Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

EZEKIEL 32:23KJV
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Ezekiel 32:23 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 32:23 mean?

Ezekiel 32:23 describes the graves of a defeated nation lying at the edge of the pit, surrounded by the graves of its people, all of whom were killed by the sword and had once caused terror while alive. The verse paints a picture of complete downfall and shame for those who once inspired fear.

In this chapter, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to lament the fall of Egypt and its allies, using vivid imagery of the underworld. The verse is part of a larger funeral song, showing that even the mighty who once terrified others now lie powerless among the dead, judged for their violence.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 32:23

  • "Graves" (קֶבֶר, qeber, H6913) and "grave" (קְבוּרָה, qeburah, H6900) both appear, emphasizing the physical reality of death and burial, not just a metaphorical end.
  • "Pit" (בּוֹר, bor, H953) refers to the ancient idea of the underworld or a deep place where the dead reside, highlighting the finality and humiliation of their fate.
  • "Sides" (יַרְכָּה, yarkah, H3411) means the farthest or outermost parts, suggesting these graves are set apart, possibly as a mark of disgrace.
  • "Terror" (חִתִּית, chittit, H2851) points to the fear these people once caused in life, now contrasted with their helplessness in death.

Why Ezekiel 32:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies that even those who once seemed invincible and terrifying are not exempt from judgment and defeat.
  • The detailed description of burial in the "sides of the pit" underlines the shame and separation experienced by the fallen, not just their death.
  • Ezekiel 32:23 connects to the chapter’s larger theme: God’s power to humble proud nations and rulers, reminding readers that earthly might does not guarantee lasting security.

Where else these words appear

“terror” Hebrew H2851 · used in 8 verses

  • Ezekiel 26:17 And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!
  • Ezekiel 32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.
  • Ezekiel 32:27 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.

“grave” Hebrew H6900 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 35:20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
  • 2 Kings 9:28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
  • Ecclesiastes 6:3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

“sides” Hebrew H3411 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
  • 1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
  • Jeremiah 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

“graves” Hebrew H6913 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
  • 1 Kings 13:31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
  • Job 10:19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.