Ezekiel 32:16
This 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."
This is the lament they will chant for her;

Ezekiel’s funeral dirge portrays Egypt as already brought down under God’s judgment. A nation renowned for ancient power, wealth, and military strength would be mourned as one whose pride and security had failed.

2Ch 35:25 Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day…
Amo 5:1 Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation…
2Sa 1:17 Then David took up this lament for Saul and Jonathan…

the daughters of the nations will chant it.

Women commonly led public mourning in the ancient world, and the surrounding nations would join the grief over Egypt’s ruin. Egypt’s fall would not remain hidden or local; it would become a warning heard among the peoples who had known her influence and feared her power.

Jer 9:17-20 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Take note,…
2Sa 1:24 O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you…
Jdg 11:40 that each year the young women of Israel go out…

Over Egypt and all her multitudes they will chant it,

God’s judgment would reach beyond Egypt’s rulers to her armies, allies, cities, and population. The multitudes in whom Egypt trusted could not preserve the kingdom when the Lord brought her low. Human strength and national greatness cannot stand against God’s righteous decree.

Ezk 30:2-3 Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is…
Isa 19:1-4 This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides…
Jer 46:25-26 The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:…

declares the Lord GOD.”

The certainty of Egypt’s downfall rests in the sovereign word of Yahweh. He rules over every nation, judges pride and violence, and fulfills His purposes in history.

Ezk 39:8 Yes, it is coming, and it will surely happen…
Ezk 12:25 I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak…
Ezk 13:8 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God who ministered to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He is known for his vivid visions and symbolic actions.

2. Egypt
A powerful nation in the ancient Near East, often seen as a symbol of worldly power and opposition to God’s people.

3. Daughters of the Nations
This phrase refers to the women of various nations who would traditionally sing laments or dirges, especially in times of mourning or national tragedy.

4. The Lord GOD
The sovereign and covenant-keeping God of Israel, who declares judgment and redemption through His prophets.

5. Lament
A traditional form of mourning expressed through song or poetry, often used in the Bible to express sorrow over sin or impending judgment.
Teaching Points
The Sovereignty of God
God is in control of all nations and their destinies. His judgments are just and serve His greater purposes.

The Role of Lament
Lament is a biblical response to sin and judgment. It allows us to express sorrow and seek God’s mercy.

The Consequences of Pride
Egypt's downfall serves as a warning against pride and reliance on worldly power rather than God.

The Universality of God's Judgment
God's judgment is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations, emphasizing His authority over the entire world.

Hope Beyond Judgment
While judgment is certain, God’s ultimate plan includes redemption and restoration for those who turn to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of lament in Ezekiel 32:16 help us understand the appropriate response to God's judgment in our own lives?

2. In what ways does the judgment of Egypt serve as a warning to modern nations and individuals who rely on their own strength?

3. How can we apply the concept of God's sovereignty over nations to current global events and our personal lives?

4. What are some practical ways we can incorporate lament into our spiritual practices, especially when facing personal or communal sin?

5. How does the theme of hope beyond judgment in the Bible encourage us to trust in God's ultimate plan for redemption?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 46
This chapter also contains prophecies against Egypt, highlighting the theme of God's judgment on nations that oppose His will.

Isaiah 19
Isaiah prophesies about Egypt's future, including both judgment and eventual healing, showing God's sovereignty over all nations.

Revelation 18
The fall of Babylon in Revelation echoes the themes of lament and judgment found in Ezekiel, illustrating the ultimate downfall of worldly powers opposed to God.
The Downfall of One Involves the Downfall of ManyJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 32:11-16
People
Elam, Ezekiel, Meshech, Pharaoh, Sidonians, Tubal
Places
Assyria, Babylon, Edom, Egypt, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Tigris-Euphrates Region
Topics
Affirmation, Chant, Chanted, Daughters, Declares, Egypt, Grief, Hordes, Lament, Lamentation, Lamented, Lamenting, Multitude, Nations, Says, Song, Sovereign, Therewith, Thus, Voice, Wherewith
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 32:16

     7963   song

Ezekiel 32:2-16

     5899   lament

Library
How the Preacher, when He Has Accomplished all Aright, Should Return to Himself, Lest Either his Life or his Preaching Lift Him Up.
But since often, when preaching is abundantly poured forth in fitting ways, the mind of the speaker is elevated in itself by a hidden delight in self-display, great care is needed that he may gnaw himself with the laceration of fear, lest he who recalls the diseases of others to health by remedies should himself swell through neglect of his own health; lest in helping others he desert himself, lest in lifting up others he fall. For to some the greatness of their virtue has often been the occasion
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83]
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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