A Lament 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.” Ezekiel Israel’s Watchman

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Ezekiel 32 is a funeral lament over Pharaoh and Egypt. God says he will bring down their pride, expose their shame, and destroy their power. The chapter uses strong poetic images to show that Egypt’s fall will be complete and that the nations will know the Lord.

God tells Ezekiel to sing a lament for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh had acted like a mighty power among the nations, but God says he will be trapped, brought down, and left as food for birds and wild animals. The vivid language of blood, darkness, and ruin shows the fullness of God’s judgment. It is poetic judgment language, not a call to picture every detail literally.

The chapter then widens the picture. Egypt is pictured as going down to Sheol, the realm of the dead, where other proud powers already lie in shame. Assyria, Elam, Edom, and others are mentioned as examples of rulers and nations that once caused terror but were later defeated. Egypt will join them. Its glory will not last. Its pride will end in humiliation.

The repeated message is clear: the Lord is the one who brings down the proud. Egypt will fall by Babylon’s sword, but the deeper truth is that God himself is acting. When this happens, the nations will know that he is the Lord.

• God judges proud rulers and nations.
• Human power is temporary before the Lord.
• The vivid images in this chapter are poetic pictures of total judgment.
• Egypt will be humbled by Babylon, but God is the one behind the judgment.
• The fall of Egypt will show the nations who the Lord is.

• Do not trust human power, military strength, or national pride.
• Do not soften the warning of God’s judgment on sin and arrogance.
• Remember that God’s judgments are public and meant to reveal his holiness.
• Take the chapter as a lament and prophecy, not as a literal map of the afterlife.

This chapter fits Ezekiel’s larger message that the Lord rules over all nations. Egypt was a false source of confidence, especially for people tempted to trust political strength instead of God. By humbling Egypt, the Lord clears away false hopes and vindicates his name before the nations.

Do not put your hope in rulers, armies, or any human system. Pride rises quickly, but God can bring it down. Fear the Lord instead of fearing powerful people. His word is sure, and his judgment is real.

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