Footnote

a In part, Ezekiel 31:3 says: “Look! An Assyrian, a cedar in Lebanon.” It is worth noting that some translations (AV, AS, etc.) here read: “Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon . . .” This had led to the understanding that the huge “tree” pictured ancient Assyria. But “was” is not found in the original Hebrew. And the context shows that the warning was to Pharaoh and his crowd, who is said to resemble “an Assyrian” and also to resemble “a cedar in Lebanon.” Evidently, then, the reference to “an Assyrian” was simply to convey the idea of a great military power, which is what ancient Egypt was.