Глава 31

Ezek.31:1–2. And in the one and tenth year, in the third month, on the one day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, said unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to his multitude: To whom havest thou likened thyself in thy height? Since he did not want to use long-suffering as he should, but remained in his arrogance and arrogance, he turns to him with a question and says: tell me, king of Egypt, with whom do you compare yourself, and what king do you consider yourself to be like, thinking so highly of yourself? Then God adds: Ezek.31:3. Behold the Assur cypress in Lebanon, good branches, and high in majesty, and a frequent cover, and the clouds of the environment were his power. Again he uses an allegorical image of speech, and says that the king of Assyria is likened to the cypress tree growing in Lebanon, both in its great height, and in the large number of closely populated subjects, and in the splendor of regional rulers and military leaders; for he called them “branches”. This: “and in the midst of the clouds his power was established” is said not only in an exaggerated sense, according to the way of speech characteristic of people (for many are accustomed to say: so-and-so rose to the clouds), but also to signify the arrogance of his thoughts. For his words: “I will ascend above the clouds, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven” (Is. 14:13, 14). The same can be seen everywhere in divine Scripture. And Sennacherib cried: The Lord will not save Jerusalem from my hand. And Nebuchadnezzar, having made a golden body, commanded all his subjects, both rulers and subordinates, to worship him. Therefore, here, too, I depicted his proud heart with tributary expressions. To this he adds: Ezek.31:4. The water brought him up, the abyss lifted him up, he brought his rivers around his gardens, and sent out his compositions into all the wood of the field. “Water” and “abyss” he called the countless peoples enslaved by him, who, like some kind of irrigation, bringing tribute to the army, fed it, like some kind of gardens, and prepared its formations, that is, military detachments, to send out “trees of the field” to all, that is, to send to the peoples not yet conquered and not enslaved, so that they too would become subjects. Ezek.31:5. For this reason, his majesty was exalted above all the trees of the field, because of this his branches expanded, and his branches were lifted up from the water, many, always stretching out. This became the cause of arrogance and pride for him. Receiving irrigation from many nations, it grew along with its industries. Ezek.31:6. In its branches all the birds of the air nest, This meant people who were more intelligent and, as it were, inspired. and under its branches you rejoice, the beasts of the forest, And by this he meant barbarian peoples, beast-like in soul, reptiles on the earth. Shem himself interpreted it, saying: all the many languages have settled under its shadow. And what I said above separately and in a figurative sense, I stated here in general and clearly. “Seniyu”, “branches” and “branches” he called not only the rulers of the regions and military leaders, but also the satraps who ruled the peoples, who enslaved their subjects. Nebuchadnezzar himself saw this in a dream, and blessed Daniel interpreted the tree he saw in his dream this way. Ezek.31:7. And be vigorous in your height for the sake of your many branches, Blessed Daniel informs us about this many branches, saying that Darius, who took over the kingdom after Belshazzar, had one hundred and twenty satraps. Then God reveals the reason for this multitude. As if it were rooting in the water of the earth. Having spread his roots everywhere and received abundant watering, he nourished these branches. And continuing the allegory, God says: Ezek.31:8. The cypress trees did not exceed it into the paradise of God, No one who reigned in the universe at that time was more famous than him. He called the universe “Paradise” here, because everything is said so far in a figurative sense. and the pines are not like the branches thereof, and the fir trees are not like the branches thereof. Not only was he himself more famous than other kings, but also his branches and branches, in great measure, and in height, and in density, defeated the kings of other nations. “Pines” and “firs” he allegorically called the kings of the smaller nations, over whom the Assyrian king installed satraps who forced these peoples to be in obedience. Therefore, God says that he was greater than the greatest kings, and the lesser kings, not only he himself, but also his princes became more powerful and famous. Then he expresses this briefly. Every tree that is in the paradise of God is not like him in his goodness, because of the multitude of his branches. “Kindness” means visible, which refers to the body, scarlet clothing, crowns, thrones decorated with precious stones, spear-bearers, shield-bearers, and everything else that, apparently, usually makes kings brilliant. Therefore, God says that none of those who reigned on earth then were equal to the king of Assyria. He adds that for all the kings he was an object of jealousy. For he says: Ezek.31:9. The wood of heaven made him jealous of the sweets