יחזקאל, פרק ל״א, פסוק ה׳

The image of a towering cedar tree flourishing from a constant supply of water serves as a powerful metaphor for the rise of a massive empire. Just as a tree absorbs endless streams to fuel its immense growth, an empire like Assyria expanded its power and dominance by conquering countless nations, subjugating their people, and absorbing their vast resources [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The sheer scale of this growth is captured through the description of the tree's sprawling limbs. The primary approach among commentators is to view the dual descriptions of the branches as a form of poetic emphasis, simply highlighting the massive spread of the tree's canopy [רש"י, רד"ק]. However, another perspective suggests a precise distinction between the types of branches to illustrate the empire's overwhelming reach. In this view, the text first refers to the sturdy middle branches that multiplied rapidly, creating a dense structure meant to house countless birds. It then describes the long, sweeping branches at the very top of the tree. Through striking poetic exaggeration, these uppermost branches are said to have grown so long that they bent all the way from the summit down to the earth, creating a magnificent crown that provided shade for the beasts below [מלבי"ם].

This extraordinary expansion is directly linked to the abundant waters that fed the tree. Commentators offer two ways to understand how this process unfolded. One approach suggests that the tree itself actively stretched and pushed its branches outward across vast distances, fueled by the endless water it consumed [רש"י, מלבי"ם]. A contrasting view explains that the deep waters themselves were the active force, surging and flowing outward to surround the tree, delivering the vital nourishment that made its towering height and sprawling width possible [מצודת דוד, רד"ק].