Ezekiel 30:1-19

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,

2 "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Wail, 'Woe to the day!'

3 For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.

4 The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down.

5 "Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword."

6 'Thus says the Lord: "Those who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From Migdol to Syene Those within her shall fall by the sword," Says the Lord God.

7 "They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.

8 Then they will know that I am the Lord, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are destroyed.

9 On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships To make the careless Ethiopians afraid, And great anguish shall come upon them, As on the day of Egypt; For indeed it is coming!"

10 'Thus says the Lord God: "I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

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

12 I will make the rivers dry, And sell the land into the hand of the wicked; I will make the land waste, and all that is in it, By the hand of aliens. I, the Lord, have spoken."

13 'Thus says the Lord God: "I will also destroy the idols, And cause the images to cease from Noph; There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt; I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

14 I will make Pathros desolate, Set fire to Zoan, And execute judgments in No.

15 I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt; I will cut off the multitude of No,

16 And set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, No shall be split open, And Noph shall be in distress daily.

17 The young men of Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword, And these cities shall go into captivity.

18 At Tehaphnehes the day shall also be darkened, When I break the yokes of Egypt there. And her arrogant strength shall cease in her; As for her, a cloud shall cover her, And her daughters shall go into captivity.

19 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, Then they shall know that I am the Lord." ' "

Ezekiel 30:1-19 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew Put
• [b]. Hebrew Lud
• [c]. That is, ancient Memphis
• [d]. That is, ancient Thebes
• [e]. That is, ancient Pelusium
• [f]. That is, ancient On (Heliopolis)
• [g]. Spelled Tahpanhes in Jeremiah 43:7 and elsewhere
• [h]. Following many Hebrew manuscripts, Bomberg, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads refrained.