When the wicked king was destroyed—who struck the nations without remedy and ruthlessly persecuted—they experienced an overwhelming calm, replacing the prior unrest and division. Even the cypress trees and cedars of Lebanon rejoiced, as it is noted in the Psalms: “You brought forth vines from Egypt; you cast out nations and planted them. You made the mountains Your shadow; the cedars of God were covered by Your branches” (Psalm 79:9-11). These cedars of God, which once sinned, were given over to destruction through discipline. As another Psalm says, “The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 28:5). The cypress trees symbolize all those in high positions and those esteemed in the service of the Lord. They speak in unison, "Since you have fallen asleep." It is noteworthy that death is referred to as sleep. No one shall come to cut us down. For following the victory over the strong adversary, and the pillaging of his vessels, the remains of his minions fell too. Thus, the Lord states in the Gospel, “Depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). How many have been felled by the ax of these woodcutters!
Hell, which was stirred when the true Nebuchadnezzar descended, stands as a place of retribution and anguish, described in the tale of the rich man, dressed in fine purple; the Lord also descended into this realm to free captives from bondage (Zech. 9:11; 1 Pet. 3:19). In this context, hell may also signify the angel appointed to administer punishments in the underworld, who raised up all the giants—some refer to them as Raphaim, while others label them Titans. They are termed giants based on the accounts of the Gentiles, who view them as beings born of the earth. However, through Greek etymology, we might interpret these giants as those engrossed in earthly matters.
Then it continues: all the rulers of the earth stand when the one who once governed appears at the entrance, so that he, once revered for his might, may now be astonished in his chastisement, saying, “And are you afflicted like us, and have you become like us?” These inquiries convey: we believed, due to our frailty, that we could not counter God's power, and that you alone would maintain your supremacy; yet, reality shows that you have also been struck down, bound, and become like us, thus erasing the divisions that once separated us, now levelled by the same punishment. Your pride is cast low into the abyss, your glory departed, and your lifeless body has fallen, or as the LXX interprets, your many delights that once flourished in the subjugation of nations. Beneath you lies decay, and worms shall cover you.
This marks the resting place of the adversary, the lair of the tempter, who grew so arrogant as to tempt the Lord Himself, saying, “I will give you all these things if you will worship me” (Matthew 4:9). The imagery of decay, moth, and worms symbolizes either eternal anguish rooted in one’s conscience or material torment brought forth by one’s sins. Just as worms arise from decay while a corpse's substance persists and moisture remains, so too do the consequences of sins arise from their very essence. Thus, the Apostle Paul, having triumphed over death—echoing the prophetic word through Hosea, “I will be your death, O death; I will be your sting, hell” (cf. Hosea 13:14)—proclaims: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Cor. 15:55). For, after her demise, there exists no one to sow among us, and there will be no sins to plant, since the sting of death is sin.
And the cypress trees rejoiced on your behalf, as did the cedars of Lebanon: since you have fallen asleep, no one will come to cut us down. The cypress trees and cedars represent the leaders of the nations who fell beneath Nebuchadnezzar’s blows; they express their joy, proclaiming that once you were cast down into hell, no one other could arise to sow the mighty and powerful.
Hell beneath you has stirred to welcome your arrival, having raised giants for your entrance; all the leaders of the earth have stood from their thrones, and all the leaders of the nations, in response to you, will convey their message. This should be understood as a metaphorical expression, akin to a performance on stage, not as it was, but as it could have been—unless one thinks the king of Babylon was received with joy by the souls of those he had defeated. It brings comfort in hardship to witness one’s adversaries suffer equally.
And have you been stricken just as we are, and have you become like us? Your pride has been cast into the abyss, your lifeless body lies fallen, beneath you lies decay, and worms will be your covering. These words from the powerful ones and princes of the earth, represented by the cedars and cypress trees, are directed at the fallen Babylonian king. We no longer lament our own downfall knowing you too have succumbed to the same fate. All of your might and pride, once exalted to the heavens, have been brought low to the earth. Therefore, will not your body succumb to decay, and will not a multitude of worms cover it? You, who once aspired to wield the power of God, now in your death recognize your own human frailty.
THEOSIS