Ezekiel 30

A Lament Over Egypt

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!”
3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near— a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush.[a]When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.
5 Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.
6 “ ‘This is what the LORD says: “ ‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD.
7 “ ‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.
8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.
9 “ ‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.
10 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations— will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.
12 I will dry up the waters of the Nile and sell the land to an evil nation; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the LORD have spoken.
13 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in Egypt, and I will spread fear throughout the land.
14 I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt; there her proud strength will come to an end. She will be covered with clouds, and her villages will go into captivity.
19 So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me:
21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword.
22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.
23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.
24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.
25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.
26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

A prophecy against Egypt. (1-19) Another. (20-26)

Verses 1-19 The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is very full. Those who take their lot with God's enemies, shall be with them in punishment. The king of Babylon and his army shall be instruments of this destruction. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another. No place in the land of Egypt shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans. The Lord is known by the judgments he executes. Yet these are only present effects of the Divine displeasure, not worthy of our fear, compared with the wrath to come, from which Jesus delivers his people.

Verses 20-26 Egypt shall grow weaker and weaker. If lesser judgments do not prevail to humble and reform sinners, God will send greater. God justly breaks that power which is abused, either to put wrongs upon people, or to put cheats upon them. Babylon shall grow stronger. In vain do men endeavour to bind up the arm the Lord is pleased to break, and to strengthen those whom he will bring down. Those who disregard the discoveries of his truth and mercy, shall know his power and justice, in the punishment for their sins.

Cross References 50

  • 1. S Isaiah 13:6; James 5:1
  • 2. S Ezekiel 7:7; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1,11; Obadiah 1:15
  • 3. ver 18; S Ezekiel 7:12,19; Ezekiel 32:7; Ezekiel 34:12
  • 4. Jeremiah 25:19; Daniel 11:43
  • 5. S Genesis 10:6; S Ezekiel 29:10
  • 6. S Ezekiel 29:19
  • 7. S Ezekiel 27:10
  • 8. S 2 Chronicles 9:14
  • 9. Jeremiah 25:20
  • 10. Nahum 3:9
  • 11. Ezekiel 29:10
  • 12. S Ezekiel 29:12
  • 13. S Jeremiah 49:27; Ezekiel 39:6; Am 1:4,7,10; Nahum 1:6
  • 14. S Ezekiel 29:9
  • 15. S Genesis 10:6; Isaiah 18:1-2
  • 16. Isaiah 23:5
  • 17. Ezekiel 32:9-10; Zephaniah 2:12
  • 18. Jeremiah 39:1
  • 19. S Ezekiel 29:19
  • 20. S Ezekiel 28:7
  • 21. ver 24-25
  • 22. S Isaiah 19:6
  • 23. S Jeremiah 46:8; Ezekiel 29:9
  • 24. S Ezekiel 19:7
  • 25. S Jeremiah 43:12; S Ezekiel 6:6
  • 26. S Isaiah 19:13
  • 27. Zechariah 10:11
  • 28. S Ezekiel 29:14
  • 29. S Numbers 13:22; Psalms 78:12,43
  • 30. S Jeremiah 46:25
  • 31. S Joshua 7:15
  • 32. S Isaiah 19:13
  • 33. Genesis 41:45
  • 34. S Jeremiah 43:7
  • 35. S Leviticus 26:13; S Isaiah 9:4
  • 36. S ver 3
  • 37. Ezekiel 28:22
  • 38. S Ezekiel 26:1; S Ezekiel 29:17; Ezekiel 31:1; Ezekiel 32:1
  • 39. S Jeremiah 48:25
  • 40. S Jeremiah 44:30
  • 41. Jeremiah 30:13; Jeremiah 46:11
  • 42. S Genesis 15:18; S Jeremiah 46:25
  • 43. Psalms 37:17; Zechariah 11:17
  • 44. S Ezekiel 29:12
  • 45. Zechariah 10:6,12; Zechariah 12:5
  • 46. S Ezekiel 21:14; Zephaniah 2:12
  • 47. Jeremiah 51:52
  • 48. 1 Chronicles 21:12
  • 49. S Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 45:1,5; S Ezekiel 29:19
  • 50. S Ezekiel 29:12

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and 9

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 30

This chapter is a continuation of the prophecy against Egypt, both against the country and the king of it. It is introduced with expressions of lamentation, because of the destruction coming on, Eze 30:1-3, and not only Egypt, and the cities thereof, should be destroyed, but all her friends, associates, and allies; the Ethiopians, Lydians, Lybians, and others, Eze 30:4-9. Nebuchadnezzar and his army were to be the instruments of her ruin, Eze 30:10-12, particular cities are mentioned by name, which should suffer much, and become desolate, Eze 30:13-19 and then Pharaoh king of Egypt himself is threatened with broken arms, and his people to be scattered among the nations, Eze 30:20-23, and the king of Babylon is again mentioned, whose arms should be strengthened to do all this, Eze 30:24-26.

Ezekiel 30 Commentaries

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