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Ezekiel 30

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The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

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Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!

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For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.

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And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.

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Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

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Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God.

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And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.

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And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.

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In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.

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Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

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He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

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And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it.

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Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

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And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.

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And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.

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And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.

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The young men of Aven and of Pi–beseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.

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At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

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Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

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And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.

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Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

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And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

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And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.

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But I will 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 put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.

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And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

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Ezekiel 30

God announces the day of the Lord is coming upon Egypt, depicting violent collapse, desolation, and widespread lamentation, establishing that all Egyptian cities and regions will experience judgment and recognize divine sovereignty. The oracle catalogs Egyptian geography and cities, emphasizing that judgment is comprehensive, affecting all regions. The metaphor of Egypt as a broken staff suggests that nations depending on Egypt will find no support; Pharaoh's power cannot protect even himself. God will strengthen the king of Babylon against Egypt, ensuring military defeat; the Babylonian conquest becomes God's instrument for accomplishing justice. The references to mercenaries and allies failing to assist suggest that Egypt's isolation is complete; no one will save the proud nation. The emphasis on Egypt's becoming desolate and the survivors knowing God's lordship establishes that judgment's purpose is revelation of divine sovereignty. This chapter's middle position in the Egypt oracles maintains the themes of judgment, desolation, and the subjection of proud nations to divine will. The specific military predictions—Nebuchadnezzar's conquest—connect the oracle to historical reality while maintaining theological interpretation. The comprehensive scope—all cities, all peoples, all time periods—emphasizes judgment's totality. This chapter maintains the pattern established in earlier judgment oracles: national pride leads to judgment; judgment reveals divine sovereignty; survivors acknowledge God's lordship.

Ezekiel 30:11

He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain, describing the ferocity of Babylonian forces—'the most terrible of the nations'—and their devastating impact on Egypt. The image of filling the land with slain emphasizes the totality and bloodiness of conquest.

Ezekiel 30:12

And I will dry up the streams, and will make the land waste, and full of desolation, by the hand of foreigners; I the Lord have spoken, introducing the cosmic judgment: not merely military destruction but environmental devastation, with the drying up of streams suggesting that the Nile itself—source of Egypt's life and power—will be destroyed. The drying of waters echoes creation accounts where cosmic waters are separated; here, reversal of creation symbolizes judgment. The closing formula affirms divine certainty.

Ezekiel 30:13

Thus says the Lord God: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; and I will put fear throughout the land of Egypt, introducing religious and political dimensions to the judgment: destruction of idolatrous worship in Memphis (Egypt's sacred city) and the elimination of political authority. The destruction of idols suggests that Egypt's false gods will prove powerless against God's judgment. The absence of princes indicates loss of political structure.

Ezekiel 30:14

I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments on Thebes, targeting specific Egyptian cities for destruction, with Pathros (Upper Egypt), Zoan (northern delta), and Thebes (major southern city) representing the entire geographical extent of Egypt. The fire imagery repeats the motif of divine conflagration.

Ezekiel 30:15

And I will pour out my wrath upon Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the multitude of Thebes, applying God's wrath specifically to Pelusium (a key fortress), emphasizing that even Egypt's military strongholds will not protect her from divine judgment.

Ezekiel 30:16

And I will set a fire in Egypt; Pelusium shall be in great agony; Thebes shall be broken into, and Memphis shall have adversaries in the daytime, extending the fire metaphor throughout Egypt and describing the terror and chaos that will characterize the invasion. The 'adversaries in the daytime' suggests that enemies will openly assault Egyptian cities without concealment or fear of resistance.

Ezekiel 30:17

The young men of On and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and the cities themselves shall go into captivity, indicating that Egypt's fighting-age men will be slain and cities will be depopulated through deportation. The specific mention of On and Pibeseth (cities associated with solar worship) suggests that Egypt's religious centers will be destroyed.

Ezekiel 30:18

At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark, when I break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall come to an end in her; she herself shall be covered by a cloud, and her daughters shall go into captivity, describing judgment on Tahpanhes (where Judahites had sought refuge) and employing darkness imagery suggesting loss of hope and divine abandonment. The breaking of Egypt's 'yokes' suggests the end of her imperial domination. The deportation of 'daughters' (subsidiary cities) completes the picture of political dissolution.

Ezekiel 30:19

Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt; and they shall know that I am the Lord, reiterating the recognition formula, emphasizing that Egypt's judicial devastation serves the purpose of revealing God's sovereignty and justice to the world.

Ezekiel 30:20

In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: '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 become strong to hold the sword, dating the oracle and using the metaphor of a broken arm that lacks medical care to describe Pharaoh's military impotence. The untended fracture suggests that Egypt's power cannot be restored, that she is permanently weakened.

