The Descent Into Sheol (Ezekiel 31:15-18).
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh, In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were stayed. And I caused Lebanon to be black for him and all the trees of the field fainted for him. I made the nations shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all who drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth. They also went down to Sheol with him, to those who are slain by the sword, yes, those who were his arm, who dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.”
The picture of Pharaoh and his people going down into Sheol is magnificent, and carries a salutary lesson, that Pharaoh and Egypt were like anyone else. But it is really a picture of the downfall of Egypt. (We can compare how elsewhere they are seen as scattered among the nations, another partly exaggerated picture). It was earth-shattering. It was as though a part of the world had died.
Of course all would in the end literally go down to Sheol, for that was the destiny of man, and in the destruction and desolation of the invasion many would immediately. Thus their downfall is depicted in terms of their final end.
It was such a great shock that the world as it were stood still. All the waters, the source of life, were restrained, beautiful Lebanon turned black, the trees collapsed, the nations shook. There was to be no doubt of the mightiness of the collapse of great Egypt. A mighty and seemingly permanent empire had unbelievably fallen. It shook the world. History would never be the same again.
‘And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all who drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth.' This probably refers to the downfall of Tyre, seen as the trees of Eden (compare Ezekiel 28:13; Ezekiel 31:8; Ezekiel 31:18), previously prophesied, for the great Cypress represented the people of Egypt, therefore these trees too represent a nation or nations. Tyre would be comforted in her own sinking into the sea because Egypt came to join them in Sheol. They too drank water and were no gods.
‘They also went down to Sheol with him, to those who are slain by the sword, yes, those who were his arm, who dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.' Tyre and Egypt joined all who had been slain by the sword, they who along with other nations had been his arm and had dwelt underneath his shadow. All finally went to the same end.
Short Note on Sheol.
In most of the Old Testament, where the thought of a ‘beyond' arises at all it is in the ‘land of Sheol' (sheol = the grave), the land of shadows, a land of no substance and no joy. It is a land of emptiness (see Isaiah 14:9; Isaiah 38:18; Ezekiel 32:21; Psalms 6:5; Psalms 49:14; Psalms 88:5; Job 7:9; Job 17:13; Ecclesiastes 9:10). The eyes of the people of Israel were concentrated on their future in this life. They had no real understanding of any other future. And the other nations generally, with the exception of the chosen Egypt, looked forward without hope. Here all, including Egypt, are seen as coming to the same end.
End of Note.