Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

EZEKIEL - CHAPTER 32

THE LAMENTATION OF PHARAOH

Verses 1-16:

Two lamentations are given in this chapter: 1) First, vs. 1, over Pharaoh and 2) Second, v. 17, fifteen days later over all the people of Egypt.

Verse 1 fixes the time of the first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of the captivity and carrying away of Jehoachin. Jerusalem had been overthrown by this time and Amasis was revolting against Pharaoh-hophra.

Verse 2 calls upon Ezekiel to begin a lamentation cry against Pharaoh king of Egypt. He was to compare him with a young lion of the dry ground, among heathen nations, and a whale or dragon of the seas, that left its salt water habitat to pollute earth’s rivers and streams, an object of terror, on land and sea, feared like the crocodile of the river Nile. This alludes to Pharaoh’s leaving his own nation to go out and trample others, Ezekiel 19:3; Ezekiel 19:6; Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 34:18; Ezekiel 38:13; Isaiah 27:1.

Verse 3 warns that the Lord God will spread out His net like a snare, with a great company of people, to ensnare Pharaoh. This alludes to the Chaldeans, God’s instruments of chastening judgment to overthrow Pharaoh, Ezekiel 29:3-4; Hosea 7:12.

Verse 4 describes the judgment carnage to be made of Pharaoh, as the Lord caused him and his armies to be cut down upon the land, be left in the open fields, to be devoured by flesh eating fowls and carnivorous beasts; He is to die like fish, or a sea monster, on dry land, v. 2; Ezekiel 19:5; Psalms 63:10; Psalms 74:4; Psalms 79:2-3; Isaiah 14:19; Isaiah 18:6; 1 Samuel 17:44.

Verse 5 warns that Pharaoh’s judgment both personal and on his mighty armed forces would be so severe that the flesh of his men and horses that were slain in the valleys, together with their corpses and stench, borne by vultures of prey, would reach to the heights upon the mountains. The world would know of the Divine judgment that had brought him low, Ezekiel 31:12.

Verse 6 further warns that armed slaughter of Pharaoh’s hordes of men and horses would be so great that the land, Nile and her streams, would swim with blood, seas of blood, as in God’s judgment on her in the days of Moses, Exodus 7:19; Revelation 8:8. Their blood was to pollute the streams, from the Nile and her valleys, to the top of the mountains, wherever the crocodiles swam and sought life and food, even as they symbolized the dragon-like powers and nature of Pharaoh.

Verses 7, 8 describe darkness, defeat, despair, and loneliness that will shroud the land like a dense cloud, when Divine judgment has fallen on Pharaoh and the army of his might, at the hand of the Lord. All heaven’s bright lights, the sun, moon, and stars, objects, creatures they had come to worship instead of the Creator, were to be turned to darkness, Exodus 10:21; Job 18:5; Isaiah 13:10; Jeremiah 13:16; Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:13; Romans 1:25. Their political lights were put out.

Verse 9 foretells that the Lord would vex or provoke to anger the hearts of many people, when He brought tidings of their destruction, with the captives who would be carried as slaves into many nations, that they had not even known.

Verse 10 describes terror brought upon many people and other kings round about upon learning of Pharaoh’s fall, when the Lord brandished His sword, by means of the Chaldean army. Fear and trembling gripped all who beheld Pharaoh’s fall, Deuteronomy 29:24; 1 Kings 9:8; Ezekiel 26:16.

Verse 11 warns that the sword of the king of Babylon would surely come down upon Pharaoh, without escape, Jeremiah 46:26; Ezekiel 30:4.

Verse 12 asserts that the sword of the mighty (king of Babylon) the terrible ones of the earth, the people and pomp of all Egypt would be destroyed, made spoil for the warriors who destroyed her, Ezekiel 28:7; Ezekiel 29:19.

Verse 13 describes the Lord’s destruction of the beasts, domesticated animals beside the great waters of the Nile and her tributaries, so that the foot of no man or beast would trouble them any more in all the land, Ezekiel 29:11.

Verse 14, 15 further prophesies that in this judgment upon Pharaoh He will make their rivers deep, or waters to subside, go down, so that the waters should run like oil (quietly), with no rush of waterfall noise, because they were near dried up. Thus the land would become destitute of its former fullness, until they who survived should recognize the Lord as the one true God, Exodus 7:5; Exodus 14:4; Exodus 14:18; Exodus 20:1-5; Psalms 9:16; Psalms 83:17-18.

Verse 16 concludes the repeated lament which the survivors of Egypt and all nations should lament for her and her fallen king and his armies as declared by the Lord God, 2 Samuel 1:17; 2 Chronicles 35:23-25; Ezekiel 26:17. And so it should and did come to pass.

