Ezekiel 32:30

All the leaders of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down in disgrace with the slain, despite the terror of their might. They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezekiel delivers an oracle of judgment to the exiled community, describing the assembled dead in the underworld. This verse specifically names the leaders of the north and the Sidonians among those who have descended to the grave.

The words — The Hebrew nesikhei tsafon (princes of the north) and tsidoni (Sidonians) identify the foreign rulers condemned here. The verb yaredû (they have gone down) marks their forced descent into the Pit alongside the uncircumcised.

The thread — These northern and Sidonian figures reappear in Ezekiel’s oracles, including the northern coalition in Ezekiel 38:6 and 38:15 and the specific judgment against Sidon in Ezekiel 28:21. The motif of descending to the Pit with the uncircumcised connects to the broader biblical theme of foreign nations facing divine judgment.

Why it lands — The text states that military terror and political power cannot prevent descent into shame and death. It requires the reader to acknowledge that divine judgment applies equally to all nations regardless of their earthly strength.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

שָׁ֣מָּהSha.ma/h[are] there/ <towards>נְסִיכֵ֥יne.si.Kheiprinces of צָפ֛וֹןtza.Fon[the] north כֻּלָּ֖םku.La/mall of/ them וְכָל־ve./kholand/ all צִֽדֹנִ֑יtzi.do.Ni[the] Sidonian[s]אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-who יָרְד֣וּya.re.Duthey have gone down אֶת־'et-with חֲלָלִ֗יםcha.la.Lim[those] slain בְּחִתִּיתָ֤םbe./chi.ti.Ta/min/ terror/ their מִגְבֽוּרָתָם֙mi/g.vu.ra.Ta/mfrom/ strength/ their בּוֹשִׁ֔יםbo.Shimbeing ashamed וַיִּשְׁכְּב֤וּva/i.yish.ke.Vuand/ they lay עֲרֵלִים֙'a.re.Limuncircumcised אֶת־'et-with חַלְלֵי־cha.lei-[those] slain of חֶ֔רֶבChe.reva sword וַיִּשְׂא֥וּva/i.yis.'Uand/ they have borne כְלִמָּתָ֖םkhe.li.ma.Ta/mdisgrace/ their אֶת־'et-with י֥וֹרְדֵיYor.dei[those who] go down of בֽוֹר׃Vor[the] pit

King James Version

There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 38:6 as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
Ezekiel 28:21 “Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.
Ezekiel 38:15 And you will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army.
Ezekiel 39:2 I will turn you around, drive you along, bring you up from the far north, and send you against the mountains of Israel.
Jeremiah 25:22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
Jeremiah 25:26 all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another—all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too.
Ezekiel 32:24 Elam is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.