Egypt’s Shameful Death and the House of Israel’s Exodus from Sheol (Ezekiel 32.17-32 and 37.1-14)

Abstract

This article argues that Ezek. 32.17-32, which depicts the funerary procession of Egypt into Sheol, and 37.1-14, the vision of the nation’s dry bones, should be read in context with each other. Ezekiel 32.17-32 is understood not as a lament, but rather as a ceremony escorting Egypt into its proper resting place in Sheol, using KTU 1.161 as a helpful guide. The prophet, it becomes clear, promised a shameful death for Egypt, while promising, in contrast, a new life full of honor for his own nation. At the heart of the matter was the honor of Yahweh, which Ezekiel underscored by incorporating exodus motifs.