Ezekiel 31: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Ezekiel 31 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Yahweh speaks to Ezekiel in the eleventh year and tells him to address Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He asks Pharaoh whom he is like in greatness (vv. 1-2). Yahweh describes Assyria as a tall cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and deep roots nourished by water (vv. 3-9). Assyria was known for its glory and provided shelter for many creatures.

Key verse

“Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.”
Ezekiel 31:3 (WEB)

Outline

Ezekiel 31:1–2 Introduction to Pharaoh's Comparison
Ezekiel 31:3–9 Assyria's Glory Described
Ezekiel 31:10–12 Pride Leading to Fall
Ezekiel 31:13–14 Desolation and Mourning
Ezekiel 31:15–17 Nations Shaken by Assyria's Fall
Ezekiel 31:18 Conclusion: Pharaoh's Fate

Discussion questions

In v3, what tree is used to describe the greatness of the Assyrian?
What happens to the branches of the Assyrian in v12?
The phrase 'none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves' in v14: what is being communicated about pride?
In v10, why is the Assyrian's heart described as 'lifted up in his height'?
When has a moment of success made you feel prideful, as in v10?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Ezekiel 31: Ezekiel 32, Daniel 4, Ezekiel 28.

Before next time: read Ezekiel 32.