Ezekiel 30:16

Translation
King James Version
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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KJV (with Strong's)
And I will set H5414 fire H784 in Egypt H4714: Sin H5512 shall have great H2342 pain H2342, and No H4996 shall be rent asunder H1234, and Noph H5297 shall have distresses H6862 daily H3119.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, I will set fire to Egypt; Seen will writhe in anguish; No will be torn apart; enemies will attack Nof in broad daylight.
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Berean Standard Bible
I will set fire to Egypt, Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be split open, and Memphis will face daily distress.
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American Standard Version
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.
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World English Bible Messianic
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 daytime.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall haue great sorowe and No shalbe destroyed, and Noph shall haue sorowes dayly.
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Young's Literal Translation
And I have given fire against Egypt, Greatly pained is Sin, and No is to be rent, And Noph hath daily distresses.
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See also
Ezekiel 28:18Ezekiel 30:8Ezekiel 30:9
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A Lament Over Egypt
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In the KJVVerse 21,221 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 30:16 serves as a potent divine declaration of comprehensive and inescapable judgment against ancient Egypt, specifically targeting three of its most vital cities: Sin (Pelusium), No (Thebes), and Noph (Memphis). This verse vividly portrays the severity and widespread nature of God's wrath, employing powerful imagery of fire, agonizing pain, violent rending, and relentless distress. It underscores the Lord's absolute sovereignty over all nations and His unwavering justice against national pride, idolatry, and reliance on human strength, demonstrating that no power, however formidable, can withstand His righteous decree.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into a series of prophetic oracles directed against Egypt, a significant block of text spanning Ezekiel 29 through 32. These chapters constitute a distinct section within Ezekiel's broader prophecies against foreign nations (Ezekiel 25-32), which detail divine judgment upon Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and Sidon. The specific focus on Egypt meticulously outlines its inevitable downfall, primarily at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who serves as God's instrument of judgment. Ezekiel 30:16 marks a crucial transition from general pronouncements of widespread desolation to the explicit naming of highly significant Egyptian cities, thereby intensifying the prophetic message and emphasizing the comprehensive, precise, and inescapable nature of the impending destruction that would sweep across the entire land. This specificity underscores the certainty of God's word.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Egypt stood as a preeminent regional power, renowned for its immense wealth, formidable military, and deeply entrenched polytheistic religious system. Throughout the Old Testament narrative, Egypt frequently acted as an unreliable and deceptive ally for Israel, often enticing God's people away from faithful reliance on Him and into idolatrous practices. The cities enumerated in Ezekiel 30:16 held profound strategic, religious, and political significance. Sin (Pelusium), situated on the eastern frontier of the Nile Delta, functioned as a critical border fortress, often serving as the primary point of defense against eastern invaders. Its prophesied fall signified the breaching of Egypt's foundational defenses. No (Thebes), also known as "No-Amon" (Nahum 3:8), was the magnificent religious and political capital of Upper Egypt, celebrated for its grand temples (like Karnak and Luxor) dedicated to Amon-Re, the chief deity of the Egyptian pantheon. Its destruction would symbolize the shattering of Egypt's spiritual and political heart. Noph (Memphis), located south of the Nile Delta, represented one of Egypt's most ancient and enduring capitals, a major hub for administration, commerce, and the worship of Ptah. The prophecies against these specific, vital cities highlighted that no part of Egypt, regardless of its importance or perceived impregnability, would escape the comprehensive sweep of God's righteous judgment.

