Ezekiel 31:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In the tenth summer of the third month, the Lord spoke to me, saying, O son of man, proclaim to Pharaoh and his multitude: To whom do you compare your greatness? Look at Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon, rich in foliage. This imagery of the cedar reflects the splendor of the Assyrian empire, standing tall among the mountains, symbolizing its prominence among the nations.

He once more employs a metaphorical expression, equating the king of Assyria to a cypress tree flourishing in Lebanon, reflecting both his towering stature and the vast number of his subjects who populate his domain, as well as the grandeur of the provincial leaders and military commanders; he referred to them as ‘othoslmi. Furthermore, when it was said that clouds were the symbol of his might, it was not merely a hyperbolic manner of speaking common among people (for many tend to declare that such and such have ascended to the clouds) but also to portray the prideful nature of his ambitions. His proclamation: I will ascend above the clouds, above the stars of heaven I will set my throne (Isaiah 14:13, 14) demonstrates this trait vividly throughout the sacred Scriptures.