And I will cast you on the ground: For the Hebrew verb rendered cast (literally “abandon”), see the comments on 29.5. This verb implies that God (or the people helping him) will take the sea monster (Pharaoh) out on to dry land and leave it there. Translators may say “I will throw your body down on to the ground.” By now it is assumed that the monster is dead, so some languages may need to say “I will throw your dead body….”

On the open field I will fling you: The Hebrew word for open field may refer to an open area, or simply the bush. The Hebrew verb rendered fling has the explicit idea of “throwing” to the ground. This line may be combined with the previous one by saying “I will throw your [dead] body on to the ground in the bush [or, in an open area] and leave you there.” These two lines form a common pattern in Hebrew poetry in which the second line reverses the order of the first one to make the statement even stronger. Cast at the beginning of the first line is parallel to fling at the end of the second one; likewise, on the ground at the end of the first line is parallel with on the open field at the beginning of the second one. Translators can retain some of the impact of this structure by saying “I will throw your body down on the ground. Yes, I will leave it lying there in the bush.”

And will cause all the birds of the air to settle on you: God will let the birds perch and live on the monster’s dead body. New Century Version says “I will let the birds of the sky rest on you.” Another possible model is “I will let the birds perch on your [dead] body.” For the birds of the air, see 29.5.

And I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you means God will allow the wild animals to eat as much as they like of the monster’s dead body until they are satisfied. New Century Version says “I will let … all the animals of the earth eat you until they are full.” It should be understood that the birds also will be allowed to peck at and eat the dead body, so Good News Translation combines the last two lines of this verse, saying “and bring all the birds and animals of the world to feed on you” (similarly Contemporary English Version). For the beasts of the whole earth, see the comments on 29.5. The only difference is that this phrase refers to “all of the wild animals” (New International Reader’s Version).

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .