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Ezekiel 32

32 verses

TL;DR

Ezekiel 32 records a prophetic lament against Pharaoh and Egypt, depicting their impending destruction by divine judgment and highlighting the sovereignty of God over nations.

Summary

The chapter begins with God commanding Ezekiel to lament for Pharaoh, describing him as a powerful but arrogant lion and whale. God vows to bring a net and many enemies to capture Pharaoh, casting him into open fields and surrounding him with birds and beasts. He declares that he will flood Egypt with Pharaoh’s blood, darken the heavens, and make the sun and moon silent, illustrating total devastation. The text expands to describe how Pharaoh’s fall will instill fear among kings, and that Babylon’s sword will be the instrument of judgment. Subsequent verses generalize this judgment to many nations—Asshur, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, and Edom—each doomed to be slain by the sword, buried, and made examples of terror. The chapter ends with the image of Pharaoh being comforted in his own ruin and placed among the slain uncircumcised, emphasizing God’s power and judgment.

Outline
  1. God commands Ezekiel to lament Pharaoh and Egypt.
  2. Depiction of Pharaoh’s destruction and cosmic darkness.
  3. Extension of judgment to surrounding nations and their ultimate downfall.
Themes
Divine judgment and sovereigntyLamentation as prophetic expressionThe downfall of prideful nations
Keywords
lamentationPharaohEgyptswordnetjudgmentdesolationuncircumciseddivine sovereignty
People
PharaohEzekiel
Places
EgyptAsshurElamMeshechTubalEdomnorth
Things
netswordwatercloudstarsuncircumcised
Key Verses
  • Ezekiel 32:1: Marks the divine instruction to the prophet to lament Pharaoh, setting the chapter’s purpose.
  • Ezekiel 32:12: Emphasizes Babylon’s sword as the instrument of judgment, linking Egypt’s fate to wider divine decree.
  • Ezekiel 32:31: Illustrates the paradoxical comfort Pharaoh will receive in his own ruin, underscoring God's sovereign judgment.
Questions
  • What does the lamentation reveal about the character of God?
  • How does the description of cosmic darkness enhance the sense of judgment?
  • Why are multiple nations mentioned, and what does this suggest about the scope of divine judgment?
  • What is the significance of portraying Pharaoh as both powerful and doomed?
  • How can the themes of judgment and lamentation be applied to contemporary faith contexts?
Sentiment

negative
The chapter conveys a strong tone of judgment, destruction, and divine wrath.