Ezekiel 32:20 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Ezekiel 32:20 kjv
They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
Ezekiel 32:20 nkjv
"They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword; She is delivered to the sword, Drawing her and all her multitudes.
Ezekiel 32:20 niv
They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes.
Ezekiel 32:20 esv
They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes.
Ezekiel 32:20 nlt
The Egyptians will fall with the many who have died by the sword, for the sword is drawn against them. Egypt and its hordes will be dragged away to their judgment.
Ezekiel 32 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 14:9 | Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you at your coming... | Judgment of proud kings entering Sheol |
| Ezek 31:18 | To whom are you thus like in glory... you too shall be brought down to the depths of the earth... | Egypt's descent to Sheol compared to other trees/nations |
| Ezek 32:19 | Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid low with the uncircumcised. | Direct command to Egypt to join the uncircumcised in Sheol |
| Ezek 32:21 | The mighty ones of the dead will speak of him... saying, "Come down, be laid low..." | The dead welcoming new arrivals in Sheol |
| Ps 49:14 | Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol... and the upright shall rule over them in the morning... | Death as the fate of the wicked |
| Isa 5:14 | Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure... | Sheol's insatiable hunger for the dead |
| Jer 15:2 | And if they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say... 'Those for the sword, to the sword...' | Divine judgment specifying death by the sword |
| Jer 46:25 | "Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes... and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt..." | God's specific judgment against Egypt |
| Ezek 28:10 | You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners... | A king dying like the uncircumcised, similar ignominy for Tyre |
| Ezek 30:21 | "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt..." | Symbolic breaking of Egypt's military power |
| Ps 7:16 | His mischief shall return upon his own head... his violence shall come down upon his own crown. | Reversal of fortunes for the wicked |
| Ps 88:4-5 | I am counted among those who go down to the pit... laid in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths. | The sorrowful reality of death/Sheol |
| Prov 21:16 | A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the departed. | Consequences of departing from wisdom leading to death |
| Job 21:13 | They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment they go down to Sheol. | Sudden end for the prosperous wicked |
| Am 2:2 | "...and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet." | Example of a nation dying with military judgment |
| Exod 15:4 | Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea... | Earlier divine destruction of Pharaoh's army |
| Rev 19:15 | From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations... | God's ultimate judgment wielding a sword against nations |
| Isa 34:5-6 | For My sword is sated in heaven; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom... | God's sword as an instrument of divine wrath |
| Judg 14:3 | "...because she is right in my eyes." But his father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. | The "uncircumcised" as objects of God's wrath |
| Jer 9:26 | Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and all who shave the temples, who live in the desert... | The "uncircumcised in heart" including physical nations |
| Eph 2:11-12 | Remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh... were at that time separate from Christ... | Gentiles (often synonymous with uncircumcised) without God's covenant |
| Lk 16:22-23 | The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side; the rich man also died and was buried... | Concept of an afterlife/state after death |
| Mt 10:28 | Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. | Fear of eternal judgment beyond physical death |
| Ps 55:23 | But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction... bloody and deceitful men will not live out half their days. | Violent end for the wicked brought down by God |
Ezekiel 32 verses
Ezekiel 32 20 meaning
Ezekiel 32:20 proclaims the imminent and brutal demise of Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt. They will suffer a violent death by the sword, and both king and kingdom, with all their vast armies, will be cast into the depths of Sheol, the grave. There, they will join the ranks of other mighty, yet uncircumcised, nations already vanquished and awaiting judgment, stripped of their power and glory.
Ezekiel 32 20 Context
Ezekiel 32 is a lament, or dirge, for Pharaoh and all of Egypt. It is part of a larger section of prophecies against foreign nations (Ezek 25-32), specifically targeting Egypt (Ezek 29-32). This particular chapter, delivered in the twelfth year of exile, focuses on God's judgment that will bring down Egypt's immense pride and power. Building upon Chapter 31 where Egypt was compared to a magnificent cedar tree cut down by God, Chapter 32 portrays Egypt as a fierce monster of the sea (dragon/crocodile) caught in God's net, destined for a humiliating demise. Verse 20 functions as a transitional verse within the larger dirge. It declares the specific fate of Egypt's king and multitude before the following verses (21-32) elaborate on their destination: the common grave, Sheol, where other defeated, uncircumcised nations like Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and Sidon already lie. The historical context reflects the geopolitical turmoil of the 6th century BCE, where mighty empires, including Egypt, were falling to the rising power of Babylon, fulfilling God's pronouncements through His prophet.
Ezekiel 32 20 Word analysis
- He shall be brought (הוּא יוּבָא - hu yivva): The masculine pronoun "He" refers to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The verb is in the Niphal (passive) stem, meaning "he will be brought" or "he will be led." This highlights that his fate is not by his own power or choosing, but is the result of a divine decree; he is being made to go.
