The Meaning of Ezekiel 32:3 Explained

Ezekiel 32:3

KJV: Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.

YLT: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And -- I have spread out for thee My net, With an assembly of many peoples, And they have brought thee up in My net.

Darby: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also spread out my net over thee with an assemblage of many peoples; and they shall bring thee up in my net.

ASV: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will spread out my net upon thee with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring thee up in my net.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  I will therefore spread out  my net  over thee with a company  of many  people;  and they shall bring thee up  in my net. 

What does Ezekiel 32:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord announced that He would cast His net over Pharaoh using a large group of people as His instruments. In the Babylonian account of Creation, the Enuma elish (4:95), the god Marduk captured the chaos-monster Tiamat in a net and slew him. [1] God may have wanted the Jewish exiles in Babylon to see a parallel between what Ezekiel predicted and what the Babylonians believed. Fulfillment would demonstrate Yahweh"s sovereignty. The Babylonians would take Pharaoh captive, and the Egyptians would go into captivity. Since the Egyptians regarded the Pharaoh, the crocodile, and the Nile as manifestations of their gods, this announcement meant that Yahweh would humble Egypt"s gods as well as bring her defeat.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 32

1  A lamentation for the fearful fall of Egypt
11  The sword of Babylon shall destroy it
17  It shall be brought down to hell, among all the uncircumcised nations

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 32:3 mean?

Thus says the Lord GOD and therefore I will spread over you - My net with a company of people many and they will draw you up in My net
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וּפָרַשְׂתִּ֤י עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־ רִשְׁתִּ֔י בִּקְהַ֖ל עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וְהֶעֱל֖וּךָ בְּחֶרְמִֽי

כֹּ֤ה  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַר֙  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֔ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וּפָרַשְׂתִּ֤י  and  therefore  I  will  spread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רִשְׁתִּ֔י  My  net 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רֶשֶׁת  
Sense: net.
בִּקְהַ֖ל  with  a  company 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.
עַמִּ֣ים  of  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רַבִּ֑ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְהֶעֱל֖וּךָ  and  they  will  draw  you  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בְּחֶרְמִֽי  in  My  net 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חֵרֶם 
Sense: a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion.