Ezekiel 32:27

Translation
King James Version
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.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And they shall not lie H7901 with the mighty H1368 that are fallen H5307 of the uncircumcised H6189, which are gone down H3381 to hell H7585 with their weapons H3627 of war H4421: and they have laid H5414 their swords H2719 under their heads H7218, but their iniquities H5771 shall be upon their bones H6106, though they were the terror H2851 of the mighty H1368 in the land H776 of the living H2416.
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Complete Jewish Bible
They do not lie with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised who descended to Sh'ol with their weapons of war, their swords laid under their heads, and their crimes upon their bones; because these warriors terrorized the land of the living.
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Berean Standard Bible
They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.
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American Standard Version
And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, that are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are upon their bones; forthey werethe terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
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World English Bible Messianic
They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And they shall not lie with the valiant of the vncircumcised, that are fallen, which are gone down to the graue, with their weapons of warre, and haue laied their swords vnder their heads, but their iniquitie shalbe vpon their bones: because they were the feare of the mighty in the lande of the liuing.
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Young's Literal Translation
And they lie not with the mighty, Who are falling of the uncircumcised, Who have gone down to sheol with their weapons of war, And they put their swords under their heads, And their iniquities are on their bones, For the terror of the mighty is in the land of the living.
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See also
Isaiah 14:18Isaiah 14:19Ezekiel 32:21Job 3:13Job 3:15Job 20:11Psalms 109:18
In the KJVVerse 21,276 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 32:27 delivers a stark prophecy concerning the ignominious fate of Egypt's once-mighty warriors, particularly those deemed "uncircumcised," as they descend into Sheol. Despite their earthly renown and the customary honors of a warrior's burial, the prophet emphasizes their profound spiritual dishonor, asserting that their accumulated iniquities remain inextricably bound to them. This verse serves as a powerful theological statement, revealing that worldly power and reputation are fleeting and ultimately meaningless in the face of divine judgment, where true standing is determined by one's spiritual condition and relationship with God's covenant.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 32 forms a significant portion of the prophet's extended oracle against Egypt, spanning Ezekiel 29-32. This chapter, specifically, is structured as a lamentation or funeral dirge, a common prophetic genre used to mourn the downfall of nations. The imagery is vivid and often hyperbolic, depicting Egypt, once a formidable "sea monster" (Ezekiel 32:2), being dragged into the pit of Sheol. Within this broader lament, verses 17-32 focus on a detailed description of Egypt's descent into the underworld, where they are consigned to lie among other defeated, dishonored nations. Verse 27 specifically isolates the fate of Egypt's elite warriors, contrasting their past glory with their ultimate disgrace in the realm of the dead, underscoring their exclusion from any honorable rest due to their spiritual uncircumcision and unaddressed sins.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Egypt was a dominant geopolitical power in the Near East, frequently influencing the political landscape and often serving as a tempting, yet ultimately unreliable, ally or source of false hope for Judah against the rising Babylonian empire. The term "uncircumcised" (Hebrew: ʻârêl) was a deeply pejorative designation used by Israelites for Gentiles, particularly those not party to God's covenant. It signified not merely a physical state but a profound spiritual alienation from Yahweh and His promises, marking them as ritually impure and outside the sphere of divine favor. Culturally, in the ancient Near East, it was a common practice for distinguished fallen warriors to be buried with their weapons, sometimes with their swords placed under their heads, symbolizing their valor and providing a measure of honor in death. Ezekiel 32:27 deliberately subverts this cultural norm, declaring that despite such outward honors, the internal reality of their "iniquities upon their bones" utterly negates any perceived glory, emphasizing God's impartial and penetrating judgment.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent throughout the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it emphatically underscores Divine Judgment on Pride and Power, demonstrating that even the most formidable earthly empires, like Egypt, are ultimately subject to God's absolute sovereignty and righteous judgment. Their dramatic fall serves as a potent warning against human arrogance, self-exaltation, and reliance on worldly might. Secondly, the repeated emphasis on the "uncircumcised" highlights the Significance of Covenant Relationship and its spiritual implications, contrasting the fate of those outside God's covenant with the spiritual standing of His chosen people. This distinction is not merely ritualistic but deeply theological, pointing to the importance of spiritual alignment with God, a concept echoed in passages like Jeremiah 9:25-26 which speaks of the "uncircumcised heart." Lastly, the chilling phrase "their iniquities shall be upon their bones" powerfully conveys the Lasting Consequences of Unrepentant Sin. It reveals that true honor or dishonor in death is not determined by worldly achievements or burial rites, but by one's moral and spiritual ledger before God, a truth consistently affirmed throughout Scripture, as seen in Galatians 6:7-8.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Mighty (Hebrew, gibbôwr', H1368): This term (H1368) refers to someone powerful, a warrior, or a tyrant. In Ezekiel 32:27, it designates the elite, formidable soldiers of Egypt, who were once a source of terror and strength in the "land of the living." The use of "mighty" here emphasizes the dramatic reversal of their status, as those who were mighty in life become utterly powerless and dishonored in death, stripped of their earthly authority.
  • Hell (Hebrew, shᵉʼôwl', H7585): The Hebrew word (H7585) denotes Hades or the world of the dead, often understood as a subterranean retreat or the grave. In Ezekiel, Sheol is consistently depicted not merely as a neutral resting place but as a realm of shadows, silence, and dishonor, especially for the wicked and those who opposed God. The descent into Sheol for Egypt's mighty signifies their utter defeat, their spiritual demise, and their consignment to a place of ignominy.
  • Iniquities (Hebrew, ʻâvôn', H5771): This term (H5771) signifies perversity, moral evil, fault, or sin, and can also refer to the punishment resulting from such sin. The declaration that their "iniquities shall be upon their bones" is a profound theological statement. It means that despite any outward show of honor in burial, their true, defining characteristic in death is their accumulated sin, which clings to them and prevents them from finding true rest or honor. This is not merely a consequence, but a defining state.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And they shall not lie with the mighty [that are] fallen of the uncircumcised": This clause immediately establishes the profound dishonor awaiting the Egyptian warriors. Unlike other "mighty" fallen warriors who might receive a place of honor even in death, these uncircumcised ones are explicitly denied such a privilege. Their "uncircumcised" status underscores their spiritual alienation from God's covenant, rendering their earthly might meaningless in the realm of the dead. They are cast out from any honorable company.
  • "which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war": This describes their descent into Sheol, the common destination for all the dead. The mention of "weapons of war" suggests that they retain the symbols of their earthly profession, but these symbols are now useless and cannot prevent their dishonored state. They carry the instruments of their past power into a realm where power is irrelevant, serving only as a grim reminder of their former, now-vanished, glory.
  • "and they have laid their swords under their heads": This detail points to a customary burial practice for noble warriors in the ancient world, signifying a burial with honor and respect. It paints a picture of what should have been a dignified resting place for such formidable figures, highlighting the stark contrast with their actual fate. It sets up the profound subversion that follows.
  • "but their iniquities shall be upon their bones": This is the stark, devastating contrast that negates the previous image of honor. The "but" introduces a profound theological truth: external honors are meaningless if one's spiritual condition is one of unrepentant sin. "Iniquities upon their bones" vividly conveys that their sins are not merely external actions but have permeated their very being, defining their state even in death, preventing any true peace or honor. Their sin is an inescapable part of their identity in the afterlife.
  • "though [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the living": This final clause highlights the immense irony and tragedy of their fate. In life, they inspired fear and commanded respect among other powerful nations. Yet, in death, their earthly reputation counts for nothing. Their past glory only serves to underscore the depth of their current ignominy, emphasizing the fleeting nature of human power and the ultimate supremacy of divine judgment.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 32:27 is profoundly shaped by Irony, which serves as its central literary device. The "mighty" warriors, who were once the "terror of the mighty" in life, are depicted as utterly powerless and dishonored in death, their earthly glory starkly contrasted with their ignominious spiritual state in Sheol. This creates a powerful Antithesis or Juxtaposition between their past renown and their present disgrace. The customary act of laying "swords under their heads," a symbol of honor and dignity in ancient burial practices, is immediately subverted and negated by the declaration that "their iniquities shall be upon their bones." This sharp contrast highlights the futility of worldly accolades in the face of divine judgment. The phrase "iniquities upon their bones" functions as a powerful Metaphor or Symbolism, signifying that sin is not merely an external act but a pervasive spiritual reality that clings to an individual even beyond the grave, defining their ultimate condition and preventing any true rest or honor. The entire passage also employs a form of Litotes (understatement through negation) in the phrase "shall not lie with," which subtly emphasizes the depth of their dishonor by denying them even the minimal respect afforded to other fallen warriors.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 32:27 profoundly articulates the biblical principle of divine judgment, asserting God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly powers, regardless of their might or prestige. It underscores that true honor and destiny are not determined by human achievements, military prowess, or cultural rituals, but by one's relationship with the Creator and the state of one's heart before Him. The concept of "uncircumcised" extends beyond a physical rite to denote a spiritual separation from God's covenant, leading to a state of profound dishonor in the afterlife. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that sin carries eternal consequences, and no amount of worldly glory can avert the spiritual reality of unaddressed iniquity. It points to a universal truth: all humanity will face a reckoning, and external appearances will give way to the internal reality of one's spiritual condition, emphasizing the enduring nature of moral accountability before a holy God.

