Ezekiel 32:27

Egypt Cast into the Pit · Ezekiel 32:17–32
Read Ezekiel 32

Translations

Modern
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.
Traditional
And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Literal
And they lie down, not with the mighty ones, those having fallen of old, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war; and they have laid their swords under their heads, and their shields will be upon their bones, for the terror of the mighty ones in the land of the living.
Latin
Et non dormient cum fortibus, cadentibusque, et incircumcisis, qui descenderunt ad infernum cum armis suis, et posuerunt gladios suos sub capitibus suis, et fuerunt iniquitates eorum in ossibus eorum: quia terror fortium facti sunt in terra viventium.

Original

Hebrew
English
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.

Notes

Assyria … Elam … Meshech and Tubal … Edom … the leaders of the north and the Sidonians: In the past, these nations filled people with fear. Now they are described as weak shadows of what they once were. Their power is gone, and they exist in a place without joy or purpose.

Assyria had been defeated by the Babylonians and the Medes between 627 and 609 BC. After that time, it was no longer a great world power.

This final message against Egypt brings the whole series of messages to a close. It gathers together the main themes from God’s judgments against all the nations.

  • The seventh and final message of judgment against the nations targets Egypt, an old enemy and ally of Israel. This message is the longest and, like the one against Tyre, it addresses both Egypt and its ruler.

  • Egypt often tempted Israel and Judah to turn away from their loyalty to the Lord. Soon after leaving Egypt, Israel fell into the trap of Egypt's idolatry. Egypt led Judah to rely on chariots and horses instead of the Lord, but Egypt was unreliable when it mattered most. The Lord judged Egypt for leading his people astray (compare Luke 17:1–2).

  • This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

  • One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.

Theme notes and profiles

Messages Against the Nations

Events

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Burial, Burial Customs Circumcision Ezekiel, Book of Lord Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar Place of the Dead

Topics

Hell in the RV of Nt It Appears Only In Hell: Human Power Cannot Preserve From Military Arms: Offensive: Sword