- into the midst of those who are slain by the sword (תּוֹךְ חַלְלֵי-חֶרֶב - tokh chalalei-cherev):
- Tokh (תּוֹךְ): "In the middle of," "amidst." It emphasizes being fully immersed and belonging to that group.
- Chalalei (חַלְלֵי): Plural construct of chalal (חָלָל), meaning "pierced," "wounded," "slain." This term specifically refers to those who died a violent, unnatural death, usually in battle.
- Cherev (חֶרֶב): "Sword." The instrument of judgment and warfare. This specifies that their death is not natural but violent, signifying divine judgment through war.
- she is given over to the sword (נִתְנָה חֶרֶב - nittana cherev):
- "She" refers to Egypt as a nation (feminine in Hebrew). This expands the judgment from the king to the entire nation.
- Nittana (נִתְנָה): Niphal (passive) perfect form of natan (נָתַן), "to give," meaning "she has been given." This indicates a completed, certain action, divinely ordained.
- "to the sword": Reaffirms the mode of execution for the nation. It denotes their consignment to violent destruction.
- Lay her and all her multitudes (הַדִּישָׁהּ וְכָל-הֲמוֹנָהּ - haddishah ve'khol-hamonah):
- Haddishah (הַדִּישָׁהּ): A Hifil imperative from dush (דּוּשׁ), meaning "to thresh," "trample," or "heap up/throw down." This is a forceful command, instructing for the physical, undignified disposal of Egypt, similar to how grain is threshed and discarded. The verb suggests utter contempt and annihilation.
- Ve'khol (וְכָל): "And all." Indicates completeness and universality of the judgment.
- Hamonah (הֲמוֹנָהּ): "Her multitudes," from hamon (הָמוֹן), which means "noise, tumult, crowd, throng, multitude," and often refers to an army or a vast population. This signifies the entire populace, army, and even the "noisy splendor" of Egypt, all brought to nothing.
Words-group analysis
- "He shall be brought into the midst of those who are slain by the sword": This clause vividly depicts the humiliation of Pharaoh. Instead of a royal tomb or a revered afterlife, he is forcibly inducted into the anonymous mass of battlefield dead. The "sword" emphasizes that this is not a natural passing, but a violent, judgmental death inflicted by God's agency, using human instruments. It signifies an abrupt, ignominious end, contrary to Egyptian pharaohs' beliefs about their divine journey after death.
- "she is given over to the sword": The shift from "he" (Pharaoh) to "she" (Egypt) broadens the scope of judgment. It highlights that the nation itself, in its collective identity and power, is doomed. "Given over" suggests a divine handover, an irresistible decree that will lead to total national devastation through warfare. This divine handing over underscores God's sovereignty over nations.
- "Lay her and all her multitudes": This phrase serves as a grim command for the disposal of Egypt. "Lay her" (haddishah), drawn from the imagery of threshing, signifies utterly crushing, trampling, and casting away the nation like refuse. The inclusion of "all her multitudes" means the destruction is comprehensive; not only the leader and the state but also its vast population, wealth, and military strength will be reduced to nothing. It underlines the finality and scale of God's judgment on the once-proud empire.
Ezekiel 32 20 Bonus section
The concept of being laid "with the uncircumcised" in Ezekiel's prophecy is profoundly significant. In ancient Israelite thought, circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, distinguishing God's people from the pagan nations. To die or be buried "with the uncircumcised" was not merely a physical state; it was a symbol of being outside God's covenant, devoid of His favor, and marked for ignominy. For Pharaoh, who was revered as a god, to be dumped in a common grave with these "uncircumcised" pagan dead was the ultimate dishonor and a complete stripping of his perceived divinity and sacred burial rites. It was a potent theological statement against the Egyptian belief system, effectively demonstrating that the God of Israel reigns supreme over all other gods and nations, and His judgment negates all human pretensions of power and immortality.
Ezekiel 32 20 Commentary
Ezekiel 32:20 serves as a stark pronouncement of the complete downfall of Egypt, linking the fate of Pharaoh directly with that of his entire nation. The verse meticulously dismantles the Egyptian myth of divine pharaonic rule and national invincibility by consigning both king and kingdom to a violent, undignified end among the "uncircumcised" slain. The active bringing of Pharaoh and the passive "giving over" of Egypt to the sword reveal God's absolute sovereignty as the orchestrator of history, pulling down the mightiest of earthly powers. The command to "lay her and all her multitudes" paints a grim picture of Egypt's comprehensive destruction, not through natural decay, but by being threshed and cast away as utterly worthless. This prophetic utterance emphasizes that pride and reliance on earthly strength lead to an ignominious end in the face of divine judgment.
For practical usage, this verse illustrates:
- The transient nature of earthly power and glory; even mighty empires fall (e.g., historical empires like Rome, or contemporary super-powers that may seem unchallengeable).
- God's absolute sovereignty over nations and leaders, regardless of their self-proclaimed divine status or perceived invincibility.
- The consequences of rejecting God's ways and oppressing His people, ultimately leading to divine judgment and humiliation.