יחזקאל, פרק ל״א, פסוק י״ח

After detailing the dramatic collapse of the Assyrian empire, the prophecy comes full circle and turns its focus directly back to Pharaoh. The central message is clear: the tragic end that met the greatest empire of the past now awaits the ruler of Egypt. The prophet challenges Pharaoh, asking which of the mighty, deceased kings of the past—metaphorically called the trees of Eden—he compares himself to in terms of glory and greatness. The implied answer is the king of Assyria, the most powerful of them all. The primary approach among commentators is that if Pharaoh proudly equates his own majesty and scale to that of Assyria, he is destined to share in its absolute ruin [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם ומצודת דוד]. Another perspective notes that the specific focus on glory and greatness carries a deep historical warning. Assyria had previously survived two major divine decrees—the punishment during the generation of the Tower of Babel and the prophecy of Jonah—yet it ultimately fell. Given this, Pharaoh certainly cannot expect to escape the disaster decreed for him [חומת אנך].

The punishment is then laid out in stark terms. Just as those once-mighty kings were brought down to the grave, Pharaoh will be dragged down alongside them into the underworld, a place associated with Hell [רש״י, מצודת דוד ורד״ק]. Down in the depths, he will find himself lying among the despised and those killed in battle. The uncircumcised mentioned in this context do not merely represent a physical state, but rather describe people with uncircumcised hearts—the wicked [רד״ק, מצודת דוד וביאור שטיינזלץ].

The prophecy concludes with a haunting image of Pharaoh's arrival in the underworld. When he descends with his massive crowds, the current inhabitants of the grave will immediately recognize him. They will point him out to one another, declaring that this fallen figure is indeed Pharaoh along with all his multitude [מלבי״ם ומצודת דוד].