Ezekiel 32

A continuation of the same subject, and a farther description of the lamentable destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar: the prophet illustrating the dreadfulness of his fall by a poetical description of the infernal mansions appointed for tyrants and oppressors, where Pharaoh is to have a place allotted for him. thee, and master thee, as a wild beast or monstrous fish that is taken in a net. (See xii. 14.)

Ezekiel 32:2

JLAKEup a lamentation for Pharaoh^. Sec the note on xxii. 2. Thou art like a young lion of the nations.] Thou art like a beast of prey, devouring far and near. (See xix. 3. 6. xxxviii. 13.) Thou art as a whale in the seas.] By the word tannim we may fitly understand a crocodile, as hath been observed upon xxix. 3. and the description that follows of this creature agrees very well to a crocodile, but cannot be applied to a whale. And thou earnest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the ivaters with thy feet, &c.] Or, thou rushedst forth throttgh thy streams, and troubledst, &c. i. e. thou wast the occasion of great commotions and disturbances to all thy neighbours. (Compare xxxiv. 18.)

Ezekiel 32:3

J tvill therefore spread my net over thee, &c. I will bring thine eijemies upon thee, who shall encompass

Ezekiel 32:4

Then I will leave thee upon the land, and cast thee forth upon the open field, &c. Thine armies shall fall in the open field, and become a prey to wild beasts and ravenous birds. (Compare xxix. 5.)

Ezekiel 32:5

I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.) The vast bulk of thine armies when they are slain, shall fill both mountains and valleys. (Seexxxi. 12.) Ver. G. I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest.] The land shall be soaked with thy blood wherein thou bearest rule, just as in the waters the great fish have an absolute power over the lesser fry.. Even to the mountains.’] The mountains shall be wet with it, as well as the lower grounds, ver. 5. (Compare Isa. xxxiv. 3.)

Ezekiel 32:7

I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark, &c. These metaphors denote the downfal of states aud governments; kings and rulers being figuratively expressed by the sun, moon, and stars. (Compare Isa. xiii. 10. xxxiv. 4. Joel ii. 31. Rev. vi. 12—14.) God’s judgments upon particular countries being earnests of a general judgment, they are described in such terms as if the whole frame of nature were dissolved. And set darkness upon thy land.] Every thing shall look dark and dismal. (See xxx. 3.)

Ezekiel 32:9

And I will vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, &c. When thy exiles shall be dispersed into foreign countries, (see xxix. 12.) and relate the miserable circumstances of thy destruction, it shall cause grief and consternation in all that hear it. (Sec the following verse.)

Ezekiel 32:10

Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, &c. See xxvi. 16. xxvii. 35. xxx. 9.

Ezekiel 32:12

The terrible of the nations. See xxviii. 7.

Ezekiel 32:13

I will also destroy all the beasts thereof from beside the great ivaters. Or, that they be no more beside the great waters, as Noldius translates the phrase, p. G35. The horses shall be consumed in the war, and the other cattle that used to feed in the meadows by the side of the Nile, (sec Gen. xli. 2.) shall be destroyed or drove away as a prey. (See xxix. 8. 11.) [Neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more — then I will make their waters deep, &c.] Or, I will make their waters clear, for so the Hebrew word is taken xxxiv. 18. Following this translation, the words may be interpreted to this sense: There being an entire destruction both of man and beast in Egypt, (see xxix. 11.) and none passing through it, it shall be like the waters of a river which are never disturbed, but run pure and clear like oil.] Ibid, and

Ezekiel 32:14

Neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts, &c. Here is a transition from a proper sense to a metaphorical one: the prophet in the second verse compared the disturbances the Egyptians gave their neighbours to troubling and fouling of waters; in allusion to which metaphor he saith here, that when Egypt is made desolate, and the number, both of men and beasts, diminished by their wars and confusions, then their neighbours will enjoy such quietness, as a river does that smoothly glides along, and never hath its streams fouled or disturbed. Ver. 1G. Tins is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her.] This*is the substance of a lamentation which maybe properly used to bewail the calamities of Egypt. (See ver. 2.) The daughters of the nations shall lament her.] i. e. The people of the neighbouring countries: so the daughters of Zion and of Babylon signify the inhabitants of those cities.- The expression alludes to the mourning women, whose profession it was to lament at funerals. (See the note on Jer. ix. 17.) •

Ezekiel 32:17

In the fifteenth day of the month. Of the twelfth month. (See ver. 1.) The LXX. understand it of the first month, as that indefinite expression is probably understood, XXVi. 1.. •;., Ver. IS. Wail for the multitude of Egypt.] See.ver. 2. 16. And cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations.] The prophets are said to do things, when they declare God’s purpose of doing them; sec xliii. 3. where Ezekiel saith, he ivas sent to destroy the city; i. e. to foretell its destruction. In the same sense we arc to understand the expression here of casting down Egypt; i. e. foretelling its ruin, together with God’s judgments upon other famous kingdoms in that part of the world, which are reckoned up in the following verses, and called here the daughters of the nations; concerning which expression see the note on ver. 16. Unto the nether parts of the earthy with them that go down to the pit.] The expressions denote utter destruction, and are parallel to those elsewhere used of being brought down to hell, to the grave, or into silence. (Compare xxxi. 14. Isa. xiv. 15.)

Ezekiel 32:19

Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid ivith the uncircumcised,. What reason hast thou now to prefer thyself before others? since thou shalt.undergo the same fate with the worst of them? (See the note ■: on xxviii. 10.) - •

Ezekiel 32:20

They are fallen in the midst of them that are slain by the sword. They do not die the common death of all men, as Moses speaks, Numb. xvi. 29. but are cut off by an extraordinary judgment from the hand of God himself.. Draw her and all her multitudes^],Carry her. and her people away to the grave, like so many carcasses which are buried without any solemnity. The words are spoken to the Babylonians, the executioners of God’s judgments upon Egypt.. *

Ezekiel 32:21

The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him. Here follows a poetical description of the infernal regions, where the ghosts of deceased tyrants, with their subjects, arc represented as coming to meet the king of Egypt and his auxiliaries, (see xxx. 8.) upon their arrival to the same place. Hell signifies here the state of the dead. (Compare xxxi. 16, 17. Isa. xiv. 9, &c. and sec the notes there.) TItey are gone down, &c] These warriors, famous in their time for their exploits, have undergone the same fate with, other men of blood, and arc gone down to the grave by violent deaths. (See ver. 19.)

Ezekiel 32:22

Ashur is there, and all her company. The Assyrians, both king and people, whose destruction is represented in the foregoing chapter. His graves are about him.] The Egyptians lie buried in