Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 32:1

Clarke's Commentary

CHAPTER XXXII

The prophet goes on to predict the fall of the king of Egypt,

under the figure of an animal of prey, such as a lion or

crocodile, caught, slain, and his carcass left a prey to the

fowls and wild beasts, 1-6.

The figure is then changed; and the greatness of his fall

(described by the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars)

strikes terror into all the surrounding nations, 7-10.

The prophet adds, that the overthrow of the then reigning

Egyptian dynasty was to be effected by the instrumentality of

the king of Babylon, who should leave Egypt so desolate, that

its waters, (alluding to the metaphor used in the second

verse,) should run as pure and smooth as oil, without the foot

of man or the hoof of a beast to disturb them, 11-16.

A beautiful, nervous, and concise description of a land ruined

and left utterly desolate. In the remaining part of the chapter

the same event is pourtrayed by one of the boldest figures ever

attempted in any composition, and which at the same time is

executed with astonishing perspicuity and force. God is

introduced ordering a place in the lower regions for the king

of Egypt and his host, 17, 18.

The prophet delivers his messsage, pronounces their fate, and

commands those who buried the slain to drag him and his

multitudes to the subterraneous mansions, 19, 20.

At the tumult and commotion which this mighty work occasions,

the infernal shades are represented as roused from their

couches to learn the cause. They see and congratulate the king

of Egypt, on his arrival among them, 21.

Pharaoh being now introduced into this immense subterraneous

cavern, (see the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, where a similar

imagery is employed,) the prophet leads him all around the

sides of the pit; shows him the gloomy mansions of former

tyrants, tells their names as he goes along; beautifully

contrasts their former pomp and destructive ambition, when they

were a terror to the surrounding states, with their present

most abject and helpless condition; declares that all these

oppressors of mankind have not only been cut off out of the

land of the living, but have gone down into the grave

uncircumcised, that is, they have died in their sins, and

therefore shall have no resurrection to eternal life; and

concludes with showing Pharaoh the place destined for him in

the midst of the uncircumcised, and of them that have been

slain by the sword, 22-32.

This prophetic ode may be considered as a finished model in

that species of writing which is appropriated to the exciting

of terror. The imagery throughout is sublime and terrible; and

no reader of sensibility and taste can accompany the prophet in

this funeral procession, and visit the mansions of Hades,

without being impressed with a degree of awe nearly approaching

to horror.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXXII

Verse Ezekiel 32:1. In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month — On Wednesday, March 22, the twelfth year of the captivity of Jeconiah, A.M. 3417.

Instead of the twelfth year, five of Kennicott's MSS., and eight of De Rossi's, read בעשתי עשרה in the eleventh year. This reading is supported by the Syriac; and is confirmed by an excellent MS. of my own, about four hundred years old.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The end of Egypt (32:1-32)

Again Pharaoh (or Egypt) is likened to the mythological monster of the Nile who will be caught, dragged out of the river and left to rot in the sun. His blood will flow over the land and his carcass will be meat for birds and wild animals (32:1-6; cf. 29:3-5). A terrifying darkness throughout the country will impress upon people that this judgment is the work of the sovereign God (7-8).
Neighbouring nations will tremble when they see multitudes of Egyptian people killed by the invaders or taken into foreign captivity (9-12). With people and animals wiped out, the land will be left desolate. The waters of Egypt will be clear and its rivers will flow smoothly, unpolluted and undisturbed by any form of life (13-16).
Ezekiel returns to his picture of Egypt’s sinking into Sheol, the dark silent world of the dead. With mocking words, the dead welcome the formerly proud nation to join them in the place of shame and uncleanness (17-21; cf. 31:15-18).
Already in the world of the dead are certain cruel nations of the past, such as Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal. These nations formerly terrified others, but now they lie useless and dishonoured (22-27). Egypt will now join them (28). Other nations that Ezekiel has already denounced, such as Edom and Sidon, will finish in the same place (29-30). The only comfort for Egypt will be to learn that it is not the only nation to suffer such a humiliating end (31-32).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE CROCODILE CAPTURED, SLAIN, AND DEVOURED (Ezekiel 32:1-10)

"And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou wast likened unto a young lion of the nations: yet thou art as a monster in the seas; and thou didst break forth with thy rivers, and troubleth the waters with thy feet, and foulest thy rivers. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will spread out my net upon thee with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring thee up in my net. And I will leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the field, and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle upon thee, and I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with thee. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of thee. And when I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord Jehovah. I will also vex the hearts of many peoples, when I shall bring thy destruction upon the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known. Yea, I will make many peoples amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall."