  • Key Themes: Ezekiel 30:16 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes pervasive within the book of Ezekiel and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it unequivocally declares Divine Sovereignty and Judgment, asserting God's absolute control over all nations and His righteous indignation against national sin, pride, and idolatry. Egypt's impending fall was a direct consequence of its defiance of God, its reliance on its own might and false gods, and its failure to acknowledge the One True God. This resonates with themes found in Proverbs 16:18 and the warnings against trusting in human alliances over divine faithfulness, as seen in Isaiah 31:1. Secondly, the verse underscores the Reliability and Specificity of Prophecy. The precise naming of specific cities and their detailed fates emphasizes the accuracy and certainty of God's prophetic word, demonstrating that what God declares, He infallibly brings to pass. This serves to validate Ezekiel's prophetic ministry and God's ultimate control over the unfolding of human history. Finally, it highlights the Futility of False Security and Idolatry, illustrating the ultimate emptiness of placing trust in human power, national wealth, or false deities, rather than in the Almighty God, who alone is worthy of ultimate reliance and worship.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Pain (Hebrew, chûwl', H2342): From the primitive root H2342, this word describes a twisting, writhing, or trembling, often specifically associated with the intense agony of childbirth or profound fear. When applied to Sin (Pelusium), it conveys an image of the city convulsing in excruciating, inescapable suffering, indicative of a violent, agonizing, and overwhelming downfall.
  • Rent asunder (Hebrew, bâqaʻ', H1234): Derived from the primitive root H1234, this word means "to cleave," "to break forth," or "to tear apart." Its application to No (Thebes) paints a vivid picture of a complete and violent fragmentation, a tearing apart of its very fabric, signifying utter destruction, the shattering of its once-grand and unified power, and the loss of its very identity.
  • Distresses (Hebrew, tsar', H6862): </b> From H6862, this word denotes narrowness, tightness, or a state of anguish, trouble, and tribulation. When combined with "daily" for Noph (Memphis), it suggests not merely a single catastrophic event, but a prolonged, relentless, and grinding affliction—a continuous state of severe trouble, oppression, and decline that would wear down the city over an extended period.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And I will set fire in Egypt": This opening clause immediately establishes God's direct agency and intentionality in the impending judgment. "Fire" serves as a powerful and recurring biblical symbol of divine wrath, purification, and comprehensive destruction. This phrase indicates that the devastation will be thorough, divinely orchestrated, and inescapable, far beyond merely a natural consequence of war, emphasizing God's active role as the executor of judgment.
  • "Sin shall have great pain": This pronouncement specifies the fate of Pelusium (Sin), a strategically vital border city. The "great pain" it experiences is a vivid personification, describing intense suffering and agony. This suggests that this key entry point into Egypt will be overwhelmed with excruciating distress, likely from invasion and its devastating effects, symbolizing the breaching of Egypt's primary defenses and the agonizing collapse of its security.
  • "and No shall be rent asunder": This clause targets Thebes (No), the illustrious religious and political capital of Upper Egypt. The phrase "rent asunder" conveys a violent and complete tearing apart, indicating that Thebes, despite its grandeur, fortifications, and religious significance, will be utterly shattered, fragmented, and dismembered, losing its cohesion, power, and glory, signifying a total collapse of its structure and identity.
  • "and Noph [shall have] distresses daily": This final clause focuses on Memphis (Noph), an ancient and significant administrative and commercial capital. The "distresses daily" implies a continuous, grinding, and relentless form of suffering. Unlike the acute, sudden "pain" or "rending," Noph's fate suggests a prolonged period of ongoing trouble, anguish, and decline, perhaps a slow erosion of its former prominence and well-being, rather than a single, immediate catastrophic event.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 30:16 employs several potent literary devices to convey the intensity, certainty, and comprehensive nature of God's judgment. Personification is strikingly evident as cities like Sin, No, and Noph are imbued with human-like capacities for suffering: "Sin shall have great pain," "No shall be rent asunder," and Noph shall have "distresses daily." This makes the urban centers appear vulnerable and capable of experiencing profound agony, rendering the judgment more visceral and impactful. The precise naming of specific, highly prominent cities functions as a form of Synecdoche, where these significant parts (key cities) represent the whole (the entire nation of Egypt), thereby emphasizing the comprehensive and inescapable nature of the judgment that will sweep across the entire land. Powerful and evocative Imagery of "fire," "great pain," "rent asunder," and "distresses daily" creates a vivid and terrifying picture of widespread devastation, appealing directly to the reader's senses and emotions and underscoring the severity of the divine wrath. Finally, the implied divine agency and the direct "I will" in the broader context of Ezekiel's prophecies underscore the Divine Fiat and God's absolute sovereignty, portraying Him as the active, intentional, and irresistible orchestrator of these cataclysmic events.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 30:16 powerfully illustrates God's unwavering justice and absolute sovereignty over all nations. The detailed pronouncement against specific Egyptian cities underscores that no human power, no matter how great, ancient, or seemingly secure, can ultimately escape the divine reckoning for pride, idolatry, and defiance against the Most High God. This judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to Egypt's long history of self-exaltation, its reliance on false gods, and its unreliability as an ally to Israel, which frequently led God's people astray. The precision and specificity of the prophecy validate the trustworthiness of God's word and His active, sovereign involvement in the course of human history, demonstrating that He is the ultimate ruler who brings low the proud and exalts the humble. The suffering described is a direct and inevitable consequence of national sin, serving as a timeless warning against placing ultimate trust in anything other than the Almighty God, for all earthly powers are ultimately subject to His will.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 30:16, while a prophecy against ancient Egypt, carries profound and timeless implications for individuals and nations today. It serves as a stark reminder that God is sovereign over all earthly powers and that He holds all accountable for their actions and their allegiances. We are challenged to critically examine where we, or our societies, tend to place our ultimate trust: Is it in economic prosperity, military might, technological advancement, political alliances, or even cultural influence? This verse powerfully warns against the futility of such false securities, urging us to recognize that true stability, lasting peace, and genuine well-being are found only in humble reliance upon God and obedience to His righteous commands. The "fire," "pain," "rending," and "distresses" described for Egypt are vivid metaphors for the inevitable consequences of pride, idolatry, and rebellion against God's divine will. For us, this calls for a posture of humility, sincere repentance, and a renewed, unwavering commitment to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness above all else. It encourages us to pray fervently for our nations, that they might acknowledge God's supreme authority and pursue justice and righteousness, lest they too face the painful, dismantling consequences of divine judgment. Ultimately, this passage reinforces the absolute reliability of God's prophetic word and His unwavering commitment to justice, prompting us to live lives that honor Him in every sphere of our existence.

