Ezekiel Chapter 32

A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

1And 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,

2Son 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.

3Thus 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.

4Then 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.

5And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.

6I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.

7And 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.

8All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

9I 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. 10Yea, 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.

11For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.

12By 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.

13I 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.

14Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.

15When 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.

16This 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.

Egypt Cast into the Pit

17It 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, 18Son 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.

19Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.

20They 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. 21The 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.

22Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword: 23Whose 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.

24There 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. 25They 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.

26There 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. 27And 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. 28Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

29There 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.

30There 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.

31Pharaoh 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. 32For 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.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

1 It happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 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; and you broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.

3 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring you up in my net.

4 I will leave you on the land, I will cast you forth on the open field, and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you, and I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you.

5 I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height.

6 I will also water with your blood the land in which you swim, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of you.

7 When I shall extinguish you, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light.

8 All the bright lights of the sky will I make dark over you, and set darkness on your land, says the Lord Yahweh.

9 I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I shall bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. 10 Yes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for you, 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 your fall.

11 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come on you.

12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause your multitude to fall; the terrible of the nations are they all: and they shall bring to nothing the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude shall be destroyed.

13 I will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of animals trouble them.

14 Then will I make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, says the Lord Yahweh.

15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was full, when I shall strike all those who dwell therein, then shall they know that I am Yahweh.

16 This is the lamentation with which they shall lament; the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they lament therewith, says the Lord Yahweh.

Egypt Cast into the Pit

17 It happened also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to 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, to the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down into the pit.

19 Whom do you pass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised.

20 They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword; draw her away and all her multitudes. 21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with those who help him: they are gone down, they lie still, even the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

22 Asshur is there and all her company; her graves are all around her; all of them slain, fallen by the sword; 23 whose 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.

24 There is Elam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are 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. 25 They have set her a bed in the midst of 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 in the midst of those who are slain.

26 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. 27 They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28 But you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shall lie with those who are slain by the sword.

29 There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit.

30 There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain; in the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame; and they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who 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, says the Lord Yahweh. 32 For I have put his terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord Yahweh.

A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

1 In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

‘You are like a lion among the nations;

you are like a monster in the seas.

You thrash about in your rivers,

churning up the waters with your feet

and muddying the streams.’

3 This is what the Lord GOD says:

‘I will spread My net over you

with a company of many peoples,

and they will draw you up in My net.

4 I will abandon you on the land

and hurl you into the open field.

I will cause all the birds of the air

to settle upon you,

and all the beasts of the earth

to eat their fill of you.

5 I will put your flesh on the mountains

and fill the valleys with your remains. a

6 I will drench the land

with the flow of your blood,

all the way to the mountains—

the ravines will be filled.

7 When I extinguish you,

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.

8 All the shining lights in the heavens

I will darken over you,

and I will bring darkness

upon your land,’

declares the Lord GOD.

9 ‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,

when I bring about your destruction among the nations,

in countries b you do not know.

10 I will cause many peoples

to be appalled over you,

and their kings will shudder in 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.’

11 For this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘The sword of the king of Babylon

will come against you!

12 I will make your hordes fall

by the swords of the mighty,

the most ruthless of all nations.

They will ravage the pride of Egypt

and all her multitudes will be destroyed.

13 I will slaughter all her cattle

beside the abundant waters.

No human foot will muddy them again,

and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

14 Then I will let her waters settle

and will make her rivers flow like oil,’

declares the Lord GOD.

15 ‘When I make the land of Egypt a desolation

and empty it of all that filled it,

when I strike down all who live there,

then they will know that I am the LORD.’

16 This is the lament they will chant for her; the daughters of the nations will chant it. Over Egypt and all her multitudes they will chant it, declares the Lord GOD.”

Egypt Cast into the Pit

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, c the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:

19 Whom do you surpass in beauty?

Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised!

20 They will fall among those slain by the sword.

The sword is appointed!

Let them drag her away

along with all her multitudes.