  • Isaiah 14:9-11 - This passage similarly depicts the descent of a proud, fallen king (of Babylon) into Sheol, where he is mocked by other deceased rulers, emphasizing the stripping away of earthly power and the universal judgment awaiting the arrogant.
  • Proverbs 11:4 - This proverb states, "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death," reinforcing the idea that worldly assets and power are useless in the face of divine judgment, and only spiritual integrity holds eternal value.
  • Romans 2:8-9 - Paul speaks of "wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil," highlighting the universal principle of God's righteous judgment on unrighteousness, demonstrating that divine justice is impartial and applies to all who reject His truth.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 32:27 serves as a sober and potent warning for all generations, challenging our often-misplaced trust in worldly power, achievements, and external recognition. In a world that frequently elevates wealth, status, and physical strength as ultimate measures of worth, this verse starkly reminds us that such things are ultimately ephemeral and hold no sway in the face of divine judgment. It compels us to examine where we place our ultimate hope and source of honor. Are we striving for earthly accolades that will vanish, or are we cultivating a spiritual condition that aligns with God's eternal purposes? The chilling phrase "iniquities upon their bones" is a profound reminder that our unconfessed sins and unrepentant hearts carry deep and lasting consequences, defining our true state before God. This passage calls us to humility, to acknowledge the fleeting nature of our earthly lives, and to prioritize our spiritual standing, seeking reconciliation with God and living in a way that honors Him, knowing that true glory and eternal peace are found only in His presence and through His grace. It's a call to spiritual self-examination and repentance, recognizing that our internal spiritual reality, not external appearances, will be our ultimate legacy.

