Ezekiel 31:4

The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Ezekiel addresses the exiled community, using the cedar of Lebanon as a metaphor for Assyria’s temporary dominance. The words — The Hebrew ma·yim (waters) and te·hom (the deep) identify the surface and subterranean sources that fuel the tree’s expansion. The thread — This motif of rapid cultivation by abundant waters runs through Ezekiel 17:5 and Ezekiel 17:8, where planted seed yields branches and fruit near fertile ground. Why it lands — The text states that external moisture directly drives the cedar’s height and spread, requiring the reader to acknowledge that temporary prosperity relies on supplied conditions rather than self-sustaining strength.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

מַ֣יִםMa.yimwaters גִּדְּל֔וּהוּgi.de.Lu./huthey made grow/ it תְּה֖וֹםte.Hom[the] deep רֹֽמְמָ֑תְהוּro.me.Ma.te./huit raised up/ it אֶת־'et-<obj.>נַהֲרֹתֶ֗יהָna.ha.ro.Tei./harivers/ its הֹלֵךְ֙ho.leKhgoing סְבִיב֣וֹתse.vi.Votaround מַטָּעָ֔הּma.ta.'A/hplanting place/ its וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>תְּעָלֹתֶ֣יהָte.'a.lo.Tei./hachannels/ its שִׁלְחָ֔הshil.Chahit sent out אֶ֖ל'elto כָּל־kol-all עֲצֵ֥י'a.Tzei[the] trees of הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ha./sa.Dehthe/ field

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Proverbs 14:28 A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
Ezekiel 17:5 He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.
Ezekiel 17:8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
Revelation 17:15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.