21 Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol

about Egypt and her allies:

‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword.’

22 Assyria is there with her whole company;

her graves are all around her.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword.

23 Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit,

and her company is all around her grave.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword—

those who once spread terror

in the land of the living.

24 Elam is there

with all her multitudes around her grave.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword—

those who went down uncircumcised

to the earth below,

who once spread their terror

in the land of the living.

They bear their disgrace

with those who descend to the Pit.

25 Among the slain they prepare

a resting place for Elam

with all her hordes,

with her graves all around her.

All of them are uncircumcised,

slain by the sword,

although their terror was once spread

in the land of the living.

They bear their disgrace

with those who descend to the Pit.

They are placed among the slain.

26 Meshech and Tubal are there

with all their multitudes,

with their graves all around them.

All of them are uncircumcised,

slain by the sword,

because they spread their terror

in the land of the living.

27 They do not lie down

with the fallen warriors of old, d

who went down to Sheol

with their weapons of war,

whose swords were placed under their heads,

whose shields e rested on their bones,

although the terror of the mighty

was once in the land of the living.

28 But you too will be shattered

and lie down among the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword.

29 Edom is there,

and all her kings and princes,

who despite their might

are laid among those slain by the sword.

They lie down with the uncircumcised,

with those who descend to the Pit.

30 All the leaders of the north

and all the Sidonians are there;

they went down in disgrace with the slain,

despite the terror of their might.

They lie uncircumcised

with those slain by the sword

and bear their shame

with those who descend to the Pit.

31 Pharaoh will see them

and be comforted over all his multitude—

Pharaoh and all his army,

slain by the sword,

declares the Lord GOD.

32 For I will spread My terror

in the land of the living,

so that Pharaoh and all his multitude

will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword,

declares the Lord GOD.”

Footnotes:

5 a Or your lofty stature
9 b Hebrew; LXX when I lead you into captivity among the nations, into countries
17 c Presumably the fifteenth day of the twelfth month (see verse 1); LXX on the fifteenth day of the first month .
27 d LXX; Hebrew warriors of the uncircumcised
27 e Likely reading of the original Hebrew text; MT iniquities

A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

1And it cometh to pass, in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been unto me, saying,

2Son of man, lift up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and thou hast said unto him: A young lion of nations thou hast been like, And thou art as a dragon in the seas, And thou comest forth with thy flowings, And dost trouble the waters with thy feet, And thou dost foul their flowings.

3Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And -- I have spread out for thee My net, With an assembly of many peoples, And they have brought thee up in My net.

4And I have left thee in the land, On the face of the field I do cast thee out, And have caused to dwell upon thee every fowl of the heavens, And have satisfied out of thee the beasts of the whole earth.

5And I have put thy flesh on the mountains, And filled the valleys with thy hugeness,

6And watered the land with thy flowing, From thy blood -- unto the mountains, And streams are filled from thee.

7And in quenching thee I have covered the heavens, And have made black their stars, The sun with a cloud I do cover, And the moon causeth not its light to shine.

8All luminaries of light in the heavens, I make black over thee, And I have given darkness over thy land, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah,

9And I have vexed the heart of many peoples, In My bringing in thy destruction among nations, Unto lands that thou hast not known. 10And I have made many peoples astonished at thee, And their kings are afraid at thee with trembling, In My brandishing My sword before their faces, And they have trembled every moment, Each for his life -- in the day of thy fall.

11For thus said the Lord Jehovah: A sword of the king of Babylon entereth thee,

12By swords of the mighty I cause thy multitude to fall, The terrible of nations -- all of them, And they have spoiled the excellency of Egypt, And destroyed hath been all her multitude.

13And I have destroyed all her beasts, From beside many waters, And trouble them not doth a foot of man any more, Yea, the hoofs of beasts trouble them not.

14Then do I cause their waters to sink, And their rivers as oil I cause to go, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

15In My making the land of Egypt a desolation, And desolated hath been the land of its fulness, In My smiting all the inhabitants in it, And they have known that I am Jehovah.

