Ezekiel 32

The time of these prophesies, verse 1,17, containing a lamentation for terrible fall by reason of his pride, cruelty, continual unquiet stirring and molesting of other people, 2 Also a rhetorical description of his and his ruine and descent unto the company of other uncircumcised, proud and tyrannical rulers and nations, 18.

1. Also it came to pass in the twelveth year, [after the carrying away of Jojachin, above chapter 1.2.] in the twelveth moneth, on the first (day) of the moneth; (that) the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2. Child of man, take up a lamentation, [as below verse 16] for Pharaoh King of Egypt, and say unto him; thou wast like a young lion, [before thy power was dimished. See above chapter 30 on verse 21.] Among the heathen, or nations; that is thou wast among, or towards them like a young lion, fierce and cruel. Compare above chapter 19.2, &c.] and thou wast as a sea-dragon in the seas, [as above chapter 29.3. that is, thou wast cruel, dreadful, stirring, both by land and by water] and braketh forth in [Or, with] thy rivers, [thou didst put thy self forward and didst glory in thy kingdom, as being mighty and rich by reason of the commodious situation of waters] and troubledth the water with thy feet, [Or, trampledst upon the water; to wit, of other nations; that is, their land and trading: thou didst every truth in thy self and didst trouble other nations, stirring them up to rebellion, and hardening them in it] and muddiest their rivers.

3. Thus saith the Lord LORD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee, [see above chapter 12, 13 and 17.22. Hosea 7:12. With the Annotat.] by a congregation of many nations: [that shall be in the army of the Babylonians] they shall draw thee up in my net. [Or, with my net that I have spread out over thee for to catch thee]

4. Then will I leave thee upon the land, compare above chapter 29.5 with the Annotat.] I will cause all the fowls of the heaven to dwell upon thee, (I will) satisfie the beasts of the whole earth with thee. [Compare below chapter 39.17, c]

5. And I will give away the flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with thy height. [This may be understood of Pharaoh himself, and his pride, compared with the great body of a sea-dragon, verse 2. Or, (as others) his slain multitude, wherein he formerly placed his eminency].

6. And I will water [or, give to drink] with thy blood [The blood of thine own self, and of thy people that are slain] the land wherein thou swimmest, that is, dost now domineer with thy government, like a sea-dragon in the sea] (even) to the mountains: and the streams shall be filled be filled with thee.

7. And when I shall put thee, [As a candle, lamp or fire or fire out. Compare Job 18. verse 5,6. With the Annotat. 2 Sam 14.7. and 21.17.] I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof black: I will cover the sun with cloud, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. [That is, I will by this judgement of mine fill the world with terrour, and clothe the whole universe as it were in mourning. Compare Isaiah 13:10. Joel 2:30,31. And above chapter 31.5. Also Genesis 15:12. With the Annotat.]

8. All the shinning lights [Heb. Light of light] in the heaven, them will make black thy fake: and will make [Or, bring. Heb. Give, set] darkness upon thy land, saith the LORD.

9. Moreover, I will trouble [or, grieve, vex] the heart of many nations: [By the tidings of the fall of this great king, and on the contrary, of the exaltation and greatness of the Babylonian. The Hebrew word (otherwise signifying anger) is also taken for grief, trouble, sorrow, vexation, Psalms 6:8. And 10.14 and 31.10. Eclas. 7.3. Jeremiah 7:19.] when I shall bring thy breaking [see Jerem. 4 on verse 6. That is here, the news of thy ruine] among the heathen, into the lands which thou hast not known.

10. And I will make many nations to be amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, the hairs of their kings shall stand an end at thee, [as above chapter 27.35.] when I shall shake [or brandith] my sword [as above chapter 30.24.] before their faces: [smiting and felling thee down by my sword as it were before their eyes, which will cause greater fear and terror unto them, as followeth] and they shall tremble every moment, [Heb. Tremble in moments] every one for his (own) soul, [that is, life, or person, for himself; fearing that it will cost them their lives. See Genes. 19 on verse 17. ad 12 on verse 5.] in the day of thy fall.