THE LAMENTATION FOR EGYPT

Verses 17-32:

Verses 17, 18 take up a second lamentation upon the inhabitants of Egypt in particular. This call came to Ezekiel fifteen days following that described v. 1-16. He was to wail for the people, bemoaning and foretelling their uprooting, their downfall, a part of his Divine calling, Jeremiah 1:10. They were to be uprooted, torn apart, slain and some carried away as captive slaves into other nations, Ezekiel 26:20; Ezekiel 31:14; Ezekiel 43:3; Hosea 6:5. They were destined for oblivion.

Verse 19 rhetorically asks, "do you pass others in beauty?" You do, don’t you? is the idea. For they too were to be slain, decay in death or be carried away by and as chattel property slaves of the uncircumcised heathen, to be raped, ravished, and brutalized, at the pleasure of their masters, Ezekiel 27:3-4; Ezekiel 28:12-17; Ezekiel 31:2; 1 Samuel 17:26; 1 Samuel 17:36; Jeremiah 9:25-26.

Verse 20 seems to address her executioners saying, "draw her forth to death," speedily, without just cause for delay, for the sword was laid out before her, Psalms 7:11-12.

Verse 21 .describes the strong one (king of Babylon) who shall speak to Pharaoh out of hell or the fury of hell, taunting him as one defeated and fallen, gasping, dying, begging to live; Yet with no further mercy to be extended, Ezekiel 31:16; Luke 16:23-24; Proverbs 1:25-29; Proverbs 29:1.

Verse 22 describes alternately, the king as "he" and the land as "her," who both alike faced Assyrian punishment, to be slain, laid in their graves in the open fields, because of their idolatrous guilt, Exodus 20:1; Exodus 20:5; Numbers 32:23.

Verse 23 explains that graves were cut as sepulchres out of the side of rock mountains for those to be buried, whose bodies might be brought intact from the fields of slaughter, where their Assyrian enemies had struck terror over all Egypt, Isaiah 14:15; Ezekiel 26:17; Ezekiel 26:20.

Verse 24 declares that Edom, and all those surrounding her, as auxiliaries to Assyria, reaching into ancient. Persia, had fallen on the field of battle, by the sword, bearing their heathen shame to the pit or the grave, Genesis 10:2; Genesis 14:1; 1 Chronicles 1:17; Isaiah 22:6; Jeremiah 25:25; Jeremiah 49:34; Daniel 8:2; 2 Samuel 3:31. They were slain in their pride, by Nebuchadnezzar, according to prophecy, Jeremiah 49:34-38.

Verse 25 adds that they of Edom had set her bed (resting place) in the midst of the slain, to go down in death, as uncircumcised heathen, falling by the sword, v. 21, 23, 24. It is a monotonous dirge of death, by divine judgment over proud heathen.

Verse 26 tells of the former fall of Meshech, Tubal, northern nations from Assyria, between the Black and Caspian seas; who too had fallen by the sword. For they too had once caused cruel terror in their land.

Verse 27 affirms that they shall not lie with the mighty, be carried to places of honor for burial, but would rot in the fields, with their heads and carcasses upon their own swords, bearing their iniquities in a death of judgment, Galatians 6:7-8; Job 3:13-15; Isaiah 14:18-19; Isaiah 54:17; 2 Corinthians 10:4.

Verse 28 relates that Egypt should fall too, like other neighboring nations of Assyria, who had lived in uncircumcised rebellion against the living God; She too should become a vanquished nation.

Verse 29 describes Edom and her kings and princes or dukes who too lay among the mighty in death on the battlefields. Though Edom was of the circumcision, because of her sins she was laid in death on the field of battle to rot with the uncircumcised, Genesis 36:40; Isaiah 34:5; Isaiah 34:10-17; Jeremiah 49:7; Jeremiah 49:13-18. He was to lie on the battlefield as surely as Egypt who had no hereditary right to circumcision.

Verse 30 adds that the princes of the north, rulers with the Zidonians, had gone down with the slain to lie in shame with the uncircumcised all about, Jeremiah 1:14; Jeremiah 4:6; Ezekiel 38:6; Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2; See also Genesis 10:15; Jeremiah 25:22; Ezekiel 28:21.

Verse 31 foretells that Pharaoh shall see the fall of the surrounding nations before him and find his only comfort in their destruction, a very poor ground of comfort, Lamentations 2:13; Ezekiel 14:22; Ezekiel 31:16.

Verse 32 discloses that the Lord had caused His terror in the land of the living, of Judea and Israel. He had caused them to be overthrown by cruel heathen powers. They had, as circumcised Jews, fallen on the battlefield, and been left there with the dead of the uncircumcised armies of the Assyrians, by Divine judgment decree. They of Israel would lay in death with Pharaoh and the uncircumcised of Egypt, each because of rebellion and against God, their own pride, lust, and idolatry, Exodus 20:1-5.