16A lamentation it is, and they have lamented her, Daughters of the nations do lament her, For Egypt, and for all her multitude, they lament her, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

Egypt Cast into the Pit

17And it cometh to pass, in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been unto me, saying, 18'Son of man, Wail for the multitude of Egypt, And cause it to go down, It -- and the daughters of honourable nations, Unto the earth -- the lower parts, With those going down to the pit.

19Than whom hast thou been more pleasant? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised.

20In the midst of the pierced of the sword they fall, To the sword she hath been given, They drew her out, and all her multitude. 21Speak to him do the gods of the mighty out of the midst of sheol, With his helpers -- they have gone down, They have lain with the uncircumcised, The pierced of the sword.

22There is Asshur, and all her assembly, Round about him are his graves, All of them are wounded, who are falling by sword, 23Whose graves are appointed in the sides of the pit, And her assembly is round about her grave, All of them wounded, falling by sword, Because they gave terror in the land of the living.

24There is Elam, and all her multitude, Round about is her grave, All of them wounded, who are falling by sword, Who have gone down uncircumcised unto the earth -- the lower parts, Because they gave their terror in the land of the living, And they bear their shame with those going down to the pit. 25In the midst of the wounded they have appointed a bed for her with all her multitude, Round about him are her graves, All of them uncircumcised, pierced of the sword, For their terror was given in the land of the living, And they bear their shame with those going down to the pit, In the midst of the pierced he hath been put.

26There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude, Round about him are her graves, All of them uncircumcised, pierced of the sword, For they gave their terror in the land of the living, 27And they lie not with the mighty, Who are falling of the uncircumcised, Who have gone down to sheol with their weapons of war, And they put their swords under their heads, And their iniquities are on their bones, For the terror of the mighty is in the land of the living. 28And thou, in the midst of the uncircumcised art broken, And dost lie with the pierced of the sword.

29There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, Who have been given up in their might, With the pierced of the sword, They with the uncircumcised do lie, And with those going down to the pit.

30There are princes of the north, All of them, and every Zidonian, Who have gone down with the pierced in their terror, Of their might they are ashamed, And they lie uncircumcised with the pierced of the sword, And they bear their shame with those going down to the pit.

31Then doth Pharaoh see, And he hath been comforted for all his multitude, The pierced of the sword -- Pharaoh and all his force, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 32For I have given his terror in the land of the living, And he hath been laid down in the midst of the uncircumcised, With the pierced of the sword -- Pharaoh, and all his multitude, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

The F.O.G Commentary:

1What is the meaning of Ezekiel 32?

1.1Introduction to Ezekiel 32

1.2Context of Ezekiel 32

1.3Ancient Key Word Study

1.4Compare & Contrast

1.5Ezekiel 32 Unique Insights

1.6Ezekiel 32 Connections to Yeshua

1.7Ezekiel 32 Scriptural Echoes

1.8Ezekiel 32 Devotional

1.9Did You Know

What is the meaning of Ezekiel 32?

Introduction to Ezekiel 32

Ezekiel 32 stands as one of the most vivid and poetic laments in prophetic literature, serving as the culmination of a series of oracles against Egypt. This chapter presents two distinct prophecies dated to the twelfth month of the twelfth year and the first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. Through powerful imagery of a cosmic funeral dirge, Ezekiel portrays Egypt’s pharaoh as a thrashing sea monster dragged from the waters and left to rot, followed by an elaborate description of Egypt’s descent into Sheol to join other fallen nations.

Context of Ezekiel 32

This chapter concludes a larger section of prophecies against Egypt (chapters 29-32) within the broader collection of oracles against foreign nations (chapters 25-32). These messages were delivered during Jerusalem’s siege and fall, demonstrating God’s sovereignty over all nations and His justice in dealing with those who oppose His purposes.

