Ezekiel 30:14

14 I will make southern Egypt empty and start a fire in Zoan and punish Thebes.

Ezekiel 30:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 30:14

And I will make Pathros desolate
A country in Egypt; (See Gill on Ezekiel 29:14), perhaps it was the first place that Nebuchadnezzar entered, and so went from place to place in the order hereafter mentioned: and I will set fire in Zoan;
or Tunis, a famous city in Egypt in the times of Moses, ( Numbers 13:22 ) ( Psalms 78:12 Psalms 78:43 ) . The Targum and Septuagint version call it Tanis here; and from hence a nome in Egypt was called the Tanitic nome. This city was burnt down by the king of Babylon: the place now built on the spot is called Mansourah, as Dr. Shaw F23 says: and I will execute judgment in No.
The Vulgate Latin version renders it Alexandria; and so does the Targum; of which place Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech interpret it; and so does Jerom; which, though built after these times by Alexander, and called so after his name, yet is supposed to be built on or near the place where ancient No stood. The city is now called Scanderoon, or Scanderea; the Turks calling Alexander Scander: here the judgments of God were executed in the destruction of it by the Chaldean army; and great devastations have been made in it since it was rebuilt by Alexander, by the Saracens, who destroyed all places where they came; so that, as Dr. Shaw F24 observes, it is somewhat extraordinary that the greatest part of the ancient walls, together with their respective turrets, should have continued entire quite down to this time. The Septuagint version calls it Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter, as does the Arabic version, that is, of Jupiter Hammon; the city of Thebes, where he was worshipped; as it is in a following verse called Hammon No; though Hillerus F25 thinks neither of these places are meant, neither Alexandria nor Diospolis; but Memphis, as it is rendered by the Septuagint in the next verse; (See Gill on Nahum 3:8).


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Travels, p. 304. Ed. 2.
F24 Ib. p. 292.
F25 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 571

Ezekiel 30:14 In-Context

12 I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land, and then I will sell the land to evil people. I will destroy the land and everything in it through the power of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 "'This is what the Lord God says: I will destroy the idols and take away the statues of gods from the city of Memphis. There will no longer be a leader in Egypt, and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.
14 I will make southern Egypt empty and start a fire in Zoan and punish Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium, the strong place of Egypt. I will destroy great numbers of people in Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt. Pelusium will be in great pain. The walls of Thebes will be broken open, and Memphis will have troubles every day.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.