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Texts -- Ezekiel 32:1-32 (NET)

Context
Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt
32:1 In the twelfth year , in the twelfth month , on the first of the month , the word of the Lord came to me: 32:2 “Son of man , sing a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt , and say to him: “‘You were like a lion among the nations , but you are a monster in the seas ; you thrash about in your streams , stir up the water with your feet , and muddy your streams . 32:3 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says : “‘I will throw my net over you in the assembly of many peoples ; and they will haul you up in my dragnet . 32:4 I will leave you on the ground , I will fling you on the open field , I will allow all the birds of the sky to settle on you, and I will permit all the wild animals to gorge themselves on you. 32:5 I will put your flesh on the mountains , and fill the valleys with your maggot-infested carcass . 32:6 I will drench the land with the flow of your blood up to the mountains , and the ravines will be full of your blood. 32:7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky ; I will darken its stars . I will cover the sun with a cloud , and the moon will not shine . 32:8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you, and I will darken your land , declares the sovereign Lord . 32:9 I will disturb many peoples , when I bring about your destruction among the nations , among countries you do not know . 32:10 I will shock many peoples with you, and their kings will shiver with horror because of you. When I brandish my sword before them, every moment each one will tremble for his life , on the day of your fall . 32:11 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says : “‘The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you. 32:12 By the swords of the mighty warriors I will cause your hordes to fall – all of them are the most terrifying among the nations . They will devastate the pride of Egypt , and all its hordes will be destroyed . 32:13 I will destroy all its cattle beside the plentiful waters ; and no human foot will disturb the waters again , nor will the hooves of cattle disturb them. 32:14 Then I will make their waters calm , and will make their streams flow like olive oil , declares the sovereign Lord . 32:15 When I turn the land of Egypt into desolation and the land is destitute of everything that fills it, when I strike all those who live in it, then they will know that I am the Lord .’ 32:16 This is a lament ; they will chant it. The daughters of the nations will chant it. They will chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes , declares the sovereign Lord .” 32:17 In the twelfth year , on the fifteenth day of the month , the word of the Lord came to me: 32:18 “Son of man , wail over the horde of Egypt . Bring it down ; bring her and the daughters of powerful nations down to the lower parts of the earth , along with those who descend to the pit . 32:19 Say to them, ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty ? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised !’ 32:20 They will fall among those killed by the sword . The sword is drawn ; they carry her and all her hordes away. 32:21 The bravest of the warriors will speak to him from the midst of Sheol along with his allies , saying: ‘The uncircumcised have come down ; they lie still, killed by the sword .’ 32:22 “Assyria is there with all her assembly around her grave , all of them struck down by the sword . 32:23 Their graves are located in the remote slopes of the pit . Her assembly is around her grave , all of them struck down by the sword , those who spread terror in the land of the living . 32:24 “Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave ; all of them struck down by the sword . They went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth , those who spread terror in the land of the living . Now they will bear their shame with those who descend to the pit . 32:25 Among the dead they have made a bed for her, along with all her hordes around her grave . All of them are uncircumcised , killed by the sword , for their terror had spread in the land of the living . They bear their shame along with those who descend to the pit ; they are placed among the dead . 32:26 “Meshech-Tubal is there , along with all her hordes around her grave . All of them are uncircumcised , killed by the sword , for they spread their terror in the land of the living . 32:27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ancient times , who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war , having their swords placed under their heads and their shields on their bones , when the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living . 32:28 “But as for you , in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken , and you will lie with those killed by the sword . 32:29 “Edom is there with her kings and all her princes . Despite their might they are laid with those killed by the sword ; they lie with the uncircumcised and those who descend to the pit . 32:30 “All the leaders of the north are there , along with all the Sidonians ; despite their might they have gone down in shameful terror with the dead . They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword , and bear their shame with those who descend to the pit . 32:31 “Pharaoh will see them and be consoled over all his hordes who were killed by the sword , Pharaoh and all his army , declares the sovereign Lord . 32:32 Indeed , I terrified him in the land of the living , yet he will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those killed by the sword , Pharaoh and all his hordes , declares the sovereign Lord .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Egypt