Questions for Reflection

  • How do we tend to define "might" or "success" in our own lives or culture, and how does this verse challenge those definitions in light of eternal realities?
  • In what ways might we, like the uncircumcised mighty, be relying on external appearances, achievements, or even religious rituals rather than addressing our true spiritual condition before God?
  • What "iniquities" might be "upon our bones"—unconfessed sins or unrepentant attitudes—that we need to bring before God for His cleansing and forgiveness, seeking true freedom and honor in Him?

FAQ

What is the significance of "uncircumcised" in this verse?

Answer: In Ezekiel 32:27, "uncircumcised" (Hebrew: ʻârêl) carries profound theological significance beyond a mere physical state. It designates those who are outside of God's covenant with Israel, signifying a spiritual alienation and a lack of relationship with the true God. For the Israelites, circumcision was a sign of their covenant with Yahweh, marking them as His chosen people. To be "uncircumcised" was therefore a derogatory label, implying spiritual impurity, dishonor, and a lack of divine favor. In this context, it emphasizes that despite Egypt's earthly power and military might, their spiritual status as outsiders to God's covenant meant they were subject to His full wrath and a dishonorable fate in the afterlife, unlike those who were in covenant relationship with Him. It underscores that God's judgment is not merely on political power but on spiritual rebellion.

Does "hell" here refer to eternal damnation as understood in the New Testament?

Answer: The Hebrew word translated as "hell" in the KJV is Sheol (H7585). In the Old Testament, Sheol generally refers to the grave or the underworld, the common abode of all the dead, both righteous and wicked. It is often depicted as a shadowy, silent realm, a place of no return. While it is not typically portrayed as a place of eternal torment in the same way that the New Testament concept of Gehenna (often translated "hell") is, Ezekiel often imbues Sheol with a sense of dishonor and disgrace for the wicked and those who opposed God. For the uncircumcised mighty in Ezekiel 32, their descent into Sheol is not merely a natural end but a specific act of divine judgment, marking their ignominious fall and spiritual defeat. Therefore, while not strictly equivalent to the New Testament's "hell" of eternal conscious punishment, it certainly represents a place of divine judgment and dishonor for the unrighteous, a realm of separation from God's favor.

Why is "swords under their heads" mentioned, and what does "iniquities upon their bones" mean in contrast?

Answer: The phrase "swords under their heads" refers to a customary burial practice in the ancient Near East for noble or mighty warriors. It signified a burial with honor, respect, and recognition of their prowess in life. It was a symbol of their earthly glory accompanying them into death, suggesting a dignified resting place. However, the subsequent declaration, "but their iniquities shall be upon their bones," provides a stark and devastating contrast. This phrase means that despite any outward show of honor or the symbols of their former glory, their true, defining reality in death is their accumulated sin. Their iniquities cling to them, permeating their very being ("upon their bones"), negating any perceived honor and sealing their dishonored spiritual state. It powerfully conveys that God's judgment penetrates beyond superficial appearances, revealing the lasting, internal consequences of unrepentant sin, which ultimately determines one's eternal standing before Him.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 32:27, with its vivid portrayal of the ignominious end of the mighty uncircumcised, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "iniquities upon their bones" points to the universal human condition of sin and its inescapable, damning consequences, a truth echoed in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death." While the mighty of Egypt could not escape the stain of their iniquities, Christ, the true and ultimate "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6), bore the full weight of humanity's sin, not upon His bones, but upon the cross. He became "uncircumcised" in the sense of being made sin for us, suffering the alienation and judgment that was due to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His atoning sacrifice, He took our iniquities upon Himself, offering forgiveness and cleansing that no earthly burial rite or military honor could ever provide (Colossians 2:13-14). Unlike the fallen mighty descending into a dishonored Sheol, Christ descended into death but rose victoriously, conquering sin and death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). He offers true life and an eternal inheritance to all who believe, transcending the temporary "land of the living" and granting a place of honor in the presence of God, transforming those who were once spiritually "uncircumcised" into new creations in Him, circumcised of heart by the Spirit (John 5:24; Romans 2:29). Thus, the ultimate terror of sin and death, so starkly depicted in Ezekiel, is utterly disarmed by the glorious triumph of Christ, who alone grants true honor and eternal life.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 32 verses 17–32

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

This prophecy concludes and completes the burden of Egypt, and leaves it and all its multitude in the pit of destruction.