of God. Then he discovers the arrogance of his soul. Ezek.31:10–11. For this reason says Adonai the Lord: for thou wast great in majesty, and thou gavest his power into the midst of the clouds, and his heart was lifted up in his height, and saw when he was lifted up, and delivered him into the hand of the pagan prince, and created his destruction according to his wickedness. Since he was not content with dominion over people, but also before Me, says God, he began to act arrogantly, then “I delivered him into the hand of the prince of the nations,” Cyrus means. For the mother was a Mede, and the father was a Persian, and descended from two nations, and destroyed the kingdom of the Assyrians and Babylonians. “And bring about his destruction according to his wickedness,” because he suffered what he deserved for his iniquities. Therefore, although this was historically fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, who suffered so much from such cruelty, arrogance and at the same time wickedness, however, if anyone wants to delve carefully, he will find that the common destroyer of people is depicted here, the devil, hostile and hostile to God, who was created beautiful and good, compared with the initial forces, and was more glorious than the powers of the lower ones (for a paradise of sweets and trees in it, according to the laws of allegory, God called the incorporeal natures), but he raged against the Creator, and who gave him such splendor and such strength, and fell, planning arbitrariness, and dreaming of being God. Blessed Paul also makes this clear when he says: “Not to the newly baptized, lest the devil become proud and fall into judgment” (1 Tim. 3:6). For, not knowing how to use honor as he should, he will fall into the same thing that the devil fell into, who turned the honor given to him into a reason for arrogance and arrogance. God says that he will be “devoted” to the prince of tongues. But who is this prince of tongues, except the only begotten Word of God, the Lord Christ, about whom the Prophet says: “Who will not fear you, O King of tongues” (Jer. 10:7)? And blessed Jacob said: “The prince will not fail from Judah, nor the leader from his feet, until he comes, but the desire of the tongues is set aside for him” (Gen. 49:10). Isaiah also calls for the same thing, for he says: “And the root of Jesse will rise up and rule the tongues, in Him the nations will trust” (Is. 11:10). And the Father says to Him: “I gave You for a covenant of generations, for the light of the tongues, so that You may be saved even to the last of the earth.” (Is.49, 6). And the Prophet himself also says to Him: “Egypt has labored, and the purchase of Ethiopia, and Shebaimstia, the men of high society will come to You, and You will be slaves, and they will follow You, bound with hand bonds, and they will come to You, and will worship You, and will pray in You, for God is in You, unless You have no God” (Is. 45, 14), etc. Yes, and He Himself says through the mouth of blessed David: “a people who have not known, have worked for Me” (Ps. 17:44). But you can find thousands of other testimonies teaching the same thing. Therefore, God says that the common destroyer and enemy is given to Him, and from Him will come the destruction of this enemy, “due to his wickedness.” To this God adds: Ezek.31:12. And Az drove him out, and the aliens and destroyers consumed him from the tongue, and cast him down on the mountains, For when the Lord overcame him and deprived him of dominion and arbitrariness, then the former destroyers and pagans “strangers” to God, believing in the divine preaching, completely destroyed him, uprooted his arbitrariness, and cast him down on the mountains, where he had previously had temples and altars, erecting there the pillars of wisdom. and its branches fell in all the wilds, and its stalks were cut off in every field of the earth. “Branches” and “stems” he called all kinds of idols, which, according to his trick, were erected and turned into nothing on the mountains and fields by the former destroyers, and then by the pagans who believed. And all the tongues of men fell from his covering, and destroyed him. For, having recognized his deception, they not only escaped his dominion, but even cast him to the ground, fulfilling the Master’s commandment, which says: “Behold, I give you power to tread on the serpent and the scorpion, and on all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). Ezek.31:13. In its fall all the birds of the air were destroyed, and on its stalks all the beasts of the village arose. For if someone is inspired and lifts the eye of his mind to heaven, he will rejoice when he sees his contrition and the discovery of wickedness. Yes, and those who were previously beastly will rush to its branches and with their own hands will overthrow the churches of idols, for God called them stalks. Ezek.31:14. For let not all the trees exalt themselves in their majesty, even as they do in the water, and let not the clouds give power to their midst. and all who drink water shall not stand near him in their height. His death and the destruction of his dominion will serve to benefit and encourage caution for others. For, seeing what has befallen him, they will not think of themselves above their