11. For thus saith the Lord LORD; the sword of the king of Babel shall come upon thee.

12. I will throw (down) thy multitude [Compare above chapter 29.19.] by the sword of the champion, which are all of them together the most tyrannical of the heathen: [As above chapter 28.7.] they shall destroy the pride [or, pomp, glory, Excellency, as above often] of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be rooted out.

13. And I will destroy all the beasts [Heb. Beast, or great cattel] from besides the great waters: [so that none shall go and feed any more by the great waters] and no foot of man shall trouble [Compare above chapter 29.11.] them [the waters: compare above verse 2] any more, neither shall any hoofs of beasts trouble them.

14. Then will I cause their waters [The waters of the other nations that were troubled by Pharaoh, above verse 2.] to sink, and I will cause their river to run like oyl, [that is, I will quiet the tumults, and bring the land to rest, when I shall have cut off this troubler of waters; as the waters are calmed and run softly and clearly when the tempest is over and troubled filth is funk down. Compare below chapter 34.18.] saith the Lord Lord.

15. When I shall have made the land of Egypt a desolation, and the land shall become desolate of her fullness, [that is, shall be bereaved of all that wherewith it was formerly filled and adorned by God. Compare above chapter 19.7.] When I shall have smitten all them that dwell therein: so shall they know that I am the LORD.

16. That is the lamentation, [Related in the former part of the chapter. See above verse 2.] and that shall thy sing lamentably [the word sing is intended in the thing it self: see 2 Coron 35.25. as the foregoing Hebrew word also signifieth a, lamentation, from whence the Lamentations of Jeremia bear the name [the daughters of the heathen shall sing it lamentably: [as the women in the those times were wont to sing songs of triumph and lamentations. See Jeremi. 9. on verse 17. They shall sing it lamentably, for Egypt and for all her multitude, saith the Lord LORD.

17. Moreover, it came to pass in the twelfth year, [see above verse 1] on the fifteenth (day) of the moneth, [meaning of the same twelfth moneth; as is expressed verse 1.] (that) the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

18. Child of man, lament for the multitude of Egypt, and cause her to descend, [that is, prophefie, tell her to descend, into the grave, &c. as followeth. See Jerem. 1 on verse 10 and Ezek. 3 on verse 8. some understand it, as if God should have said, conduct her to the grave, follow her as men do a corps, with mourning and lamenting, for a token that she shall surely go down to the pit] (her) and the daughters of the stately heathen) [see of the Hebrew word rendered here stately, Psalms 8 on verse 2] into the lowermost places of the earth, [Heb. The earth: or, the land of barrenness. Compare above chapter 26.19. And 31.14. Lament. 3.55. So below verse 24.] With them that are gone down into the pit.

19. Above whom art thou in comeliness? [That is, whom dost thou excel in comeliness or grace? The meaning is, dost thou think that thou art fairer and comelier then all other kings that I should have more cause favour thee then I have done them? As if he should say, no: thou must go down to the pit as well as they] go down, and lay thy self [Heb. properly be laid down or lying] with the uncircumcised. [see above chapter 28 on verse 10 and 31. on verse 15 and so in the sequel.]

20. They [To wit, the Egyptians] shall fall [or lie] in midst of them that are slain by the sword: she [to wit, Egypt] is delivered to the sword; [others, the sword is ordained, or appointed, or appointed; to wit, to smite he. Compare above c. 30.24, 25.] Draw her along [other, they shall draw, drag her; to wit, down into the grave, and consequently to the place of place of the wicked that are deceased] with all her multitude.

21. The mightiest of the champions [Other kings and potentates that were dead before, and gone into the same place] shall seek to him, with his helpers, out of the midst of hell: [as it were welcoming him and his people and comforting themselves by coming and company, as is said below of Pharaoh, verse 31. a figurative kind of mucking. Compare Isaiah 14:9.] They are gone down, the uncircumcised slain] slain by the sword.