Ezekiel 30:21

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was already broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand, intensifying the metaphor of arm-breaking to describe total military incapacitation. The breaking of both arms (even the previously broken one receives further injury) suggests compound weakening and ultimate inability to wield weapons.

Ezekiel 30:22

And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded, contrasting the scattering of Egypt with the strengthening of Babylon, establishing a reversal where Egypt's power becomes Babylon's. The image of Pharaoh groaning 'like a man mortally wounded' before Nebuchadnezzar emphasizes utter defeat and humiliation.

Ezekiel 30:23

Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt, reiterating the contrast between Babylon's strengthening and Egypt's weakening, with the recognition formula affirming that this reversal of fortunes reveals God's sovereignty.

Ezekiel 30:24

And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord, concluding the oracle by repeating the promise of Egyptian diaspora and affirming the recognition formula, emphasizing that even in judgment, God's purpose is revelation.

Ezekiel 30:25

When I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt, then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the countries, repeating the motif of God arming Babylon and the Egyptians' resulting recognition of God's power.

Ezekiel 30:26

This concluding verse of the Egyptian oracle seals God's judgment upon Egypt through a promise of scattering and dispersal, transforming military defeat into diaspora that will accomplish the ultimate goal of divine self-revelation—'then they will know that I am the LORD.' The dispersal of Egypt among nations parallels and reverses the gathering impulses of redemptive history, suggesting that nations rising in pride against God's sovereignty must be scattered to humble them into recognition of divine reality. This verse employs the knowledge formula ('yadah Adonai') that appears repeatedly throughout Ezekiel, emphasizing that all divine acts, whether redemptive or judgmental, aim at producing accurate theological knowledge among created beings. The punishment of Egypt, a primary oppressor in Israel's historical consciousness, carries symbolic weight as a reversal of the exodus narrative—whereas God once demonstrated power through Egypt's humiliation for Israel's liberation, now Egypt itself experiences that humiliation and dispersal.

Ezekiel 30:8

Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt and all her helpers are broken, introducing the recognition formula and describing God's judgment as a divine fire that consumes Egypt and shatters her military support systems. The fire imagery suggests both divine judgment and purifying destruction.

Ezekiel 30:9

On that day messengers shall go out from before me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians; and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom; for, behold, it comes! introducing the eschatological 'day of Egypt's doom,' when news of her destruction will spread to distant lands, bringing fear to even isolated peoples. The messengers and ships suggest rapid communication of catastrophic news across maritime networks. The exclamation 'behold, it comes!' emphasizes the imminence and inevitability of the judgment.

Ezekiel 30:10

Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, describing the agent of judgment as Nebuchadnezzar (connecting to the earlier discussion of his compensation) and specifying the end of Egypt's economic power. The loss of 'wealth' parallels the descriptions of plundering in other oracles.

Ezekiel 30:1

The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Wail, 'Alas for the day!' For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations, beginning a lament focused on Egypt's judgment as an instance of the 'day of the Lord'—the eschatological moment when God judges all nations and establishes His rule. The invocation to wail establishes the tone of mourning, while the cosmic imagery ('day of clouds') suggests apocalyptic upheaval.

Ezekiel 30:2

A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall come upon Cush; when the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations will be torn down, describing the specific judgments that will befall Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia/Sudan), Egypt's southern neighbor. The sword, the plunder, and the demolition of foundations suggest total military conquest and destruction of the social order.

Ezekiel 30:3

Thus says the Lord God: The defenders of Egypt shall fall, and its proud might shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within it by the sword, declares the Lord God, specifying that even Egypt's military defenders will perish, with devastation extending the full length of Egypt. The phrase 'proud might' recalls earlier descriptions of Pharaoh's presumption, suggesting that arrogance will be shattered by military defeat.

Ezekiel 30:4

And they shall be desolated in the midst of the desolated countries, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste, depicting Egypt's devastation as part of a broader pattern of regional desolation. The repetition of 'desolate' and 'laid waste' emphasizes comprehensive destruction. The placement of Egypt within a landscape of destroyed cities suggests that her fall is not unique but exemplary of divine judgment against proud nations.

Ezekiel 30:5

Cush, Put, and Lud, and all the mingled people, and Kub, and the people of the covenant land shall fall with them by the sword, enumerat ing Egypt's allies and dependencies who will share in her destruction. The 'people of the covenant land' may refer to Judahites or others under Egyptian protection. The comprehensive listing suggests that all who depended on Egypt's power will be swept up in her fall.

Ezekiel 30:6

Thus says the Lord God: Those who support Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword, declares the Lord God, reiterating the judgment with emphasis on the collapse of Egypt's alliances and the fall of her military apparatus. The repetition stresses the certainty and totality of the coming judgment.

Ezekiel 30:7

And she shall be desolated in the midst of the desolated countries, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste, repeating the image of Egypt's desolation within a landscape of destroyed cities, emphasizing through repetition the finality of her destruction.