I. We are here invited to attend the funeral of that once flourishing kingdom, to lament its fall, and to take a view of those who attend it to the grave and accompany it in the grave.

1.This dead corpse of a kingdom is here brought to the grave. The prophet is ordered to cast them down to the pit (Eze 32:18), to foretel their destruction as one that had authority, as Jeremiah was set over the kingdoms, Jer 1:10. He must speak in God's name, and as from him who will cast them down. Yet he must foretel it as one that had an affectionate concern for them; he must wail for the multitude of Egypt, even when he casts them down. When Egypt is slain, let her have an honourable funeral, befitting her quality; let her be buried with the daughters of the famous nations, in their burying-places and with the same ceremony. It is but a poor allay to the reproach and terror of death to be buried with those that were famous; yet this is all that is allowed to Egypt. Shall Egypt think to exempt herself from the common fate of proud and imperious nations? No; she must take her lot with them (Eze 32:19): "Whom dost thou surpass in beauty? Art thou so much fairer than any other nation that thou shouldst expect therefore to be excused? No; others as fair as thou have sunk into the pit; go down therefore, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. Thou art like them and art likely to lie among them. The multitude of Egypt shall all fall in the midst of those that are slain with the sword, now that there is a general slaughter made among the nations." Egypt with the rest must drink of the bloody cup, and therefore she is delivered to the sword, to the sword of war (but, in God's hand, the sword of justice), is delivered to be publicly executed. Draw her and all her multitude; draw them either as the dead bodies of great men are drawn in honour to the grave, in a hearse, or as malefactors are drawn in disgrace to the place of execution, on a sledge; draw them to the pit, and let them be made a spectacle to the world.

