Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Thursday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Ezekiel 31:3

Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon,with beautiful branches and shady foliageand of lofty height.Its top was among the clouds.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cedar;   Thompson Chain Reference - Assyrians;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Assyria;   Cedar, the;   Pride;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Cedar;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Lebanon;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cedar;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Forest;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Cedar;   Paradise;   Shroud;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Assyria ;   Cedar;   Nineveh ;   Shroud;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Cedar;   Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Egypt;   Obsolete or obscure words in the english av bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Cedar;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Branch and Bough;   Cedar;   Forest;   Horesh;   Shroud;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Box-Tree;   Cedar;   Eden, Garden of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, the Ashshur was a cedar in Levanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
King James Version
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
English Standard Version
Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.
New American Standard Bible
'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds.
New Century Version
Assyria was once like a cedar tree in Lebanon with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It was very tall; its top was among the clouds.
Amplified Bible
'Behold (listen carefully), Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and with forest shade, And of high stature, With its top among the clouds.
World English Bible
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, Asshur was like a cedar in Lebanon with faire branches, & with thicke shadowing boughes, and shot vp very hye, and his toppe was among the thicke boughes.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds.
Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, Assyria was a cedar in LebanonWith beautiful branches and forest shadeAnd lofty in height,And its top was among the clouds.
Berean Standard Bible
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds.
Contemporary English Version
There was once a cedar tree in Lebanon with large, strong branches reaching to the sky.
Complete Jewish Bible
Like Ashur, a cedar in the L'vanon. It had beautiful branches, dense foliage, its tall crown surrounded by leafy boughs.
Darby Translation
Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature: and his top was amidst the thick boughs.
Easy-to-Read Version
Assyria was a cedar tree in Lebanon with beautiful branches, with forest shade, and very tall. Its top was among the clouds!
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, the Assyrian was like a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches giving a thick shade and of a high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
Good News Translation
You are like a cedar in Lebanon, With beautiful, shady branches, A tree so tall it reaches the clouds.
Lexham English Bible
Look! Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and a forest giving shade, and very high, and its treetop was between the clouds.
Literal Translation
Behold, Assyria was like a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and forest shade and exalted in height, and his top was among the thick boughs.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, Assur was like a Cedre tre vpo the mount of Libanus, with fayre brauches: so thicke, that he gaue shadowes, and shot out very hye. His toppe reached vnto the cloudes.
American Standard Version
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
Bible in Basic English
See, a pine-tree with beautiful branches and thick growth, giving shade and very tall; and its top was among the clouds.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
King James Version (1611)
Behold, the Assyrian was a Cedar in Lebanon with faire branches, and with a shadowing shrowd, and of an hie stature, and his top was among the thicke boughes.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Behold, Assur is a Cedar in Libanon, with faire braunches, and with thycke shadowing bowes, of a hygh stature, & his top was among the thicke bowes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Behold, the Assyrian was a cypress in Libanus, and was fair in shoots, and high in stature: his top reached to the midst of the clouds.
English Revised Version
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! Assur as a cedre in Liban, fair in braunchis, and ful of boowis, and hiy bi hiynesse; and his heiyte was reisid among thicke bowis.
Update Bible Version
Look, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, the Assyrian [was] a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shady cover, and of a high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
New English Translation
Consider Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade, and extremely tall; its top reached into the clouds.
New King James Version
Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.
New Living Translation
You are like mighty Assyria, which was once like a cedar of Lebanon, with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade and with its top high among the clouds.
New Life Bible
Look at Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and many leaves. It was very high, and its top was among the heavy branches.
New Revised Standard
Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon, with fair branches and forest shade, and of great height, its top among the clouds.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! Assyria, was a cedar in Lebanon, Beautiful in bough and Dense in foliage and Lofty in stature, - and Among the clouds, came to be his top:
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
Behold, I will liken you to a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and forest shade, and of great height, its top among the clouds.
Young's Literal Translation
Lo, Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, Fair in branch, and shading bough, and high in stature, And between thickets hath its foliage been.

