Ezekiel 30

Two prophecies mo the one concerning the destruction of all Egypt, and all her helpers and considerate round about, verse 1,2,3,4,c the other concerning breaking the arm of their king, and the strengthening of the king of Babel’s are against him; as also concerning the scattering of the Egyptians among the actions, 20.

1. Furthermore, the word of God came unto me, saying:

2. Child of man, prophesie and say; thus saith the Lord LORD: Hwl, Ah that day! [The time of punishments and plagues. See Psalms 37:13. Joel 1:15 with the Annotat.]

3. For the day is near; yea the day of the Lord is near; a cloudy day; [Heb. day of cloud. See Joel 2:2 with the Annotat] it shall be the time of the heathen. [That is, the time that is appointed for their unisshment. Or, the time wherein the heathen shall destroy Egypt. Compare above chapter 22.3. With the Annotat.]

4. And the sword shall enter into Egypt, and there shall be great pain in Ethiopia, [They shall be in such a strait by reason of all kind of misery, as a woman that is in travel. So verse 9. Of Ethiopia see above chapter 29.10. and below verse 5,9. Heb. casch] when the slain shall fall [Heb. the salin shall, c in the singular number] in Egypt: for they [The Chaldeans] shall take away her multitude, [Meaning the plenty, or the multitude of Egypt, as above chapter 29.19 and below verse 10.] and her foundation shall be broken down.

5. Ethiopia, and put and land, [as above chapter 27.10. That id, the Ethiopians, Puteans and Lydians] and all the mingled heap, [see Jerem. 25 on verse 20.] and club, [This is, held to be a country in Lydia lying near Egypt] and the children of the land of the covenant, that is, the other confederates of the Egyptians, or a certain neighbouring people, that were in a strait strict and fellowship with the Egyptian, some understand the Jews, that had formerly inhabited the land of Canaan, which was given them by God’s covenant, and fled into Egypt and it may be had served the king of Egypt in his war against his enemy. See Jeremiah 43.17 and 44.27. And compare the phrase children of the land, with Job 1:3 and chapter 16.28 and see the Annotat. There] shall fall with them [The Egyptians] by the sword.

6. Thou saith the LORD, yea shall fall that support Egypt; [That is, all her helpers, as verse 8] and the pride [Or brightness, pomp, highness; also Excellency, eminency. So below verse 18.] of her [Egypt’s]power shall come down: from the tower of schene [see above chapter 29 on verse 10] shall they fall in it [in Egypt] by the sword saith the Lord LORD.

7. And they shall desolate in the midst of a desolate countreyes: [See above chapter 29.12] and their cities shall be in the midst of desolate cities.

8. And they shall know that I am LORD, when I shall have laid a fire in Egypt [to wit, a fire of war, miseries and plagues, (see above chapter 28 on verse 18. and Job 15 on verse 24. Jerem. 49.27. Amos 1:4,c.) Whereby Egypt shall be consumed. So below verse 14.16] and all her helpers shall be broken in pieces.

9. In that day shall there messengers go forth from before my face in ships, to make careless Ethiopia. [Heb. Casch of security, or confidence; to wit, that secure and careless Ethiopia, that is, the Ethiopians] afraid: [That is, I will order the matter so as that the news of the chaldeans in rode or falling into Egypt shall be carried over into Ethiopia. God speaketh here as a judge sitting upon his judgement-seat in Egypt, and governing this whole business [and there shall be great pain among them, [to wit, among the Ethiopians; as above verse 4.] as in the day of Egypt; [as there was in Egypt, when it was destroyed, as above verse 4. or (as some) when God smote the first born in Egypt, Exodus 12:29, 30.] for lo, it cometh. [That is, it shall certainly come. Or, it (the aforesaid pain) shall come upon them]

10. Thus saith the Lord LORD; yea I will make the multitude [Or, noise and stir. See above chapter 29 on verse 19 and here verse 4] of Egypt of cease, by the hand [that is, by the power, or ministry] of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel.

11. He and his people with him, the most tyrannical of the heathen, [as above chapter 28.7.] shall be brought [By my secret providence. See above chapter 29.19, 20.] To destroy the land: and (they) shall draw out [Heb. Empty, or make, or vain: as above chapter 28.7.] their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

12. And I will make the rivers [see above chapter 29 on verse 3] drinks and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: [that is, deliver, or give into their hand and power, as ware that is sold is delivered into the hand power of the buyer. See above chapter 29.19 and Psalms 44:13. of the wicked; of the Chaldeans, who were indeed in this matter as God’s ministers and executioners of his judgements, but were of themselves wiced and intended nothing else, but to satisfie their own lusts, by doing mischief, and by violence and oppression; whole wickedness God made use offer to execute his holy and unblameable judgements upon the Egyptians . Compare above chapter 29 on verse 20 and see 2 Sam 12 on verse 12] and I will make the land waste the fullness thereof, [The gifts, wherewith God had endued, enriched and adorned Egypt. Compare Psalms 24:1.] by the hand of strangers; I the LORD have spoken it.