22. Assur [Meaning Assyria; that is, the Assyrians and principally the king. See above chapter 31.3, &c.] There is with all company her [his king of Assyrias] graves are round about him: they are all slain, fallen by the sword.

23. Whose graves are set in set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: they are all slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terrour [by their insolence, power, violence, and oppression. So in the sequel, and above chapter 26.17.] In the land of the living. [That is, here upon the earth, I this life. See Job 28 on verse 13 and Psalms 27 on verse 13. So in the sequel]

24. There is Elam [Meaning Persia and Media, or a particular countrey therein. (see Genesis 10 on verse 22 and 14 on verse 1) and principally the king thereof] with all her multitude, round about her grave: they [the Elamites] are all slain, the fallen ones by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised unto the lowermost parts of the earth: [as above verse 18] which had given their terrour in the land of the living: now they bear their shame with them that went down into the pit.

25. They have set her [namely Elam] a bed in the midst of the slain, among all her multitude: her graves are round about him; [The king of the Elamites] they are all uncircumcised, slain by the sword because terrour is given by them [Heb. Their terrour is, or was given by them] in the land of the living; now they bear their shame with them that are gone down into the pit. He [the Elamite, or the kings of the Elamites] is laid [Heb. Given] in the midst of the slain.

26. There is Mesch, and Tubal, [see Genesis 10 on verse 2.] with all her multitude; her graves are proud about him: [the king of those countreys] they are all uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they have given their terrour in the land of the living.

27. But they lie not with the champions, [Which having been righteous, were honourably and stately buried. On the contrary, those were slain ignominiously and dragged away. Others, should not they (the Egyptians) lye by the champions, &c. surely yea, for why should they fare better then such champions that are gone down to the pit?] that are fallen among the uncircumcised: which are gone down to hell [that is, to the grave with their weapons, as followeth: but further, according to the soul, to the place of the damned] with their weapons of war, [in token of their valour: as is also usual even at this day in the burying of valiant souldiers] they whose swords men have laid under their heads; [Heb. They have laid, &c. as often; that is. Whole swords, according to the costumes of the times and countreys, were buried under their heads after they were dead, as a badge and token of their valour] whose iniquity [that is, the punishment of their iniquity. See Levit. 5 on verse 10 and above chapter 18 on verse 20] withstanding is upon their bones, because the terrour of the champions was in the land of the living. [those whom none durst touch in their life-time, because of their power and dreadfulness, they must in and after their death bear the punishment of their iniquity, putrifying in their bodies, and in their souls suffering with other uncircumcised and ungodly ones.]

28. Thou [Thou king Pharaoh] also shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised and shall lie with them that are slain with the sword.

29. There is Edom, [Idumea] her kings and all her prince, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: those lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that are gone down into the pit.

30. There are the mighty men [Or, Deputies, Lievtenants, noble, princes. See Joel 13.21. Heb. Properly, poured upon, or anointed] of the north, [Or Syria, and thereabout, as Tyrians and Zidonians. See above chapter 28.21] which are gone down into the being ashamed because of their terrour, [which they shall caused unto others] (which proceede) from their power, [Or because of their power, because they were not able to save themselves by it] and they lie uncircumcised by them that are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that are gone down into the pit.

31. Pharaoh shall see them, [compare above verse 21.] and comfort himself over all his multitude; [as having companions with him in his misery and shame. See above chapter 31.16] they that are slain by the sword of Pharaoh, and all his army, saith the Lord LORD.

32. For I have (also) given my terrour in the land the living: therefore shall he be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised by them that are slain by the sword; Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord LORD. [as if the Lord should say: it will be once my time also, that I should terrifie the world by my judgements, then will I assuredly execute my terrible judgements upon Pharaoh and his people. Others, when I shall cause my terrour, &c, then shall he, c.]