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, Ezekiel 30:1, and not only Egypt, and the cities thereof, should be destroye... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME AGAIN UNTO ME,.... Whether this prophecy was delivered about the time of that in the former part of the preceding chapter, namely, in the tenth year, tenth month, and twelfth day of it; or whether about the time that was which is recorded in the latter part of the chapter,... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, PROPHESY AND SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Prophesy against Egypt's king and inhabitants, and in the name of the Lord thus speak against them: HOWL YE; ye Egyptians, and also ye Ethiopians, and all others after named, which should share in the destruction of Egypt; this is said to g... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE DAY IS NEAR,.... The day of Egypt's destruction, the time fixed for it: EVEN THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR; the day appointed by him, and in which he would make himself known by the judgments he executed: Kimchi observes, that, the same year this prophecy was delivered, Egypt was given into t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SWORD SHALL COME UPON EGYPT,.... The sword of the Chaldeans shall come upon the Egyptians, by which they should be cut off; it having a commission from the Lord for that purpose: AND GREAT PAIN SHALL BE IN ETHIOPIA, WHEN THE SLAIN SHALL FALL IN EGYPT; Ethiopia being a neighbouring nation to... [ Continue Reading ]
ETHIOPIA, LYBIA, AND LYDIA,.... Or, "Cush, Phut, and Lud". Cush and Phut were both sons of Ham, from whom Egypt is sometimes called the land of Ham; and Lud or Ludim was the son of Mizraim, the son of Ham, the common name of Egypt in Scripture, Genesis 10:6. Cush is by us rendered Ethiopia; and is t... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, THEY ALSO THAT UPHOLD EGYPT SHALL FALL,.... That is, by the sword; either their allies and auxiliaries without, that supported the Egyptians with men and money; or their principal people within, their nobles that supported their state with their estates, their counsellors with t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BE DESOLATE IN THE MIDST OF THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE DESOLATE,.... Or among them, shall be ranked with them, and be as desolate as they are; as Judea and other countries, ravaged by the same enemy: AND HER CITIES SHALL BE IN THE MIDST OF THE CITIES THAT ARE WASTED; undergo the same fat... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,.... The Egyptians shall know the Lord to be the true God, and acknowledge him to be omniscient and omnipotent, that should so exactly foretell their destruction, and accomplish it: WHEN I HAVE SET A FIRE IN EGYPT: a war there; the heat of battle, very devouri... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY SHALL MESSENGERS GO FORTH FROM ME IN SHIPS,.... Either by the river Nile, or by the Red sea, to Arabia Felix, which some think is meant by Ethiopia. Cush or Ethiopia was encompassed about with water, so that there was no coming to it but by ships; see Genesis 2:13, compare with this Isai... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, I WILL MAKE THE MULTITUDE OF EGYPT TO CEASE,.... The vast numbers of people that inhabited Egypt; some of its cities were very populous, especially the city No, after mentioned; but now the numbers should be greatly lessened, and the whole land sadly depopulated: or the "noi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE AND HIS PEOPLE WITH HIM,.... He and his army, consisting chiefly of Chaldeans; though there were of other nations among them, as were in his army when he besieged Jerusalem, as seems to be suggested in the next clause: THE TERRIBLE OF THE NATIONS SHALL BE BROUGHT TO DESTROY THE LAND; the Chaldea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE THE RIVERS DRY,.... Egypt was a country that abounded with rivers; however, with canals cut from the river Nile; its wealth and riches very much depended here on, partly on account of the multitude of fishes taken out of them, and the paper reeds that grew upon their banks; but chief... