Ezekiel 30:14-24

14 I will make southern Egypt desolate and set fire to the city of Zoan in the north. I will punish the capital city of Thebes.

15 I will let the city of Pelusium, Egypt's great fortress, feel my fury. I will destroy the wealth of Thebes.

16 I will set fire to Egypt, and Pelusium will be in agony. The walls of Thebes will be broken down, and the city will be flooded.

17 The young men of the cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in the war, and the other people will be taken prisoner.

18 Darkness will fall on Tahpanhes when I break the power of Egypt and put an end to the strength they were so proud of. A cloud will cover Egypt, and the people of all her cities will be taken prisoner.

19 When I punish Egypt in this way, they will know that I am the Lord."

20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year of our exile, the Lord spoke to me.

21 "Mortal man," he said, "I have broken the arm of the king of Egypt. No one has bandaged it or put it in a sling so that it could heal and be strong enough to hold a sword again.

22 Now then, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, say: I am the enemy of the king of Egypt. I am going to break both his arms - the good one and the one already broken - and the sword will fall from his hand.

23 I am going to scatter the Egyptians throughout the world.

24 Then I will make the arms of the king of Babylonia strong and put my sword in his hands. But I will break the arms of the king of Egypt, and he will groan and die in front of his enemy.

Ezekiel 30:14-24 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]. [One ancient translation] flooded; [Hebrew unclear.]