All the birds of the air nested on its fallen trunk, and all the beasts of the field lived among its boughs.
Parallel translations
- WEB On his ruin all the birds of the sky shall dwell, and all the animals of the field shall be on his branches;
- KJV Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
- NKJV ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—
- NASB All the birds of the sky will nest on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field will rest on its fallen branches,
- NLT “The birds roost on its fallen trunk, and the wild animals lie among its branches.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Birds and beasts now perch on the fallen ruin, the same creatures that once sheltered in its living branches. The picture of scavengers settling on a corpse signals utter desolation.
Overview
In a grim reversal of verse 6, the creatures that found home in the flourishing tree now occupy its wreckage. This image of birds and beasts upon ruins is a recurring sign of judgment and abandonment in the prophets. The greatness that drew nations to its shade ends as a carcass picked over by the wild.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Ezek 32:4I will abandon you on the land and hurl you into the open field. I will cause all the birds of the air to settle upon you, and all the beasts of the earth to eat their fill of you.
- Ezek 29:5I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and will not be taken away or gathered for burial. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.
- Isa 18:6They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey, and to the beasts of the land. The birds will feed on them in summer, and all the wild animals in winter.
- Rev 19:17–18Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 31:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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