Ezekiel 32:16 · Bible study
Ezekiel 32:16 Commentary: The Lamentation Over Egypt's Doom
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God command a lament over Egypt, and who sings it? Explore the meaning of this prophetic funeral song and the role of the daughters of the nations.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Lord seals his judgment on Egypt with a prophetic lament that foreign nations will sing, confirming the irreversible fall of a proud empire.
- Key words: “Lamentation”, a formal funeral dirge; “daughters of the nations”, either literal female mourners or personified vassal states.
- Main debate: Whether the “daughters of the nations” are actual women hired to wail or a metaphor for foreign peoples who once feared Egypt.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty over all nations, the certainty of his word, and the use of human grief as a vehicle for divine justice.
- Best use: A powerful caution against national and personal pride, and a reminder that history moves at God’s command.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘“This is the lamentation with which they will lament. The daughters of the nations will lament with this. They will lament with it over Egypt, and over all her multitude,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament; the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they lament therewith, saith the Lord Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A lamentation it is , and they have lamented her, Daughters of the nations do lament her, For Egypt, and for all her multitude, they lament her, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
It is a lamentation, and [thus] they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall say it in lamenting; they shall say it in lamenting over Egypt and over all her multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
This is the lamentation, and they shall lament therewith: the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith for Egypt, and for the multitude thereof they shall lament therewith, saith the Lord God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Esta es la endecha, y cantarla han: las hijas de las gentes la cantarán: endecharán sobre Egipto, y sobre toda su multitud, dice el Señor Jehová.
Esta é a lamentação que lamentarão; as filhas das nações a lamentarão; por causa do Egito e de toda a sua multidão a lamentarão,diz o Senhor DEUS.
C’ est là une complainte, et on la dira;
Das wird der Jammer sein, den man wohl mag klagen; ja, die Töchter der Heiden werden solche Klage führen; über Ägypten und all ihr Volk wird man klagen, spricht der Herr HERR.
Dat is het klaaglied, en dat zullen zij klagelijk zingen; de dochteren der heidenen zullen het klagelijk zingen; zij zullen het klagelijk zingen over Egypte en over haar ganse menigte, spreekt de Heere HEERE.
Ecco la lamentazione che sarà pronunziata; la pronunzieranno le figliuole delle nazioni; pronunzieranno questa lamentazione sull’Egitto e su tutta la sua moltitudine, dice il Signore, l’Eterno”.
Toć jest lament, którym nad nią lamentować będą; córki narodów narzekać będą nad nią, nad Egiptem i nad wszystkiem mnóstwem jego narzekać będą, mówi panujący Pan.
Вот плачевная песнь, которую будут петь; дочери народов будут петь ее; о Египте и обо всем множестве его будут петь ее, говорит Господь Бог.
「人必用 這 哀歌 去哀哭，列國 的女子 為 埃及 和 她的群 眾 也必以此 悲哀。這是主 耶和華 說的。」
It is a song of grief, and people will give voice to it, the daughters of the nations will give voice to it, even for Egypt and all her people, says the Lord.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Ezekiel 32:16 serves as a concluding label for the lament over Egypt in verses 1, 16. The Cambridge Bible notes the chapter contains two laments: the first (vv. 1, 16) over Pharaoh, and the second (vv. 17, 32) over his burial. Here, the Lord declares that this prophecy itself is a lamentation and that foreign nations will sing it. Barnes identifies “daughters of the nations” as pagan kingdoms, while Gill explains they may refer literally to women employed as funeral mourners or figuratively to the inhabitants of allied nations. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown cite Grotius in calling it a “prophetical lamentation; yet so it shall come to pass.” The shared conviction is that the lament is not a spontaneous dirge but a divinely authorized, certain judgment packaged as a funeral song. God takes the very form of human grief and turns it into a declaration of his sovereignty over the proud empire of Egypt.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Lord declares that this prophecy is a lamentation to be sung over Egypt and her multitude, confirming the certainty of judgment and the involvement of other nations in proclaiming it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'the daughters of the nations' | They are non-Israelite peoples who will participate in mourning Egypt's fall. | Some commentators take this literally as hired female mourners (Gill, citing custom); others as a figure for the nations themselves (Barnes, Targum). Both readings may coexist, the nations are personified as mourning women. |
