Ezekiel 32:21

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.

The strong {H410} among the mighty {H1368} shall speak {H1696} to him out of the midst {H8432} of hell {H7585} with them that help {H5826} him: they are gone down {H3381}, they lie {H7901} uncircumcised {H6189}, slain {H2491} by the sword {H2719}.

From the depths of Sh'ol the mightiest warriors will speak of him with those who helped him. They went down; they lie still, the uncircumcised, killed by the sword.

Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: โ€˜They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.โ€™

The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie still, even the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

Commentary

Ezekiel 32:21 is part of a powerful lamentation or funeral dirge pronounced by the prophet Ezekiel against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and his entire nation. This specific verse vividly describes the reception of the fallen Egyptian mighty ones in the underworld.

Context

Chapter 32 of Ezekiel contains two laments for Egypt, both delivered in the twelfth year of Judah's captivity. The first (verses 1-16) portrays Pharaoh as a great sea monster (leviathan) brought down by God, symbolizing Egypt's immense power being utterly destroyed. The second lament (verses 17-32), to which verse 21 belongs, describes Egypt's descent into the pit of Sheol (the grave or underworld) where it joins other defeated, ungodly nations. This prophecy serves as a stark warning to Judah and surrounding nations about the consequences of pride and rebellion against God.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Sovereignty: The verse underscores God's absolute power to bring down even the most formidable earthly powers. Despite their earthly might, Pharaoh and his armies are subject to divine judgment and share the fate of other fallen, uncircumcised nations. This highlights God's sovereignty over all earthly kingdoms.
  • The Reality of Sheol/The Grave: The KJV translates the Hebrew word Sheol as "hell" here, which in this context refers to the collective realm of the dead, the grave. It depicts a shadowy existence where the "strong among the mighty" (other fallen rulers) acknowledge the arrival of Egypt's slain. This isn't necessarily a place of eternal conscious torment but the common abode of all the dead, though with distinctions of status based on their earthly lives.
  • The Fate of the Uncircumcised: The phrase "they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword" is highly significant. In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants (Genesis 17:11). To be "uncircumcised" was to be outside this covenant, a gentile, and often, in a spiritual sense, alienated from God. Their uncircumcised status emphasizes their spiritual separation and ignominious end, contrasting with the honorable burial sometimes afforded to covenant people.
  • The Humbling Power of Death: No matter how mighty one is in life, death levels all. Pharaoh and his powerful armies, once feared, are now reduced to the same state as other slain warriors in the underworld, stripped of their power and glory.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew term for "hell" in this verse is Sheol (ืฉืึฐืื•ึนืœ), which generally refers to the grave or the underworld, the common abode of the dead. Its usage here emphasizes the finality of physical death and the descent into the realm of departed spirits. The phrase "uncircumcised" (ืขึฒืจึตืœึดื™ื - โ€˜arelim) underscores their status as outsiders to God's covenant people, a mark of disgrace and separation in the Israelite worldview.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 32:21 serves as a timeless reminder that earthly power, pride, and military might are ultimately fleeting. It encourages believers to place their trust not in worldly strength or alliances, but in the sovereign God who governs all nations and determines the ultimate fate of all. It also highlights the spiritual distinction between those who are in covenant with God (symbolized by circumcision in the Old Testament, and by circumcision of the heart in the New Testament) and those who are not. Ultimately, our standing before God, not our worldly achievements, determines our true and lasting destiny.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 14:9

    Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet [thee] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [even] all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

  • Isaiah 14:10

    All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

  • Ezekiel 32:27

    And they shall not lie with the mighty [that are] fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

  • Ezekiel 32:24

    There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

  • Ezekiel 32:25

    They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves [are] round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of [them that be] slain.

  • Ezekiel 32:19

    Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.

  • Numbers 16:30

    But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
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