"Thou wast likened unto a young lion" Pharaoh probably looked upon himself as `a young lion among the nations'; but God here told him what he was really like.

"Yet thou art as a monster in the seas" "The seas here, as in Ezekiel 29:3 where it reads `monster in the midst of the rivers,' is the Nile and its spangled delta exits. The `monster' is the crocodile."George Barlow, The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1891), p. 334.

It is a totally unchristian viewpoint that drags Babylonian mythology into this prophecy. See our comment in the previous chapter regarding the errors involved in seeking evidence of mythological connections in the prophecies of God.

Bunn's allegation was that "the monster" of this passage, "May stand for the great dragon Tiamat in Babylonian mythology, or perhaps Apophis, the primordial god of chaos in Egyptian mythology… more likely it is the latter."John T. Bunn in the Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1871), p. 327.

If such imaginary characters had been intended by Ezekiel, would he not have named them? On the contrary, he used a word which in Hebrew means any large sea-creature, including the crocodile. Or, could Bunn possibly have meant that Jehovah himself, mentioned in the same breath as the author of this statement, recognized the actual existence of mythological creatures like Apophis or Tiamat? Whatever he meant by this, his comment must be disallowed as inaccurate and untrustworthy.

As Keil noted, "Pharaoh is here compared to a crocodile, which stirs up the streams, muddying and fouling them, doing so with his mouth and his feet, rendering turbid all that was pure."Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 43.

"And I will leave thee upon the land" The picture of what would happen to the crocodile was thus described by Pearson, "He would be taken in a great net, dragged out of his river retreat and left to die, out of his element, on the dry land, and his dead carcass would be left to provide food for the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth."Anton T. Pearson in Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), p. 749.

The darkening of the sun, moon and stars is a figure often encountered in the Scriptures. It carries the meaning of the destruction of all of the great leaders and public officials of a nation or kingdom.

In the following verses (Ezekiel 32:11-16), "All metaphors are abandoned, and the desolation of Egypt is announced in literal language as something to be accomplished by the sword of Babylon, `the most terrible of the nations.'"John Skinner in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 276.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

In the twelfth month - About one year and seven months after the destruction of Jerusalem. In the meantime had occurred the murder of Gedaliah and the flight into Egypt of the Jews left behind by the Chaldaeans Jer. 41–43. Jeremiah, who had accompanied them, foretold their ruin Jeremiah 44:0 in a prophecy probably contemporaneous with the present - the sixth against Egypt, delivered in the form of a dirge Ezekiel 44:2-16.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 32

Now in chapter 32, because this is his sad destiny, he takes up this lamentation. A lamentation is a wailing or a crying for the Pharaoh. You lament, or you wail.

And it came to pass in the twelfth year ( Ezekiel 32:1 ),

So this was a year later from the previous prophecy. Actually, a year and six months later, eighteen months later.

It came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a ( Ezekiel 32:1-2 )

A whale is a poor translation. You are really like a

[crocodile] in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and you troubled the waters with thy feet, and you fouled the rivers ( Ezekiel 32:2 ).

A crocodile or a dragon.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net ( Ezekiel 32:3 )

You're like a crocodile. You've muddied the waters; you've stirred things up, but I'm going to spread out a net.

over you with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net. Then will I leave thee upon the land, and I will cast thee forth on the open field, and will cause all the fowls of heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the earth with thee. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. And I will also water with thy blood the land wherein you swim, even the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee. And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; and I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light ( Ezekiel 32:3-7 ).

Now as we get into this part of the prophecy where God speaks of the day when He puts her out, the heavens being covered, the stars dark, the sun will be covered with a cloud, and the moon will not give her light, brings into mind the prophecy of Joel concerning the time of the Great Tribulation, when the moon would be... the sun would be darkened, the moon would be turned to blood, and the stars would not shine. Jesus, of course, quoted this in Matthew 24 , as again, a part of the Great Tribulation of those days. And we find it recorded also in the book of Revelation, in the cataclysmic judgments that take place in the sixth seal. So, it is possible that this prophecy against the Pharaoh is one of those prophecies with a dual fulfillment. That he was talking about what would happen when Nebuchadnezzar conquered him, but also the going out and the judgment against Egypt in the day of the Great Tribulation. So there is that real possibility of a dual aspect to the fulfillment of this particular prophecy, and it not only spoke of the condition of the Pharaoh then, but as history repeats itself, when the Lord judges the earth these same conditions do take place in the time of the Great Tribulation.

All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD. I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. Yes, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall. For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee. And by the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, and the terrible of nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. And I will destroy all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD. When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, then I shall smite all of them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 32:8-15 ).

