Ezekiel 30

1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Howl ye, Alas for the day!

3 For the day is at hand, yea, the day of Jehovah is at hand, a day of clouds; it shall be the time of the nations.

4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and there shall be anguish in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be overthrown.

5 Cush, and Phut, and Lud, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the children of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

6 Thus saith Jehovah: They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her strength shall come down: from Migdol to Syene shall they fall in her by the sword, saith the Lord Jehovah.

7 And they shall be desolated in the midst of the countries that are desolated, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.

8 And they shall know that I [am] Jehovah, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers shall be broken.

9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships, to make careless Ethiopia afraid; and anguish shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for behold, it cometh!

10 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

11 He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with slain.

12 And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I Jehovah have spoken [it].

13 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince out of the land of Egypt; and I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

14 And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgment in No.

15 And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.

16 And I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be rent asunder, and at Noph [there shall be] enemies in open day.

17 The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these shall go into captivity.

18 And at Tehaphnehes the day shall be darkened, when I break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her strength shall cease in her; as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

19 Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt; and they shall know that I [am] Jehovah.

20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first [month], on the seventh of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it shall not be bound up to apply remedies, to put a bandage to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.

22 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong one, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

23 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

24 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; and I will break Pharaoh's arms, so that he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly-wounded [man].

25 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I [am] Jehovah, when I have put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall have stretched it out upon the land of Egypt.

26 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries: and they shall know that I [am] Jehovah.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'land of the covenant:' see Dan. 11.22.
• [b]. Cush.
• [c]. Or 'shall be in their midst.'
• [d]. Lit. 'and the fulness thereof.'
• [e]. Or 'daily.'
• [f]. Or 'On' (Heliopolis): Aven means vanity.
• [g]. Bubastis, in lower Egypt.
• [h]. i.e. the cities.
• [i]. See Notes, Isa. 30.4; Jer. 2.16.

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.