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, I WILL ALSO DESTROY THE IDOLS,.... With which Egypt abounded, making an idol of all sorts of creatures, rational and irrational, animate and inanimate, and in which they trusted; wherefore these being destroyed, they had nothing to put their confidence in: I WILL CAUSE THEI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE PATHROS DESOLATE,.... A country in Egypt; Ezekiel 29:14, perhaps it was the first place that Nebuchadnezzar entered, and so went from place to place in the order hereafter mentioned: AND I WILL SET FIRE IN ZOAN; or Tunis, a famous city in Egypt in the times of Moses, Numbers 13:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL POUR OUT MY FURY UPON SIN, THE STRENGTH OF EGYPT,.... Either the city Sais, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; or rather Pelusium, as the Vulgate Latin version, so called from "pelos" which signifies "clay" in the Greek language; and the same "Sin" signifies in the Chaldee, Psalms 18:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SET FIRE IN EGYPT,.... Kindle a war there, which shall consume it; see Ezekiel 30:8: SIN SHALL HAVE GREAT PAIN; as a woman in travail, seeing its destruction is just at hand; the same with Pelusium, as before: AND NO SHALL BE RENT ASUNDER, the walls of it shall be broken down by the ene... [ Continue Reading ]
THE YOUNG MEN OF AVEN AND OF PHIBESETH SHALL FALL BY THE SWORD,.... Aven is the same with On, of which Potipherah was priest in Joseph's time and whose daughter he married, Genesis 41:45, the same with Heliopolis, or Bethshemesh, the city of the sun, see Jeremiah 43:13, Jeremiah 43:13; where was th... [ Continue Reading ]
AT TEHAPHNEHES ALSO THE DAY SHALL BE DARKENED,.... The same with Hanes in Isaiah 30:4 and Tahapanes in Jeremiah 2:16 and Tahpanhes, Jeremiah 43:7, it was a royal seat of the kings of Egypt: there was in Solomon's time a queen of Egypt of this name, and perhaps it might be so called from her, 1 King... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS WILL I EXECUTE JUDGMENTS IN EGYPT,.... In the several provinces, and in the several cities of it before mentioned, and in all other places; even the judgments of fire, famine, sword, and captivity: AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD; God omniscient and omnipotent, by the, judgments execute... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE ELEVENTH YEAR,.... Of Zedekiah's reign, and Jehoiachin's captivity; some little time after the prophecy in Ezekiel 19:1, here the prophecies come into their order again, being interrupted by those of a much later date, at the end of the preceding chapter, and the former pa... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, I HAVE BROKEN THE ARM OF PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT,.... Not Pharaohnecho, king of Egypt, whose army was overthrown at Carchemish by the king of Babylon, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim; when the latter took from the former all that belonged to him between the river of Egypt and the river Eup... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, BEHOLD, I AM AGAINST PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT,.... The then present king of Egypt, whose name was Hophra or Apries, Jeremiah 44:30: AND I WILL BREAK HIS ARMS, THE STRONG, AND THAT WHICH WAS BROKEN: both his arms, the sound and the broken one, his whole power, strengt... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SCATTER THE EGYPTIANS AMONG THE NATIONS,.... Among the several provinces of Babylon, and other places, where the Chaldeans should carry or send them: AND WILL DISPERSE THEM THROUGH THE COUNTRIES: the same thing repeated in different words for the confirmation of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL STRENGTHEN THE ARMS OF THE KING OF BABYLON,.... Give him a commission to make war; direct his councils; supply him with all necessaries; animate and encourage his soldiers; and give him success in all his enterprises: AND PUT MY SWORD IN HIS HAND; which confirms the above sense, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL STRENGTHEN THE ARMS OF THE KING OF BABYLON,.... Which is repeated for the sake of confirmation: AND THE ARMS OF PHARAOH SHALL FALL DOWN: as when a man's arms are broken; and he shall not be able to lift them up and defend himself: AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD; namely, the Egyp... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SCATTER THE EGYPTIANS AMONG THE NATIONS, AND DISPERSE THEM AMONG THE COUNTRIES,.... Of which they might assure themselves, since the Lord had before spoken it, and here again repeats it: AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD; whose name alone is Jehovah, and does whatsoever he pleases;... [ Continue Reading ]