And again in all of these prophecies, the Lord declares when they are fulfilled then they shall know that I am the Lord. One of the purposes of prophecy, speaking of things in advance, is to give proof that God indeed has spoken. Jesus said, "I have told you these things before they come to pass so that when they come to pass you might believe." And so one of the strong apologetics of scripture is prophecy and the fulfillment of prophecy. And so over and over again as the prophecies are made, the Lord said, "And then shall ye know that I am the Lord." And, of course, when we get into Ezekiel our study next week, as it speaks of Russia's invasion with this massive army from all of her allies, including Libya and Ethiopia and all, Iraq, Iran and all, when they are all defeated in Israel, he said, "Then shall the nations of the world know that I am God. I will be sanctified before the nations of the world."

I was talking with a very wealthy Jewish friend about the Bible and about the Lord, and I was asking him what it was going to take to make him a believer. Because his whole thing was, "Where was God when my parents were gassed in Germany?" For his parents, both of them, killed by the Germans during the war. And I said, "But what will it take to make you a believer?" I said, "Here God said that He was going to make Israel a nation once again, and Israel is now a nation. Doesn't that say something to you?" He said, "No." He said, "It's very obvious we have had that in our heart from the beginning. You know, one day it was gonna be a nation again. We were going to take it again." He said, "We're tough people." I said, "Well, it says when Israel becomes a nation again that they will become a troublesome stone to all of those that are round about them, and if any nation tries to come against them, that they are really going to be hurt." And this was right after the '67 war. And I said, "Doesn't... look what's happened how Israel struck out against Jordan, Egypt and Syria, all at the same time and defeated all three. Took the Sinai, took the West Bank, and the Golan Heights, doesn't that cause you to believe?" He said, "No, I told you we were tough people." I said, "Well, the Bible says that Russia then will head an invasion against Israel, and will come with all of her allies to destroy this new nation. And that Russia is going to be totally defeated." He said, "When that happens, I'll become a believer." I said, "Paul, you might be just a little bit too late to escape the Great Tribulation that will follow." But we'll be getting into that more next week as we move on in this exciting prophecy of Ezekiel, as he gets into these... the re-gathering of the nation of Israel and the events of these last days.

Now as we get into verse Ezekiel 32:17 , we have a whole new prophecy. The lamentation against the Pharaoh is over with verse Ezekiel 32:16 . This is the lamentation. He is told to take up a lamentation for the Pharaoh.

And this is the lamentation wherewith they shall all lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and all of her multitude. It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month ( Ezekiel 32:16-17 ),

This first prophecy came in the first day of the month, so fifteen days later he had another word from the Lord for Egypt.

saying, Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down to the pit. Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all of her multitudes. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. Asshur is already there and all of her company: his graves are about him: all of the slain, fallen by the sword ( Ezekiel 32:17-22 ):

Egypt is going to fall and go into hell where Asshur has already been slain.

Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror for the land of the living. Elam is there and all of her multitude ( Ezekiel 32:23-24 )

And verse Ezekiel 32:25 :

They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all of her multitude: her graves are round about ( Ezekiel 32:25 ):

And so Egypt is to be cast down with these other nations. Meshech and Tubal, those nations from the north, along with Sidon, and then Edom is also there, verse Ezekiel 32:29 , and her kings and princes. And then verse Ezekiel 32:30 , the Zidonians.

And Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all of the multitude, saith the Lord GOD ( Ezekiel 32:31-32 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

This is the first of two messages that Ezekiel received from the Lord concerning Egypt on March 3, 585 B.C. [Note: Parker and Dubberstein, p. 28.] Less than two months had passed since the exiles had learned of Jerusalem’s fall, which had occurred several months earlier (Ezekiel 33:21). The Egyptians had also doubtless heard of Jerusalem’s destruction. This oracle assured both the Jewish exiles in Babylon and the Egyptians, including the Jewish exiles there, that God would bring Egypt down. Jerusalem’s destruction was to be no source of comfort for the Egyptians.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

6. A funeral dirge for Egypt 32:1-16

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it came to pass in the twelfth year,.... Of Jeconiah's captivity, above a year and a half after the taking of Jerusalem; the Syriac version reads in the eleventh year:

in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month; the month Adar, which answers to part of our February, and part of March; the Septuagint version reads it the tenth month: according to Bishop Usher t, this was on the twenty second of March, on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), 3417 A.M.or 587 years before Christ:

that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying; as follows:

t Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3417.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,   2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.   3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.   4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.   5 And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.   6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.   7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.   8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.   9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.   10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.   11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.   12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.   13 I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.   14 Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.   15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD.   16 This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

      Here, I. The prophet is ordered to take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt,Ezekiel 32:2; Ezekiel 32:2. It concerns ministers to be much of a serious spirit, and, in order thereunto, to be frequent in taking up lamentations for the fall and ruin of sinners, as those that have not desired, but dreaded, the woeful day. Note, Ministers that would affect others with the things of God must make it appear that they are themselves affected with the miseries which sinners bring upon themselves by their sins. It becomes us to weep and tremble for those that will not weep and tremble for themselves, to try if thereby we may set them a weeping, set them a trembling.

