Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Ezekiel 31:17 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 17. 17They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic lament states or reports “They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword” at Ezekiel 31:17 as a specific part of “The Proud Cedar Is Cut Down and Descends.”
Because his heart is lifted up in his height
This verse is one part of that explanation in Ezekiel 31:10–17. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Ezekiel 31:10–17
Read Ezekiel 31:17 with 31:10–17. By itself, “They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, exilic horizon, visionary movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Because the cedar exalts itself, a mighty foreign ruler cuts it down; dependents flee, nations shake, and other trees are consoled in the underworld.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Assyria's Cedar Greatness Becomes Pharaoh's Warning” into “The Proud Cedar Is Cut Down and Descends.” Its non-interchangeable contribution is: Because the cedar exalts itself, a mighty foreign ruler cuts it down; dependents flee, nations shake, and other trees are consoled in the underworld. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic lament states or reports “They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword” at Ezekiel 31:17 as a specific part of “The Proud Cedar Is Cut Down and Descends.”
What Remains True
Loss should be named truthfully without converting grief into propaganda, revenge, or a claim that victims deserved what happened. In Ezekiel 31:17, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic lament states or reports “They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword” at Ezekiel 31:17 as a specific part of “The Proud Cedar Is Cut Down and Descends.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Ezekiel 31:10–17 — The Proud Cedar Is Cut Down and DescendsSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Ezekiel 31:10–17, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Ezekiel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ezek.xml, OSIS 31:10–17
Open the fixed Hebrew Ezekiel file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Ezekiel
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for difficult Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, place names, textual issues, vision language, and material alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Ezekiel PDF, exact translator, study, and textual notes attached to Ezekiel 31:10–17
Open the official NET Ezekiel PDF ↗