A lament for Pharaoh. The descent of Egypt into sheol.
VERSE 1. In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, “the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
This was March 3, 585 BC.
VERSE 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. You broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.”
take up a lamentation over Pharaoh. The fall of Egypt is so certain that Ezekiel is told to take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt.
A lament, or funeral dirge, was usually delivered when one was buried.
Pharaoh king of Egypt. This particular pharaoh is named Hophra.
troubled the waters. Pharaoh Hophra is disturbing the international scene as he tries to blunt Babylon’s power.
VERSE 3. The Lord GOD says: “I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples. They will bring you up in my net.
Pharaoh will be trapped by his enemies and removed from power.
VERSE 4. I will leave you on the land. I will cast you out on the open field, and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you. I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you.
VERSE 5. I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height.
VERSE 6. I will also water the land in which you swim with your blood, even to the mountains. The watercourses will be full of you.
water the land … with your blood. This evokes images of Egypt’s judgment at the time of the Exodus.
The first plague on Egypt was water turning into blood.
VERSE 7. When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon won’t give its light.
VERSE 8. I will make all the bright lights of the sky dark over you, and set darkness on your land,” says the Lord GOD.
VERSE 9. “I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known.
VERSE 10. Yes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid for you, when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.”
Egypt will fall to Babylon.
VERSE 12. I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of the mighty. They are all the ruthless of the nations. They will bring the pride of Egypt to nothing, and all its multitude will be destroyed.
bring the pride of Egypt to nothing. Egypt’s pride will be shattered.
VERSE 13. I will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters. The foot of man won’t trouble them any more, nor will the hoofs of animals trouble them.
VERSE 14. Then I will make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil,” says the Lord GOD.
I will make their waters clear. Pharaoh had muddied the waters with his international antics. But now his activities will come to an end, and so the waters will settle down.
VERSE 15. “When I make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was full, when I strike all those who dwell therein, then they will know that I am the LORD.
VERSE 16. “ ‘ “This is the lamentation with which they will lament. The daughters of the nations will lament with this. They will lament with it over Egypt, and over all her multitude,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
VERSE 17. Also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
the twelfth year. This is the last of Ezekiel’s seven prophecies against Egypt. It is in the 12th year and on the 15th day of the month.
The month is not named. But many people assume it is the same month as the previous prophecy.
VERSE 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.
NIV translation. Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’
NASB translation. ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.’
NAB translation. Come down, you and your allies, lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword
be laid. This is a curious phrase!
VERSE 20. They will fall among those who are slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword. Draw her away with all her multitudes.
VERSE 21. The strong among the mighty will speak to him out of the middle of Sheol with those who help him. They have gone down. The uncircumcised lie still, slain by the sword.
Sheol. It was thought of as the place of the dead.
VERSE 22. “Asshur is there with all her company. Her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword,
VERSE 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.
VERSE 24. “There is Elam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have 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.
VERSE 25. They have made Elam a bed among 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 among those who are slain.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 27. They will not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war and have laid their swords under their heads. Their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
VERSE 28. “But you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and will lie with those who are slain by the sword.
VERSE 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 will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit.
VERSE 30. “There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain. They are put to shame in the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
VERSE 31. “Pharaoh will see them and will be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,” says the Lord GOD.
VERSE 32. “For I have put his terror in the land of the living. He will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude,” says the Lord GOD.
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