Ezekiel 32:9

Eze 32:9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

Ver. 9. I will also vex.] Or, Grieve. See Ecc 7:3, where the same word signifieth anger and sorrow. Nebuchadnezzar’s growing greatness shall be a cut and a corrosive to them.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32:9-10 The surrounding nations and their kings would all be terrified at Egypt’s downfall, fearing for their own future.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

thy destruction--that is tidings of thy destruction (literally, "thy breakage") carried by captive and dispersed Egyptians "among the nations" [GROTIUS]; or, thy broken people, resembling one great fracture, the ruins of what they had been [FAIRBAIRN].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. I will also vex the hearts] Even the remote nations, who had no connexion with thee, shall be amazed at the judgments which have fallen upon thee.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) Vex the hearts.—The margin, provoke to grief, is better, as being less ambiguous. “Thy destruction” means, the news of thy destruction. As is more fully expressed in the following verse, the fall of Egypt should be such a striking instance of Divine judgment as to awaken fear in every nation that should hear of the catastrophe.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. vex the hearts] Or, trouble. The precise feeling is not grief, and certainly not anger (A. V. marg.); in Eze_32:10 it is dismay, and then terror for themselves. For people peoples.

bring thy destruction among] Hardly means “bring the news” of thy destruction; the destruction itself occurs among the nations, they observe it; cf. “brandish my sword before them,” Eze_32:10.

into the countries] unto countries. The effect of Pharaoh’s fall shall be felt by nations lying beyond the horizon of his knowledge; cf. Isa_55:5.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will also vex the hearts of many people,.... With anger and grief, with fear and dread, with consternation and amazement:

when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations; or, "thy breach" (b); the news of it, the tidings of their destruction; which by one means or another should come to their ears, and fill them with concern and great anxiety of mind, so rich and powerful a kingdom being subdued, and the king of Babylon made so great thereby, and fearing they fall a prey unto him also. The Targum renders it,

"when I shall bring the broken of thy war;''

that is, the soldiers that should be wounded in battle, their limbs broke, and they taken captive, and brought among the nations, dismal spectacles to look at; and which should be brought

into countries, which thou hast not known; at a distance from Egypt, and which had no commerce nor communication with them, nor were their friends and allies; yet as their destruction would reach their ears, so it would affect their hearts, and fill them with vexation and grief; not so much on account of Egypt, as the growing power of Nebuchadnezzar, and the danger they were in of falling into his hands.

(b) "fractionem tuam", Piscator, Cocceius, Starckius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

When I shall bring thy destruction - i. e., the news of thy destruction. The phenomena here mentioned are the accompaniments of “the day of the Lord” Joe 2:10; Luk 21:25 or the day of judgment. The fall of Pharaoh represents the fall of the world-power before the sovereignty of God.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Anger, as they will not know why I have treated thee so severely: or rather, they shall be afraid for themselves, ver. 10. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Vex; it speaks a passion mixed and made up with grief for what is done, fear of the consequence of it, anger against him that did it, and an astonishment at the report, and it seizeth the heart and spirits of the hearers.

Many people, and great nations.

Thy destruction; either the fame of it, or the remainders that fled timely from thy destruction, or thy captives who after thou art destroyed are carried away, and the news of thy fall with them, or when the like ruin and destruction shall fall upon them. Which thou hast not known; such as were strangers to Egypt, and which Egypt had no commerce with, shall be troubled with apprehension what mischief may come upon the world from so mighty a conqueror, and by the accession of so great a kingdom and power as that of Egypt.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9, 10. Compare Eze_26:16; Eze_27:35.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will also vex the hearts. The words intensify the bitterness of the downfall. The prophet passes out of the region of metaphors into that of facts. The fall of Egypt will cause pity among the nations. They shall simply be "vexed" in heart, terrified at the thought (Ver. 10) that the sword which had laid her low was "brandished" also against them.

Ver. 9 ("I will also vex the hearts of many peoples"). Vexation of heart.

