Ezekiel 32:12
By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Egypt's "pomp" was world-renowned. The pyramids, temples of Karnak and Luxor, the Sphinx, elaborate burial practices, hieroglyphic literature, advanced mathematics and medicine—Egyptian civilization represented humanity's highest cultural achievements. Pharaohs claimed divinity; Egypt's stability across millennia seemed proof of their gods' superiority.
Babylon's invasion shattered this illusion. Though Egypt wasn't permanently conquered, its wealth was plundered, its military defeated, its reputation ruined. The psychological blow exceeded the material loss. Egypt never regained superpower status, eventually falling to Persia (525 BC), Greece (332 BC), and Rome (30 BC). Ezekiel's prophecy proved accurate: the mighty and terrible of the nations destroyed Egypt's pomp and multitude.
Questions for Reflection
- What forms of human 'pomp'—cultural achievements, intellectual pride, material success—might you be trusting instead of God?
- How does the certainty that all earthly glory will be destroyed affect what you invest your life building?
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Analysis & Commentary
By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. God specifies the agents: the mighty (gibborim, גִּבֹּרִים)—elite warriors—and the terrible of the nations (aritsim goyim, עָרִיצֵי גּוֹיִם)—ruthless, violent peoples. The Babylonian military machine was legendary for brutality and efficiency. The phrase all of them emphasizes comprehensive deployment: Babylon's full military might against Egypt.
They shall spoil the pomp of Egypt (ve-shadedu et-geon Mitsrayim) targets Egypt's pride. The Hebrew ga'on (גָּאוֹן, "pomp" or "pride") refers to arrogant glory, ostentatious splendor. Egypt's pyramids, temples, wealth, and cultural achievements—all expressions of human pride—would be plundered. All the multitude thereof shall be destroyed indicates total devastation: military, population, economy—nothing spared.
This passage reveals God's opposition to human pride (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). Egypt represents the epitome of human achievement apart from God: magnificent architecture, advanced civilization, imperial power. Yet all such glory is temporary, subject to divine judgment. Only what's built on God's foundation endures. The NT warns against storing treasures on earth where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). Human pomp is fragile; divine glory is eternal.