1I stalo se v dvanáctém roce v dvanáctém měsíci, prvního dne toho měsíce; stalo se ke mně Hospodinovo slovo: 2Lidský synu, pozvedni žalozpěv nad faraonem, egyptským králem. Řekneš mu: Byl jsi připodobněn k mladému lvu národů a byl jsi jako drak v mořích, vyvaloval ses ve svých tocích, čeřil jsi vody svýma nohama a kalil jsi jejich toky. 3Toto praví Panovník Hospodin: Rozprostřu však nad tebou svou síť ve shromáždění mnohých národů a vytáhnou tě v mé síti. 4Zanechám tě na zemi, na povrch pole tě vyvrhnu, usadím na tobě všelijaké nebeské ptactvo a nasytím tebou zvěř celé země. 5Na horách zanechám tvé maso a hromadou tvých ostatků zaplním údolí. 6Napojím zemi záplavou tvé krve až k horám a řečiště budou z tebe plná. 7Až uhasneš, zakryji nebesa a hvězdy na nich nechám potemnět. Slunce, to zakryji oblakem, a měsíc nebude svítit svým světlem. 8Všechna světla svítící na nebesích nad tebou nechám potemnět a uvedu temnotu na tvou zemi, je výrok Panovníka Hospodina. 9Tehdy znepokojím srdce mnohého lidu, až roznesu tvou zkázu mezi národy do zemí, které neznáš. 10Způsobím, že se nad tebou mnohý lid zhrozí a jejich králové se nad tebou zděsí hrůzou, až před nimi zamávám svým mečem, a v den tvého pádu se budou neustále třást — každý o svou duši. 11Neboť toto praví Panovník Hospodin: Přijde na tebe meč babylonského krále. 12Tvůj dav nechám padnout meči hrdinů, všech těch násilnických národů. Zničí pýchu Egypta a všechen jeho dav bude vyhuben. 13A odstraním všechnu jeho zvěř z hojných vod a nebude už je čeřit lidská noha ani zvířecí kopyta je nebudou čeřit. 14Tehdy nechám usadit jejich vody a jejich toky nechám plynout jako olej, je výrok Panovníka Hospodina, 15až proměním egyptskou zemi ve spoušť. Země bude zbavena všeho, co ji naplňuje, až v ní pobiji všechny obyvatele. I poznají, že já jsem Hospodin. 16To je žalozpěv a budou jej zpívat. Zazpívají jej dcery národů. Zazpívají jej nad Egyptem a nade vším jeho davem, je výrok Panovníka Hospodina. 17I stalo se v dvanáctém roce patnáctého dne toho měsíce; stalo se ke mně Hospodinovo slovo: 18Lidský synu, běduj nad egyptským davem a nech jej sestoupit, jej i dcery vznešených národů, do útrob země s těmi, kdo sestupují do jámy. 19Nad koho jsi byl milejší? Sestup a buď uložen s neobřezanci. 20Padnou uprostřed pobitých mečem. Meč byl předán. Odtáhli jej a všechny jeho davy. 21Mocní hrdinové s jeho pomocníky k němu promluví zprostřed podsvětí: Sestoupili, ulehli neobřezanci pobití mečem. 22Je tam Asýrie a celé její shromáždění, okolo ní její hroby; jsou to samí pobití, padlí mečem, 23kterým byly dány její hroby na odlehlých stranách jámy, a její shromáždění bylo okolo jejího hrobu; jsou to samí pobití, padlí mečem, kteří působili děs v zemi živých. 24Je tam Élam a celý jeho dav okolo jeho hrobu; jsou to samí pobití, padlí mečem, kteří sestoupili neobřezaní do útrob země, ti, kteří působili děs v zemi živých a nesou svoji ostudu s těmi, kdo sestupují do jámy. 25Uprostřed pobitých mu dali lože se vším jeho davem, okolo něhož jsou jeho hroby. Jsou to samí neobřezanci pobití mečem, neboť jejich děs byl předáván v zemi živých a nesou svou ostudu s těmi, kdo sestupují do jámy; byl dán doprostřed pobitých. 26Je tam Mešek, Túbal a celý jeho dav, okolo něj jeho hroby; samí to neobřezanci pobití mečem, neboť působili děs v zemi živých. 27Neulehnou však s padlými hrdiny z neobřezanců, kteří sestoupili do podsvětí ve své válečné zbroji a pod své hlavy si dali meče. Jejich zvrácenosti zůstaly na jejich kostech, protože v zemi živých šel z těch hrdinů děs. 28I ty budeš zdrcený uprostřed neobřezanců a ulehneš s pobitými mečem. 29Je tam Edóm, jeho králové a všechna jeho knížata, ti, kteří byli ve své síle vydáni spolu s pobitými mečem. Oni ulehnou s neobřezanci a s těmi, kdo sestupují do jámy. 30Přišli sem všichni severní vazalové a všichni Sidónci, kteří sestoupili s pobitými ve svém děsu. Neobřezaní se stydí za své siláctví. Ulehli s pobitými mečem a nesli svou ostudu s těmi, kdo sestupují do jámy. 31Faraon je uvidí a potěší se nad celým jejich davem. Faraon a všechno jeho vojsko jsou pobiti mečem, je výrok Panovníka Hospodina, 32neboť jsem uvedl do země živých svůj děs. Faraon a celý jeho dav bude uložen mezi neobřezance spolu s pobitými mečem, je výrok Panovníka Hospodina.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 TWO ELEGIES OVER PHARAOH, ONE DELIVERED ON THE FIRST DAY (
Ezek 32:1), THE OTHER ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SAME MONTH, THE TWELFTH OF THE TWELFTH YEAR. (Eze. 32:1-32)
The twelfth year from the carrying away of Jehoiachin; Jerusalem was by this time overthrown, and Amasis was beginning his revolt against Pharaoh-hophra.