      II. He is ordered to show cause for that lamentation.

      1. Pharaoh has been a troubler of the nations, even of his own nation, which he should have procured the repose of: He is like a young lion of the nations (Ezekiel 32:2; Ezekiel 32:2), loud and noisy, hectoring and threatening as a lion when he roars. Great potentates, if they by tyrannical and oppressive, are in God's account no better than beasts of prey. He is like a whale, or dragon, like a crocodile (so some) in the seas, very turbulent and vexatious, as the leviathan that makes the deep to boil like a pot,Job 41:31. When Pharaoh engaged in an unnecessary war with the Cyrenians he came forth with his rivers, with his armies, troubled the waters, disturbed his own kingdom and the neighbouring nations, fouled the rivers, and made them muddy. Note, A great deal of disquiet is often given to the world by the restless ambition and implacable resentments of proud princes. Ahab is he that troubles Israel, and not Elijah.

      2. He that has troubled others must expect to be himself troubled; for the Lord is righteous, Joshua 7:25.

      (1.) This is set forth here by a comparison. Is Pharaoh like a great whale, which, when it comes up the river, gives great disturbance, a leviathan which Job cannot draw out with a hook? (Job 41:1), yet God has a net for him which is large enough to enclose him and strong enough to secure him (Ezekiel 32:3; Ezekiel 32:3): I will spread my net over thee, even the army of the Chaldeans, a company of many people; they shall force him out of his fastnesses, dislodge him out of his possessions, throw him like a great fish upon dry ground, upon the open field (Ezekiel 32:4; Ezekiel 32:4), where being out of his element, he must die of course, and be a prey to the birds and beasts, as was foretold, Ezekiel 29:5; Ezekiel 29:5. What can the strongest fish do to help itself when it is out of the water and lies gasping? The flesh of this great whale shall be laid upon the mountains (Ezekiel 32:5; Ezekiel 32:5) and the valleys shall be filled with his height. Such numbers of Pharaoh's soldiers shall be slain that the dead bodies shall be scattered upon the hills and there shall be heaps of them piled up in the valleys. Blood shall be shed in such abundance as to swell the rivers in the valleys. Or, Such shall be the bulk, such the height, of this leviathan, that, when he is laid upon the ground, he shall fill a valley. Such vast quantities of blood shall issue from this leviathan as shall water the land of Egypt, the land wherein now he swims, now he sports himself, Ezekiel 32:6; Ezekiel 32:6. It shall reach to the mountains, and the waters of Egypt shall again be turned into blood by this means: The rivers shall be full of thee. The judgments executed upon Pharaoh of old are expressed by the breaking of the heads of leviathan in the waters,Psalms 74:13; Psalms 74:14. But now they go further; this old serpent not only has now his head bruised, but is all crushed to pieces.

      (2.) It is set forth by a prophecy of the deep impression which the destruction of Egypt should make upon the neighbouring nations; it would put them all into a consternation, as the fall of the Assyrian monarchy did, Ezekiel 31:15; Ezekiel 31:16. When Pharaoh, who had been like a blazing burning torch, is put out and extinguished it shall make all about him look black, Ezekiel 32:7; Ezekiel 32:7. The heavens shall be hung with black, the stars darkened, the sun eclipsed, and the moon be deprived of her borrowed light. It is from the upper world that this lower receives its light; and therefore (Ezekiel 32:8; Ezekiel 32:8), when the bright lights of heaven are made dark above, darkness by consequence is set upon the land, upon the earth; so it shall be on the land of Egypt. Here the plague of darkness, which was upon Egypt of old for three days, seems to be alluded to, as, before, the turning of the waters into blood. For, when former judgments are forgotten, it is just that they should be repeated. When their privy-counsellors, and statesmen, and those that have the direction of the public affairs, are deprived of wisdom and made fools, and the things that belong to their peace are hidden from their eyes, then their lights are darkened and the land is in a mist. This is foretold, Isaiah 19:13. The princes of Zoan have become fools. Now upon the spreading of the report of the fall of Egypt, and the bringing of the news to remote countries, countries which they had not known (Ezekiel 32:9; Ezekiel 32:9), people shall be much affected, and shall feel themselves sensibly touched by it. [1.] It shall fill them with vexation to see such an ancient, wealthy, potent kingdom thus humbled and brought down, and the pride of worldly glory, which they have such a value for, stained. The hearts of many people will be vexed to see the word of the God of Israel fulfilled in the destruction of Egypt, and that all the gods of Egypt were not able to relieve it. Note, The destruction of some wicked people is a vexation to others. [2.] It shall fill them with admiration (Ezekiel 32:10; Ezekiel 32:10): They shall be amazed at thee, shall wonder to see such great riches and power come to nothing,Revelation 18:17. Note, Those that admire with complacency the pomp of this world will admire with consternation the ruin of that pomp, which to those that know the vanity of all things here below is no surprise at all. [3.] It shall fill them with fear: even their kings (that think it their prerogative to be secure) shall be horribly afraid for thee, concluding their own house to be in danger when their neighbour's is on fire. When I shall brandish my sword before them they shall tremble every man for his own life. Note, When the sword of God's justice is drawn against some, to cut them off, it is thereby brandished before others, to give them warning. And those that will not be admonished by it, and made to reform, shall yet be frightened by it, and made to tremble. They shall tremble at every moment, because of thy fall. When others are ruined by sin we have reason to quake for fear, as knowing ourselves guilty and obnoxious. Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?

