Egypt's Dirge 

Foreign Nations Judged (Ezekiel 25-32)

In this chapter, we come to Ezekiel’s last two words concerning Egypt. They are both dated in the twelfth year of the Jehoiachin captivity, twelve years since Ezekiel had been taken into captivity. This would have been two months after Jerusalem's fall. The prophecy came to Ezekiel sometime in March of 585 or 586 B.C.

The Crocodile Lamentation (1-2)

The word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, and he was told to proclaim a lament over Pharaoh. A lament was usually written after someone had died and was delivered at their burial. This lament was going to be sung before Egypt's funeral.

The king of Pharaoh fancied himself the king of nations—roaring, ferocious, a beast to be reckoned with. 

In the sea, Pharaoh Hophra was like a crocodile making peaceful water agitated and foul as Egypt churned up international troubles among nations. At the time of this prophetic lamentation, Pharaoh mostly sought to oppose and constrain Babylonian expansion (1-2).

Egypt Ravaged (3-10) 

This prophecy is comparable to the previous one: Egypt would be netted by a great army and drug out of the water, or its governing habitat. Once out of the water, Egypt would be left wounded and stranded, to be picked clean by the nations. The language here is as severe as possible. Their flesh, the riches of Egypt, would be in the bellies and then in the feces of the beasts roaming the hills. The bones (governing structure) of Egypt would be found in the valleys, where they would be left after being gnawed on. The nations were going to ravage Egypt’s prosperity and drag Egypt off, discarding her as leftover junk. 

Many souls would perish by the sword; their blood would fill ravines and rise to the foothills of the mountains. This is all figurative language describing the utter devastation of the nation and the many who would perish (3-6).

God would also blot out the ruling class of Egypt. He would put out the light of their leadership. This is what is meant by stars, sun, and moon having their light removed. There would come a time when the entire government structure of Egypt would shine no more, and no light of Egyptian leadership would guide the nation (7-8).

At the rumor of Egypt’s fall, nations Egypt had never seen and also nations like Judah would be traumatized. Kings would be chilled to the bone as they witnessed the catastrophic downfall of Egypt. The collapse of Egypt would not be as a nation having lost a war. The collapse of Egypt would be the complete and wholesale obliteration of her culture, society, government, economy, and military (9-10).

Egypt Ravaged by Babylon (11-16)

Yahweh once again leaves no doubt as to who will come and destroy Egypt: Babylon’s king (11).

• The nation of Egypt would be destroyed by Babylon’s vast army. Egypt would not be merely invaded by a special force; it would be thoroughly crushed by a ruthless swarm of warriors. 

• Egypt’s pride would be trampled (12).

• Egypt’s flocks and herds would not be spared. 

• Egypt’s livestock trade would come to an end, never again to resume (13).

• As a positive, Egypt’s Nile with its tributaries would run and flow unpolluted and be as valued as olive oil (14).

All of this liquidation of land, people, leadership, and industry would cause those who were left to know Yahweh as God (15).

Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon did come against Egypt twice in the early 580s B.C. and in the late 560s B.C. The Babylonians ravaged the nation, and it never returned to its world-dominating status. 

This was the lamentation Yahweh gave Ezekiel to sing and chant over Egypt before the nation actually died (16).

The Descent of Egypt into Sheol (17-18) 

We have come at long last to the last and seventh prophetic word from Ezekiel to Egypt (29:1, 17; 30:1, 20; 31:1; 32:1, 17).

Two weeks after the sixth prophetic word came, this seventh message came in March of 585 B.C. or 586 B.C. 

In this prophecy, Ezekiel was called upon to weep for the ultimate demise of those who belonged to the nation of Egypt. 

This is not a specific description of the afterlife, but it certainly is an affirmation of a theme visited throughout Scripture: after death, there is no chance for a person to change his or her destiny. 

Egypt was to be sent to the world of the dead, to those who descend into what Ezekiel calls a pit. “Pit” was a term used for many things, one of which was a hole hollowed out for cooking. “Sheol” and pit were God's words for the afterlife (18).

Egypt's Fall Deserved (19-20) 

Egypt fancied her beauty to be greater than other nations. Her destiny, however, proved that she was like the rest of those “uncircumcised” nations, or nations who refused covenant with Yahweh. Her presumed beauty could not save her (19).

She would fall by the sword as many nations before her had fallen. Her destiny was not only deserved; it was inevitable (20).

Egypt’s Partners in Sheol (21-27)

Egypt and its allies would descend to join the other outcasts already resident in the pit. Multitudes of troops had descended to the pit before Egypt would. Those who descended to their grave before Egypt would be called upon to greet Egypt with mockery (21).

There would be six nations greeting Egypt and welcoming her to death with mockery. 

• Assyria was the nation that once struck terror but was now laid to waste in the depths of the pit, having been destroyed by what they had used to destroy, the sword of war (22-23).

• Elam greeted Egypt with mockery. They had terrorized others and had wreaked havoc on the world through war. Yet, in the end, they were destined to be outcasts in the pit. There they shared the shame of every other defeated and ruthless army. Elam was east of Babylon and was subdued by Assyria but then conquered by Nebuchadnezzar (24-25). Jeremiah also prophesied of Elam's demise (Jeremiah 49:34-39).

• Meshech and Tubal were also in the grave awaiting Egypt. They too were known for not just defending their nation, but also tyrannizing and bullying other nations. After all their snorting threats, they lay as outcasts in the pit of death, all slaughtered by the sword they had used on others (26). These two nations were probably located on the northern and eastern fringe of modern Turkey. They were not buried with distinction; none of their heroes were given an honor guard at the day of their burial. Their weapons did not mark their grave, nor were they buried with their sword. They were ruthlessly defeated and treated just as they had treated others (27).

Ezekiel inserts here before he continues: Egypt would join the other nations, crushed outcasts who were slaughtered in battle. No time for an honor guard, their bodies would fall, insignificant, into the pit (28). 

• Edom was there, fallen also—slaughtered in battles, the outcasts of war (29).

• The Phoenician city-states are then mentioned. The terror of these groups of cities left them like the other nations, ravaged and terrorized themselves. Tyre and Sidon were the most notable of the Phoenician cities, and they were all waiting in the pit as slaughtered outcasts, shamed by war, waiting for Egypt (30).

Pharaoh in Sheol (31-32)

The only perverted comfort Pharaoh and his army would find in the pit was that they were not alone. Those who had terrorized by the sword would die being terrorized themselves by the sword. 

The phrase “by the sword” is used some twelve times in this parable. This is likely the very chapter from which Jesus drew the phrase, “Those who use the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52 NLT).

Yahweh stamps this prophecy with the declaration that He is sovereign. All kings and kingdoms, indeed every soul, should be warned. 

The one who terrorizes will be terrorized.

Yahweh had spread terror in the land of the living. Pharaoh finally gave the earth rest by being placed in the pit among those who could not be in covenant with God. 

The lesson of this prophecy is that there is a place in the pit for those who seek to do violence with others (31-32).

Although this chapter seems to be about warriors and war, it should serve as a warning to any seeking violence or vengeance at any level—physical, emotional, or psychological. To take up the sword of hate or bitterness against another will reap devastating consequences.