1 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first [day] of the month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou [art] as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.
3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.
4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.
5 And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, [even] to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at [every] moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.
12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.
13 I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.
15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I [am] the LORD.
16 This [is] the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, [even] for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth [day] of the month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, [even] her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
20 They shall fall in the midst of [them that are] slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
22 Asshur [is] there and all her company: his graves [are] about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.
24 There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves [are] round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of [them that be] slain.
26 There [is] Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves [are] round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27 And they shall not lie with the mighty [that are] fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with [them that are] slain with the sword.
29 There [is] Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by [them that were] slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
30 There [be] the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with [them that be] slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.
31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, [even] Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with [them that are] slain with the sword, [even] Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
Summary of Ezekiel Chapter 32
Ezekiel Chapter 32 is a prophetic lamentation concerning Egypt and its ruler, Pharaoh. This chapter presents a vivid depiction of Egypt’s downfall and the consequences of its pride and idolatry. The chapter serves as a warning to other nations about the inevitable judgment that comes from God against those who oppose Him.
Thematic Elements
- Judgment: The chapter emphasizes God’s judgment against Egypt for its arrogance and reliance on false gods.
- Desolation: The imagery used throughout the chapter illustrates the desolation that will befall Egypt, portraying it as a place of death and despair.
- Comparison to Other Nations: Egypt’s fate is compared to that of other nations that have faced destruction, highlighting the universality of God’s judgment.
- Death and the Afterlife: The chapter contains references to the afterlife, depicting the dead as being gathered in the realm of the dead, reinforcing the finality of judgment.
Key Verses and Their Analysis
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Verse 1-2: “In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ‘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.'”
This opening sets the tone for the chapter, establishing the prophetic role of Ezekiel and the seriousness of the message. The metaphor of Pharaoh as a lion suggests power and dominance, but it is soon revealed that this power will lead to his downfall.
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Verses 10-11: “I will make many peoples appalled at you. And their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them.”
These verses emphasize the widespread impact of Egypt’s judgment. The fear instilled in other nations serves as a reminder of God’s sovereignty and the consequences of opposing Him.
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Verses 18-19: “Son of man, say to the hordes of Egypt: ‘You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.'”
This stark imagery of death and burial among the uncircumcised signifies the complete humiliation of Egypt. It underscores the idea that even the powerful will face the ultimate fate of death and separation from God.
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Verses 24-30: “There is Elam and all its hordes around its grave… They have gone down to the grave, they are in the depths of the earth.”
In these verses, Ezekiel draws parallels between Egypt and other nations that have faced destruction. This comparison serves to reinforce the inevitability of God’s judgment and the fate that awaits all who oppose Him.
Imagery and Symbolism
- Monsters and Lions: The use of animal imagery symbolizes power and ferocity, but also foreshadows downfall and defeat.
- Graves and Desolation: The repeated references to graves and the depths of the earth symbolize death, judgment, and the finality of God’s decrees.
- Water and Seas: The imagery of the sea represents chaos and destruction, illustrating the overwhelming nature of God’s judgment.
Conclusion
Ezekiel Chapter 32 serves as a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty and the consequences of pride and idolatry. Through vivid imagery and prophetic lamentation, the chapter warns both Egypt and other nations of the inevitable judgment that awaits those who turn away from God. The themes of desolation, death, and the finality of judgment resonate throughout the chapter, reinforcing the message that no power can withstand the will of God.
