complete verse (Ezekiel 32:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 32:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “The king was struck down and buried with those who died in battle. (They) all died in battle without having the true religion. When they were still alive, they went around terrifying other people but now they, too, are in the world of the dead being shamed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The king of Elam has something-to-lie-down-in-full-view there with the ones who died in battle. His grave is surrounded by the graves of his people. They all who did not believe in God died in battle. Because when they were still alive they caused- the people -to-become-afraid of them, but now they were put-to-shame and were-laying-down-in-full-view with the ones who died in battle.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They will lie there among others who were slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of a huge crowd of other people. While they were alive, they caused people of other nations to be terrified; but they were godless, and now, having been killed by their enemies swords, they will lie with others in that deep pit, disgraced, all of them avoiding each other.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 32:25

They have made her a bed pictures the grave as a bed as in verse 19 (see the comments there). The pronoun They is impersonal, so a possible model for this clause is “People have made a place for her to lie.”

Among the slain with all her multitude: See the comments on the previous verse.

Their graves round about her: See verse 22.

All of them uncircumcised: See verse 21.

Slain by the sword: See verse 22.

For terror of them was spread in the land of the living: See verse 23.

And they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit: See the previous verse.

They are placed among the slain: This passive construction may be made active by saying “People have put them down among those who died in war.”

A model for verses 24-25 is:

• 24 “Elam is there with the graves of all her people [or, soldiers] all around her. They were all killed [or, They all died] in war. They did not know God, and went down to the world of the dead. When they still were alive, they used to terrify everyone, but now they have suffered the shame of those who go to the underworld. 25 People have made places for Elam to lie with the graves of her people [or, army] around her. The Elamites used to terrify everyone, but now these godless people have been disgraced because they are in the place of the dead and are lying among the people who were killed in battle.

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 .