The contrast here is striking: Pharaoh thought he was a mighty lion among nations, but God sees him as a monstrous dragon, a threat that poisons the very waters of his own realm, bringing ruin not just to others, but to himself. This isn't about his power, but the destructive impurity he spreads.
“Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is instructed to pronounce a funeral lament over Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, depicting him not as the proud "lion of nations" his flatterers might claim, but as a monstrous, polluting crocodile in his own waters. This imagery highlights how Pharaoh's aggressive actions and pride have stirred up and fouled the surrounding nations, much like a fearsome beast disturbing a river, foreshadowing his ultimate downfall.
Pharaoh saw himself as a mighty leader among nations, a powerful lion. But God’s perspective revealed a much uglier truth.
Ezekiel uses a striking contrast to expose Pharaoh’s true nature. He highlights the inflated self-image of the Egyptian king versus the reality of his destructive impact.
A False Majesty
Pharaoh believed he was a 'young lion of the nations.' This imagery suggests strength, leadership, and dominance over other peoples. It's the picture of a king who commands respect and inspires awe.
The Dragon's Deception
But God declares Pharaoh is actually like a 'dragon in the seas' or, more accurately, a crocodile. This creature, while powerful, is also treacherous and destructive. It lurks in the familiar waters of the Nile, yet its sudden emergence and violent actions bring terror and ruin.
Pharaoh's ambition wasn't just about personal power; it actively disrupted the peace and stability of surrounding peoples.
The imagery of 'troubling the waters' and 'fouling their rivers' speaks volumes about the impact of Pharaoh's actions on other nations.
Disrupting Peace
When the crocodile (Pharaoh) bursts forth from his rivers, he 'troubles the waters with his feet.' This is a powerful metaphor for how Pharaoh's military campaigns and political maneuvering agitated and destabilized neighboring kingdoms.
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Causing Ruin
Furthermore, he 'fouls their rivers.' This signifies spoiling the resources, destroying prosperity, and making life itself difficult and unclean for those he attacked. His presence brought not just conflict, but widespread corruption and devastation, rendering their 'waters' (their lifeblood, their peace, their nations) undrinkable.
Understand the original words
ben-’adam · Hebrew Noun phrase
A designation used frequently in the book of Ezekiel for the prophet, emphasizing his humanity and distinct separation from the divine glory of God, yet highlighting his role as God’s representative.
qinah · Hebrew Noun
A funeral dirge or mournful song expressing deep sorrow and despair over a person, city, or nation facing impending destruction or judgment.
par‘oh · Egyptian/Hebrew Proper Noun
A Hebrew title for the ruler of Egypt, used in the Bible not merely as a proper name but as a title representing the arrogance, power, and often the idolatrous opposition of the Egyptian state against God's people.
tannin · Hebrew Noun
A large, serpentine sea monster representing chaos, primal forces, or powerful enemies of God that rise from the waters to challenge divine order.
Ezekiel delivers this prophetic oracle against Pharaoh Hophra shortly after the king's disastrous military campaigns and subsequent downfall in a civil war. The prophet uses powerful imagery of a monstrous crocodile, once perceived as a mighty ruler, to expose his true, destructive nature and pronounce God's judgment upon him and Egypt.
c. 587-585 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar II conquer Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and exiling a large portion of the Judean population. This event sent shockwaves throughout the region and marked a significant shift in power.
c. 585 BC
Babylonian Siege of Tyre
Nebuchadnezzar II laid siege to the Phoenician city of Tyre for 13 years. While Tyre ultimately held out, the prolonged siege weakened the region and demonstrated Babylon's military reach.
c. 570-569 BC
Egyptian Military Campaigns
Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) of Egypt, who had allied with Jerusalem against Babylon, led military campaigns into Palestine and Phoenicia. These actions were seen as defiance against Babylon but ultimately proved disastrous.
c. 569 BC— this verse
Egyptian Civil War
Hophra's military failures led to a revolt within Egypt, led by his general Amasis. Hophra was eventually defeated and killed, ending his reign and Egypt's challenge to Babylonian dominance.
c. 568-567 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Campaign in Egypt
Following Hophra's downfall, Nebuchadnezzar II launched a successful invasion of Egypt, consolidating Babylonian power and bringing an end to Egyptian ambitions in the region.
This passage also addresses Pharaoh, describing him as a great dragon lying in the midst of his rivers, highlighting the recurring prophetic imagery of Egypt and its ruler as dangerous water creatures.
Isaiah 51:9This verse speaks of God's ancient strength against Rahab, a symbolic name for Egypt often depicted as a sea monster, paralleling Ezekiel's portrayal of Pharaoh as a destructive sea creature.
Psalm 22:12This psalm uses imagery of fierce bulls and lions surrounding the speaker, much like Ezekiel uses animal metaphors to describe the aggressive and threatening nature of Pharaoh and his kingdom.
Ezekiel 19:1-9This earlier lamentation in Ezekiel uses the metaphor of a lioness and her cubs to describe the fall of the royal house of Judah, demonstrating Ezekiel's consistent use of animal imagery for fallen rulers and nations.
Job 41:1-34This detailed description of the powerful and fearsome Leviathan, a sea monster, shares thematic similarities with the depiction of Pharaoh as a destructive creature of the waters, emphasizing overwhelming power and danger.
pooleEzekiel 32:2: "Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers."
Take a lamentation: see Ezekiel 19:1 27:2 . Pharaoh; Hophra. Like a young lion: of this hieroglyphic see Ezekiel 19:3,6 . Of the nations; among, or to, the nations round about thee, spoiling all thou canst, a cruel de…
barnesEzekiel 32:2: "Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers."
Thou art like ... - Rather, Thou wouldest be like to (others, "wast likened unto") a young lion. And thou art - In contrast to what thou wouldest be. A whale - Rather, crocodile (marginal reference note). Pharaoh shou…
The contrast here is striking: Pharaoh thought he was a mighty lion among nations, but God sees him as a monstrous dragon, a threat that poisons the very waters of his own realm, bringing ruin not just to others, but to himself. This isn't about his power, but the destructive impurity he spreads.
Ezekiel is instructed to pronounce a funeral lament over Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, depicting him not as the proud "lion of nations" his flatterers might claim, but as a monstrous, polluting crocodile in his own waters. This imagery highlights how Pharaoh's aggressive actions and pride have stirred up and fouled the surrounding nations, much like a fearsome beast disturbing a river, foreshadowing his ultimate downfall.
Ezekiel is instructed to pronounce a funeral lament over Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, depicting him not as the proud "lion of nations" his flatterers might claim, but as a monstrous, polluting crocodile in his own waters. This imagery highlights how Pharaoh's aggressive actions and pride have stirred up and fouled the surrounding nations, much like a fearsome beast disturbing a river, foreshadowing his ultimate downfall.
"“Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
“You consider yourself a lion of the nations,
but you are like a dragon in the seas;
you burst forth in your rivers,
trouble the waters wi…" — The contrast here is striking: Pharaoh *thought* he was a mighty lion among nations, but God sees him as a monstrous dragon, a threat that poisons the very waters of his own realm, bringing ruin not…
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Last reviewed October 2026