2.This corpse of a kingdom is bid welcome to the grave, and Pharaoh is made free of the congregation of the dead, and admitted into their regions, not without some pomp and ceremony. As the surprising fall of the king of Babylon is thus illustrated, Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming, and to introduce thee into those mansions of darkness (Isa 14:9, etc.), so here (Eze 32:21), They shall speak to him out of the midst of hell, as it were congratulating his arrival and calling him to join with them in acknowledging that which neither he nor they would be brought to own when they were in their pomp and pride, that it is in vain to think of contesting with God, and none ever hardened their hearts against him and prospered. They shall say to him, and to those that pretended to help him, Where are you now? What have you brought your attempts to at last? Divers nations are here mentioned as gone down to the grave before Egypt that are ready to give her a scornful reception and upbraid her with coming to them at last. These nations here spoken of were probably such as had been of late years ruined and wasted by the king of Babylon, and their princes cut off; let Egypt know that she has neighbour's fare. When she goes to the grave she does but migrare ad plures - migrate to the majority; there are innumerable before her. But it is observable that though Judah and Jerusalem were just about this time, or a little before, utterly ruined and laid waste, yet they are not mentioned here among the nations that welcome Egypt to the pit; for though they suffered the same things that these nations suffered, and by the same hand, yet the kind intentions of their affliction, and its happy issue at last, and the mercy God had yet in reserve for them, altered the property of it; it was not to them a going down to the pit, as it was to the heathen; they were not smitten as others were, nor slain according to the slaughter of other nations, Isa 27:7. But let us see who those are that have gone to the grave before Egypt, that lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword, with whom she must now take up her lodging. (1.) There lie the Assyrian empire, and all the princes and mighty men of that monarchy (Eze 32:22): Asshur is there and all her company, all the countries that were tributaries to and had dependence upon that crown. That mighty potentate who used to lie in state, with his guards and grandees about him, now lies in obscurity, with his graves about him and his soldiers in them, unable any longer to do him service or honour; they are all of them slain, fallen by the sword. The number of their months was cut off in the midst, and, being bloody and deceitful men, they were not suffered to live out half their days. Their braves were set in the sides of the pit, all in a row, like beds in a common chamber, Eze 32:23. All their company is such as were slain, fallen by the sword; a vast congregation there is of such, who had caused terror in the land of the living. But as the death of those to whom they were a terror put an end to their fears (in the grave the prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressor, Job 3:18), so the death of these mighty men puts an end to their terrors. Who is afraid of a dead lion? Note, Death will be a king of terrors to those who, instead of making themselves blessings, make themselves terrors, in their generation. (2.) There lies the kingdom of Persia, which perhaps within the memory of man at that time had been wasted and brought down: There is Elam and all her multitude, the king of Elam and his numerous armies, Eze 32:24, Eze 32:25. They also had caused their terror in the land of the living, had made a fearful noise and bluster among the nations in their day. But Elam has now a grave by herself, and the graves of the common people round about her, fallen by the sword; she has her bed in the midst of the slain that went down uncircumcised, unsanctified, unholy, and not in covenant with God. They have borne their shame with those that go down to the pit; they have fallen under the common disgrace and mortification of mankind, that they die and are buried; nay, they die under particular marks of ignominy, which God and man put upon them. Note, Those who cause their terror shall, sooner or later, bear their shame, and be made a terror to themselves. The king of Elam is put in the midst of those that are slain. All the honour he can now pretend to is to be buried in the chief sepulchre. (3.) There lies the Scythian power, which, about this time, was busy in the world. Meshech and Tubal, those barbarous northern nations, had lately made a descent upon the Medes, and caused their terror among them, lived among them upon free quarter for some years, making every thing their own that they could lay their hands on; but at length Cyaxares, king of the Medes, drew them by a wile into his power, but off abundance of them, and obliged them to quit his country, Eze 32:26. There lie Meshech and Tubal, and all their multitude; there is a burying place for them, with their chief commander in the midst of them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword. These Scythians, dying ingloriously as they lived, are not laid, as the other nations spoken of before, in the bed of honour (Eze 32:27): They shall not lie with the mighty, shall not be buried in state, as those are, even by consent of the enemy, that are slain in the field of battle, that go down to their graves with their weapons of war carried before the hearse, or trailed after it, that have particularly their swords laid under their heads, as if they could sleep the sweeter in the grave when they laid their heads on such a pillow. These Scythians are not buried with these marks of honour, but their iniquities shall be upon their sons; they shall, for their iniquity, be left unburied, though they were the terror even of the mighty in the land of the living. (4.) There lies the kingdom of Edom, which had flourished long, but about this time, at least before the destruction of Egypt, was made quite desolate, as was foretold, Eze 25:13. Among the sepulchres of the nations there is Edom, Eze 32:29. There lie, not dignified with monuments or inscriptions, but mingled with common dust, her kings and all her princes, her wise statesmen (which Edom was famous for), and her brave soldiers. These with their might are laid by those that were slain by the sword; their might could not prevent it, nay, their might helped to procure it, for that both encouraged them to engage in war and incensed their neighbours against them, who thought it necessary to curb their growing greatness. A great deal of pains they took to ruin themselves, as many do, who with their might, with all their might, are laid by those that were slain with the sword. The Edomites retained circumcision, being of the seed of Abraham. But that shall stand them in no stead; they shall lie with the uncircumcised. (5.) There lie the princes of the north, and all the Zidonians. These were as well acquainted with maritime affairs as the Egyptians were, who relied much upon that part of their strength, but they have gone down with the slain (Eze 32:30), down to the pit. Now they are ashamed of their might, ashamed to think how much they boasted of it and trusted to it; and, as the Edomites with their might, so these with their terror, are laid with those that are slain by the sword and are forced to take their lot with them. They bear their shame with those that go down to the pit, die in as much disgrace as those that are cut off by the hand of public justice. (6.) All this is applied to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who have no reason to flatter themselves with hopes of tranquillity when they see how the wisest, and wealthiest, and strongest, of their neighbours have been laid waste (Eze 32:28): "Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised; when God is pulling down the unhumbled and unreformed nations thou must expect to come down with them." [1.] It will be some extenuation of the miseries of Egypt to observe that it has been the case of so many great and mighty nations before (Eze 32:31): Pharaoh shall see them and be comforted; it will be some ease to his mind that he is not the first king that has been slain in battle - his not the first army that has been routed, his not the first kingdom that has been made desolate. Mr. Greenhill observes here, "The comfort which wicked ones have after death is poor comfort, not real, but imaginary." They will find little satisfaction in having so many fellow-sufferers; the rich man in hell dreaded it. It is only in point of honour that Pharaoh can see and be comforted. [2.] But nothing will be an exemption from these miseries; for (Eze 32:32) I have caused my terror in the land of the living. Great men have caused their terror, have studied how to make every body fear them. Oderint dum metuant - Let them hate, so that they do but fear. But now the great God has caused his terror in the land of the living; and therefore he laughs at theirs, because he sees that his day is coming, Psa 37:13. In this day of terror Pharaoh and all his multitude shall be laid with those that are slain by the sword.

