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:
Original Language Analysis
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
1 of 12
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
מַפַּלְתּ֥וֹ
Upon his ruin
H4658
מַפַּלְתּ֥וֹ
Upon his ruin
Strong's:
H4658
Word #:
2 of 12
fall, i.e., decadence; concretely, a ruin; specifically a carcase
יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ
remain
H7931
יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ
remain
Strong's:
H7931
Word #:
3 of 12
to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 12
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
ע֣וֹף
shall all the fowls
H5775
ע֣וֹף
shall all the fowls
Strong's:
H5775
Word #:
5 of 12
a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
of the heaven
H8064
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
of the heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
6 of 12
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
פֹּֽרֹאתָ֣יו
shall be upon his branches
H6288
פֹּֽרֹאתָ֣יו
shall be upon his branches
Strong's:
H6288
Word #:
8 of 12
properly, ornamentation, i.e., (plural) foliage (including the limbs) as bright green
הָי֔וּ
H1961
הָי֔וּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
9 of 12
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
כֹּ֖ל
H3605
כֹּ֖ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
10 of 12
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Ezekiel 32:4Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.Isaiah 18:6They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.Ezekiel 29:5And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
Historical Context
Ancient Nineveh's ruins became exactly this: scavenged for building materials, trampled by travelers, home to animals. By Greek and Roman times, Nineveh's location was uncertain—lost to memory. Xenophon's Greek army marched past the ruins (401 BC) without recognizing them. From world empire to forgotten rubble in 200 years—fulfilling the trampled cedar imagery exactly.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the contrast (nesting in glory vs. trampling ruins) teach about worldly achievement?
- How is becoming an object lesson different from simple destruction?
- What 'ruins' of former powers serve as modern warnings about pride?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain—The fallen cedar becomes a perch for עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם (ʿôph hasshāmayim, 'birds of heaven'). In the tree's glory, birds nested in its branches (v. 6); now, after ruin, they merely sit on the dead trunk—scavengers rather than residents.
And all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches—חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה (ḥayyat haśśādeh, 'animals of the field') also frequented the living tree's shade (v. 6); now they trod upon fallen branches. The imagery is stark: what once provided life and shelter is now trampled and defiled. Assyria's (and by parallel, Egypt's) glory would become merely an object lesson, her ruins a dwelling for scavengers. Great empires reduced to historical curiosities—a fate worse than simple destruction, because it demonstrates irreversible insignificance.