FRAMEWORKS: Ezekiel 30: Prophecies, Parts 3 & 4 against Egypt

 

[Preliminary Comment: This chapter continues with two more prophecies, still about Egypt, beginning ‘the word of the Lord came to me.' The prophecies seem to extend to cover all surrounding countries that had ‘helped' or supported or befriended [perhaps] Egypt who will now similarly suffer at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.]

 

 

v.1-3 The THIRD word starts by announcing doom for a number of nations

v.1  [3] The word of the Lord came to me:

v.2  ‘Son of man, prophesy and say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“Wail and say,
    ‘Alas for that day!'
v.3  For the day is near,
    the day of the Lord is near –
a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for the nations.
    

[Notes: The indication is now that these warnings are to go beyond just Egypt but to other nations as well.]

    

v.4-9 Not only Egypt but ‘helpers' of Egypt will be brought down

v.4  A sword will come against Egypt,
    and anguish will come upon Cush.
When the slain fall in Egypt,
    her wealth will be carried away
    and her foundations torn down.

v.5  Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

v.6  ‘“ This is what the Lord says:

‘“The allies of Egypt will fall
    and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan
    they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
v.7  ‘“They will be desolate
    among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
    among ruined cities.
v.8  Then they will know that I am the Lord,
    when I set fire to Egypt
    and all her helpers are crushed.

v.9  ‘“On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come.

 

[Notes: Any nation that had helped Egypt will also come under the punishment they will be receiving.]

 

v.10-12 Again it will be Nebuchadnezzar who does this

v.10  ‘“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
v.11  He and his army – the most ruthless of nations –
    will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.
v.12  I will dry up the waters of the Nile
    and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
    I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

I the Lord have spoken.

 

[Notes: The same truths apply – it will be Nebuchadnezzar that the Lord will use to bring this wider punishment.]

   

v.13-19 All the idolatry in all the regions of Egypt will be punished

v.13  ‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“I will destroy the idols
    and put an end to the images in Memphis.
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,
    and I will spread fear throughout the land.
v.14  I will lay waste Upper Egypt,
    set fire to Zoan
    and inflict punishment on Thebes.
v.15  I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
v.16  I will set fire to Egypt;
    Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
    Memphis will be in constant distress.
v.17  The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
    will fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
v.18  Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes
    when I break the yoke of Egypt;
    there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
    and her villages will go into captivity.
v.19  So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.”'

 

[Notes: The word now focuses back just on Egypt but expands to cover all the areas of Egypt where idolatry is prevalent.]

 

v.20-26 The FOURTH word declares Pharaoh will be ‘disarmed' by Nebuchadnezzar and his people scattered

v.20   In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, [4] the word of the Lord came to me:

v.21  ‘Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword.

v.22  Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.

v.23  I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

v.24  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 mortally wounded man.

v.25  I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.

v.26  I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.'

 

[Notes: The fourth prophecy appears to be in the year following the first one and simply reiterates rather graphically that the Lord will disarm Pharaoh by Nebuchadnezzar.]

   

   

Continue to Chapter 31

     

     

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