II. The view which this prophecy gives us of ruined states may show us something, 1. Of this present world, and the empire of death in it. Come, and see the calamitous state of human life; see what a dying world this is. The strong die, the mighty die, Pharaoh and all his multitude. See what a killing world this is. They are all slain with the sword. As if men did not die fast enough of themselves, men are ingenious at finding out ways to destroy one another. It is not only a great pit, but a great cock-pit. 2. Of the other world. Though it is the destruction of nations as such that perhaps is principally intended here, yet here is a plain allusion to the final and everlasting ruin of impenitent sinners, of those that are uncircumcised in heart; they are slain by the sword of divine justice; their iniquity is upon them, and with it they bear their shame. Those, Christ's enemies, that would not have him to reign over them, shall be brought forth and slain before him, though they be as pompous, though they be as numerous, as Pharaoh and all his multitude.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–32. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 17 onwards) 'And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: Son of man, mourn for the multitude of Egypt, and bring her down, even her and the daughters of the mighty nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. Wherein art thou fairer than any woman? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. Among them that are slain with the sword, they shall fall: the sword is given: draw her and all her multitudes.' The most powerful of the strong ones from the middle of the underworld will speak to him, who descended with his helpers (or his own) and slept with the uncircumcised and those killed by the sword. There Assur and all his multitude, around his tomb, all the slain and those who fell by the sword, whose tombs were given in the furthest depths, and his multitude became a circle around his tomb, all the slain and fallen by the sword who once caused fear in the land of the living. There Aela and all his multitude around his tomb: all these were killed and fell by the sword, who came down uncircumcised to the nethermost parts of the earth: who caused their terror in the land of the living, and bore their shame with those who descend into the pit. In the midst of the slayers his bed was set in all his people: his tomb is round about him. All these uncircumcised, slain by the sword. For they had (Vulgate: they had given) their terror on the land of the living, and they carried their disgrace with those who descend into the pit; they were placed in the midst of the slain. There are Mosoch and Thubal, and all his multitude, around his grave. All these are uncircumcised, and fallen by the sword, who had given their terror on the land of the living. And they shall not sleep with the mighty, and with the fallen, and with the uncircumcised, who have descended to the underworld with their weapons, and have placed their swords under their heads; and their iniquities shall be upon their bones, because they have become terror among the land of the living. And so you will be crushed among the uncircumcised, and you will sleep with the slain by the sword. There Edom and its kings, and all its princes who have been given with their armies, are laid with the slain by the sword, and they sleep with the uncircumcised, and with those who descend into the pit. There are all the princes of the north, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain; they are ashamed and confounded because of their strength; they sleep uncircumcised with the slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who descend into the pit. Pharaoh saw them and consoled himself over his entire multitude, which was killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army, says the Lord God. For I have given (or I have caused) my terror in the land of the living, and he slept among the uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.» This passage differs greatly in the Septuagint edition, both in order and translation, and some additions from Theodotion are included in it. Where it was necessary, we also included the text itself, not sparing in length and serving the diligence of the eager reader.

