Ezekiel30
New American Standard
1The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
2“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Wail, ‘Woe for the day!’
3For the day is near, Indeed, the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations.
4A sword will come upon Egypt, And there will be trembling in Cush; When the slain fall in Egypt, They will take away her wealth, And her foundations will be torn down.
5Cush, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword.”
6‘This is what the Lord says: “Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall And the pride of her power will come down; From Migdol to Syene They will fall within her by the sword,” Declares the Lord God.
7“They will be desolate In the midst of the desolated lands; And her cities will be In the midst of the devastated cities.
8And they will know that I am the Lord, When I set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are broken.
9On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten carefree Cush; and trembling will come on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it is coming!”
10‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11He and his people with him, The most ruthless of the nations, Will be brought in to destroy the land; And they will draw their swords against Egypt And fill the land with the slain.
12Moreover, I will make the Nile canals dry And sell the land into the hands of evil men. And I will make the land desolate And all that is in it, By the hand of strangers; I the Lord have spoken.”
13‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan And execute judgments on Thebes.
15I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The stronghold of Egypt; I will also eliminate the hordes of Thebes.
16I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be breached And Memphis will have distresses daily.
17The young men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity.
18In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the yoke bars of Egypt. Then the pride of her power will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity.
19So I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am the Lord.”’”
20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword.
22Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand.
23And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.
24For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groans of a wounded man.
25So I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fail. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he reaches out with it against the land of Egypt.
26When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 30.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: A prophecy against Egypt. (1-19). Another. (20-26).
vv1-19
The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is very full. Those who take their lot with God's enemies, shall be with them in punishment. The king of Babylon and his army shall be instruments of this destruction. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another. No place in the land of Egypt shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans. The Lord is known by the judgments he executes. Yet these are only present effects of the Divine displeasure, not worthy of our fear, compared with the wrath to come, from which Jesus delivers his people.
vv20-26
Egypt shall grow weaker and weaker. If lesser judgments do not prevail to humble and reform sinners, God will send greater. God justly breaks that power which is abused, either to put wrongs upon people, or to put cheats upon them. Babylon shall grow stronger. In vain do men endeavour to bind up the arm the Lord is pleased to break, and to strengthen those whom he will bring down. Those who disregard the discoveries of his truth and mercy, shall know his power and justice, in the punishment for their sins.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אֲדֹנָי: the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)
יָלַל: to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
הָהּ: ah! expressing grief
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
Cross References
Ezekiel 30Messengers going in ships/vessels of bulrushes up the Nile to warn the Ethiopians of judgment.
Supported by JFB
Prophecy of the drying up of the rivers of Egypt and the resulting national ruin.
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Identifies the same foreign mercenary troops (Ethiopians, Libyans, Lydians) allied with and defending Egypt.
Supported by Poole, JFB
Parallels Ezekiel's prediction of the destruction of Egypt's false gods and idols by Babylon.
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Tehaphnehes (Daphne) noted as a royal residence where Pharaoh's yoke is broken.
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Pharaoh's arm is broken beyond healing, using the same metaphor of ineffective medicines.
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Ezekiel 30:1-19 serves as a repetition and expansion of the earlier doom of Egypt.
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Mentions the 'mingled people' falling under the cup of God's wrath alongside Egypt.
Supported by Poole, JFB
Defines the geographical limits of Egypt's ruin 'from the tower of Syene'.
Supported by Poole, JFB
The Lord's arrival in Egypt causes the idols of Egypt to move and diminish.
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Historical fulfillment: Pharaoh's army fails to assist Jerusalem, retreating to Egypt with broken power.
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The 'day of the Lord' as a near day of destruction from the Almighty.
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Aven (On/Heliopolis) identified with Beth-shemesh and its idolatrous pillars to be destroyed.
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The Lord breaks the arms of the wicked but upholds the righteous.
Supported by Matthew Henry