Ezekiel 32:2
in Ezekiel 32“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 art thou as a monster in the seas; and thou didst break forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 32
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThou art like a young lion - and thou art as a whale in the seas - Thou mayest be likened to two of the fiercest animals in the creation; to a lion, the fiercest on the land; to a crocodile, תנים tannim, (see Eze 29:3), the fiercest in the waters. It may, however, point out the hippopotamus, as there seems to be a reference to his mode of feeding.
This site's exposition
the twelfth year
on Ezekiel 32:1-2
The king is called a young lion and a whale in the seas, imagery Gill reads as ferocity on land and mastery of the Nile. Keil notes that the lamentation form itself is an irony, a funeral song sung for a king who is not yet dead.
This site's exposition
like a monster in the seas
The monster is the tannin, the great creature of the waters, the same title given Pharaoh at 29:3. The seas are the Nile and its branches. Chapter 29 had already promised hooks for his jaws, and this lament finishes that hunt.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter XXXII, verse 1 and following) And it was in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month (or tenth), on one day (the Vulgate is silent on the day) of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: You are like a lion among the nations, and like a dragon in the sea; you stirred up your horns in your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and trampled their (or your) rivers.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt,....
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.
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. He that has troubled others must expect to be himself troubled; for the Lord is righteous, Josh. vii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Pharaoh--"Phra" in Burmah, signifies the king, high priest, and idol. whale--rather, any monster of the waters; here, the crocodile of the Nile. Pharaoh is as a lion on dry land, a crocodile in the waters; that is, an object of terror everywhere. camest forth with thy rivers--"breakest forth" [FAIRBAIRN].
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Thou art like ... - Rather, Thou wouldest be like to (others, “wast likened unto”) a young lion. And thou art - In contrast to what thou wouldest be. A whale - Rather, crocodile (marginal reference note). Pharaoh should have been like the king of beasts, but he is a mere sea-monster. There is strong irony here, because the Egyptian king was proud of the comparison between himself and the mighty crocodile. Seas - The word is often used of the waters of a great river, like the Nile. Thou camest forth with thy rivers - Rather, thou didst burst forth in “thy rivers” as the crocodile does from the water into which he has plunged.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| שָׂ֤א | sa' | take up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| קִינָה֙ | kinah | a lamentation | H7015 → | 18 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֣ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כְּפִ֥יר | kefir | a young lion of | H3715 → | 32 times |
| גּוֹיִ֖ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| נִדְמֵ֑יתָ | nidmeita | you became like | H1819 → | 30 times |
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| כַּתַּנִּ֣ים | katanim | [were] like <the> sea monster | H8565 → | |
| בַּיַּמִּ֔ים | baiyamim | in the seas | H3220 → | 396 times |
| וַתָּ֣גַח | vatagach | and you burst forth | H1518 → | |
| בְּנַהֲרוֹתֶ֗יךָ | benaharoteikha | in rivers your | H5104 → | 119 times |
| וַתִּדְלַח־ | vatidlach- | and you made turbid | H1804 → | 3 times |
| מַ֙יִם֙ | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בְּרַגְלֶ֔יךָ | beragleikha | with feet your | H7272 → | 247 times |
| וַתִּרְפֹּ֖ס | vatirpos | and you fouled | H7515 → | |
| נַהֲרוֹתָֽם׃ | naharotam | rivers their | H5104 → | 119 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
שָׂ֤אtake up
sa'H5375 →656 times
קִינָה֙a lamentation
kinahH7015 →18 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פַּרְעֹ֣הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כְּפִ֥ירa young lion of
kefirH3715 →32 times
גּוֹיִ֖םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
נִדְמֵ֑יתָyou became like
nidmeitaH1819 →30 times
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
כַּתַּנִּ֣ים[were] like <the> sea monster
katanimH8565 →
בַּיַּמִּ֔יםin the seas
baiyamimH3220 →396 times
וַתָּ֣גַחand you burst forth
vatagachH1518 →
בְּנַהֲרוֹתֶ֗יךָin rivers your
benaharoteikhaH5104 →119 times
וַתִּדְלַח־and you made turbid
vatidlach-H1804 →3 times
מַ֙יִם֙waters
mayimH4325 →581 times
בְּרַגְלֶ֔יךָwith feet your
beragleikhaH7272 →247 times
וַתִּרְפֹּ֖סand you fouled
vatirposH7515 →
נַהֲרוֹתָֽם׃rivers their
naharotamH5104 →119 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 28:12“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 19:1
“As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 19:1
Through
Ezekiel 32:16This is the lament they will chant for her; the daughters of the nations will chant it. Over Egypt and all her multitudes they will chant it, declares the Lord GOD.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 26:17
Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 1:17
Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
- 2 Chronicles 35:25
Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in…
- Ezekiel 26:17
Through
Ezekiel 29:3Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.
- Jeremiah 44:30
This is what the LORD says: Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who seek his life, just as I delivered Zedekiah king of Judah into…
- Ezekiel 29:9–10
The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it,’
- Deuteronomy 8:17
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Isaiah 27:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.