2 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]. The antithesis of "seas" and "rivers" favors GROTIUS rendering, "Thou camest forth from the sea into the rivers"; that is, from thy own empire into other states. However, English Version is favored by the "thy": thou camest forth with thy rivers (that is, with thy forces) and with thy feet didst fall irrecoverably; so Israel, once desolate, troubles the waters (that is, neighboring states).
3 with a company of many people--namely, the Chaldeans (
Ezek 29:3-
Ezek 29:4;
Hos 7:12).
my net--for they are My instrument.
4 leave thee upon the land--as a fish drawn out of the water loses all its strength, so Pharaoh (in
Ezek 32:3, compared to a water monster) shall be (
Ezek 29:5).
5 thy height--thy hugeness [FAIRBAIRN]. The great heap of corpses of thy forces, on which thou pridest thyself. "Height" may refer to mental elevation, as well as bodily [VATABLUS].
6 land wherein thou swimmest--Egypt: the land watered by the Nile, the the source of its fertility, wherein thou swimmest (carrying on the image of the crocodile, that is, wherein thou dost exercise thy wanton power at will). Irony. The land shall still afford seas to swim in, but they shall be seas of blood. Alluding to the plague (
Exod 7:19;
Rev 8:8). HAVERNICK translates, "I will water the land with what flows from thee, even thy blood, reaching to the mountains": "with thy blood overflowing even to the mountains." Perhaps this is better.
7 put thee out--extinguish thy light (
Job 18:5). Pharaoh is represented as a bright star, at the extinguishing of whose light in the political sky the whole heavenly host is shrouded in sympathetic darkness. Here, too, as in
Ezek 32:6, there is an allusion to the supernatural darkness sent formerly (
Exod 10:21-
Exod 10:23). The heavenly bodies are often made images of earthly dynasties (
Isa 13:10;
Matt 24:29).
9 thy destruction--that is tidings of thy destruction (literally, "thy breakage") carried by captive and dispersed Egyptians "among the nations" [GROTIUS]; or, thy broken people, resembling one great fracture, the ruins of what they had been [FAIRBAIRN].
10 brandish my sword before them--literally, "in their faces," or sight.
13 (See on
Ezek 29:11). The picture is ideally true, not to be interpreted by the letter. The political ascendency of Egypt was to cease with the Chaldean conquest [FAIRBAIRN]. Henceforth Pharaoh must figuratively no longer trouble the waters by man or beast, that is, no longer was he to flood other peoples with his overwhelming forces.
14 make their waters deep--rather, "make . . . to subside"; literally, "sink" [FAIRBAIRN].
like oil--emblem of quietness. No longer shall they descend violently on other countries as the overflowing Nile, but shall be still and sluggish in political action.
16 As in
Ezek 19:14. This is a prophetical lamentation; yet so it shall come to pass [GROTIUS].
17 The second lamentation for Pharaoh. This funeral dirge in imagination accompanies him to the unseen world. Egypt personified in its political head is ideally represented as undergoing the change by death to which man is liable. Expressing that Egypt's supremacy is no more, a thing of the past, never to be again.
the month--the twelfth month (
Ezek 32:1); fourteen days after the former vision.
18 cast them down--that is predict that they shall be cast down (so
Jer 1:10). The prophet's word was God's, and carried with it its own fulfilment.
daughters of . . . nations--that is the nations with their peoples. Egypt is to share the fate of other ancient nations once famous, now consigned to oblivion: Elam (
Ezek 32:24), Meshech, &c. (
Ezek 32:26), Edom (
Ezek 32:29), Zidon (
Ezek 32:30).