Questions for Reflection

  • What false securities do I or my society tend to place our ultimate trust in, instead of God?
  • How does the specificity and severity of God's judgment in this verse affirm His sovereignty and justice in my own life or in the world today?
  • In what practical ways am I called to humble myself and acknowledge God's ultimate authority, rather than relying on my own strength, wisdom, or worldly resources?

FAQ

Why does God name specific cities in His judgment?

Answer: God names specific cities like Sin (Pelusium), No (Thebes), and Noph (Memphis) to emphasize the comprehensive, precise, and inescapable nature of His judgment. These were not arbitrary choices; each city held immense strategic, political, and religious significance in ancient Egypt. By targeting these vital centers, God demonstrated that no part of the nation, regardless of its perceived strength, ancient heritage, or importance, would be spared His divine wrath. This specificity also served to validate the accuracy and reliability of His prophetic word, showing that His pronouncements were not vague threats but precise declarations of future events. For instance, Jeremiah 46:25 also names specific places and even deities, further underscoring the targeted and detailed nature of God's judgment, proving His absolute knowledge and control over history.

What happened to these cities historically?

Answer: Historical records largely corroborate the decline and devastation prophesied for these cities, demonstrating the fulfillment of God's word. Pelusium (Sin) was indeed a frequent target and battleground for various invading armies, enduring significant destruction due to its strategic border location. Thebes (No), despite its former glory as the capital of Upper Egypt and a center of Amon worship, suffered repeated sacks, most notably by the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal in 663 BC, and later by the Persians. It gradually lost its prominence and eventually fell into ruin, aligning precisely with the prophecy that it would be "rent asunder." Memphis (Noph), though an ancient and enduring capital, also experienced decline and destruction through various conquests, including by the Babylonians and Persians. While it remained inhabited for centuries, it eventually faded in importance, its "distresses daily" reflecting a prolonged period of ongoing affliction and loss of its former status, eventually being overshadowed by new capitals like Alexandria and Cairo.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Ezekiel 30:16 details a specific historical judgment on ancient Egypt, its underlying theological principles find profound Christ-centered fulfillment, revealing the deeper spiritual realities of God's justice and redemptive plan. The "fire" of God's judgment, the "great pain" of sin's consequences, and the "rending asunder" of human pride and idolatry all converge at the cross of Christ. On the cross, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bore the full weight of divine wrath against sin, experiencing the ultimate "pain" and "distress" so that all who trust in Him might be eternally spared. He allowed Himself to be "rent asunder" in body and spirit, not only breaking the power of sin and death but also dismantling the strongholds of spiritual Egypt—the world system opposed to God (Colossians 2:15). Just as God brought down the proud, idolatrous cities of Egypt, Christ's victory on the cross represents the decisive judgment over all earthly powers and spiritual forces that oppose God's kingdom. Through His perfect sacrifice, the ultimate "fire" of judgment is satisfied for believers, and a new creation emerges, where the "distresses daily" of this fallen world are replaced by eternal peace and joy in the New Jerusalem, where God Himself wipes away every tear. Thus, the justice of God proclaimed against Egypt foreshadows the greater, redemptive work of Christ, who perfectly fulfills God's righteous demands and offers salvation and deliverance to all who believe.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 30 verses 1–19

The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is here very full and particular, as well as, in the general, very frightful. What can protect a provoking people when the righteous God comes forth to contend with them?

I. It shall be a very lamentable destruction, and such as shall occasion great sorrow (Eze 30:2, Eze 30:3): "Howl you; you may justly shriek now that it is coming, for you will be made to shriek and make hideous outcries when it comes. Cry out, Woe worth the day! or, Ah the day! alas because of the day! the terrible day! Woe and alas! For the day is near; the day we have so long dreaded, so long deserved. It is the day of the Lord, the day in which he will manifest himself as a God of vengeance. You have your day now, when you carry all before you, and trample on all about you, but God will have his day shortly, the day of the revelation of his righteous judgment," Psa 37:13. It will be a cloudy day, that is, dark and dismal, without the shining forth of any comfort; and it shall threaten a storm - fire, and brimstone, and a horrible tempest. It shall be the time of the heathen, of reckoning with the heathen for all their heathenish practices, that time which David spoke of when God would pour out his fury upon the heathen (Psa 79:6), when they should sink, Psa 9:15.