dignity and will not attempt to admire their superiors, who do not belong to them in the least, accepting, as a kind of irrigation, the honor bestowed upon them by Me as a path to arbitrariness. All were given over to death. For not only the devil himself, but also the accomplices of his arbitrariness, the demons, suffered final destruction. But it's time to return to history again. For what has been said is sufficient for the understanding that what was said by the Prophet was not said about Nebuchadnezzar alone, but also about the one who acted in him and taught him his own arrogance. Therefore, God says that Nebuchadnezzar himself and those with him will be put to death and will suffer the same thing as other people. Into the depths of the earth, among the sons of men, to those descending into the abyss. Ezek.31:15. This is what the Lord Adonai says: On that day he was brought down to hell, the abyss weeping for him: he covered and restrained its rivers, and blocked many waters. “The abyss” he called the submissive peoples who took up arms with him, crying not about his murder, but about their own defeat and extermination. And he sufficiently showed that they were not crying for him, saying: “many waters have been forbidden,” that is, they will not want to send tribute to you. And Lebanon grew darker over him, and all the wood of the field faded over him. “Lebanon” does not mean the mountain, but the population of the kingdom, but “trees of the field” - the princes under it, who are lower than the regional rulers, and, as it were, planted in a certain field, he means satraps, subordinate to the regional rulers and military leaders, but planted in Lebanon, the highest princes. Therefore, here we will understand that by Lebanon is not Lebanon, by a field not a field, by trees not a tree, and by the paradise of sweets not the paradise so called by God, but in relation to Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdoms in the universe, and in relation to the devil, intelligent and incorporeal forces. Ezek.31:16. At the sound of his fall the nations were shaken, as they led him into hell with those who descended into the pit, This comes true with both. For, after the death of the king of Babylon, the rumor that spread everywhere about this threw the peoples submissive to him into confusion, and after the overthrow of the devil, the peoples were “shaken”, and from their former delusion they were brought to the truth of saving dogmas. For this change is what blessed Paul calls a shock (Heb. 12:26, ​​27). and for his consolation in the farthest land all the sweet trees, and the chosen and good Lebanon, all drinking the water. Ezek.31:17. And she went with him to hell with the plagues of the sword. In relation to Nebuchadnezzar he calls death the greatest earth, ditch and abyss, and in relation to the devil - extreme humiliation. Therefore, he says that those who shared power with both will also participate in death. For after the destruction of the kingdom, it is necessary for those who were in power to endure a change. And this – “I will comfort him” – is said following the example of what happens among us, for participation in disasters usually brings some comfort to the despondent. God says that not only will the princes he appointed be crushed, but also “his seed, and those living under his roof in the midst of their lives will perish.” For Belshazzar, the seed and son of Nebuchadnezzar, for his great wickedness God did not allow him to live to old age, but he was killed as soon as he reached the middle of the time appointed for people. In relation to the devil, the seed must be understood as the teaching of wickedness that he has sown, because both it itself and those who strive to defend it will be completely destroyed. Then God turns his speech to himself: Ezek.31:18. To whom were you likened in strength and glory and majesty in the sweet trees? Tears and descend with the sweet trees into the depths of the earth. Since you wanted to be like not the trees that were planted with you, but the Planter himself, I command you, together with the trees that have the same thoughts as you, to overthrow you and cast you into the depths of the earth. Therefore, this also befits both. To this God adds: Among the uncircumcised you will fall asleep with a wounded sword. He means those who are uncircumcised, not in the flesh, but in the heart. For not only the New Testament, but also the Old Testament, Scripture knows the circumcision of the heart. And this is what God says through the mouth of the Prophet: “All the nations are uncircumcised in their flesh, but the house of Israel is uncircumcised in their hearts” (Jer. 9:26). Since you did not want to circumcise your arrogance, but this excess of pride remained in you, you will suffer the same fate as those who did the same. Then he adds the thought: This is Pharaoh and all the multitude of his strength, says the Lord Adonai. Having said above: “To whom have you likened yourself in your height?” and having described what concerned the king of Assyria and the king of Babylon, he added: “such is Pharaoh and all the multitude of his strength,” that is, if he who is higher and more famous than you suffers this, then you, having the same wickedness, expect the same punishment.