70. And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth month: the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, lament over the multitude of Egypt, and bring down her daughters to the nations of the dead in the depths of the earth, to those who descend into the pit (Moreover, under the asterisks it is added: + Descend from the most beautiful water; + and sleep with the uncircumcised ** Again it follows in order): In the midst of the slain by the sword they shall fall with him, and all his strength shall sleep, and the giants shall say to you, descend, you who are better, descend, and sleep with the uncircumcised in the midst of the slain by the sword. There Asshur, and all his congregation. (And that which follows: * There all the wounded were given, * and his grave in the depths of the pit, * and his congregation is not found in Hebrew, but was added by the Seventy. Again it is said): Around his tomb all the wounded who had fallen by the sword. (And again from Theodotion's Edition it is added under asterisks: + Those who gave his tombs on the sides of the lake; + and his congregation was made around his tomb. + All these wounded and falling by the sword. After these things the Seventy placed): Those who gave their fear in the land of the living. There Aelam, and all his strength, are around his tomb, all wounded, and falling by the sword: and those who descend uncircumcised into the depths of the earth, who brought their terror upon the land of the living, and received their torment with those who descended into the pit among the wounded. There Mosoch and Thubal were given, and all their strength around his tomb, all his wounded, all uncircumcised and wounded by the sword, who brought their terror upon the land of the living, and did not sleep with the giants who fell from eternity: who descended to hell with the weapons they used in battle, and placed their swords under their heads, and their iniquities became part of their bones, for they terrified the giants in their lifetime. And you will be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and you will lie with those who are slain by the sword. There Edom and its kings, and all the princes of Assyria, who gave strength to it, lie with the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword; they lie with those who go down to the pit. There are all the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain; in shame they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their disgrace with those who go down to the pit. Pharaoh will see them and will find comfort in all their strength: Pharaoh wounded by the sword, and all his strength, says the Lord God. Because I have put his fear upon the land of the living, and he will sleep in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are wounded by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. I am not unaware that such a discrepancy between two editions will be displeasing to the delicate reader. But what can I do about my slanderers, who, if I subtract anything from the translation of the Septuagint interpreters, accuse me of sacrilege and shout without fear of the Lord, especially since they disagree with the truth of faith and follow the errors of the Manichaeans, stirring up the souls of the unlearned by pointing out anything that may have changed in ancient customs, desiring to err willingly rather than learn anything true from a rival. And meanwhile, according to the story, the meaning is clear. For in that same twelfth year, and in the same, as we think, month, but not on the same day as above, but on the fifteenth day, not against Pharaoh, but against the strength or multitude of Egypt, a lamentation is taken up, which is taken away from its pride with all its daughters, or with the strong nations to the farthest land, that is, to the depths of hell, and it is said to the king of Egypt: How much better are you, that you deserve to escape death? For when Assur, and Elam, that is, the Persians, and Mosoch, who are called Cappadocians, and Thubal, whom some understand to be Iberians, others Italians: also the Edomites, and the rulers of the North, and the Sidonians with all their armies, who by their aid have struck horror into all nations, are dead, and have been slain by the sword, and have placed their swords under their heads, which expression must be understood emphatically, will you alone be able to endure the same? But rather, when you see such a great multitude of sleeping souls with you in the underworld, and your tomb surrounded by the memories of once mighty princes, you will find comfort, considering the lighter torments to be of less consequence in the company of many. For now, let it suffice to have expressed these things briefly according to the simple meaning. Now, let us, with the same brevity as the difficulty of explanation allows, delve into spiritual understanding and the highest wisdom. Above, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to the Prophet. But in the first of these [months], that is, on the Kalends, the beginning of the month is: on the fifteenth, when the whole orb of the moon is filled, and if it is the first month, it is the first day of unleavened bread; but if it is the seventh, it is the day of setting up the booths (which are the greatest of the solemnities among the Hebrews). Indeed, there is mourning over the strength of Egypt, so that it ceases to be strong in evil: and it receives weakness, and when it is weaker, then it becomes stronger. For the fortitude of Egypt, in Hebrew it has multitude. For wide and spacious is the road that leads to death, and many enter through it (Matthew VII, 13): as it is said to Israel on the contrary: But you are few among all nations (Deuteronomy XXVIII): for virtue is always rare, and the path that leads to life is narrow and confined, and few are those who enter through it. But what is mourned for Egypt, and her dead daughters, according to the Septuagint, or strong nations are led to the farthest land in the lake, or in the deepest pit, the souls dwelling in Egypt of this age are signified, who have lost him who says: I am the life (John XIV, 6): and dead from sins, they are dragged down to the underworld by the weight of their sins, as the sinner says: For my iniquities have gone over my head, and like a heavy burden they have pressed heavily upon me (Psalm XXXVII, 5). These are the things about which it is written in another place: They will go down into the depths of the earth, they will be handed over into the hands of the sword, they will become the prey of foxes (Ps. LXII, 10). For he who digs a pit will fall into it (Eccli. XXVII, 29; Ps. VII, 16). And so we also read: He opened a pit and dug it, and fell into the hole he made. And what follows: How beautiful you are, descend and sleep with the uncircumcised, is properly addressed to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, or as it is added in the Septuagint from Theodotion, to Egypt itself: Descend from the most beautiful water, and sleep with the uncircumcised. What specifically pertains to him, who is reborn in the baptism of Christ, and hearing with the Church: Who is this that ascends, leaning upon her brother (Song of Solomon, 8:5)? Afterwards, either through fornication or other filthy sins, he is cast out of the Church, and it is said to him: Come down from the most beautiful water, and sleep with the uncircumcised, that is, with the unclean, according to that sense which the Apostle establishes: We are the circumcision (Philippians 3:3), who serve in the spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Hi all in the midst of the wounded, or slain, shall fall with Pharaoh, by that sword which the Lord is coming to send upon the earth. For as the sword of Christ separates the good from the evil, saying: I came not to send peace upon earth, but the sword (Matth. X, 34): so the sword of heretics cuts off ((Al. slaughters)) all peoples, and leads the wounded down to hell. These are very powerful and rebellious giants, who raise their mouth high and the more they exalt themselves in pride, the more they are brought down to the depths of the pit and to the very last part of the inferno, all of whom have been killed by the sword. And so that Pharao or all the strength of Egypt might know, which was dragged down to the infernal, which allies he had in punishments, the following speech demonstrates: There Assyria, and all his multitude, or his assembly. For the prince of heretics is the devil, whose true assembly is a synagoga, of which it is said in the Apocalypse: But Synagogas of Satan (Apoc. II, 9). But I think the following verses, which are marked with an obelus, should be passed over, and it should be said what is contained in the Hebrew: In their circuit, their tombs, namely of those