Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

EZEKIEL 32:31KJV
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Ezekiel 32:31 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 32:31 mean?

Ezekiel 32:31 says that Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, will see the fate of other defeated nations and find a kind of grim comfort in knowing that his own downfall is not unique—he and his army, though slain, share the same fate as other great peoples destroyed by violence. This is spoken as a declaration from the Lord GOD.

In this chapter, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to warn Egypt about its coming destruction. The verse pictures Pharaoh in the realm of the dead, noticing that many other nations and their armies have also been defeated and killed by the sword. The comfort mentioned is not joyful but a bitter realization that Egypt’s fate is shared by many, highlighting the certainty and completeness of God’s judgment on proud nations.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 32:31

  • "Comforted" (נָחַם, nācham): This word often means to be consoled or to find relief from grief. Here, it suggests Pharaoh finds a small measure of consolation in seeing that his downfall is part of a larger pattern, not a unique humiliation.
  • "Multitude" (הָמוֹן, hāmôn): This word refers to a great crowd or mass of people. In this context, it emphasizes the scale of Egypt’s loss—Pharaoh’s comfort is over the vast number of his own people who have perished.
  • "Slain" (חָלָל, chalal): This word means killed or pierced, usually in battle. It underscores that Pharaoh and his army have died violently, not from natural causes, which is a key part of the judgment described.

Why Ezekiel 32:31 matters

  • This verse clarifies that even powerful rulers like Pharaoh are not exempt from judgment; their fate is shared with other nations that also fell because of pride and violence.
  • The mention of Pharaoh being "comforted" is not about happiness but about a shared misery, showing that there is no special escape for Egypt from the consequences of its actions.
  • Ezekiel 32:31 ties into the wider passage where God lists the fates of various nations, making the point that all who oppose God’s ways face the same end, no matter their former glory.

Where else these words appear

“multitude” Hebrew H1995 · used in 78 verses

  • Genesis 17:4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
  • Psalms 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
  • Ezekiel 7:13 For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

“slain” Hebrew H2491 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 34:27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
  • 1 Chronicles 5:22 For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.
  • Ezekiel 9:7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

“comforted” Hebrew H5162 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
  • Job 29:25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
  • Jeremiah 18:8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.