II. It shall be the destruction of Egypt, and of all the states and countries in confederacy with her and in her neighbourhood. 1. Egypt herself shall fall (Eze 30:4): The sword shall come upon Egypt, the sword of the Chaldeans, and it shall be a victorious sword, for the slain shall fall in Egypt, fall by it, fall before it. Is the country populous? They shall take away her multitude. Is it strong, and well-fixed? Her foundations shall be broken down, and then the fabric, though built ever so fine, ever so high, will fall of course. 2. Her neighbours and inmates shall fall with her. When the slain fall so thickly in Egypt great pain shall be in Ethiopia, both that in Africa, which is in the neighbourhood of Egypt on one side, and that in Asia, which is near to it on the other side. When their neighbour's house was on fire they could not but apprehend their own in danger; nor were their fears groundless, for they shall all fall with them by the sword, Eze 30:5. Ethiopia and Libya (Cush and Phut, so the Hebrew names are, two of the sons of Ham who are mentioned, and Mizraim, that is, Egypt, between them, Gen 10:6), and the Lydians (who were famous archers, and are spoken of as confederates with Egypt, Jer 46:9), these shall fall with Egypt and Chub (the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of the inner Libya); these and others were the mingled people; there were those of all these and other countries who upon some account or other resided in Egypt, as did also the men of the land that is in league, some of the remains of the people of Israel and Judah, the children of the covenant, or league, as they are called (Act 3:25), the children of the promise, Gal 4:28. These sojourned in Egypt contrary to God's command, and these shall fall with them. Note, Those that will take their lot with God's enemies shall have their lot with them, yea, though they be in profession the men of the land that is in league with God.

III. All that pretend to support the sinking interests of Egypt shall come down under her, shall come down with her (Eze 30:6): Those that uphold Egypt shall fall, and then Egypt must fall of course. See the justice of God; Egypt pretended to uphold Jerusalem when that was tottering, but proved a deceitful reed; and now those that pretended to uphold Egypt shall prove no better. Those that deceive others are commonly paid in their own coin; they are themselves deceived. 1. Does Egypt think herself upheld by the absolute authority and dominion of her king? The pride of her power shall come down, Eze 30:6. The power of the king of Egypt was his pride; but that shall be broken, and humbled. 2. Is the multitude of her people her support? These shall fall by the sword, even from the tower of Syene, which is in the utmost corner of the land, from that side of it by which the enemy shall enter. Both the countries and the cities, the husbandmen and the merchants, shall be desolate, Eze 30:7, as before, Eze 29:12. Even the multitude of Egypt shall be made to cease, Eze 30:10. That populous country shall be depopulated. The land shall be even filled with the slain, Eze 30:11. 3. Is the river Nile her support, and are the several channels of it a defence to her? "I will make the rivers dry (Eze 30:12), so that those natural fortifications which were thought impregnable, because impassable, shall stand them in no stead." 4. Are her idols a support to her? They shall be destroyed; those imaginary upholders shall appear more than ever to be imaginary, for so images are when they pretend to be deliverers and strongholds (Eze 30:13): I will cause their images to cease out of Noph. 5. Is her royal family her support? There shall be no more a prince in the land of Egypt; the royal family shall be extirpated and extinguished, which had continued so long. 6. Is her courage her support, and does she think to uphold herself by the bravery of her men of war, who have now of late been inured to service? That shall fail: I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. 7. Is the rising generation her support? is she upheld by her children, and does she think herself happy because she has her quiver full of them? Alas! the young men shall fall by the sword (Eze 30:17) and the daughters shall go into captivity (Eze 30:18), and so she shall be robbed of all her hopes.

IV. God shall inflict these desolating judgments on Egypt (Eze 30:8): They shall know that I am the Lord, and greater than all gods, than all their gods, when I have set a fire in Egypt. The fire that consumes nations is of God's kindling; and, when he sets fire to a people, all their helpers shall be destroyed. Those that go about to quench the fire shall themselves be devoured by it; for who can stand before him when he is angry? When he pours out his fury upon a place, when he sets fire to it (Eze 30:15, Eze 30:16), neither its strength nor its multitude can stand it in any stead.

V. The king of Babylon and his army shall be employed as instruments of this destruction: The multitude of Egypt shall be made to cease and be quite cut off by the hand of the king of Babylon, Eze 30:10. Those that undertook to protect Israel from the king of Babylon shall not be able to protect themselves. It is said of the Chaldeans, who should destroy Egypt, 1. That they are strangers (Eze 30:12), who therefore shall show no compassion for old acquaintance-sake, but shall behave strangely towards them. 2. That they are the terrible of the nations (Eze 30:11), both in respect of force and in respect of fierceness; and, being terrible, they shall make terrible work. (3.) That they are the wicked, who will not be restrained by reason and conscience, the laws of nature or the laws of nations, for they are without law: I will sell the land into the hand of the wicked. They do violence unjustly, as they are wicked; yet, so far as they are instruments in God's hand of executing his judgments, it is on his part justly done. Note, God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another; and even wicked men acquire a title to prey, jure belli - by the laws of war, for God sells it into their hands.

VI. No place in the land of Egypt shall be exempted from the fury of the Chaldean army, not the strongest, not the remotest: The sword shall go through the land. Various places are here named: Pathros, Zoan, and No (Eze 30:14), Sin and Noph (Eze 30:15, Eze 30:16), Aven and Pi-beseth (Eze 30:17), and Tehaphnehes, Eze 30:18. These shall be made desolate, shall be fired, and God's judgments shall be executed upon them, and his fury poured out upon them. Their strength and multitude shall be cut off; they shall have great pain, shall be rent asunder with fear, and shall have distresses daily. Their day shall be darkened; their honours, comforts, and hopes, shall be extinguished. Their yokes shall be broken, so that they shall no more oppress and tyrannize as they have done. The pomp of their strength shall cease, and a cloud shall cover them, a cloud so thick that through it they shall not see any hopes, nor shall their glory be seen, or shine further. And, lastly, the Ethiopians, who are at a distance from them, as well as those who are mingled with them, shall share in their pain and terror. God will by his providence spread the rumour, and the careless Ethiopians shall be made afraid, Eze 30:9. Note, God can strike a terror upon those that are most secure; fearfulness shall, when he pleases, surprise the most presumptuous hypocrites.