deceived by him. All who were wounded or killed by the sword, and therefore fell, their tombs are given in the depths of the lake. But that the lake is called Infernus is clearly shown by that Psalm in which the penitent speaks: I am likened to those who descend into the lake (Psalm 27:1). We should by no means understand it as the Latin word for lake, which in Greek is called λίμνη, as in the Lake of Tiberias, Lake Como, and Lake Benacus, and many others, but those which we do not usually call cisterns. The Scripture testifies that sinners and all heretics dig up the lakes, because they cool the waters and take away all heat, and as far as my memory serves me, no saint has dug up a lake, that is, a cistern. But all sinners, including King Uzziah who had leprosy and fell by his own pride, about whom it is written that he was a man lying in the works of the earth, and built many towers of pride in the corners, and dug up lakes (2 Chronicles 26). On the contrary, it is said: Drink water from your own vessels, and from your own fountains (Prov. V, 15). And again: Let your fountain be your own. Therefore the Lord speaks: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug up cisterns, which can hold no water (Jer. III, 13). It follows: And her multitude has become all around her grave. All these surround Assyria, and there is a great multitude of them, who are all wounded and slain, and falling by the sword. For none of them can withstand Moses, nor can they hear: You who stand in the house of the Lord (Psalm 134:2); but all were wounded and killed, and those who once struck fear into the hearts of the living, now fear those who were entrusted with the Churches, lest they make the people of the living into the people of the dead, and deceive even the innocent. Hence Paul also said: But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). But here this fear is mitigated by the hope of the Lord, as Ecclesiasticus says: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, from whom shall I tremble? (Psalm 26:1-2). After this it is said: There is Aelam (or Assyria) and all its multitude around his tomb, undoubtedly the Assyrians. Aelam is translated into our language as their ascent. For all those who, despising the humility of Christ, have embraced the pride of the devil and consider themselves to be something in the knowledge of a false name, are to be called Aelamites, who surround the king's tomb of the Assyrians and are killed and wounded with the sword. And although they may set their mouth on high, yet they descended unclean and uncircumcised to the uttermost parts of the earth, so that the higher they were exalted, the more forcibly they fell. These have set their terror not once, but a second time in the land of the living. For who among the Church is secure from the terror of these Alemites, and has not lost someone from his flock? And indeed the Church of Christ is aptly called the land of the living, so that the assemblies of heretics may be thought of as the land of the dead in contrast. And they carried, he says, the disgrace and torment with them into the lake, and into the depths of hell: their resting place is in the midst of the slain, namely those whom they have cut down with their sword, and they are surrounded by such peoples. These peoples are the peoples of the Assyrian king, and although they boast of being circumcised: nevertheless they were uncircumcised and were killed by the sword, and for the third time they have given terror and fear to the land of the living. Where they brought their torment and punishment in their midst, those whom they deceived with their frauds. There also, that is, near Assyria, are Mosoch and Thubal, and all his multitude around his tomb: all uncircumcised and slain, falling by the sword, who had put their fear in the land of the living. For Mosoch and Thubal, Symmachus and Theodotius interpreted their abode, so as to show the dwelling places of heretics, rather eternal pits, to be the punishments of the Assyrian king. Masochism is interpreted as madness: Thubal, conversion, not from evil to good, but from good to evil; or it can be understood as a universal madness that causes all heretics to go insane and intentionally turn towards worse things. (Romans 12). It is not surprising that they are insane and prone to evil, as they are allies of the Egyptian king who rejoices in numbers. All of these have been killed by the sword, those who had instilled fear, not once, not twice, but three times among the living, as we have mentioned before. It follows: And they do not sleep with the strong, or with the fallen giants, and not with the uncircumcised, who descended to the underworld with their weapons; and they placed their swords under their heads; and their wickedness was in their bones; for the terror of the strong was made in the land of the living. These, he says, who had been the leaders of the heretics, have reached such a pinnacle of evil and torment that they do not deserve to suffer similar punishments even with the strong and giants, who fell from the beginning. Who, in no way repenting of their own error, descended into the underworld with their weapons, rebelling against God and His Church; carrying weapons with them, of which it is written: The teeth of the sons of men are their weapons and arrows (Psalms 56:5); and they placed, it is said, their swords under their heads, resting in their minds to destroy; and embracing the darts of their judgments as the highest victory; to the extent that their iniquities were in their bones, that is, possessing the strongest inventions and doctrines of their own error. Because the strong became terrified in their lives, both in the land of the living. This is said in the fourth (section), that the strongest, those who had knowledge of the Scriptures, and those who were from the region of the living, would be terrified by their wickedness, as they descend to hell with their weapons, and they place their swords under their heads, and their iniquities reach even to their bones. After this, it is written: And so you will crush (them) in the midst of the uncircumcised ones (Rom. XVI, 20), which is said either to Pharaoh, or to the strength, or to the multitude of Egypt, and that she herself may be crushed, according to what is written: But may God quickly crush Satan under your feet. And you shall sleep, he says, with those killed by the sword, in eternal sleep. There, with the Assyrian and with the Egyptian multitude, there will be Idumea and its kings, all who served earthly works or delighted in bloodshed. For indeed Idumea sounds earthy and bloody. All the kings and all the rulers of whom the Apostle often speaks (Phil. III), who were devoted to earthly works and daily shed the blood of those whom they deceived with their deceit, slept with the uncircumcised and unclean, and with those who descended into the pit, of whom we have spoken above. In that very county they will be, and the princes of the North, from whom evil is kindled upon the earth. And by whom, either in Jeremiah (Jer. 1) or in this same prophet (Above XXII), that pot full of flesh and bones is kindled. And not only the princes of the North, but all the rulers of Assyria, for which in Hebrew it is more accurately stated, all the Sidonians, whom we translate as hunters, according to what is written: Our soul is like a bird escaped from the snare of the hunters (Ps. 123:7), for which in Hebrew it is stated, the Sidonians. Those from Sidon, or hunters, who will be led trembling to the underworld, once relying on their own strength, will sleep impure, and will carry their own confusion or torment, having the everlasting remorse of a guilty conscience, so that their fire may not be extinguished (Isaiah 66), and their worm may not die (Mark 9). When Pharaoh sees all of them, he will be comforted, either still possessing his former malice and seeing many partners in his punishment, or certainly he was comforted, seeing them also being confounded in their torments and terrors over his entire multitude that was killed by the sword, namely of Pharaoh, or of all his allies, especially the king of Assyria, and Meeshech and Tubal and the Edomites, and the princes of the north, and the Sidonians. For they had instilled their terror in the land of the living. And it is said in the fifth place, that we should beware and flee from all nations of this kind, which have deceived us in all senses and are known to be dreadful, and can only be avoided if we guard our hearts with all diligence. He slept, it is said, and Pharaoh himself along with his allies were slain by the sword. His allies, a multitude, went along a wide and spacious path to eternal punishments.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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