Dusk at a wide bend of the Nile: the near bank trampled and the water churned brown and muddy among bent reeds, under a calm darkening sky.

The nations judged

Ezekiel 32

What will be said of your life when it is over?

32 verses≈ 8 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earthChapter 32
33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeated
40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

God

A muddy bend of the Nile: a great crocodile’s ridged back and tail breaking the surface in a swirl of churned brown water, reeds bent and the bank trampled.

In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “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.’

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

God

God

This 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.

God

I 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.

I will put your flesh on the mountains

and fill the valleys with your remains.

I will drench the land

with the flow of your blood,

all the way to the mountains—

the ravines will be filled.

God

Night over the Nile: the river black and still, palms in silhouette, the moon covered by heavy cloud with only a faint dim rim of light, no stars.

When 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.

All the shining lights in the heavens

I will darken over you,

and I will bring darkness

upon your land,’

declares the Lord GOD.

0:16

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

God

‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,

when I bring about your destruction among the nations,

in countries you do not know.

I 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.’

Question

Quick question

The lament opens with two pictures of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh was like a lion among the nations. What else does the lament call him?

God

For this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘The sword of the king of Babylon

will come against you!

I 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.

God

I will slaughter all her cattle

beside the abundant waters.

No human foot will muddy them again,

and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

God

The Nile at first light utterly still, clear and smooth as oil, papyrus mirrored in it, the mud banks bare of any footprint or hoof mark.

Then I will let her waters settle

and will make her rivers flow like oil,’

declares the Lord GOD.

God

‘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.’

God

God

This 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.”

Pray

Lord, the proud thrash and muddy the waters, and You bring them to stillness. Quiet my heart before You now, while it is still today. Amen.

Egypt Cast into the Pit

God

In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “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:

God

Whom do you surpass in beauty?

Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised!

They will fall among those slain by the sword.

The sword is appointed!

Let them drag her away

along with all her multitudes.

God

Mighty 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.’

God

Assyria is there with her whole company;

her graves are all around her.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword.

Her 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.

God

Elam 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.

Among 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.

God

Meshech 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.

They 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.

But you too will be shattered

and lie down among the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword.

God

Edom 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.

All 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.

God

Pharaoh will see them

and be comforted over all his multitude—

Pharaoh and all his army,

slain by the sword,

declares the Lord GOD.

For 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,

declares the Lord GOD.”

Who is in the Pit

Whiteboard

Every empire that spread terror lies in the same place. Only the LORD’s kingdom stands.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 32

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A verse to carry with you

Then I will let her waters settle and will make her rivers flow like oil,’ declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 32:14

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