The close of this prediction leaves, 1. The land of Egypt mortified: Thus will I execute judgments on Egypt, Eze 30:19. The destruction of Egypt is the executing of judgments, which intimates not only that it is done justly, for its sins, but that it is done regularly and legally, by a judicial sentence. All the executions God does are according to his judgments. 2. The God of Israel herein glorified: They shall know that I am the Lord. The Egyptians shall be made to know it and the people of God shall be made to know it better. The Lord is known by the judgments which he executes.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–19. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Chapter 30, Verses 1 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus saith the Lord God: Howl ye, woe, woe to the day: For the day is near, yea the day of the Lord is near, a day of cloud, the time of the nations shall be. And the sword shall come upon Egypt: and there shall be dread in Ethiopia, when the wounded shall fall in Egypt, and the multitude thereof shall be taken away, and the foundations thereof shall be destroyed. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the rest of the people, and Chub, and the children of the land of the covenant, shall fall with them by the sword. Thus says the Lord God: The supports of Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword, says the Lord God. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed. In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the confident Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, surely it is coming. Thus says the Lord God: I will make the multitude of Egypt cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought to destroy the land. They shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. I will make the rivers dry and sell the land into the hand of the wicked; I will make the land desolate and all that is in it, by the hand of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken. Thus says the Lord God: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the idols in Memphis. There will no longer be a ruler in the land of Egypt, and I will bring terror to the land of Egypt. I will destroy the land of Pathros and bring fire to Taphnis. I will bring judgment upon Alexandria and pour out my anger upon the stronghold of Egypt, Pelusium. I will kill the multitude of Alexandria and bring fire to Egypt. Pelusium will suffer like a woman in labor, and Alexandria will be laid waste, with daily distress in Memphis. The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastus (or Bugastus) will fall by the sword, and the captives themselves will be led away. And in Taphnis the day will darken, when I shatter the scepters of Egypt and the pride of its power fails in it. It will be covered by clouds, and its daughters will be led into captivity. And I will execute judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord. LXX: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the day! For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, the end of the nations. And the sword shall come upon the Egyptians, and there will be turmoil in Ethiopia. And those wounded shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away its multitude, and its foundations shall be destroyed. Persians, and Cretans, and Lydians, and Libyans, and all the mixed peoples, and from the sons of my covenant they shall fall by the sword. Thus says the Lord God. And the supports of Egypt shall be cut down, and the pride of its strength shall come down from Migdol to Syene. They shall fall by the sword in it, says the Lord God. And it shall be desolated in the midst of the desolated regions, and its cities shall be in the midst of deserted cities, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring fire upon Egypt, and all who support it are destroyed. In that day, messengers shall go forth from my presence, hastening to destroy the hope of Ethiopia, and there shall be great turmoil among them on the day of Egypt, for behold, it is coming. Thus says the Lord God. And I will destroy the multitude of Egyptians by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon himself, and his people with him, sent from the nations to destroy the land. And they will unsheath all their swords against Egypt, and the land will be filled with the wounded. And I will make their rivers desolate, and I will deliver the land into the hands of the wicked, and I will destroy the land and its abundance in the hands of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken. For thus says the Lord God: And I will destroy the abominations, and I will cause the officials of Memphis to fail, and the princes of the land of Egypt, and they will exist no longer. And I will bring terror to the land of Egypt, and I will destroy the land of Pathros, and I will bring fire upon Tahpanhes, and I will execute vengeance in Diospolis, and I will pour out my fury upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt, and I will destroy the multitude of Memphis. And I will set fire to Egypt, and there will be a great commotion in Sais, and there will be a division in Diospolis, and the waters will be scattered. The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the women will be taken captive, and in Taphnis the day will become dark when I break the scepters of Egypt there, and the strength of its power will be destroyed, and a cloud will cover it, and its daughters will be taken captive, and I will bring judgment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord. After the twenty-seventh year of the captivity of King Joachim, we return to the present time when he began to prophesy against Egypt, that is, in the tenth year and the tenth month, on the eleventh day of the month. And the Lord commanded him to speak to all nations, and especially to Egypt. So what is it that he speaks? Howl, woe, woe to the day, for the day is near and the day of the Lord is approaching. It is not a bright shining sun, but a day covered with clouds, bringing a storm upon Babylon. And when the sword begins to devastate Egypt, there will be fear in Ethiopia, which is near Egypt, lest the Babylonian blade reach her even to herself. For the wounded will fall in Egypt, and its multitude will be taken away, and all its foundations will be destroyed, so that if someone from Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and from other various peoples is found in Egypt, and Chub, which Symmachus translates as Arabia, and from the sons of the covenant with the land, that is, from the people of the Jews, let them fall with that sword. For which nations, seventy were appointed: the Persians, and the Cretans, and the Lydians, and the Libyans, and all the mixed peoples, and the children of my covenant with the sword they will fall. And in order that we may know that all these nations were in aid of Egypt, the following speech demonstrates: And those supporting Egypt will collapse, that is, its allies, and all the pride of its empire, or the insult of its strength will be destroyed and deposed from the tower of Syene, which we said was located at the farthest borders of Egypt, or from Magdalo to Syene, as the seventy translated: all the cities of Egypt will be deserted, so that they may know the Lord, when the fire of the Chaldeans has devastated everything, and all his helpers have been worn down, and messengers have arrived near Aquila and Theodotion Siim, which Symmachus translated, hastening: we turn to the ships; for this is how we have received it from the Hebrews: so that all of Ethiopia's confidence may be crushed, and when the neighboring province has been laid waste, fear may grip the nearest. But in order that we may know who that sword is, which devastates Egypt and terrifies Ethiopia, it follows more clearly: And I will cause the multitude of Egypt to cease in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who shall not only come, but shall come with many accompanying nations, so that all of Egypt shall be filled with the blood of the slain, and the wrath of the Lord shall be so great that the channels of the rivers, that is, the canals of the Nile, shall be dried up to the ground, and the land shall be deserted in the hand of the pestilence, or the multitude of the worst men of Egypt. For my words cannot be in vain, and there will be such indignation that the images of Egypt will be dispersed and the idols of Memphis, which is still the capital of Egyptian superstition, will cease to exist, whether it be the nobles and leaders of Memphis or the whole land of Egypt. But such terror will possess all of Egypt that the whole land of Phatures will perish and fire will devastate Taphnis, or as the Septuagint translates it, Tanin. And he said, 'I will establish law courts in Alexandria, which is called so today. But it had the former name 'No', which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion translated as it is in Hebrew. For this, I do not know why, the Seventy, wishing something, said 'Diospolis', which is a small city of Egypt. But we have placed 'No' for Alexandria, by anticipation, which is called 'prolepsis' in Greek, according to that Virgilian phrase (Aeneid, book IV):

