Old Testament · Prophecy

Ezekiel 32

Pharaoh's Lament

A funeral dirge for Pharaoh. The great nations of history are already in the pit. Egypt will lie among them — mighty in life, equal in death.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

1In 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.’

3This 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.

4I 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.

5I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

6I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, all the way to the mountains— the ravines will be filled.

7When 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.

8All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land,’

9‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you do not know.

10I 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.’

11For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you!

12I 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.

13I will slaughter all her cattle beside the abundant waters. No human foot will muddy them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

14Then I will let her waters settle and will make her rivers flow like oil,’

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.’

16This 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.”

17In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, 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:

19Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised!

20They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.

21Mighty 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.’

22Assyria is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

23Her 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.

24Elam 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.

25Among 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.

26Meshech 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.

27They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.

28But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.

29Edom 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.

30All 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.

31Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his multitude— Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,

32For 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,

Understand This

Ezekiel 32, explained

What Ezekiel 32 is saying

Ezekiel delivers a final lament over Pharaoh, depicting him as a sea monster caught in God's net. A vivid descent-to-Sheol passage follows, where Egypt joins Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and Sidon in the underworld—all once-mighty nations now lying among the slain.

The background behind it

This is the last of seven oracles against Egypt (chapters 29-32). The Sheol catalogue represents one of the most developed underworld passages in the Hebrew Bible, providing rare insight into ancient Israelite conceptions of the afterlife.

Themes running underneath

Death is the great equalizer of empires. The underworld scene strips all pretension from the fallen nations—they lie together in shame regardless of their former glory. The chapter closes the oracles against the nations and transitions toward restoration theology.

Why it still matters

No amount of earthly power, military might, or political influence alters the final destination of those who defy God. This sobering vision calls for humility in the face of ultimate realities.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.