1 A lamentation for the fearful fall of Egypt. 11 The sword of Babylon shall destroy it. 17 It shall be brought down to hell; among all the uncircumcised nations.
Eze 32:1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:
Eze 32:2 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams.
Eze 32:3 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘With a great throng of people I will cast my net over you, and they will haul you up in my net.
Eze 32:4 I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you.
Eze 32:5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.
Eze 32:6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.
Eze 32:7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
Eze 32:8 All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Eze 32:9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among lands you have not known.
Eze 32:10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.
Eze 32:11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.
Eze 32:12 I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men— the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown.
Eze 32:13 I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hooves of cattle.
Eze 32:14 Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Eze 32:15 When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.’
Eze 32:16 “This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
Eze 32:17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
Eze 32:18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.
Eze 32:19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’
Eze 32:20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes.
Eze 32:21 From within the realm of the dead the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.’
Eze 32:22 “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword.
Eze 32:23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.
Eze 32:24 “Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword. All who had spread terror in the land of the living went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Eze 32:25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.
Eze 32:26 “Meshek and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living.
Eze 32:27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.
Eze 32:28 “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.
Eze 32:29 “Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
Eze 32:30 “All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Eze 32:31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Eze 32:32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
Eze 32:1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:
1. Twelfth year. Of Jehoiachin’s captivity (see on ch. 1:2), that is, 585 b.c. The month date would be in the spring of 585 by either spring or fall reckoning. Jerusalem had been overthrown by this time, having fallen in July of the preceding year.
This chapter closes the series of prophecies against Egypt. Verses 1–16 are a further denunciation of Egypt under the figure of a dragon. Verses 17–32 are a dirge over Egypt’s descent into she’ol.
Eze 32:2 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams.
2. Thou art like a young lion. Better, “Thou didst liken thyself unto a young lion.” As the lion is the king of beasts, so Pharaoh believed himself to be a great world leader.
Monster. Heb. tannim, according to several manuscripts tannin, “dragon,” hence perhaps the crocodile (see on ch. 29:3).
Eze 32:3 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘With a great throng of people I will cast my net over you, and they will haul you up in my net.
Eze 32:4 I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you.
Eze 32:5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.
Eze 32:6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.
A graphic picture of extensive slaughter.
Eze 32:7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
A symbol of destruction and mourning.
Eze 32:8 All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Eze 32:9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among lands you have not known.
Eze 32:10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.
The rehearsal of Egypt’s tragic fate will paralyze the people of other lands with fear. They will fear that the sword that prostrated Egypt will be brandished against them.
Eze 32:11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.
Eze 32:12 I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men— the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown.
12. Terrible of the nations. Compare ch. 30:11. A fitting description of the Babylonian scourge that swept over nation after nation.
Eze 32:13 I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hooves of cattle.
13. All the beasts. That is, the cattle along the Nile. Perhaps by poetic figure they represent the restless activity of Egyptian life.
Eze 32:14 Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign LORD.
14. Make their waters deep. Literally, “cause their waters to sink down,” here meaning to permit the sediment to settle so that the waters become clear. The LXX reads, “Thus shall their waters then be at rest.” The cattle would no more disturb the water with their feet (see v. 13). In other words, the busy scene of Egyptian life and activity would cease.
Like oil. That is, smoothly; undisturbed by cattle and men.
Eze 32:15 When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.’
Eze 32:16 “This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
16. Daughters of the nations. In the ancient Near East, women were hired to perform formal acts of mourning (see 2 Sam. 1:24; 2 Chron. 35:25; Jer. 9:17). For further comment on this typically Oriental custom see on Jer. 9:17; Mark 5:38.
Eze 32:17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
17. Fifteenth day. The month is not mentioned in the Hebrew, but if this section belongs after vs. 1–16, it could hardly be in any other month than the 12th, the same as that mentioned in v. 1. In that case, the present message came only two weeks after the previous one. The LXX reads, “in the twelfth year, in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month.” This would put this message earlier than the former. If it was uttered earlier, it was probably placed here because of its similarity in thought.
Eze 32:18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.
18. Nether parts. That is, she’ol (see on v. 21), conceived of as in the lower parts of the earth (see on ch. 31:15). For further comment on she’ol as the figurative realm of the dead see on Prov. 15:11.
Eze 32:19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’
19. The uncircumcised. Circumcision was practiced in Egypt even before the Hebrews were there. To lie with the uncircumcised would be considered the height of indignity.
Eze 32:20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes.
Eze 32:21 From within the realm of the dead the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.’
21. Shall speak. The various nations are represented as lying together in she’ol, and in figure as carrying on a conversation. For another prophetic use of this graphic figure of speech see comments on “the king of Babylon,” in Isa. 14:4, 15–19.
Him. The masculine is used when the reference is to the king. The feminine pronoun designates the kingdom.
Hell. Heb. she’ol (see on ch. 31:15).
Eze 32:22 “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword.
22. Asshur. Assyria, an ancient nation (see on Gen. 10:11). The fall of Nineveh in 612 b.c. was still fresh in the memory of the people.
Eze 32:23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.
Eze 32:24 “Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword. All who had spread terror in the land of the living went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
24. Elam. A nation occupying the highlands east of Babylonia which lost its independence to the Assyrians and was later dominated by the Babylonians (see on Jer. 49:34).
Eze 32:25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.
Eze 32:26 “Meshek and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living.
26. Meshech. The classic Moshians, the Mushku of the Assyrian inscriptions (see on Gen. 10:2).
Tubal.The Tibarenians of Herodotus and the Tabalaeans of Assyrian inscriptions (see on Gen. 10:2).
Eze 32:27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.
27. They shall not lie. The LXX and Syriac omit the negative, which seems to give the passage better sense. The former translates the sentence, “And they are laid with the giants that fell of old.”
Eze 32:28 “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.
28. Thou shalt be broken. Compare v. 19. Ezekiel returns to address Pharaoh, to remind him that he must prepare himself for the same doom that had befallen other nations.
Eze 32:29 “Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
29. Edom. See on ch. 25:12.
Eze 32:30 “All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Sidonians. A name frequently used for the Phoenicians generally. For comment on the racial origins of the Phoenicians in general and the Sidonians in particular see on Gen. 10:15, 18;
Eze 32:30 “All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Eze 32:31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD.
31. Shall be comforted. Pharaoh’s hollow consolation would be to see other great and wealthy nations prostrate in the dust as he was. For comment on an earlier humiliation of the pride of Egypt see on Ex. 14:23–31,; 15:1–27.
Eze 32:32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD.”