Ezekiel 30:3-13

3 for the day is nigh; and the day of the Lord nigheth, the day of a cloud. The time of heathen men shall be (The time of the heathen shall be);
4 and a sword shall come into Egypt, and dread shall be in Ethiopia, when wounded men shall fall down in Egypt, and the multitude thereof shall be taken away, and the foundaments thereof shall be destroyed. (and a sword shall come into Egypt, and fear shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall down in Egypt, and the multitude there shall be taken away, and its foundations shall be destroyed.)
5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydians, and all the residue common people, and Chub, and the sons of the land of bond of peace, shall fall down by sword with them. (Ethiopia, and Libya, and the Lydians, and all the rest of the common people, and Chub, and the sons of the land of the covenant, shall fall down by the sword with them.)
6 The Lord God saith these things, And they that underset Egypt shall fall down, and the pride of the lordship thereof shall be destroyed (and the pride of its power shall be destroyed); from the tower of Syene they shall fall by sword therein, saith the Lord God of hosts.
7 And they shall be destroyed in the midst of lands made desolate, and the cities thereof shall be in the midst of cities forsaken (and its cities shall be in the midst of deserted cities).
8 And they shall know, that I am the Lord God, when I shall give fire in Egypt (when I shall set Egypt on fire), and all the helpers thereof shall be all-broken.
9 In that day messengers shall go out from my face in ships with three orders of oars, to all-break, [or destroy,] the trust of Ethiopia; and dread shall be in them (as) in the day of Egypt, for without doubt it shall come. (On that day messengers shall go out from before me in ships with three orders of oars, to all-break, or to destroy, the confidence of Ethiopia; and fear shall be upon them like in the day of Egypt, for without doubt it shall come.)
10 The Lord God saith these things, And I shall make to cease the multitude of Egypt in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. (The Lord God saith these things, And I shall make an end of the multitude of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.)
11 He and his people with him, the strongest men of heathen men, shall be brought, to lose the land; and they shall draw out their swords on Egypt, and they shall fill the land with slain men. (He and his people with him, the strongest men of the heathen, shall be brought to destroy the land; and they shall draw out their swords against Egypt, and they shall fill the land with the slain.)
12 And I shall make dry the bottoms of floods, and I shall give the land in(to) the hand of the worst men; and I shall destroy the land, and the fullness thereof in the hand of aliens; I the Lord spake. (And I shall dry up the bottoms of the rivers, or the riverbeds, and I shall give the land into the hands, or into the power, of the worst people; and I shall destroy the land, and its fullness, by the hands of foreigners, or of strangers; I the Lord spoke.)
13 The Lord God saith these things, And I shall lose simulacra, and I shall make idols to cease from Memphis, and a duke of the land of Egypt shall no more be. And I shall give dread in the land of Egypt, (The Lord God saith these things, And I shall destroy the idols, and I shall make the idols to cease to exist in Noph, and a prince, or a leader, shall no more be in the land of Egypt. And I shall bring fear into the land of Egypt,)

Ezekiel 30:3-13 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.