Ezekiel 30:20-26

Pharaoh's Power Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first [month], on the seventh [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

21 "Son of man, I have broken the arm^[a] of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged-[no] medicine has been applied and no splint put on to bandage it so that it can grow strong [enough] to handle a sword.

22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Look! I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one [already] broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries.^[b]

24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon's king and place My sword^[c] in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him as a mortally wounded man.

25 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon's king, but Pharaoh's arms will fall. They will know that I am the Lord when I place My sword in the hand of Babylon's king and he wields it against the land of Egypt.

26 When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries, they will know that I am the Lord."

Ezekiel 30:20-26 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] Ps 10:15; 37:17
• [b] Ezk 29:12
• [c] Zph 2:12