13 On his ruin all the birds of the sky shall dwell, and all the animals of the field shall be on his branches;
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Upon his ruin shall all the fowls - The fall of Egypt is likened to the fall of a great tree; and as the fowls and beasts sheltered under its branches before, Ezekiel 31:6, so they now feed upon its ruins.
Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain,.... Or, "on his fall" (s); the fall of this tree: and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches as when a tree is cut down, and its lopped off branches and boughs lie here and there, either the birds and beasts that before dwelt in it or under it, though for a while frightened away, return unto it; or others come: the birds come and sit upon the boughs, and pick up what they can find on them; and the beasts browse upon the branches: this may signify that even those people who before put themselves under the protection of this monarch, or sought alliance with him, now preyed upon his dominions; or the Medes and Babylonians, the conquerors, seized on the provinces of the empire, and plundered them of their riches, The Targum understands it literally of the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, feeding upon the carcasses of the slain; which is no bad sense of the passage; thus,
"upon the fall of his slain all the fowls of heaven have dwelt, and upon the carcasses of his army all the beasts of the field have rested.''
(s) "super prolapse ejus", Cocceius; "super cadivum truncum ejus", Junius & Tremellius.
Birds and beasts shall insult over his fallen trunk.
*More commentary available at chapter level.