Ezekiel 30, Lament Over Egypt

Just as with the prophecy against Tyre, there followed a lament over them, so after the prophecy against Egypt (ch.29) a lament follows. “Egypt had played a significant role in the final days of the Judean kingdom. From 609 B.C. until her fall to Babylonia in 605 B.C., Egypt had dominated Judah. With the momentous victory over Egypt at Carchemish, Babylonia began to rule Judah. Nevertheless Egypt continued to try to regain the Judean allegiance, frequently encouraging Judah to rebel against Babylonia.” (Expositor’s Commentary)

1 The word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says:

“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of Yahweh is near—a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 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. 5 Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

Egypt used mercenaries from Cush, Libya, Lydia, Arabia, Kub and even Israel. The Day of Yahweh was a day of judgment.

6 “‘This is what Yahweh 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 Yahweh. 7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed. 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.

The result of Yahweh’s judgment against Egypt is that they would know that He is Yahweh, the true God. The Day of Yahweh is the day of Egypt’s doom.

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says:

“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 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. 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 Yahweh have spoken.

Babylon’s army will wreak havoc and Yahweh Himself will dry up the Nile, the source of all Egypt’s wealth.

13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh 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. 14 I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes. 15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and wipe out the hordes of Thebes. 16 I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in constant distress. 17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity. 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. 19 So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary explains:

Memphis was a chief city and religious center of Lower Egypt; Pathros, meaning “the southern land,” designated all upper Egypt south of Memphis; Zoan is a town in the eastern Delta, an important administrative center; Heliopolis was the “house of the Sun-[god];” Bubastis is derived from Egyptian pi-b3stt (“House of Bastet,” the cat goddess); and with Tahpanhes and Pelusium were all major cities of Egypt. This would be equivalent to destroying the major cities of the United States, New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of Yahweh came to me: 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. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Yahweh 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. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 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. 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 Yahweh, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 30)

As Zondervan notes, “The figure of the broken arm of the pharaoh may be an ironic echo of Saitic Pharaoh’s royal epithets. Hophrah, the pharaoh of Ezekiel’s time, uses as a royal epithet the expression nb hpš (“possessor of a strong arm”).” But Yahweh breaks his arms and strengthens the arm of Babylon to defeat them. Like Israel, we should not depend on human allies to the neglect of trusting in God.