And I will pour out my indignation upon Sais, which we have turned into Pelusium, and it is called the strength of Egypt, because it has the safest harbor, and the sea trade is exercised there to the greatest extent. Hence the poet calls it 'lentil of Pelusium' (Virgil, Georgics I), not because this type of legume is produced there, or primarily there; but because it is brought from Thebes and all of Egypt through the Nile river to that place in large quantities. And he said, 'I will destroy the multitude of Alexandria, which is again situated in Hebrew No, not in Diospolis, but in Memphis, they transferred it to LXX. And to show that the city was populous at that time, he said, 'I will destroy the multitude of No (); and I will give fire, that is, the king of Babylon in Egypt, who will lay waste everything like fire. Sain, that is, Pelusium, will groan like a woman in labor: or it will be disturbed by turmoil; and in Alexandria, that is, in No, there will be a rupture, and the waters will be dispersed, for which they transferred it back to LXX Diospolis. However, it is the custom of the Egyptians, because of the flooding of the Nile, to build high embankments along the banks of the Nile. If these embankments are breached due to the negligence of the caretakers or the excessive magnitude of the water, the surrounding fields are not irrigated by water, but are instead overwhelmed and ravaged. This signifies that Egypt should be occupied by the Chaldean army in the same way that it is usually covered and corrupted by the overflowing waters of the Nile. Because of the flooding of the waters, and the breaking and breaching of the dikes, it is written in Hebrew: 'And there shall be daily distress in Memphis, where the Nile is divided, and where the temple of Apis is, and the oracles give their answers, there let daily distresses occur. The young men of Heliopolis, which in Hebrew is called On, and of Bubastis, another city, shall fall by the sword, so that the cities themselves, that is, their inhabitants or women, shall be taken into captivity, who are of the sex that is subject to harm.' But in Taphnis, which is the royal city, the scepters of Egypt, that is, the entire royal race, will be destroyed. And when its power, with the killing of the princes, is ended, then the day will darken, and all things will be filled with darkness and shadows, so that the city itself is covered in a cloud of sorrow and mourning, and its daughters, that is, the remaining towns, will be led into captivity. After I have executed judgments in Egypt and demonstrated that I am the judge of all, then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. We have described these elements as if for little children, so that they may be able to reach the reading of prose or poetry through letters, syllables, names, and the context of words. Now let us undertake anthropology and demonstrate, in a short like a painted picture, the very wide sea of discussion. The Word of the Lord, who was always in the Father, became a prophet, and He calls him not by his own name but the Son of Man. This is always understood in a good sense in the Holy Scriptures, specifically in the singular number, as in this same prophet, and in Daniel, and in the Gospel. Furthermore, the plural number is read in the opposite sense, as in this example: Sons of men, their teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword (Psalm 56:5). And again: Sons of men, how long will you have heavy hearts? (Psalm 4:3). For the lion roars, and who will not be afraid? The Lord has spoken, and who will not prophesy? (Amos 3:8). Woe, woe to the day, says the Lord. For the day is near, and it approaches, says the Lord. It will be a day of clouds, a time or end of nations. Duplex consummatio est, aut generaliter omnium, quando finis advenerit, aut specialiter singulorum, quando tempus mortis institerit. Juxta autem dicitur, quia aeternitati comparatum, omne tempus breve est. Unde et Jacob centum et triginta annos quibus dixerat: pauci, inquit, et pessimi sunt dies mei (Gen. XLVII, 9) . Et Psalmista de universi generis humani fragilitate disputans, ait: Dies nostri quasi umbra pertransierunt (Ps. CXLIII, 4) . Considering this, we will not be lifted up by power, nor will we be incubating with wealth, nor will we rejoice in happiness, knowing that all things must quickly be taken away. And the beautiful day of the Lord is said to be when the conversation of the entire world will be destroyed, and with error removed, the truth will appear as one, and the days of clouds and mist. For no one, fearless and uncertain, awaits the judge without fear of judgment. And the time or end of the nations will not only be of the Egyptian nation, but of all nations, so that it may be made clear that prophesy applies to all nations. Following, a flaming sword will come to Egypt, a versatile sword, divine word, that will divide the good from the evil and consume the wicked with its fire. But in Egypt of this age, there will be fear in Ethiopia, those who stray through Egypt in the night of error and dwell in darkness, and whose darkness does not easily or at all turn to light. And those who have stood in wickedness will fall wounded in Egypt. And the multitude of Egypt will be taken away. For wide