Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
I saw ... a tree - so the Assyrian is compared to a "cedar in Lebanon" (Ezekiel 31:3; cf. Ezekiel 17:24, "I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree (cf. the expression flourishing, Daniel 4:4), and have made the try tree to flourish").
In the midst of the earth - denoting its conspicuous position as the center whence the imperial authority radiated in all directions.