The timing is significant as it corresponds to March 585 BC, approximately two years after Jerusalem’s fall. The Babylonian empire had already established its dominance, and Egypt’s influence was waning. This oracle serves multiple purposes: it warns Egypt of impending judgment, consoles the exiled Israelites by showing God’s control over their enemies, and demonstrates that earthly power, no matter how great, is temporary before יהוה’s supreme authority.

These prophecies against Egypt also connect to earlier themes in Ezekiel, particularly the imagery of the great tree in Ezekiel 31 and the recurring motif of divine sovereignty over chaos waters, which appears throughout the book.

Ancient Key Word Study

תַּנִּים (tannim) – “monster/dragon”: This term carries mythological overtones, often used to describe fearsome creatures associated with chaos and evil. In Egyptian mythology, the pharaoh was associated with divine power over water creatures, making this imagery particularly pointed.
קִינָה (qinah) – “lamentation”: A technical term for a funeral dirge, this word signals a specific poetic form characterized by a 3:2 beat meter. Its use here is ironic, as Egypt, once mighty, becomes the subject of a death song.
חָלָל (chalal) – “slain”: This term appears repeatedly in the chapter, emphasizing violent death rather than natural passing. It carries the connotation of being “pierced through,” highlighting the military nature of the judgment.
בּוֹר (bor) – “pit”: While literally meaning a hole or cistern, in this context it serves as a euphemism for Sheol, the place of the dead. The repeated use creates a powerful image of descent from heights of pride to depths of shame.
מָשַׁךְ (mashak) – “draw out”: This verb, used in verse 20, carries the imagery of fishing with nets, connecting to the initial monster metaphor and emphasizing God’s complete control over Egypt’s fate.
עֲרֵלִים (arelim) – “uncircumcised”: A term of profound religious significance, indicating those outside God’s covenant. Its repeated use emphasizes Egypt’s spiritual state despite their claims to divine status.
קָהָל (qahal) – “company/assembly”: Originally referring to Israel’s congregation, its use here for gathered armies and fallen nations creates a dark parallel to the assembly of God’s people.
גְּבוּרָה (gevurah) – “might”: This term for strength and power appears in ironic contexts throughout the chapter, highlighting how earthly might fails before divine judgment.
שָׁכַב (shakav) – “lie down”: While normally a peaceful term for rest, in this context it becomes a euphemism for death, emphasizing the final humiliation of the proud.

Compare & Contrast

Verse 2’s comparison of Pharaoh to both a “young lion” and a “monster in the seas” creates a deliberate tension. The Hebrew could have used תַּנִּין (tannin) alone, but the dual metaphor emphasizes both Egypt’s self-perception (noble lion) and God’s view (chaos monster).
In verse 4, the phrase “cast you out on the open field” uses the Hebrew שָׁלַךְ (shalak) rather than the more common נָפַל (nafal). This choice emphasizes violent rejection rather than mere falling, highlighting God’s active role in judgment.
Verse 7’s cosmic imagery employs כָּבָה (kavah) for “extinguish” rather than חָשַׁךְ (chashak), emphasizing complete removal of light rather than mere darkening, suggesting final and complete judgment.
The repeated use of חָלָל (chalal) in verses 20-32 instead of מוּת (mut) emphasizes violent death rather than natural passing, underscoring the judgment’s severity.
Verse 24’s description of Elam uses נָשָׂא (nasa) for “bore” shame rather than the more common סָבַל (sabal), emphasizing the public nature of their humiliation.
The placement of Egypt “in the midst” (בְּתוֹךְ) of other fallen nations in verse 28 uses spatial language to emphasize Egypt’s complete identification with the judged powers.

Ezekiel 32 Unique Insights

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The chapter’s structure reveals a sophisticated literary design that would have resonated deeply with ancient Near Eastern funeral practices. The two-part oracle (verses 1-16 and 17-32) mirrors the Egyptian custom of two-stage burial rites, where the initial death was followed by a period of mourning before final interment. This parallel serves to mock Egyptian burial customs while demonstrating God’s sovereignty over death itself.