Contextual Overview

1In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes, 3Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon,with beautiful branches and shady foliageand of lofty height.Its top was among the clouds.4The waters caused it to grow;the underground springs made it tall,directing their rivers all aroundthe place where the tree was plantedand sending their channelsto all the trees of the field. 5Therefore the cedar became greater in heightthan all the trees of the field.Its branches multiplied,and its boughs grew longas it spread them outbecause of the abundant water. 6All the birds of the skynested in its branches,and all the animals of the fieldgave birth beneath its boughs;all the great nations lived in its shade. 7It was beautiful in its size,in the length of its limbs,for its roots extended to abundant water. 8The cedars in God’s garden could not eclipse it;the pine trees couldn’t compare with its branches,nor could the plane trees match its boughs.No tree in the garden of Godcould compare with it in beauty. 9I made it beautiful with its many limbs,and all the trees of Eden,which were in God’s garden, envied it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Assyrian: Nahum 3:1-19, Zephaniah 2:13

a cedar: Ezekiel 17:3, Ezekiel 17:4, Ezekiel 17:22, Isaiah 10:33, Isaiah 10:34, Isaiah 37:24, Daniel 4:10, Daniel 4:20-23, Zechariah 11:2

with fair branches: Heb. fair of branches

of an high: Ezekiel 31:6, Judges 9:15, Daniel 4:12

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:6 - as cedar 2 Kings 18:28 - the king of Assyria 2 Kings 19:23 - With the multitude Isaiah 2:13 - General Isaiah 8:7 - the king Isaiah 36:4 - Thus saith Isaiah 36:13 - Hear Isaiah 45:14 - men of stature Jeremiah 50:18 - as I Ezekiel 19:11 - her stature Ezekiel 31:17 - dwelt Ezekiel 32:22 - General Hosea 14:6 - branches Amos 6:2 - better Nahum 3:3 - and there Nahum 3:8 - thou Nahum 3:18 - O King Mark 4:32 - shooteth

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.
Genesis 21:22
At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.
Genesis 26:24
and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”
Genesis 28:4
May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
Genesis 28:13
The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying.
Genesis 30:25
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so that I can return to my homeland.
Genesis 31:2
And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same as before.
Genesis 31:3
The Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
Genesis 31:5
He said to them, “I can see from your father’s face that his attitude toward me is not the same as before, but the God of my father has been with me.
Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon,.... Here grew the tallest, most stately, broad and flourishing ones. This sense is, that he was as one of them; comparable to one, for his exaltation and dignity; for the largeness of his dominion, the flourishing circumstances of it, and its long duration; that empire having lasted from the times of Nimrod unto a few years of the present time; for this is to be understood, either of the monarchy itself, or of Esarhaddon; or rather of Chynilidanus, or Saracus, the last king of it. The Septuagint, and Arabic versions render it the "cypariss" in Lebanon; but not that, but the cedar, grew there, and which best suits the comparison:

with fair branches; meaning not children, nor nobles, nor subjects; but provinces, many and large, which were subject to this monarch:

and with a shadowing shroud; power, dominion, authority, a mighty army sufficient to protect all that were under his government, and subject to it:

and of an high stature: exalted above all the kings and kingdoms of the earth:

and his top was among the thick boughs; his kingly power, headship, and dominion, was over a multitude of petty princes and states, comparable to the thick boughs and branches of a tree: or, "among the clouds"; as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it; above the heights of which the Assyrian monarch attempted to ascend, Isaiah 14:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fifth prophecy against Egypt: a warning to Pharaoh from the fate of the Assyrians. The Assyrian empire, after having been supreme in Asia for four centuries, had been overthrown by the united forces of the Babylonians and Medes, in the year of the battle of Carchemish (605 b.c.), which had broken the power of Egypt. This gives force to the warning to Egypt from Assyria’s fall.

Ezekiel 31:4

His plants - Rather, her plantation. The water represents the riches and might which flowed into Assyria.

Ezekiel 31:5

When be shot forth - Or, when the deep water sent forth its streams.

Ezekiel 31:8

Garden of God - Paradise.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 31:3. Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar — Why is the Assyrian introduced here, when the whole chapter concerns Egypt? Bp. Lowth has shown that אשור ארז ashshur erez should be translated the tall cedar, the very stately cedar; hence there is reference to his lofty top; and all the following description belongs to Egypt, not to Assyria. But see on Ezekiel 31:11.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile