Ezekiel 32
Ezekiel Chapter 32 is one of the prophecies of the final judgment concerning Egypt, and it begins with a lamentation (a mourning song) format. It is set in the context of a chapter where not only the people of Israel but also various neighboring peoples are held responsible before God and face judgment. In particular, Chapter 32 emphasizes the theme that Egypt, once a great power, will fall into ruin.
1verseIn the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2verse“Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and tell him, ‘You were likened to a young lion of the nations; yet you are as a monster in the seas. You broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.’”
3verseThe Lord GOD says: “I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples. They will bring you up in my net.
4verseI will leave you on the land. I will cast you out on the open field, and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you. I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you.
5verseI will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height.
6verseI will also water the land in which you swim with your blood, even to the mountains. The watercourses will be full of you.
7verseWhen I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon won’t give its light.
8verseI will make all the bright lights of the sky dark over you, and set darkness on your land,” says the Lord GOD.
9verse“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.
10verseYes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid for you, when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.”
11verseFor the Lord GOD says: “The sword of the king of Babylon will come on you.
12verseI will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of the mighty. They are all the ruthless of the nations. They will bring the pride of Egypt to nothing, and all its multitude will be destroyed.
13verseI will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters. The foot of man won’t trouble them any more, nor will the hoofs of animals trouble them.
14verseThen I will make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil,” says the Lord GOD.
15verse“When I make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was full, when I strike all those who dwell therein, then they will know that I am the LORD.
16verse“‘“This is the lamentation with which they will lament. The daughters of the nations will lament with this. They will lament with it over Egypt, and over all her multitude,” says the Lord GOD.’”
17verseAlso in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
18verse“Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her and the daughters of the famous nations, to the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down into the pit.
19verseWhom do you pass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised.
20verseThey will fall among those who are slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword. Draw her away with all her multitudes.
21verseThe strong among the mighty will speak to him out of the middle of Sheol with those who help him. They have gone down. The uncircumcised lie still, slain by the sword.
22verse“Asshur is there with all her company. Her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword,
23versewhose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living.
24verse“There is Elam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised into the lower parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit.
25verseThey have made Elam a bed among the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are around her, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for their terror was caused in the land of the living, and they have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. He is put among those who are slain.
26verse“There is Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude. Their graves are around them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27verseThey will not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war and have laid their swords under their heads. Their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
28verse“But you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and will lie with those who are slain by the sword.
29verse“There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword. They will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit.
30verse“There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain. They are put to shame in the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
31verse“Pharaoh will see them and will be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,” says the Lord GOD.
32verse“For I have put his terror in the land of the living. He will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude,” says the Lord GOD.
Structure and Flow
Ezekiel Chapter 32 can be divided into two main parts.
- Verses 1-16: A lament for Pharaoh - Comparing Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to a great sea monster, it sings of his arrogance and downfall. Through symbolic language, it portrays his collapse and how all of Egypt will grieve because of his fall.
- Verses 17-32: Egypt in Sheol - It describes the fate that awaits Egypt and those who followed him in Sheol (the realm of the dead), where dead nations gather. By showing Egypt being laid in a tomb alongside various nations that once had great renown, it underscores that Egypt’s power cannot last forever.
The Symbolic Meaning of the Text
In this chapter, intense symbols such as for Pharaoh, the sea, the lion, and Sheol appear repeatedly. Pharaoh is likened to a great dragon or a young lion, symbolizing Egypt’s strength and fear. Ultimately, however, it shows that even that power is limited under God’s sovereignty and is led down the path to ruin. In addition, “going down into Sheol” suggests the place where death and judgment begin, and where all human power and glory come to an end.
The Message in Its Historical Context
This prophecy is connected to the situation before and after Egypt suffered a major blow at the hands of Babylon. Ezekiel declares to the people of Israel, who were trying to rely on the powerful nation of Egypt at the time, and to all the nations that boasted of the world’s authority, that all authority belongs to God. This is the message of Ezekiel 32: God, who rules over history, judges arrogance and self-importance.
Meditation Points
- You can reflect on the point that the world’s glory, power, and authority ultimately cannot remain forever.
- You will also be led to examine your own position and attitude in light of the fact that God’s judgment is carried out regardless of whether they are great powers or minor powers, or regardless of whether they are nations or individuals.
- You can think again about how important it is to place your trust in God, who is the ruler of all history.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- I ask myself whether I am standing on my own strength or on the authority of the world.
- I resolve to live humbly before God’s judgment and sovereignty.
- I can use it as an opportunity to check where the center of my life is, and whether I am aligning my daily life within God’s will.