    [nave] EGYPT The country of: Called Rahab, Psa. 87:4; 89:10; Land of Ham, Psa. 105:23; 106:22. Limits of, Ezek. 29:10. Fertility of, Gen. 13:10. Productions of, Num. 11:5; Psa. 78:47; Prov. 7:16; Isa. 19:5-9. Irrigation employ...

  • Babylon

    [nave] BABYLON City of Built by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10. In the land of Shinar, Gen. 10:10; 11:2. Tower of, Gen. 11:1-9. Capital of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. 4:30; 2 Kin. 25:13; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7, 10, 18, 20. Gates of, Isa. 45:1, 2...

  • Dragon

    [isbe] DRAGON - drag'-un (tannin, plural tannim, tannoth; drakon): Tannin and the plural tanninim occur 14 t, and in English Versions of the Bible are variously rendered "dragon," "whale," "serpent" or "sea-monster"; but Lam 4:3, t...
    [nave] DRAGON Any terrible creature, as a venomous serpent, Deut. 32:33; Psa. 91:13; a sea serpent, Psa. 74:13; 148:7; Isa. 27:1; a jackal, Isa. 13:22; 34:13; 35:7; 43:20; Jer. 9:11; 10:22; 14:6; 49:33; 51:37; Mic. 1:8; Mal. 1:3. ...

  • ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT - es-ka-tol'-o-ji A) Scope of Article B) Dr. Charles' Work C) Individual Religion in Israel I. FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS 1. Idea of God 2. Idea of Man Body, Soul and Spirit 3. Sin and Death II. CONCE...

  • Tubal

    [ebd] (1.) The fifth son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2). (2.) A nation, probably descended from the son of Japheth. It is mentioned by Isaiah (66:19), along with Javan, and by Ezekiel (27:13), along with Meshech, among the traders with Ty...
    [smith] is reckoned with Javan and Meshech among the sons of Japheth. (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5) The three are again associated in the enumeration of the sources of the wealth of Tyre. (Ezekiel 27:13) Tubal and Javan, (Isaia...
    [nave] TUBAL, son of Japheth, Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5. Descendants of, become a nation, Isa. 66:19; Ezek. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3; 39:1.

  • Moon

    [isbe] MOON - moon (yareach; meaning obscure--probably "wanderer"; by some given as "paleness"; selene): The moon was very early worshipped by the nations of the Far East as a divinity or the representative of one or more deities. ...
    [nave] MOON Created by God, Gen. 1:16; Psa. 8:3; 136:7-9. Its light, Job 31:26; Eccl. 12:2; Song 6:10; Jer. 31:35; 1 Cor. 15:41. Its influences, Deut. 33:14; Psa. 121:6. Seasons of (months), Psa. 104:19. Joseph's dream concerni...

  • Edomites

    [nave] EDOMITES, called also Edom. Descendants of Esau, Gen. 36. Kings of, Gen. 36:31-39; Num. 20:14; 1 Chr. 1:43-50; Ezek. 32:29; Amos 2:1. Dukes of, Gen. 36:9-43; Ex. 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51-54. Land of, Gen. 32:3; Deut. 2:4, 5, 12....

  • Hell

    [nave] HELL The word used in the King James Version of the O.T. to translate the Hebrew word sheol, signifying the unseen state, in Deut. 32:22; 2 Sam. 22:6; Job 11:8; 26:6; Psa. 9:17; 16:10; 18:5; 55:15; 86:13; 116:3; 139:8; Prov....

  • Eclipse

    [nave] ECLIPSE Of the sun and moon, Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7, 8; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Mic. 3:6; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24; Acts 2:20; Rev. 6:12, 13; 8:12. See: Sun; Moon. Figurative Isa. 60:19.