and spacious is the path that leads to death (Matthew 7:13). And its foundations will be destroyed, so that nothing of Egypt's former firmness remains: but with the desolate and worse foundations, let the foundation of Christ be laid, on which the Church will be built. For every plant that the heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted (Matthew 7). Hence Jeremiah is commanded to destroy what has been built, in order to build better things (Jeremiah 1). The Ethiopians, Libyans, and Lydians, or according to the Seventy, the Persians, Cretans, Lydians, Libyans, and Chub, that is, the Arabs, and all the remaining common people, whom the Seventy translated as hybrids and mixtures. All of these, due to the diversity of vices and the interpretation of names that we have placed in the vision of Tyre, we can understand as different nations. Hence, the Apostle says: You, he says, who are called Uncircumcision, Gentiles in the flesh (Ephesians 2:11). For never would He have said that the nations are flesh and that others are spirit, as in another place: 'Behold Israel according to the flesh.' Hence it must be provided with special care that we do not turn back in our hearts to Egypt, from which we once have come forth, and that we do not find ourselves among the other nations and perish by the sword. As it is said in what follows: 'The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastus shall fall by the sword.' This will happen especially when the sons of the earth of the covenant or Testament of Mine are struck with the sword, of whom it is written: 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and chariots.' (Isa. 31:1) But if the people of other nations are slaughtered in Egypt, how much more will the sons of the earth, the covenant and Testament of God, be contemptuous of the bread of Angels, the pumpkins, onions, garlic, and cucumbers of Egypt (Num. XI) . Then the supports and props of Egypt, which sustained it in wickedness, will fall, along with the clever arguments of dialecticians and the tricks of philosophers. Also, the contemptuous and proud empire will be destroyed, those who speak arrogantly and consider Ecclesiastical simplicity meaningless. For indeed, from the tower of Syene to those things which are at the furthest boundaries of Egypt, adjoining Ethiopia and the Blemmys: where the Nile is unnavigable and the clamor of cataracts, and everything is impassable and full of serpents and poisonous animals. But if, as we said above, 'Magdala' sounds forth magnificence and 'Syene' a circle, it is clear that the riches of Egypt and its insolent power and magnificence, that is, boasting and exaltation, perish by force even to the circle of Egypt, where nothing is stable; rather, it turns in an uncertain course and reaches ruin. Then the cities of Egypt will be scattered, and the land will be deserted, and no assembly will remain, having any firmness, so that at the end of things they may know that He Himself is the Lord, when He sends fire into Egypt, which the Lord desires to burn, like hay, wood, and straw, which have been built upon the foundation of Christ, and all helpers of perverse doctrines will be crushed. From this it is to be understood that the knowledge of a false name, and those of whom it is written: Scatter the nations that desire war (Ps. LXVII, 32), are called partners and helpers of Egypt. On that day, they say, those messengers will go forth from the face of God, of whom it is written in the Gospel: Their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:20). And in the parable of the sower, the reapers are angels, that is, those who are messengers, are sent to gather all scandals and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Ibid. 13). And they will hasten to fulfill the command in order to deter or crush the confidence of Ethiopia, who have reached the highest peak of wickedness, so that Ethiopia may be crushed in the overthrow of Egypt, and may fear, because it is the day of the Lord's vengeance and vindication, when the darkness of sinners will flee and the light of virtues will remain. And he says, 'I will make the multitude of Egypt cease in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to whom they were delivered to be punished. For he is the enemy and avenger who also received a reward, because he served in the conquest of Tyre, the multitude of Egypt, so that many in Egypt may cease who have always been there. But if anyone opposes, how can it be said in Deuteronomy: Your fathers descended to Egypt with seventy souls, but now you have become as numerous as the stars of heaven (Deut. X, 22): it is easily solved.' For He did not establish an example of the earthly multitude, but of the heavenly, which shines with virtues and is full of light, above which the bravest of nations, bring brought by the Lord, are proclaimed, so that they may scatter the earth, on behalf of whom the Seventy interpreters of plagues were sent. Which I do not know how it is consistent with those who are brought by the Lord, unless perhaps according to that example, the sending in of the very worst angels (Psalm 77:19): who will unsheath their swords upon Egypt, and will fill the land with the slain or the wounded, so that they may feel themselves to have been