The cosmic imagery in verses 7-8 draws on ancient Near Eastern concepts of divine warfare, where celestial disruption signaled divine judgment. However, unlike pagan mythology where such battles had uncertain outcomes, Ezekiel presents יהוה’s victory as absolute and predetermined. The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 3b) notes that this celestial darkness serves as a reversal of Egypt’s claim to divine solar power through Ra worship.

Particularly fascinating is the geographical and political ordering of nations in the Sheol scene (verses 22-32). The arrangement follows a specific pattern that scholars have noted corresponds to the actual historical falls of these empires, creating a kind of “reverse chronology” of God’s judgments. Rabbi David Kimchi (Radak) observes that this ordering serves to emphasize how God’s judgment follows a deliberate plan rather than random chance.

The chapter also contains subtle allusions to the Exodus narrative, particularly in its water imagery. Just as God once demonstrated His power over Egypt through the waters of the Nile and Red Sea, He now shows His continuing sovereignty through the waters of chaos. This connection would have been especially powerful for the exilic audience, reassuring them that the God who once delivered them from Egypt remained in control.

Ezekiel 32 Connections to Yeshua

The imagery of cosmic darkness in verses 7-8 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the darkness that covered the earth during the Messiah’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:45). Just as Egypt’s judgment was marked by darkness, the judgment for sin that Yeshua bore was similarly marked by cosmic signs.

The chapter’s emphasis on the finality of death and the gathering of nations in Sheol takes on new significance in light of Messiah’s victory over death. The powers that Ezekiel describes as permanently confined to the pit contrast sharply with Yeshua’s declaration in Revelation 1:18: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

Ezekiel 32 Scriptural Echoes

The monster imagery recalls God’s victory over Leviathan in Psalm 74:13-14 and the similar judgment oracle against Pharaoh in Ezekiel 29:3-5. This connects to the broader biblical theme of God’s victory over chaos forces, ultimately pointing to His final victory over the dragon in Revelation 20:2.

The cosmic signs in verses 7-8 echo Joel 2:31 and find their ultimate expression in Revelation 6:12-14. The description of nations in Sheol parallels Isaiah 14‘s taunt against Babylon, emphasizing the unified biblical message of God’s judgment on proud nations.

Ezekiel 32 Devotional

This chapter powerfully reminds us that all earthly power and pride will ultimately bow before God’s sovereignty. Just as Egypt’s might couldn’t save it from judgment, we must examine where we place our trust and security. Are we relying on our own strength, resources, or status, or are we humbly submitting to God’s authority?

The detailed description of nations in Sheol serves as a sobering reminder of human mortality and the futility of earthly glory. Yet for believers in Yeshua, this reality is transformed by the hope of resurrection. While Ezekiel’s hearers saw only the finality of death, we can face mortality with confidence, knowing that our Messiah has conquered death.

Did You Know

The dating formula in verse 1 corresponds to March 3, 585 BCE, making this one of the most precisely dated prophecies in the Bible.
The description of Egypt as a crocodile (sea monster) may reference the Egyptian god Sobek, who was represented as a crocodile deity.
The arrangement of nations in the Sheol passage follows a specific geographical pattern, moving from north to south.
The Hebrew word for “pit” (bor) appears seven times in this chapter, a number associated with divine completeness in biblical numerology.
Ancient Egyptian funeral texts like the Book of the Dead often described similar scenes of the afterlife, making this prophecy particularly poignant for its original audience.
The phrase “uncircumcised” appears more times in this chapter than in any other chapter of the Bible, emphasizing spiritual alienation from God.
The cosmic signs described in verses 7-8 parallel historical records of actual solar eclipses that occurred during this period.
Archaeological discoveries have confirmed the historical accuracy of the list of nations mentioned in the chapter.
The chapter’s structure follows the pattern of ancient Near Eastern laments, including the characteristic shift from third person to second person address.

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Bible Themes

Jean Paul Joseph

After a dramatic early morning encounter with King Jesus, I just couldn’t put my Bible down. The F.O.G took a hold of me and this website was born. What is the F.O.G?

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