  • Prophecy

    [nave] PROPHECY Concerning Jesus, See: Jesus. Concerning church, See: Church, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of. Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles. Respecting individuals, see...

  • Lamentation

    [ebd] (Heb. qinah), an elegy or dirge. The first example of this form of poetry is the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1:17-27). It was a frequent accompaniment of mourning (Amos 8:10). In 2 Sam. 3:33, 34 is recorde...

  • Astronomy

    [nave] ASTRONOMY. Job 26:7, 13; Job 37:18; Job 38:31-33; Psa. 8:3; Psa. 19:1-6; Psa. 68:33; Psa. 136:5-9; Isa. 13:10; Isa. 40:22, 26; Isa. 47:13; Jer. 31:35-37; Jer. 33:22; Amos 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:41; Jude 13 Celestial Phenomena Jos...

  • RIVER

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated "brook," "river," "stream," but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13). (2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a "t...
    [isbe] RIVER - riv'-er: (1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Gen 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Gen 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2 Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2 Ki 17...

  • Darkness

    [nave] DARKNESS Over the face of the earth, Gen. 1:2; Job 38:9; Jer. 4:23. Called Night, Gen. 1:5. God creates, Isa. 45:7. Miraculous: in Egypt, Ex. 10:21, 22; Psa. 105:28; at Sinai, Ex. 20:21; Heb. 12:18; at the crucifixion, Ma...

  • MESHECH; MESECH

    [isbe] MESHECH; MESECH - me'-shek, me'-sek (meshekh, "long," "tall"; Mosoch): Son of Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1 Ch 1:5; 1:17 is a scribal error for "Mash"; compare Gen 10:22,23). His descendants and their dwelling-place (probably somewhe...

  • Persia

    [nave] PERSIA An empire which extended from India to Ethiopia, comprising one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, Esth. 1:1; Dan. 6:1. Government of, restricted by constitutional limitations, Esth. 8:8; Dan. 6:8-12. Municipal gov...

  • Dead

    [nave] DEAD Raised to life, instances of: Son of the widow of Zarephath, 1 Kin. 17:17-23; Shunammite's son, 2 Kin. 4:32-37; young man laid in Elisha's sepulchre, 2 Kin. 13:21; widow's son, Luke 7:12-15; Jairus' daughter, Luke 8:49-...

  • Meshech

    [nave] MESHECH 1. Called also Mesech. Son of Japheth, Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5. 2. Son of Shem, 1 Chr. 1:17. 3. A tribe, Psa. 120:5; Ezek. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2, 3.

  • Sidon

    [nave] SIDON 1. Called also Zidon. Son of Canaan, Gen. 10:15; 1 Chr. 1:13. 2. A city on the northern boundary of the Canaanites, Gen. 10:19. Designated by Jacob as the border of Zebulun, Gen. 49:13. Was on the northern boundary ...

  • Sun

    [nave] SUN Created, Gen. 1:14-18; Psa. 74:16; 136:7; Jer. 31:35. Rising and setting of, Eccl. 1:5. Daily motion of, Psa. 19:4, 6. Worship of, forbidden, Deut. 4:19; 17:3. Worshiped, Job 31:26-28; Jer. 8:2; Ezek. 6:4, 6; 8:16. ...
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Questions