I THE GREATEST DISTRESS IS THAT WHICH IS CAUSED BY VEXATION OF HEART. Terrible reverses of fortune may be endured, and the millionaire may become a beggar, and yet the deepest sorrows may not be reached; for there are men who have proved themselves superior to their circumstances, and who have been able to look with a serene countenance on the wreck of their fortunes, because they have been possessed of interior sources of happiness. Bodily sickness which produces acute physical pain does not induce the greatest real sufferings. Not only have martyrs learnt to triumph at the stake, but patient, obscure sufferers have acquired peace and even joy while their bodies have been racked with torment. But when the heart is sore vexed the most terrible Sorrow is felt. This may be endured amid external circumstances of affluence, and then those circumstances appear but as gilded vanities, mocking the bitter grief that lurks within. We live in our hearts, and if our hears be sore and sorrowful, our lives are darkened with a distress that no outer comforts can cheer.

II VEXATION OF HEART SPRINGS ESPECIALLY FROM LOSS AND DISAPPOINTMENT. We accustom ourselves to the usual, and do not grieve greatly over what we never had and never expected to possess. No man is much distressed at the thought that he is not a prince of the archangels. The simple peasant does not grieve because he is not the owner of a kingdom, as Alexander is said to have grieved because he could find no new worlds to conquer. The childless wife is not desolate as the mother whose baby has been snatched from her. The loss of the loved and the disappointment of cherished hopes are the greatest sources of vexation of heart. Now, we have all lost a great inheritance, we have missed our high Divine vocation. The sorrow of failure is at the root of the worst heartache. The old weary world groans without perceiving the cause of its anguish. Clearly something is wrong, for a good Creator would not have made a world for sorrow and disappointment. The great disillusion which at some time comes to every sanguine soul, and turns May into November, must have a cause. The world has suffered a great loss; it has met with a great disappointment. The first step is to have the courage to admit the fact, and not to be living in the optimism which the first touch of reality proves to be but a dream. The next is to discover the cause and to see that the loss is the loss of God, and the failure sin.

III CHRIST HAS COME TO CURE VEXATION OF HEART. He may not help us to retrieve broken fortunes. "To the poor the gospel is preached and yet they remain poor; he may not now restore health as he did during his earthly ministry. But he aims at the deepest trouble-he cures vexation of heart. To the laboring and heavy laden he gives rest. It is not his will that his people should go mourning all their days. The dim and faded life may be brightened and gladdened by the love of the great Savior. This is possible because Christ goes to the seat of the trouble, whereas most earthly comforters have only tried to smooth away the superficial symptoms. He finds the lost God. He restores man to his missed destiny. He slays the sin that is the worm at the root of the world"s life. He brings the heart-joy of life eternal in fellowship with God.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thy destruction - The fame of it. Not known - Such as were strangers to Egypt, shall be troubled with apprehension of what mischief may come upon the world from so mighty a conqueror.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Yahweh continues to speak to Pharaoh.

I will terrify the heart of many peoples

Here "heart" represents the people's emotions. AT: "I will make the hearts of many peoples afraid" or "I will cause many people to be terrified" (See: Metonymy)

in lands that you do not know

The way that Yahweh destroys Egypt will make afraid even people in lands that Pharaoh never knew about.

when I bring about your collapse among the nations

The nation of Egypt, symbolized by its king, is spoken of as if it were a building that was collapsing. AT: "when nations hear about the way I destroyed you" (See: Metaphor)

when I swing my sword

Here swinging a sword represents using the sword. AT: "when I use my sword" (See: Metonymy)

Every moment each one will tremble because of you

Here "tremble" is an action that people often do when they are very afraid. AT: "Every one of them will keep shaking because of their fear"

on the day of your downfall

The idea of falling down ("downfall") represents dying. AT: "when I destroy you" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

terror

people group

nation

king

sword

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And I will vex the heart i.e., their heart will tremble and quake.

when I bring your ruin when I bring the ruin of your battles among the peoples.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.