Ezekiel 30:7

7 Egypt, most desolate of the desolate, her cities wasted beyond wasting,

Ezekiel 30:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 30:7

And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that
are desolate
Or among them, shall be ranked with them, and be as desolate as they are; as Judea and other countries, ravaged by the same enemy: and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted;
undergo the same fate as they have done, as Jerusalem and others. The cities of Egypt were very numerous; Diodorus Siculus F14 says, that in ancient times Egypt had cities and villages of note, more than 18,000. Herodotus F15 writes, that it was said, that under King Amasis there were 20,000 cities in it; and the first mentioned writer F16 says, under Ptolemy Lagus they were reckoned more than 30,000; and, according to Theocritus F17, under Ptolemy Philadelphus they were 33,339.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Bibl. l. 1. p. 19.
F15 Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 177.
F16 Bibl. l. 1. p. 19.
F17 Idyll. 17. v. 82.

Ezekiel 30:7 In-Context

5 And Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia, Libya - all of Egypt's old allies - killed right along with them.
6 "'God says: "'Egypt's allies will fall and her proud strength will collapse - From Migdol in the north to Syene in the south, a great slaughter in Egypt! Decree of God, the Master.
7 Egypt, most desolate of the desolate, her cities wasted beyond wasting,
8 Will realize that I am God when I burn her down and her helpers are knocked flat.
9 "'When that happens, I'll send out messengers by ship to sound the alarm among the easygoing Ethiopians. They'll be terrorized. Egypt's doomed! Judgment's coming!
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.