| Nature of the lament | It is a divinely commanded, prophetic announcement, not a spontaneous expression of grief. | Whether it constitutes a literal funeral song to be sung in the future (Grotius via Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) or is purely a literary form to illustrate judgment. Most affirm both: it is a prophecy that will be realized as song. |
| Purpose of the lament | To declare God's judgment on Egypt and affirm that he is Yahweh. | Some emphasize warning to Israel and surrounding nations (Matthew Henry), while others see it as a vindication of God's holiness and a lesson in divine sovereignty (Cambridge Bible, Lange). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel 32:16 concludes the first of two laments in chapter 32, part of a larger series of oracles against foreign nations (Ezekiel 25, 32). Egypt had long epitomized worldly power, relying on its military strength, wealth, and the Nile’s annual floods. The Babylonians, God’s instrument, were about to shatter that pride. In the ancient Near East, professional mourners, almost always women, were hired to sing dirges at funerals (see Jeremiah 9:17). These women would chant formulaic laments over the dead, often personifying cities or nations as fallen figures. By commanding that “the daughters of the nations” chant this lament, God subverts the typical scene: instead of Egypt hiring mourners, its enemies will sing its funeral song. The lamentation is therefore an act of judgment, not pity. It also echoes earlier laments in Ezekiel (e.g., chapter 19 for the princes of Israel; chapter 26 for Tyre), linking Egypt’s fall to a pattern of divine justice. The surrounding verses (vv. 12, 15) describe the complete desolation of Egypt: its multitude slain by Babylon’s swords, its waters undisturbed, the land made desolate so that “they will know that I am Yahweh.” The lament gives that destruction a voice, a solemn, irreversible song.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources, including the King James Version, American Standard Version, and modern translations, show no significant textual variants in Ezekiel 32:16. The verse is stable across manuscripts, and commentary writers do not note any disputed readings. The main interpretive question lies in the translation of the participants (e.g., “lament her” vs. “lament for her”) rather than in the underlying Hebrew text.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Ezekiel 32:16 has been read primarily as part of the oracles against the nations, illustrating God’s universal judgment. Early Christian writers like Jerome noted the irony of Egypt, a symbol of the world, receiving a formal lament from those it once oppressed. The verse was less frequently cited in isolation than the more dramatic images of chapter 32 (the dragon, the darkening of the sun). In the Reformation era, commentators such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible used it to emphasize God’s sovereignty over political powers. In modern preaching, it has served as a sobering reminder that no nation, however mighty, stands outside God’s decree. The lament form also links to Christian funeral practices, where lament over death is transformed by hope in the resurrection, though the text itself offers no such hope for Egypt, only the certainty of its end.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God labels judgment as lament. The prophecy is framed as a funeral dirge, not a military bulletin. This shows that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but uses the form of grief to communicate the gravity of sin and the certainty of consequences.
- The nations sing the song. The daughters of the nations, pagan kingdoms once in Egypt’s shadow, become the choir. What Egypt feared (reversal of fortune) becomes reality. God’s sovereignty is displayed not only in judgment but in who proclaims it.
- The lament points beyond Egypt. Like David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17) or Jeremiah’s over Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:25), this song enters Scripture as a permanent witness. It warns every proud power: God opposes the haughty, and history ends in his praise.
Five-point outline
- Divine authorship of grief. The Lord himself commands the lament, he is the one who gives the words. Suffering and judgment are not outside his control.
- Irony of the mourners. Egypt’s former allies and subjects now sing over her corpse. No hired mourners, only those who once trembled before her.
- Universality of the fall. The lament is for “Egypt and all her multitude”, not just Pharaoh but the entire system of power that depended on him.
- The seal of certainty. “Says the Lord Yahweh” closes the verse. This is not a wish; it is a decree.
- An invitation to hear. The song is recorded so that every generation may learn that God’s word stands. Pride falls. Nations rise and pass, but the Lord endures.
Illustration hooks
- A stadium where the winning team’s fans chant over the defeated. The same crowd that once cheered the champion now sings its opponent’s fight song. That reversal captures the daughters of the nations singing over Egypt.
