Ezekiel 30:18-26

18 And in Tahpanhes the day shall wax black, when I shall all-break there the sceptres of Egypt (when I shall all-break there the yoke of Egypt), and the pride of the power thereof shall fail therein. A cloud shall cover it; forsooth the daughters thereof shall be led into captivity,

19 and I shall make dooms in Egypt (and I shall bring in my judgements upon Egypt); and they shall know, that I am the Lord.

20 And it was done in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month (on the seventh day of the month), the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

21 Thou, son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and lo! it is not wrapped [about], that health should be restored thereto, that it should be bound with clothes (that it should be bound with a dressing), and wound (about) with linen clothes, and that he might hold (a) sword (again), when he had received strength.

22 Therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; I shall make less his strong arm but broken, and I shall cast down the sword from his hand. (And so the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I am against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; I shall make less, or I shall break, both his arms, his strong arm, and his broken arm, and I shall throw down the sword from his hand.)

23 And I shall scatter Egypt among heathen men, and I shall winnow them in lands. (And I shall scatter the Egyptians among the heathen, and I shall winnow them into many lands.)

24 And I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I shall give my sword in the hand of him; and I shall break the arms of Pharaoh, and men slain before his face shall wail by wailings. (And I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I shall put my sword into his hand; but I shall break the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall wail with the wailings of a gravely wounded man before him.)

25 And I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down. And they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall give my sword in(to) the hand of the king of Babylon; and he shall stretch forth it on the land of Egypt. (Yea, I shall strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down. And they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon; and he shall stretch it forth upon the land of Egypt.)

26 And I shall scatter Egypt into nations, and I shall winnow them into lands (And I shall scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and I shall winnow them into other lands); and they shall know, that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 30:18-26 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.