Ezekiel 32:19 kjv
Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
Ezekiel 32:19 nkjv
'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down, be placed with the uncircumcised.'
Ezekiel 32:19 niv
Say to them, 'Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.'
Ezekiel 32:19 esv
'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.'
Ezekiel 32:19 nlt
Say to them, 'O Egypt, are you lovelier than the other nations?
No! So go down to the pit and lie there among the outcasts. '
Ezekiel 32 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 28:8 | "Into the Pit, into the depths of the Pit, they shall go down;..." | Descent to Sheol |
| Isaiah 14:15 | "But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit." | Pride brought down |
| Psalm 88:4 | "I am counted among those who go down into the Pit; I am like a man without strength." | Forsakenness |
| Proverbs 30:16 | "Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth is never satisfied with water..." | Insatiable appetite |
| Nahum 2:7 | "And it is decreed: she shall be led away captive, her young women shall wail..." | Lamentation of Nineveh |
| Zephaniah 2:6 | "And the coast shall be pastures, with dwellings for shepherds and folds for sheep." | Devastation |
| Revelation 11:7 | "And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them..." | Beast from the Abyss |
| Revelation 17:8 | "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction." | Beast's origin |
| Job 17:16 | "They will go down to the bars of the Pit, when together there is only rest in the dust." | Finality of death |
| Psalm 30:3 | "O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the Pit." | Deliverance from death |
| Psalm 49:14 | "Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd..." | Shepherded to death |
| Psalm 49:15 | "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, when he receives me. Selah." | Divine redemption |
| Isaiah 24:22 | "They will be gathered together as prisoners in a dungeon, and after many days they will be punished." | Imprisonment and punishment |
| Jeremiah 1:15 | "For behold, I am summoning all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD..." | Gathering of nations |
| Jeremiah 25:29 | "For behold, I begin to make a reckoning upon the city which is called by my name..." | Judgment begins |
| Jeremiah 50:41 | "They come from a distant land, from the farthest corners of the heavens..." | Invading armies |
| Ezekiel 38:5 | "Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;" | Allies of Gog |
| Ezekiel 39:11 | "On that day I will appoint a place there for Gog to be buried in Israel..." | Burial place for enemies |
| Matthew 7:13 | "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." | Wide gate to destruction |
| 2 Peter 2:4 | "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but threw them into Tartarus and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;" | Fallen angels in chains |
Ezekiel 32 verses
Ezekiel 32 19 Meaning
This verse speaks of those who have been slain and lie in the pit, surrounded by the slain of all nations. It signifies a place of ultimate destruction and desolation, where even the mighty are brought down and have no refuge.
Ezekiel 32 19 Context
Ezekiel chapter 32 is a powerful lament and prophecy concerning Egypt and its Pharaoh. The chapter is framed as a funeral dirge, where the Pharaoh is compared to a ferocious lion brought down to the watery depths. God uses this imagery to illustrate the downfall of Egypt, symbolizing its military might and proud leadership being utterly defeated and brought into the grave, joining the ranks of the other defeated nations. This specific verse (32:19) emphasizes the ignominious end awaiting the Pharaoh and his forces, highlighting their isolation even in death among the multitudes of the vanquished. The overarching context is divine judgment against a nation that prided itself on its strength and opposed God's people.
Ezekiel 32 19 Word Analysis
"Whom dost thou pass in comeliness?" (Hebrew: לְמִי אַתָּה יֹפִי)
- לְמִי (lə-mî): "To whom" or "For whom." This is an interrogative pronoun.
- אַתָּה (ʼat-tâ): "You" (masculine singular). Refers to the Pharaoh of Egypt.
- יֹפִי (yō-pî): "Beauty," "comeliness," "splendor." Refers to physical attractiveness or, in this context, the impressive appearance of power and majesty. The question implies that even the Pharaoh, in his former glory, could not compare to anyone superior in appearance.
"Go down" (Hebrew: רְד)
- רְד (rəḏ): Imperative verb meaning "go down," "descend." Commands the Pharaoh to descend.
"and be thou laid with the uncircumcised," (Hebrew: וְשָׁכַבְתָּ עִם־עֲרֵלִים)
- וְשָׁכַבְתָּ (wə-šā-ḵav-tâ): "And you shall lie down" or "and you shall be laid." Past tense (perfect) with a conjunctive "vav," indicating sequence.
- עִם (ʻim): "with," "among."
- עֲרֵלִים (ʻa-rê-lîm): "Uncircumcised ones." This is a plural noun from עָרֵל (ʻārêl), meaning uncircumcised. For the Israelites, being uncircumcised was a sign of being an outsider to God's covenant, and in a spiritual sense, belonging to the realm of the ungodly. The uncircumcised were often associated with shame and dishonor in ancient Near Eastern culture, and for Israel, with being excluded from God's favor.
"with the slain of the sword." (Hebrew: עִם־חַלְלֵי חָרֶב)
- חַלְלֵי (ḥal-lê): "Slain ones" or "those pierced by." This is the construct state of חָלָל (ḥā-lāl), which means to be slain or wounded by a weapon.
- חָרֶב (ḥā-reḇ): "Sword." A common weapon of warfare.
- This phrase collectively refers to all those who have died by the sword, implying a common, violent death.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Whom dost thou pass in comeliness? Go down and be thou laid with the uncircumcised, with the slain of the sword." This entire clause emphasizes a forced descent into the realm of the dead. The "comeliness" or splendor of Pharaoh is contrasted with his ignominious end. His burial is not with honorable kings, but among the "uncircumcised" – those outside God's covenant and deemed impure – and among all the "slain of the sword," signifying a mass grave for defeated warriors. This stripping of status and forced mingling with the dishonored underscores the totality of judgment.
Ezekiel 32 19 Bonus Section
The concept of the "uncircumcised" as a group being distinct even in death carries significant weight. In ancient Israelite understanding, circumcision was the mark of the covenant. Thus, the uncircumcised represented those outside this covenant relationship with God. The prophecy places Pharaoh, and by extension Egypt, with all their military might and defiance against God's people, into this category of the rejected even after death. This implies a spiritual impurity that extends beyond physical life. The verse also connects this fate with being "slain of the sword," emphasizing the violent and bloody end of their resistance. This imagery of a communal pit for the vanquished was a stark contrast to the often honored burial practices for rulers and warriors in the ancient world.
Ezekiel 32 19 Commentary
The verse paints a grim picture of ultimate defeat and dishonor for the proud Pharaoh. His supposed might and "comeliness" (pride and outward appearance of power) are utterly nullified in death. He is not granted a proper burial befitting a king but is cast down among the multitude of those killed by violence, specifically those considered impure and outside God's covenant (the uncircumcised). This highlights that in God's judgment, all earthly pride and status are laid low. Even the greatest of rulers, when facing divine wrath, share a common grave with the anonymous masses who fell in battle, signifying their exclusion from honor and divine regard. This speaks to the leveling effect of divine judgment and the futility of placing trust in worldly power.