Ezekiel 32:23 kjv
Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 32:23 nkjv
Her graves are set in the recesses of the Pit, And her company is all around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who caused terror in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 32:23 niv
Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.
Ezekiel 32:23 esv
whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 32:23 nlt
Their graves are in the depths of the pit, and they are surrounded by their allies. They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have been slaughtered by the sword.
Ezekiel 32 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 32:23 | "For a fire is sent before him, and burns up his adversaries round about." | Consequential defeat |
| Isa 47:11 | "Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it rises." | Sudden, inescapable judgment |
| Jer 21:13-14 | "Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain." | God's direct opposition |
| Jer 50:15-16 | "Her adversaries cry unto her, and lift up their voices." | Opposers' reactions |
| Jer 51:3 | "Then shall the archers shoot at Babylon, all of them that bend the bow." | Warfare against a nation |
| Nah 3:13 | "Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall surely be opened unto thine enemies." | Vulnerability and conquest |
| Zeph 1:14-15 | "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteneth greatly." | Imminence of judgment |
| Zeph 3:8 | "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations." | God's gathering for judgment |
| Zech 12:2-3 | "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about." | Jerusalem as focus of conflict |
| Matt 10:34 | "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." | Conflict brought by divine action |
| Matt 13:40-43 | "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." | Separation and destruction of the wicked |
| Luke 19:27 | "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." | Rejection of authority leads to destruction |
| Rev 14:19-20 | "And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." | Final judgment and vintage of wrath |
| Rev 17:14 | "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." | Divine victory over enemies |
| Gen 13:13 | "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." | Sin leads to destruction |
| Ps 37:20 | "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume into smoke, they shall consume away." | Destruction of the wicked |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation." | God using nations as instruments |
| Ezek 25:3-7 | "And thou shalt say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary." | Divine judgment on those who gloat over destruction |
| Ezek 29:19 | "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the land of Egypt." | Future divine empowerment for conquest |
| 2 Thess 1:9 | "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." | Eternal punishment for opposition to God |
Ezekiel 32 verses
Ezekiel 32 23 Meaning
The verse speaks of the nations that have been gathered together against Zion (often representing God's people or city) as if they were a flock gathered for slaughter. They are ultimately brought down and consumed, their strongholds and riches plundered. This signifies the utter defeat and desolation of those who oppose God's divine plan and people.
Ezekiel 32 23 Context
Ezekiel chapter 32 contains a prophecy of judgment against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, personified as a powerful but fallen monster in the sea. Pharaoh's former greatness and subsequent downfall are described, and his pride is a central theme. This chapter also broadens its scope to include other nations that have acted with pride and hostility towards God's people, likening them to fallen mighty ones in the netherworld. Verse 23 specifically speaks to the fate of the nations that followed Egypt into destruction, gathered for a consuming fire and ultimate demise. The historical context is the period of Israel's Babylonian exile, where proud and oppressive nations surrounded them. God, through Ezekiel, pronounces judgment on these nations to demonstrate His sovereignty and to offer comfort and assurance to the exiles.
Ezekiel 32 23 Word Analysis
- וּפַגֹּעַ (u-pa-go-a): (conjunction "and" + "to meet," "to encounter," "to strike," "to fall upon"). Here it conveys the sense of something striking or falling upon a group, signifying an offensive action or encounter.
- בָּהֶם (ba-hem): (preposition "in" or "to" + pronoun "them"). Indicates the recipients of the action – the gathered nations.
- בָּאֵשׁ (ba-es): (noun "stink," "stench"). This word likely refers to a foul odor associated with decay or death, reinforcing the theme of destruction and desolation. It could also metaphorically represent the corrupt nature of these nations' actions.
- וּתְגָרֵם (u-te-ga-rem): (conjunction "and" + "to drive away," "to expel," "to break in pieces," "to scatter"). Implies the breaking and scattering of these nations, a forceful dispersal as a result of the destructive force.
- אֵשׁ (esh): (noun "fire"). Symbolizes divine judgment, destruction, purification, and power. Fire is a recurring motif of God's active judgment.
- נִשְׁלָחָה (nish-la-ha): (verb, Qal perfect, 3rd person feminine singular of שָׁלַח - "to send forth," "to cast"). Passive form meaning "has been sent forth" or "is sent." Indicates that this fire is divinely commissioned and directed.
- לְפָנָיו (le-fa-nav): (preposition "to," "for" + "before" + 3rd person masculine singular suffix "him"). Points to Pharaoh as the immediate precursor, before whom the fire is sent. It suggests that Pharaoh's fall is a precursor to the fate of others, or that judgment on Egypt precedes or is accompanied by judgment on its allies.
- וְשֹׂרֶפֶת (ve-so-re-fet): (conjunction "and" + participle, Qal, feminine singular of שָׂרַף - "to burn"). Describes the action of burning; "and burning up." Emphasizes the consuming nature of the judgment.
- סְבִיבָיו (sev-i-vav): (noun "surroundings" + 3rd person masculine singular suffix "him"). Indicates those who are "round about him," meaning in his vicinity or sphere of influence, thus including those allied with or influenced by Egypt.
Ezekiel 32 23 Bonus Section
The "fire" mentioned here can be understood not just as literal fire, but as the manifestation of God's wrath and power that consumes His enemies. This imagery is common throughout Scripture. The concept of nations being "gathered" for judgment echoes earlier prophetic themes and foreshadows later New Testament descriptions of divine reckoning. The mention of a fire sent "before him" could imply that the doom of other nations is a direct consequence or precursor to Egypt's own downfall, or that judgment unfolds progressively. Pharaoh's destruction serves as a point of reference for the wider judgment.
Ezekiel 32 23 Commentary
Ezekiel 32:23 describes a divine punitive action described as fire being sent forth before Egypt's fallen leader (Pharaoh), burning up those who were around him. This imagery signifies that the judgment of God upon a proud, rebellious entity like Pharaoh also implicates and consumes its allies or those who stood with it in opposition to God's purposes. The "stench" mentioned (though not explicitly in this verse, but implied by the surrounding context of destruction and defeat) points to the finality and utter ruin associated with this judgment. It's a picture of comprehensive destruction, where not only the main target but also its associates are swept away by God's powerful and cleansing fire of judgment.