- An obituary written by a colleague who was never a friend. The words are formal, correct, but the tone carries no love, only the acknowledgment that the person is gone. The lament over Egypt is equally detached; it is the official record of a death that had to come.
- A company that dominated an industry collapses, and competitors issue corporate condolences that everyone knows are hollow. The “daughters of the nations” lament Egypt, but their tears are not real, they are the required response to God’s work.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really enjoy punishing people? The lament form suggests he does not, but he must act righteously.
- Why would God command a funeral song over a nation? To show that he is sovereign over all history, not just Israel’s.
- What does this mean for us today? It calls us to examine any pride or trust in worldly power, and to find refuge in the God who brings down the mighty.
Leading a Discussion
This verse closes a prophecy with a command to lament. The Lord himself labels the words a funeral song. As you consider Ezekiel 32:16, reflect on how the form of the message shapes its meaning. What does it mean for God to call judgment a “lamentation”? And who are the “daughters of the nations” that sing it?
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse tell us about who sings this lament and for whom? List the actions described.
- Interpretation: In the ancient world, laments were sung at funerals. Why do you think God uses this genre to announce Egypt’s destruction? Read Ezekiel 32:2, 16 as background.
- Observation: Compare this lament with David’s lament for Saul (2 Samuel 1:17) and Jeremiah’s lament for Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:25). What is similar? What is different?
- Interpretation: Barnes and Gill understand “daughters of the nations” as pagan kingdoms or literally as female mourners. How does each reading affect the meaning of the verse? Which do you find more compelling, and why?
- Theological reflection: How does this divine lament help us understand God’s attitude toward judgment? Does it imply sorrow, satisfaction, or something else?
- Application: Where in your own life or community is there a pride that needs to be surrendered to God? How can this passage speak to that situation without being harsh or condemning?
- Application: The lament was to be sung by others. How can we, as believers, speak honestly about the downfall of systems or individuals in a way that honors God and acknowledges his justice?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 1:17 | David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son |
| II Samuel 3:33 | The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? |
| II Samuel 3:34 | Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him. |
| II Chronicles 35:25 | Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations. |
| Jeremiah 9:17 | Yahweh of Armies says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skillful women, that they may come. |
| Ezekiel 26:17 | They will take up a lamentation over you, and tell you, “How you are destroyed, who were inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, who was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror to be on all who lived there!” |
| Ezekiel 32:2 | “Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and tell him, ‘You were likened to a young lion of the nations; yet you are as a monster in the seas. You broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.’” |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Daughters of the nations - Pagan kingdoms.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary highlights the two-part structure of this chapter: first a lament over Pharaoh, then a dirge for his burial. It explains that Pharaoh is depicted as a dragon in the waters, dragged out by God's net and left as food for birds and beasts. The note also identifies the "daughters of the nations" as professional wailing women who chant the dirge.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note identifies this verse as a prophetic lamentation decreed by God over Egypt's fall. It stresses that the mourning involves not only Egypt itself but also all its multitude, underscoring the thoroughness of the judgment. The closing words "sayeth the Lord God" affirm that this lament
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that this lamentation is itself a prophecy: what God commanded as a funeral song becomes a divine pronouncement. He notes the mourners are either literal women singing dirges or the allied nations lamenting Egypt's fall. The Lord's own confirmation seals it—what he speaks will be done.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that what Ezekiel delivers is a prophetic lamentation, meaning it is both a sorrowful poem and a true prediction. Even as a lament, it will be fulfilled exactly as spoken.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the contrast between Pharaoh's self-image as a young lion among the nations and his actual role as a dragon that stirs up and ruins his own people. The judgment exposes this contradiction: the ruler who tried to inspire terror abroad had only troubled his own waters, bringing ruin upon Egypt itself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry focuses on the sharp irony of Pharaoh's pride: he boasted like a young lion and a great sea monster, but God will catch him like a common fish in a net. The spectacular cosmic darkness is not literal but symbolic of the complete humiliation and terror God brings upon Egypt, leaving all nations shaken.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the whole prophetic passage about Egypt as a lamentation, a mournful account. For him, the prophet's words are not merely a report of judgment but a sorrowful dirge over the nation's fall.