19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty?--Beautiful as thou art, thou art not more so than other nations, which nevertheless have perished.
go down, &c.--to the nether world, where all "beauty" is speedily marred.
20 she is delivered to the sword--namely, by God.
draw her--as if addressing her executioners: drag her forth to death.
21 (
Ezek 31:16). Ezekiel has before his eyes
Isa 14:9, &c.
shall speak to him--with "him" join "with them that help him"; shall speak to him and his helpers with a taunting welcome, as now one of themselves.
22 her . . . his--The abrupt change of gender is, because Ezekiel has in view at one time the kingdom (feminine), at another the monarch. "Asshur," or Assyria, is placed first in punishment, as being first in guilt.
23 in the sides of the pit--Sepulchres in the East were caves hollowed out of the rock, and the bodies were laid in niches formed at the sides. MAURER needlessly departs from the ordinary meaning, and translates, "extremities" (compare
Isa 14:13,
Isa 14:15).
which caused terror--They, who alive were a terror to others, are now, in the nether world, themselves a terrible object to behold.
24 Elam--placed next, as having been an auxiliary to Assyria. Its territory lay in Persia. In Abraham's time an independent kingdom (
Gen 14:1). Famous for its bowmen (
Isa 22:6).
borne their shame--the just retribution of their lawless pride. Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (
Jer 49:34-
Jer 49:38).
25 a bed--a sepulchral niche.
all . . . slain by . . . sword, &c.-- (
Ezek 32:21,
Ezek 32:23-
Ezek 32:24). The very monotony of the phraseology gives to the dirge an awe-inspiring effect.
26 Meshech, Tubal--northern nations: the Moschi and Tibareni, between the Black and Caspian Seas. HERODOTUS [3.94], mentions them as a subjugated people, tributaries to Darius Hystaspes (see
Ezek 27:13).
27 they shall not lie with the mighty--that is, they shall not have separate tombs such as mighty conquerors have: but shall all be heaped together in one pit, as is the case with the vanquished [GROTIUS]. HAVERNICK reads it interrogatively, "Shall they not lie with the mighty that are fallen?" But English Version is supported by the parallel (
Isa 14:18-
Isa 14:19), to which Ezekiel refers, and which represents them as not lying as mighty kings lie in a grave, but cast out of one, as a carcass trodden under foot.
with . . . weapons of war--alluding to the custom of burying warriors with their arms (1 Maccabees 13:29). Though honored by the laying of "their swords under their heads," yet the punishment of "their iniquities shall be upon their bones." Their swords shall thus attest their shame, not their glory (
Matt 26:52), being the instruments of their violence, the penalty of which they are paying.
28 Yea, thou--Thou, too, Egypt, like them, shalt lie as one vanquished.
29 princes--Edom was not only governed by kings, but by subordinate "princes" ox "dukes" (
Gen 36:40).
with their might--notwithstanding their might, they shall be brought down (
Isa 34:5,
Isa 34:10-
Isa 34:17;
Jer 49:7,
Jer 49:13-
Jer 49:18).
lie with the uncircumcised--Though Edom was circumcised, being descended from Isaac, he shall lie with the uncircumcised; much more shall Egypt, who had no hereditary right to circumcision.
30 princes of the north--Syria, which is still called by the Arabs the north; or the Tyrians, north of Palestine, conquered by Nebuchadnezzar (Eze. 26:1-28:26), [GROTIUS].
Zidonians--who shared the fate of Tyre (
Ezek 28:21).
with their terror they are ashamed of their might--that is, notwithstanding the terror which they inspired in their contemporaries. "Might" is connected by MAURER thus, "Notwithstanding the terror which resulted from their might."
31 comforted--with the melancholy satisfaction of not being alone, but of having other kingdoms companions in his downfall. This shall be his only comfort--a very poor one!
32 my terror--the Margin or Keri. The Hebrew text or Chetib is "his terror," which gives good sense (
Ezek 32:25,
Ezek 32:30). "My terror" implies that God puts His terror on Pharaoh's multitude, as they put "their terror" on others, for example, under Pharaoh-necho on Judea. As "the land of the living" was the scene of "their terror," so it shall be God's; especially in Judea, He will display His glory to the terror of Israel's foes (
Ezek 26:20). In Israel's case the judgment is temporary, ending in their future restoration under Messiah. In the case of the world kingdoms which flourished for a time, they fall to rise no more.
Heretofore his functions had been chiefly threatening; from this point, after the evil had got to its worst in the overthrow of Jerusalem, the consolatory element preponderates.