  • I've heard and read the same statement a number of times, but have never troubled myself to look up each passage. I'm not surprised that looking up "heaven" and "hell" in a concordance would give you contradictory results. T...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • The recurrence of the Hebrew word massa', translated "oracle"or "burden,"prescribes the boundaries of this section of text.140These chapters present the nations over which Immanuel is ruler, and they expand the idea of God's ...
  • The reader would expect that Isaiah would inveigh against Assyria since it was the most threatening enemy in his day and since he referred to it many times in earlier chapters. However, he did not mention Assyria in this sect...
  • In Jeremiah, prophecies concerning foreign nations come at the end of the book. In the other major prophets, Isaiah and Ezekiel, they come after oracles against Israel and or Judah and before oracles dealing with Israel's res...
  • Ezekiel ministered to the Jews in exile. He probably wrote this book for the benefit of the exiles and the other Jewish communities of his day and beyond his day. In some of his visions (e.g. chs. 8 and 11) the Lord carried t...
  • There are two major structural peculiarities that set Ezekiel off as distinctive.First, the book is a collection of prophecies arranged in almost consistent chronological order. No other prophetical book is as consistently ch...
  • Ezekiel began prophesying when he was 30 years old, and he had gone into captivity five years before that. Thus Ezekiel was familiar with Jeremiah's preaching and ministry. Ezekiel shows quite a bit of similarity to Jeremiah ...
  • I. Ezekiel's calling and commission chs. 1-3A. The vision of God's glory ch. 11. The setting of the vision 1:1-32. The vision proper 1:4-28B. The Lord's charge to Ezekiel chs. 2-31. The recipients of Ezekiel's ministry 2:1-52...
  • This pericope contains 10 commands, and it is the center of the chiasm in chapters 1-3."The Lord's charge to Ezekiel emphasized the absolute necessity of hearing, understanding, and assimilating God's message prior to going f...
  • 24:25-26 Evidently Ezekiel was not to deliver any more prophetic messages to his fellow exiles after he made the explanation in verses 20-24 until he received word of the destruction of the temple and the capture of the remai...
  • It is appropriate that this section appears at this point in Ezekiel, between the messages announcing judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for sin (chs. 4-24) and the messages announcing future blessings for Israel (chs. 33-48). I...
  • The length of this oracle reflects the great significance of Tyre at this time in Israel's history. Tyre (lit. "rock") was the principle city of Phoenicia and consisted of two towns: a fortified stronghold on a rock outcroppi...
  • 26:19-20 The Lord further promised that after He destroyed the city by deluging it with great waves of invaders (cf. v. 3), it would die like a person placed in a grave (cf. 31:16; 32:18, 23-25, 29-30). It would go down into ...
  • 28:1-2 Ezekiel was to speak an oracle to the contemporary leader (Heb. nagid, prince, ruler, king) of Tyre in the Lord's name, probably King Ethbaal II (also known as Ittobaal II and Ithobalus II, ca. 590-573 B.C.). As usual ...
  • Ezekiel concluded his oracles against foreign nations with seven messages the Lord gave him concerning the fate of Egypt, one of Israel's most ancient and powerful enemies (cf. Isa. 31:1; Jer. 2:36; 46:1-26). God controls eve...
  • 29:1 This is another dated prophecy. It came to Ezekiel in the year before his first oracle against Tyre (26:1), namely, in 587 B.C.29:2 The Lord directed His prophet to turn his attention to the south, to Pharaoh king of Egy...
  • 31:15 On the day that God humbled Assyria, He caused many people and nations to mourn her demise. He made it impossible for that nation to revive; He did the same thing as burying it in the sea, and He kept its life-giving wa...
  • 32:1 This is the first of two messages that Ezekiel received from the Lord concerning Egypt in 585 B.C. Less than two months had passed since the exiles had learned of Jerusalem's fall, which had occurred several months earli...
  • The last of the seven oracles against Egypt fittingly pictures the nation in its final resting place, the grave or Sheol, surrounded by other dead nations that had preceded it in judgment."The language is highly poetical and ...
