Hesekiel 30:17

17 Die Jünglinge von Awen und Pi-Beseth werden durch das Schwert fallen, und sie selbst werden in die Gefangenschaft ziehen.

Hesekiel 30:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 30:17

The young men of Aven and of Phibeseth shall fall by the
sword
Aven is the same with On, of which Potipherah was priest in Joseph's time and whose daughter he married, ( Genesis 41:45 ) , the same with Heliopolis, or Bethshemesh, the city of the sun, see ( Jeremiah 43:13 ) , (See Gill on Jeremiah 43:13); where was the temple of the sun, and where it was worshipped; and so it is rendered by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions. It is called here "Aven", or "vanity", because of the vain and idolatrous worship here performed. Phibeseth is the Bubastis of Herodotus, and called by other writers Bubastus; hence there was a nome or province in Egypt called the Bubastic nome, mentioned by Ptolemy ^F3, and others. In this was a temple built to the honour of Diana, where she was worshipped and Herodotus ^F4 says, that Bubastis, in the Greek tongue, is Diana; here she was worshipped in the form of a cat; and Stephanus ^F5 observes, that the Egyptians call a cat Bubastus; and it is also said that dead cats salted were buried in this city, as being sacred: according to Diodorus Siculus ^F6, it was built for the sake of Isis; and Hillerus ^F7 says, that in the Abyssine language it was called "Phy' mly' sith"; that is, the portion of the wife, namely of Isis married to Osiris, by whom this city was built to the honour of her; as appears by the pillar of Isis, on which these words are inscribed,

``for me the city of Bubastia is built; be glad, be glad, O Egypt, which brought me up.''

This place is now called Bishbesh, according to Dr. Shaw ^F8: now the young men of both these places, though they might exert themselves in the defence of them, yet should fail therein, and fall by the sword of the Chaldeans: and these cities shall go into captivity;
the rest of the inhabitants of the cities of Aven and Pibeseth, that shall not fall by the sword, shall be carried captive into other lands. Joseph Kimchi supplies "women" instead of "cities"; and thinks, that as the males are mentioned before, the females are understood here. The Targum is,

``they that served them shall go into captivity;''

that served the idols worshipped in these cities.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Geograph. l. 4. c. 5.
F4 Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 59, 138, 156.
F5 De Urbibus.
F6 Bibliothec l. 1. p. 24.
F7 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 672.
F8 Travels, p. 306. Ed. 2.

Hesekiel 30:17 In-Context

15 Und ich werde meinen Grimm ausgießen über Sin, die Feste Ägyptens; und die Menge von No werde ich ausrotten.

16 Und ich werde Feuer anlegen in Ägypten; Sin wird beben vor Angst, und No wird erbrochen werden, und Noph Feinde bei Tage!

17 Die Jünglinge von Awen und Pi-Beseth werden durch das Schwert fallen, und sie selbst werden in die Gefangenschaft ziehen.

18 Und zu Tachpanches wird der Tag sich verfinstern, wenn ich daselbst die Joche Ägyptens zerbreche, und der Stolz seiner Kraft darin ein Ende nimmt; Gewölk wird es bedecken, und seine Tochterstädte werden in die Gefangenschaft ziehen.

19 Und so werde ich Gerichte üben an Ägypten; und sie werden wissen, daß ich Jehova bin.