      (3.) It is set forth by a plain and express prediction of the desolation itself that should come upon Egypt. [1.] The instruments of the desolation appear here very formidable. It is the sword of the king of Babylon, that warlike, that victorious prince, that shall come upon thee (Ezekiel 32:11; Ezekiel 32:11), the swords of the mighty, even the terrible of the nations, all of them (Ezekiel 32:12; Ezekiel 32:12), an army that there is no standing before. Note, Those that delight in war, and are upon all occasions entering into contention, may expect, some time or other, to be engaged with those that will prove too hard for them. Pharaoh had been forward to quarrel with his neighbour and to come forth with his rivers, with his armies, Ezekiel 32:2; Ezekiel 32:2. But God will now give him enough of it. [2.] The instances of the desolation appear here very frightful, much the same with what we had before, Ezekiel 29:10-12; Ezekiel 30:7. First, The multitude of Egypt shall be destroyed, not decimated, some picked out to be made examples, but all cut off. Note, The numbers of sinners, though they be a multitude, will neither secure them against God's power nor entitle them to his pity. Secondly, The pomp of Egypt shall be spoiled, the pomp of their court, what they have been proud of. Note, in renouncing the pomps of this world we did ourselves a great kindness, for they are things that are soon spoiled and that cheat their admirers. Thirdly, The cattle of Egypt, that used to feed by the rivers, shall be destroyed (Ezekiel 32:13; Ezekiel 32:13), either cut off by the sword or carried off for a prey. Egypt was famous for horses, which would be an acceptable booty to the Chaldeans. The rivers shall be no more frequented as they have been by man and beast, that came thither to drink. Fourthly, The waters of Egypt, that used to flow briskly, shall now grow deep, and slow, and heavy, and shall run like oil (Ezekiel 32:14; Ezekiel 32:14), a figurative expression signifying that there should be such universal sadness and heaviness upon the whole nation that even the rivers should go softly and silently like mourners, and quite forget their rapid motion. Fifthly, The whole country of Egypt shall be stripped of its wealth; it shall be destitute of what whereof it was full (Ezekiel 32:15; Ezekiel 32:15), corn, and cattle, and all the pleasant fruits of the earth; when those are smitten that dwell therein the ground is untilled, and that which is gathered becomes an easy prey to the invader. Note, God can soon empty those of this world's goods that have the greatest fulness of those things and are full of them, that enjoy most and have their hearts set upon those enjoyments. The Egyptians were full of their pleasant and plentiful country, and its rich productions. Every one that talked with them might perceive how much it filled them. But God can soon make their country destitute of that whereof it is full; it is therefore our wisdom to be full of treasures in heaven. When the country is made destitute, 1. It shall be an instruction to them: Then shall they know that I am the Lord. A sensible conviction of the vanity of the world, and the fading perishing nature of all things in it, will contribute much to our right knowledge of God as our portion and happiness. 2. It shall be a lamentation to all about them: The daughters of the nations shall lament her (Ezekiel 32:16; Ezekiel 32:16), either because, being in alliance with her, they share in her grievances and suffer with her, or, being admirers of her, they at least share in her grief and sympathize with her. They shall lament for Egypt and all her multitude; it shall excite their pity to see so great a devastation made. By enlarging the matters of our joy we increase the occasions of our sorrow.