Ezekiel 32:1-16

1 It was in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, sing a funeral song about the king of Egypt. Say to him: 'You are like a young lion among the nations. You are like a crocodile in the seas. You splash around in your streams and stir up the water with your feet, making the rivers muddy.

3 "'This is what the Lord God says: I will spread my net over you, and I will use a large group of people to pull you up in my net.

4 Then I will throw you on the land dropping you onto the ground. I will let the birds of the sky rest on you and all the animals of the earth eat you until they are full.

5 I will scatter your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with what is left of you.

6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood as far as the mountains, and the ravines will be full of your flesh.

7 When I make you disappear, I will cover the sky and make the stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not shine.

8 I will make all the shining lights in the sky become dark over you; I will bring darkness over your land, says the Lord God.

9 I will cause many people to be afraid when I bring you as a captive into other nations, to lands you have not known.

10 I will cause many people to be shocked about you. Their kings will tremble with fear because of you when I swing my sword in front of them. They will shake every moment on the day you fall; each king will be afraid for his own life.

11 "'So this is what the Lord God says: will attack you.

12 I will cause your people to fall by the swords of mighty soldiers, the most terrible in the world. and all its people.

13 I will also destroy all Egypt's cattle which live alongside much water. The foot of a human will not stir the water, and the hoofs of cattle will not muddy it anymore.

14 So I will let the Egyptians' water become clear. I will cause their rivers to run as smoothly as olive oil, says the Lord God.

15 When I make the land of Egypt empty and take everything that is in the land, when I destroy all those who live in Egypt, then they will know that I am the Lord.'

16 "This is the funeral song people will sing for Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it; they will sing a funeral song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord God."

Ezekiel 32:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 32

This chapter contains two more prophecies concerning the destruction of Egypt. The date of the first is given, Eze 22:1, in which the king of Egypt is compared to a large fish taken in a net, and brought to land, and left on it, to be the prey of the fowls of the air and beasts of the field, Eze 32:2-4, and the ruin of that kingdom is further amplified by the casting of it on the mountains and valleys; by the land flowing with its blood; by the darkness of the heavens; by the vexation in the hearts of many people; and by the amazement of kings and nations, Eze 32:5-10, the means and instruments of all which will be the king of Babylon and his army, Eze 32:11,12, the devastation made by him, which would be such as would cause lamentation in other nations, is described, Eze 32:13-16, then follows the other prophecy, whose date is given, Eze 32:17, the prophet is bid to lament the fall of Egypt, which is represented under the funeral of a corpse, Eze 32:18-20, saluted by those gone down to the grave before, or were become desolate; which are mentioned, to assure Egypt of its destruction, Eze 32:21 as the Assyrian empire, and all its provinces, Eze 32:22,23, the Persians and Medes, with all their dominions, Eze 32:24,25, the posterity of Meshech and Tubal, or the Scythians, those warlike people, Eze 32:26-28, the Edomites, the princes of the north, and all the Zidonians, Eze 32:29,30 which would be a comfort, though a poor one to the king of Egypt and his subjects, to have such company with them, Eze 32:31,32.