” is interchangeable here with the conjunction “because.” The reason that the Earth was corrupted, was because all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth. Once again, this statement was not implying a state of immorality, because this is concerning all flesh, or all living creatures. All living creatures had been genetically corrupted upon the Earth. The corrupted living creatures had mated with uncorrupted flesh, which caused multiplicity from the corrupted offspring to occur; this caused the complete corruption of the DNA of all living creatures.[2]?????

Ezekiel 31:13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches: This demotion of the “te’ashur” (Semjaza) caused all mankind to flee his reign, while only the fowls and animals (beasts) were under his reign (shall be upon his branches). He may have vilified the corrupted birds and animals against mankind, which made the Earth even more violent than it already was.

Ezekiel 31:14 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. Because God had handed “te’ashur” (Semjaza) over to Satan (31:11), the evil pact between the angels had occurred (Enoch 6:3-4). They stole the wives of the sons of men and corrupted the DNA of mankind throughout the Earth, by mating with the daughters of men (Gen. 6:2, 4).

The allegory remains here, while calling the two-hundred fallen angels “trees by the water,” the judgment that came prevented them from exalting themselves. The judgment that came stopped them from lifting themselves up higher than any of the big branches (boughs), as well as standing themselves up high above the people of the Earth. The inclusion of the description “all that drink water” has been used figuratively for those who will be sent to the Bottomless Pit, where there is no water. ?

And he cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24)?

All two hundred of these fallen angels (they) have been delivered to their death, to the nether (ta?t? = lower) parts of the Earth. This same place that they were sent is where the wicked children of men are sent as well. These fallen angels join with them that go down to the pit. If this “te’ashur” were human, then the delineation away from the children of men would not have been stated. ?

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Pet. 4:4) ?

Ezekiel 31:15 Thus says 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, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.” This verse refers to the day, which the Lord had sent the “te’ashur” (Semjaza) and his other one-hundred ninety-nine angels down to the pit (grave), He caused great mourning. Before God brought the flood waters of Genesis 6-8, He held off the floods for a time of mourning for the inhabitants (Lebanon [31:3]); this imagery was introduced in 31:3, when this exalted cedar of Lebanon comingled with the people. Notice that the trees of the field (angels) fainted for him. The wicked people of the Earth, as well as the fallen angels, mourned over Semjaza’s judgment against him.

?The angel said: “This is the place of the consummation of heaven and Earth; it is a prison for the stars (angels) of heaven, and for the host (angels) of heaven.?15. And the stars (angels) that roll over the fire are they who have transgressed the command of God before their rising, because they did not come forth in their time.?16. And he was enraged at them, and bound them till the time of the consummation of their sins in the year of the mystery.” (Enoch 18:14-16)

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. During this day, the earthquake (nations to shake) was felt, when the Lord sent Semjaza and the other one-hundred ninety-nine angels to the lower (nether) parts of the Earth (hell).

The translators used the English verb “shall be comforted” for the Hebrew verb “nā?am,” which can also mean: “to be sorry, rue, suffer grief;” this Hebrew verb is inflected into a Niphil imperfect verb, which is an ongoing, or unfinished verb. The location of hell, the pit, and the nether parts of the Earth is where great pain and suffering occur, so why would the translators even think for one moment that there would be comforting going on? The last clause should say: “shall be suffering grief in the nether parts of the Earth.”

Ezekiel 31:17 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. The Hebrew noun “z?r?a?” was translated as “arm” when this noun also means: “forces (political and military).” The pronoun “they” reflects back to the previous verse’s noun “trees (of Eden).” Once again, there is no other being that can be considered here; trees do not go to hell, so the only possible answer would be angels. Only angels could be “of Eden, the Garden of God (31:8-9).” The two-hundred angels, that sinned, were cast down to hell by the Lord God on that day (They also went down into hell with him [te’ashur {Semjaza}]).

Those whom the Lord had slain with the sword (the wicked), and those that were of Semjaza’s forces who dwelt under the shadow of his dominion (in the midst of the wicked) also went to hell. The wicked that went to hell that day, most likely were buried by the rushing soils pushed over them by the flood waters (Flood of Noah).

Ezekiel 31:18 To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shall you be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the Earth: you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. The Lord spent fifteen verses (31:3-17) comparing this doomed Pharaoh of Egypt to the “te’ashur” (Semjaza). Ezekiel 31:2 asked the Pharaoh: “Who are you like in your greatness?” After explaining to Pharaoh and his multitude how the “te’ashur” (Semjaza) was, the Lord then declared: “To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden.” This is not a question, but a conclusion brought forth by explaining who this Pharaoh was actually like.

The Lord then sentenced this Pharaoh with the same consequences for his wickedness, by sending him to hell (the pit) to be with those two-hundred fallen angels (trees of Eden); he shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. ?

The term: “uncircumcised” was used later in Ezekiel 44:7, which reflects this statement here by the Lord. There are uncircumcised in flesh, and uncircumcised in heart; the circumcised in flesh are the children of Israel, and the uncircumcised of the flesh are Gentiles. The circumcised of the heart are believers in God, while the uncircumcised in heart are those that are not believers in the Lord God and do not the things of God (Acts 7:51, 1 Cor. 7:18). This uncircumcised reference in 31:18 was toward the wicked of the Earth whom all are cast into hell (the pit), once they are slain by the sword. The Pharaoh was to be cast into the midst of those uncircumcised in heart that are slain by the sword. (This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God).

[1]Kathy Ikeda, Gardens as a metaphor for life (webpage, https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26222: https://ucanr.edu, February 8, 2018).

[2] Sabo, Genesis 1-11, 119-120.