  • "This last major division of the book focuses on the restoration of Israel's blessing. Israel would be judged for her sin (chaps. 1-24) as would the surrounding nations (chaps. 25-32). But Israel will not remain under judgmen...
  • Since this message is undated, it may have come to Ezekiel about the same time as the previous two in chapter 32, namely, in the last month of 585 B.C. If so, Ezekiel received it about two months after God gave him the six me...
  • This part of Ezekiel's message of warning to the exiles is similar to 3:16-21. Yahweh recommissioned Ezekiel to his prophetic task (cf. chs. 2-3)."Now that Ezekiel's original ministry of judgment was completed, God appointed ...
  • What follows in this chapter is another oracle against a foreign nation (cf. chs. 25-32). What is it doing here? Evidently the writer included this oracle here because it promises to desolate an enemy of Israel that wanted to...
  • 38:1-2 The Lord commanded Ezekiel to utter an oracle of judgment against Gog (cf. 1 Chron. 5:4; Rev. 20:8), who was the prince (king) over Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. His land was Magog (cf. Gen. 10:2; Rev. 20:8).The identity o...
  • The Book of Ezekiel begins with a vision of God's glory (ch. 1), records the departure of God's glory (chs. 8-11), and ends with another vision of God's glory (chs. 40-48). This is the longest vision outside the Book of Revel...
  • 43:1-2 Ezekiel's guide next led him to the east gate in the outer wall. This was the wall of the millennial temple that he had been seeing and continued to see, not the wall of the Solomonic temple. There the prophet saw the ...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1968.Alexander, Ralph H. Ezekiel. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976._____. "Ezekiel."In Isaiah-Ezekiel. Vol. 6 of The Expo...
  • The prophet ordered a trumpet (Heb. shophar, ram's horn) to be blown in Zion (Jerusalem), specifically on the temple mount, to sound an alarm (cf. Jer. 4:5-6; Ezek. 33:2-6).18This shophar was the ancient equivalent of an air ...
  • 2:10 The earth trembles as this army advances. The heavens also tremble. The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars fade from view. Cosmic disturbances like these are common in biblical descriptions of Yahweh waging war (c...
  • 2:28-29 After this, namely, after the deliverance from the northern invader just described, God promised to pour out His Spirit on all mankind without gender, age, class, or position distinction.29In Old Testament times God g...
  • An oracle is a message of judgment. Amos proceeded to deliver eight of these, seven against Israel's neighbors including Judah (1:3-2:5) and one against Israel (2:6-6:14).12The order is significant. The nations mentioned firs...
  • 5:1 This message begins as the previous two did, with a call to hear the Lord's word. However here Amos announced that what follows is a dirge (Heb. qinah) against the house of Israel. A dirge was a lament that was sung at th...
  • v. 11 God cited one specific instance of Edom's violence against her brother, but as I explained in the introduction, which instance is unclear. Edom's treachery against Judah had taken place on a particular "day"in the past....
  • Though God had not responded to the prophet's questions previously, He did eventually, and Habakkuk recorded His answer. The form of this revelation is an oracle.1:5 The Lord told Habakkuk and his people (plural "you"in Hebre...
  • Zephaniah's oracle against Ethiopia is very brief (cf. Isa. 18-20; Jer. 46; Ezek. 29-32).23Biblical Ethiopia occupied the territory now held by southern Egypt, Sudan, and northern Ethiopia. The Ethiopians were the southernmos...
  • Jesus proceeded to explain to His disciples that His coming would terminate the Great Tribulation.24:23-24 "Then"means "at that time,"namely at the end of the Great Tribulation (v. 2). Jesus warned the disciples about people ...
  • These verses do not describe the destruction of Jerusalem but the Tribulation at the end of the present age and the Second Coming that will follow it. The Second Coming is the climax of the Olivet Discourse.32013:24-25 In con...
  • 21:10-11 Luke's interruption of Jesus' teaching suggests a break of some kind in His thought. It seems clear from what follows, in verse 11 especially, that Jesus now broadened His perspective from the wars that would precede...
  • The scene now shifts back to earth."The entire passage in every clause utilizes well known prophetic anticipations of the day of the Lord, and by his use of these images John identifies the day for his readers. One may check ...
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