Ezekiel 32:18
“Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The command for Ezekiel to "cast them down" isn't just about prophesying their fall; it signifies his active role in proclaiming their utter ruin, an act that mirrors God's own judgment. This phrase emphasizes that the prophet's words carry the weight of divine action, ensuring their descent into the pit of oblivion alongside other once-mighty nations.
Ezekiel is being instructed to pronounce a dirge, a funeral song, not for a single person, but for the vast nation of Egypt and its allies. This prophecy comes as part of a larger judgment against nations that have oppressed God's people, and it paints a picture of Egypt's complete downfall, consigning its people to the same low place in the earth as others who have been destroyed. The surrounding verses detail the fate of other proud nations, emphasizing that Egypt will join them in oblivion.
Why is Ezekiel told to 'wail' and 'cast down' Egypt, when God is the one doing the judging?
In Scripture, the prophet's actions often mirror the divine judgment being declared. When God tells Ezekiel to 'wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down,' it's not just a suggestion; it's a divine command to embody the prophecy.
The Prophet's Role
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Egypt's royalty and commoners were famously buried in grand pyramids. Why does Ezekiel send them to 'the pit'?
Ezekiel confronts Egypt's pride by contrasting their expected grand burials with the reality of their judgment: a descent into the common pit, a shared grave with ordinary people.
Humiliation in Death
Understand the original words
ben-'ādām · Hebrew Noun phrase
A title often used by God for the prophet Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and frailty in contrast to the majesty and holiness of the Almighty who gives him the message.
bôr · Hebrew Noun
The common Old Testament metaphor for the realm of the dead or the grave (Sheol). It represents the place of departed spirits, characterized by darkness, silence, and separation from the living.
This prophecy against Egypt occurs during the Babylonian exile, a time when Judah itself was devastated. Ezekiel's vivid imagery of Egypt's downfall serves as a powerful reminder that no nation's might, however impressive, is ultimate, and all human pride is destined to face divine judgment.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and begins deporting its elite, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, deporting most of the remaining population to Babylon. This event is a profound trauma for the Jewish people.
c. 585 BC
Ezekiel's Call to Prophecy
Ezekiel, a priest already in exile in Babylon, receives his prophetic call. He is tasked with delivering God's message to the exiles and to the nations surrounding them.
c. 585-570 BC
Prophecies Against Surrounding Nations
Throughout his ministry, Ezekiel delivers oracles against various nations like Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt, often using vivid imagery of judgment and destruction. These prophecies address the nations' pride and their oppression of God's people.
c. 585 BC— this verse
Prophecy Against Egypt (Ezekiel 32)
Ezekiel delivers a powerful oracle of judgment against Egypt, portraying its formidable power as a great dragon destined for a humiliating downfall in the realm of the dead. This passage vividly describes the fate of Egypt and other proud nations.
550-539 BC
Rise of Persia
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, building a vast empire that will soon conquer Babylon. This geopolitical shift looms in the background of later prophetic messages.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event fulfills prophecies and paves the way for the return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
This passage also prophesies a devastating judgment against Egypt, highlighting the prophecy of God's hand striking the land, echoing the 'multitude' that Ezekiel is to wail over.
Jeremiah 1:10The instruction to Ezekiel to 'wail' and 'cast them down' mirrors God's command to Jeremiah to 'root out and to pull down,' emphasizing that the prophet's declaration carries divine authority and foretells certain destruction.
Ezekiel 28:11-19This chapter provides a similar lament over the king of Tyre, depicting his fall from a position of splendor to destruction and oblivion in the pit, paralleling the fate of Egypt and other 'majestic nations' described here.
Ezekiel 31:15-18This earlier prophecy in Ezekiel speaks of nations being sent down to the pit alongside Egypt's downfall, creating a thematic link where great nations, once mighty, are brought low to the realm of the dead.
clarkeEzekiel 32:18: "Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit."
Cast them down - Show them that they shall be cast down. Proclaim to them a casting down prophecy.
ellicottEzekiel 32:18: "Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit."
(18) Cast them down.— The prophet is here, as often elsewhere, told to do that which he prophesies shall be done. This is a forcible way of stating the certain fulfilment of that which is declared by Divine command.
The command for Ezekiel to "cast them down" isn't just about prophesying their fall; it signifies his active role in proclaiming their utter ruin, an act that mirrors God's own judgment. This phrase emphasizes that the prophet's words carry the weight of divine action, ensuring their descent into the pit of oblivion alongside other once-mighty nations.
Ezekiel is being instructed to pronounce a dirge, a funeral song, not for a single person, but for the vast nation of Egypt and its allies. This prophecy comes as part of a larger judgment against nations that have oppressed God's people, and it paints a picture of Egypt's complete downfall, consigning its people to the same low place in the earth as others who have been destroyed. The surrounding verses detail the fate of other proud nations, emphasizing that Egypt will join them in oblivion.
Ezekiel is being instructed to pronounce a dirge, a funeral song, not for a single person, but for the vast nation of Egypt and its allies. This prophecy comes as part of a larger judgment against nations that have oppressed God's people, and it paints a picture of Egypt's complete downfall, consigning its people to the same low place in the earth as others who have been destroyed. The surrounding verses detail the fate of other proud nations, emphasizing that Egypt will join them in oblivion.
"“Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:" — The command for Ezekiel to "cast them down" isn't just about prophesying their fall; it signifies his active role in proclaiming their utter ruin, an act that mirrors God's own judgment. This phrase…
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