Ezekiel32
New King James Version
1And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: ‘You are like a young lion among the nations, And you are like a monster in the seas, Bursting forth in your rivers, Troubling the waters with your feet, And fouling their rivers.
3‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will therefore spread My net over you with a company of many people, And they will draw you up in My net.
4Then I will leave you on the land; I will cast you out on the open fields, And cause to settle on you all the birds of the heavens. And with you I will fill the beasts of the whole earth.
5I will lay your flesh on the mountains, And fill the valleys with your carcass.
6“I will also water the land with the flow of your blood, Even to the mountains; And the riverbeds will be full of you.
7When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, And the moon shall not give her light.
8All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, And bring darkness upon your land,” Says the Lord God.
9‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known.
10Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.
11‘For thus says the Lord God: “The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you.
12By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall. “They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, And all its multitude shall be destroyed.
13Also I will destroy all its animals From beside its great waters; The foot of man shall muddy them no more, Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them.
14Then I will make their waters clear, And make their rivers run like oil,” Says the Lord God.
15“When I make the land of Egypt desolate, And the country is destitute of all that once filled it, When I strike all who dwell in it, Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
16“This is the lamentation With which they shall lament her; The daughters of the nations shall lament her; They shall lament for her, for Egypt, And for all her multitude,” Says the Lord God.’ ”
17It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
18“Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, And cast them down to the depths of the earth, Her and the daughters of the famous nations, With those who go down to the Pit:
19‘Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down, be placed with the uncircumcised.’
20“They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword; She is delivered to the sword, Drawing her and all her multitudes.
21The strong among the mighty Shall speak to him out of the midst of hell With those who help him: ‘They have gone down, They lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
22“Assyria is there, and all her company, With their graves all around her, All of them slain, fallen by the sword.
23Her graves are set in the recesses of the Pit, And her company is all around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who caused terror in the land of the living.
24“There is Elam and all her multitude, All around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, Who caused their terror in the land of the living; Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
25They have set her bed in the midst of the slain, With all her multitude, With her graves all around it, All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; Though their terror was caused In the land of the living, Yet they bear their shame With those who go down to the Pit; It was put in the midst of the slain.
26“There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes, With all their graves around it, All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, Though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27They do not lie with the mighty Who are fallen of the uncircumcised, Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war; They have laid their swords under their heads, But their iniquities will be on their bones, Because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
28Yes, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, And lie with those slain by the sword.
29“There is Edom, Her kings and all her princes, Who despite their might Are laid beside those slain by the sword; They shall lie with the uncircumcised, And with those who go down to the Pit.
30There are the princes of the north, All of them, and all the Sidonians, Who have gone down with the slain In shame at the terror which they caused by their might; They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword, And bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
31“Pharaoh will see them And be comforted over all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, Slain by the sword,” Says the Lord God.
32“For I have caused My terror in the land of the living; And he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised With those slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude,” Says the Lord God.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 32.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The fall of Egypt. (1-16). It is like that of other nations. (17-32).
vv1-16
It becomes us to weep and tremble for those who will not weep and tremble for themselves. Great oppressors are, in God's account, no better than beasts of prey. Those who admire the pomp of this world, will wonder at the ruin of that pomp; which to those who know the vanity of all things here below, is no surprise. When others are ruined by sin, we have to fear, knowing ourselves guilty. The instruments of the desolation are formidable. And the instances of the desolation are frightful. The waters of Egypt shall run like oil, which signifies there should be universal sadness and heaviness upon the whole nation. God can soon empty those of this world's goods who have the greatest fulness of them. By enlarging the matters of our joy, we increase the occasions of our sorrow. How weak and helpless, as to God, are the most powerful of mankind! The destruction of Egypt was a type of the destruction of the enemies of Christ.
vv17-32
Divers nations are mentioned as gone down to the grave before Egypt, who are ready to give her a scornful reception; these nations had been lately ruined and wasted. But though Judah and Jerusalem were about this time ruined and laid waste, yet they are not mentioned here. Though they suffered the same affliction, and by the same hand, yet the kind design for which they were afflicted, and the mercy God reserved for them, altered its nature. It was not to them a going down to the pit, as it was to the heathen. Pharaoh shall see, and be comforted; but the comfort wicked ones have after death, is poor comfort, not real, but only in fancy. The view this prophecy gives of ruined states shows something of this present world, and the empire of death in it. Come and see the calamitous state of human life. As if men did not die fast enough, they are ingenious at finding out ways to destroy one another. Also of the other world; though the destruction of nations as such, seems chiefly intended, here is plain allusion to the everlasting ruin of impenitent sinners. How are men deceived by Satan! What are the objects they pursue through scenes of bloodshed, and their many sins? Surely man disquiets himself in vain, whether he pursues wealth, fame, power, or pleasure. The hour cometh, when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of Christ, and shall come forth; those that have done good to the resurrection of life, and those that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation.
Key Words
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
חֹדֶשׁ: the new moon; by implication, a month
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
קִינָה: a dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or on instruments)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
פַּרְעֹה: Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings
Cross References
Ezekiel 32Direct literary model of Sheol greeting fallen rulers with taunting welcomes.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the vivid image of Pharaoh as a crocodile/monster in his rivers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Echoes the supernatural darkness plague of Egypt; cosmic signs of judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The net of divine judgment thrown over nations to capture them.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Judgment of being cast into the open wilderness for birds to devour.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Allusion to the first plague of Egypt turning waters into blood.
Supported by JFB
New Testament use of heavenly bodies darkening to represent dynastic falls.
Supported by JFB
The common biblical image of extinguishing a wicked ruler's light.
Supported by JFB
Desolation of Egypt's waters, left untroubled by foot of man or beast.
Supported by JFB
Egypt joining other great empires descending into the nether parts.
Supported by JFB
Introduction of a prophetic lamentation using the 'young lion' metaphor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prophet's declarative word 'casting down' nations.
Supported by JFB
Pharaoh being asked whom he surpasses in glory, and lying uncircumcised.
Supported by JFB
Establishing the solemn lamentation as a formal decree of ruin.
Supported by JFB