13. Thus saith the Lord LORD; I will also destroy the dung-Gods, see Levi. 26 on verse 30.] and cause the idols of nought [heb. Elilim; that is, meer nothing. See Levit. 19 on verse 4.] To cease out of Noph: [See Isaiah 19:13. Jerm. 44 on verse 1. and below ver. 16.] And there shall be no more a prince out of the land of Egypt, and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

14. And I will make Pathrons [see Genesis 10 on verse 14. Jeremiah 44:1 & above chapter 29.14.] Desolate, lay a fire in Zoan, [See Numb. 13 on verse 22. Psalms 78 on verse 12.] and I will exercise judgement in No. [See Jer. 46 on verse 25]

15. And I will pore out my fury [See Job 18. on verse 21. Psalms 79 on verse 6.] Upon sin, [some hold this to be Pelusium, in the uttermost borders of Egypt, agreeing with the names of the wilderness of sin, and of mount Sinai] the strength of Egypt, and I will cut off the multitude of No. [Compare Jeremiah 46:25.]

16. And I will lay a fire in Egypt; Sin shall have very great pain, [Heb. As if one should say, shall suffering pain suffer pain] and No shall be split, [Heb. shall be to be split] and Noph shall be daily sore distressed. [Heb. (shall be) daily, or by day, in the day-time distress,. Others, by daily distressers.]

17. The young men of Even. [That is, held to be on, which some conceive to be Heliopolis, that is, the city of the sun, see Genesis 41:45.] And Pi-Besseth [that is held to be Bubastic or Bubastus, where the Idol Diana was worshipped] shall fall by the sword, and the (daughters) [this word is here inserted from the opposition. Heb. They. Others, these (cities) shall c. that is, the inhabitants of these cities, or the dependent adjoining cities and villages, as in the next verse] shall go into captivity.

18. And at Tachpanhes [Heb. Here Thechappannes. See Jerem. 2.16 And 43.7,8. With the Annotat.] The day shall be darkened, [or withheld, hindered] when I shall break there the yoke of Egypt [or axletrees, cords, wherewith or whereunto the yoke is made saft: understand the burden of bondage which they laid up on other nations and see Jerem. 27 on verse 2.] and the pride of her power [as above ver. 6.] Shall cease in her: [Tachphanhes] a cloud shall cover her, [see above verse 3.] and her daughters [as ver. 17. others understand the dependant cities and villages; that is, the inhabitants thereof. See 2 Kings 19 on verse 21.] Shall go into captivity.

19. Thus will I exercise judgement in Egypt: and they shall know that I am LORD.

20. Also it came to pass [others, It was come to pass] in the eleventh year, After Jojachians carrying away. See above chapter 1.2 and below chapter 33.21. hence is gathered, that in the writing and joining together of these prophesies there is not followed the order of time, but the connexion and likeness of the things that are treated of. Compare above chapter 29.17. And Jerem. 35 on verse 1.] In the first (moneth), on the seventh (day) of the moneth, (that) the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

21. Child of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh King of Egypt; [that is, I have made him weak and impotent, by the discomfiture of Pharao-Necho by Charchemis, Jeremiah 46:2, c. (of which overthrow some understanding this) after which the kings of Egypt were not able to effect any matter of weight or concernment. Compare the following figurative words with Jerem. 46.11. others understand it of Pharaoh Hopiah, & his overthrow by the Cyrenians] and to it [Pharaoh’s arm] shall not be bound up, by laying plaifters upon (it), by putting a roller upon (it), to bind it up, to make it strong, that is, may hold the sword.

22. Therefore thus saith the Lord LORD, behold I (will be) upon Pharaoh [see above chapter 29.3.] the kings of Egypt, and will break his arms, (both) the strong one and the broken one: [that is, all his strength, as well that which is left as that which is already decayed] and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

23. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the heathen: and I will disperse them in the land [as above chapter 29.12 and below ver. 26.]

24. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babel, and give my sword into his hand; [as above chapter 12.9 and here in the next verse, and below chapter 32.10. see Jerem. 47. on verse 6.] But I will break Pharaoh’s arms (so) that he shall lament before his face [or shall sigh, howl, grone before the face of the king of Babel. See of the Hebrew word Job 24 on verse 12.] As a deadly wounded man lamenteth. [Heb. shall wail the wailing, or sighness of a deadly wounded man. Compare above chapter 26.15.]

25. Yea I will strengthen the arms of the King of Babel, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down: [All his strength and courage shall fail him] and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have given my sword into the hand of the king of Babel, and he shall have stretched it out upon the land of Egypt.

26. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the heathen, and will disperse them in the lands: thus shall they know that I am the LORD.