Ezekiel30

Ezekiel 30 prophesies the imminent "day of the LORD" for Egypt, a time of widespread desolation and judgment. The Lord declares that Egypt and its allied nations, including Ethiopia and Libya, will fall by the sword, their multitude taken away, and their foundations broken. This destruction will be executed by Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon, leading to the scattering of Egyptians. Ultimately, these judgments are intended to make them know that the Lord is God.

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The Day of the LORD Against Egypt

The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying,

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Wail ye, Alas for the day!

For the day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations.

And a sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish 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.

Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all the mingled people, and Cub, and the children of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

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

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.

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

In that day shall messengers go forth from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; and there shall be anguish upon them, as in the day of Egypt; for, lo, it cometh.

Judgment Executed by Babylon

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

He and his people with him, the 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.

And I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

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

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

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

And I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be broken up; and Memphis shall have adversaries in the day-time.

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

At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

Thus will I execute judgments upon Egypt; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

The Broken Arm of Pharaoh

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the firstmonth, in the seventhdayof the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it hath not been bound up, to apply healing medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword.

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

And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through 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 shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.

And I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, 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.

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

Study Notes for Ezekiel 30

Verse 1

This oracle against Egypt is the sixth in a series (Ezek. 29–32) and emphasizes the totality of God's coming judgment.

Verse 2

The prophet is commanded to lead a lament, underscoring the severity of the disaster awaiting Egypt.

Verse 3

The 'day of the LORD,' a concept usually associated with judgment upon Israel, is here applied to a Gentile nation, emphasizing God's universal sovereignty. It signals the time when God executes judgment upon the nations ('heathen').

Verse 4

The judgment affects not only Egypt but also her southern ally, Ethiopia (Cush), demonstrating the widespread collapse of the regional power structure.

Verse 5

This list includes Egypt’s foreign allies and mercenaries who will fall alongside her. Lydia (Lud) and Chub are likely references to soldiers hired from Asia Minor and North Africa.

Verse 6

The judgment will extend throughout the entire land, from the northern Delta down to the 'tower of Syene' (modern Aswan), marking the southern border.

Verse 8

The judgment’s central purpose is theological: the *recognition formula* ('they shall know that I am the LORD') confirms that the destruction is not random warfare but divine action.

Verse 9

Messengers traveling by ship will spread the news of Egypt's fall, causing panic among the complacent, distant allies like Ethiopia.

Verse 10

God names Nebuchadrezzar as the specific instrument of divine wrath, confirming that the Babylonian invasion is orchestrated by the LORD.

Verse 12

To 'make the rivers dry' refers to the destruction of the Nile system, the lifeblood of Egypt, symbolizing the total collapse of the nation's agriculture and economy.

Verse 13

The judgment targets both the political and religious life of Egypt. **Noph** (Memphis) was a major administrative and cultic center. The destruction of idols and princes signifies the end of Egyptian rule.

Verse 14

The prophecy lists key cities: **Pathros** (Upper Egypt), **Zoan** (Tanis), and **No** (Thebes, or Luxor), indicating the judgment will sweep across the entire kingdom.

Verse 15

**Sin** (Pelusium) was a strategically vital fortress on the eastern frontier. Its destruction means the removal of Egypt's military shield against invasion from the north.

Verse 18

**Tehaphnehes** was a city near the border where many Jewish refugees had fled (Jer. 43:7). The 'breaking of the yokes' signifies the end of Egyptian authority and regional dominance.

Verse 20

This oracle is precisely dated (April 29, 587 BC), placing it during the final stages of Jerusalem’s siege, likely after Pharaoh Hophra had failed to effectively intervene against Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Jer. 37:5).

Verse 21

The 'arm' is a common biblical metaphor for strength, especially military power. God declares that Pharaoh’s power has been decisively broken and cannot be recovered or healed.

Verse 22

God asserts His sovereign control over the conflict, promising to break both the recently weakened arm and any remaining strong arm of Pharaoh.

Verse 24

The prophecy emphasizes the divine reversal of power: God strengthens Babylon's military capability while simultaneously crippling Egypt's, showing that historical events are directed by the LORD.

Verse 26

The final outcome of the judgment is the dispersal of the Egyptians (diaspora) and the ultimate fulfillment of the recognition formula, establishing God's name and power among the nations.

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Ezekiel30

The Day of the LORD Against Egypt

Judgment Executed by Babylon

The Broken Arm of Pharaoh

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