Ezekiel 30:20-26

IV. THE FALL OF PHARAOH 30:20-26

TRANSLATION

(20) 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, (21) Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up to be healed, to put a bandage that it be bound up to become strong that it hold a sword. (22) Therefore, thus says the Lord (;01): Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong, that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. (23) And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through countries. (24) And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will put My sword in his hand; but I will shatter the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall groan with the groanings of the slain before him. (25) And I will uphold 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 put My sword in the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out against the land of Egypt. (26) And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the lands; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

COMMENTS

About four months before the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, (April 30, 587 B.C.) Ezekiel received another revelation against Egypt (Ezekiel 30:20). Pharaoh's arm had been broken. The allusion is probably to the defeat of Pharaoh Hophra when he tried to come to the aid of beleaguered Jerusalem (cf. Jeremiah 37:1-10). Nebuchadnezzar had inflicted irreparable damage upon the military machine cf Egypt (cf. 2 Kings 24:7). Pharaoh's arm, symbol of his military might, would not and could not be mended. Never again would he attempt to launch a military offensive against Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 30:21).

This defeat at the borders of Judah indicated that God was opposing Pharaoh. That setback signaled the beginning of a succession of defeats. Both of Pharaoh's arms, the good one and the bad one, would be broken. The sword would drop from his hand. Egypt would be rendered completely powerless (Ezekiel 30:22). Egyptians would be scattered among the nations (Ezekiel 30:23; cf. Ezekiel 29:12; Ezekiel 30:26). The king of Egypt would decrease, while the king of Babylon would increase in power. Before the advancing army of Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh would appear as helpless as a mortally wounded soldier (Ezekiel 30:24). The king of Babylon would wield the sword of divine judgment against the helpless land of Egypt (Ezekiel 30:25). The dispersement of the Egyptians would establish the sole divinity of Israel's God (Ezekiel 30:26).