killed and wounded, and to such an extent Egypt is destroyed and has fallen into nothingness, that all the rivers of eloquence by which the errors of the Egyptians were washed away, with reeds and a pen, should dry up and be handed over into the hands of the worst, who may torment them, and the fullness of the land of Egypt, which had grown in evil, may be blotted out in the hands of foreign gods. For neither good, but wicked angels are put in charge of torments. It is necessary for them to know that the Lord has spoken. This is frequently assumed so that those who hear may know that these are not the words of prophets, but of the Lord, whose commandments cannot be nullified. It follows: And I will destroy the idols, which are abominations. The Seventy translated it: And I will cause the idols or the chief men of Memphis to cease, and the leader or prince in the land of Egypt will no longer exist. For it is the very character of the most merciful Lord to overthrow what is falsely constructed, so that no likeness which feigns the image of truth may remain in Egypt. Let the nobles of Memphis also perish, which is interpreted from the mouth; concerning which all the idols have been set up, so that with their heads cut off and the masters of the idols destroyed, there may be no ruler in Egypt, and all Egypt may be filled with terror and destruction. Concerning its cities, it is said: And I will destroy the land of Pathros, and I will bring fire upon Taphnehes, or upon Tanis, and I will execute judgments in No, which the Seventy translated as Diospolis; and I will pour out my indignation upon Zoan, the stronghold of Egypt. Phatures is interpreted as the crushing of bread; Taphnis, a humble command; Diospolis, for which the name Noah is given in Hebrew, is rest. Sain, temptation: by these names, the various gatherings of heretics and all forms of lies are revealed: those who trample upon the bread of the Church and despise it, and follow a humble commandment that does not lead to heavenly things, and indulge in pleasures, and are at rest; such as the rich purple-clad man we read about in the Gospel (Luke 16); and they serve the tempters: one of whom sought from the Lord the power to tempt Job. The Lord will destroy and burn all these things, and He will pour out His indignation over them, and He will scatter the strength of Egypt, so that they are reduced to nothing and no longer trouble the people of God, and make them rely on their own help; so that, having forsaken the truth, they may seek falsehood, and be wounded by their own support, just as one is injured by a reed staff. After this, it is said: 'And I will kill or destroy the multitude of Memphis, for which in Hebrew is called No, which the same Seventy translators have rendered as Diospolis, which means 'rest'.' For there are many who seek rest, and desire to lie on ivory beds, and to eat suckling lambs. Or, according to the Seventy, who are translated as Mempheos, there are many who talk in riddles: Take the splinter out of your eye, when they themselves have a beam in their own. And there is fire given in Egypt, which consumes verbosity and luxuries with its ardor. All temptation will grieve, and in Diospolis, which is again not put in Hebrew as No, there will be a tearing apart; so that waters may be poured out and every wicked assembly may be scattered, and may perish here and there. And according to the Hebrew in Memphis, there will be daily distress, as they will give an account for every idle word, so that they may understand that nothing of their Lord's judgment will pass by. The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastus will also fall by the sword. Heliopolis is called On in Hebrew, which means sorrow. But Bubastus, according to the Egyptian language, is an experience of the mouth. All of these who were unable to bear the pain of the world, but sought after the delights of Diospolis, and trusted in their flowery words and debated against other doctrines, will have the victories of their speech cut down by the sword of God's word; and those who are not young men, but are called women due to the weakness of their minds, will be led captive. Whether the cities themselves, with their boastful sorrows and jaws, will be led into captivity. And in Taphnis, he says, the day will turn black. Taphnae, according to interpretation, means yielding to the jaw, and it is understood to refer to the devil: those who yield to him will lose the light of truth, and they will transform day into night, and they will feel that the scepters of Egypt and all authority have been shattered in Taphnis, so that its contemptible strength or the pride of its power may fail, and the rays of the sun's justice may be blinded in a cloud, and not women, but daughters will be led into captivity; and the Lord will bring about not one judgment, but many judgments in Egypt. For just as there are many dwelling places for the righteous with the Father, so too there are different judgments for the punishments of Egypt, so that when all these things have been done, the Egyptians may recognize that He Himself is the Lord, whose true judgments are justified in themselves.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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