Ezekiel 30:1-19

Ezekiel 30:1-19

[1] The word  of the LORD  came again unto me, saying,  [2] Son  of man,  prophesy  and say,  the Lord  GOD;  Howl  ye, Woe worth  the day!  [3] For the day  is near,  even the day  of the LORD  is near,  a cloudy  day;  it shall be the time  of the heathen.  [4] And the sword  shall come  upon Egypt,  and great pain  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.  [5] Ethiopia,  and Libya,  and Lydia,  people, and Chub,  and the men  of the land  that is in league,  shall fall  with them by the sword.  [6] Thus saith  the LORD;  They also that uphold  Egypt  shall fall;  and the pride  of her power  shall come down:  from the tower  of Syene  shall they fall  in it by the sword,  saith  the Lord  GOD.  [7] 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.  [8] And they shall know  that I am the LORD,  when I have set  a fire  in Egypt,  and when all her helpers  shall be destroyed.  [9] In that day  shall messengers  go forth  from me  in ships  to make the careless  Ethiopians  afraid,  and great pain  shall come upon them, as in the day  of Egypt:  for, lo, it cometh.  [10] Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  I will also make the multitude  of Egypt  to cease  by the hand  of Nebuchadrezzar  king  of Babylon.  [11] He and his people  with him, the terrible  of the nations,  shall be brought  to destroy  the land:  and they shall draw  their swords  against Egypt,  and fill  the land  with the slain.  [12] And I will make  the rivers  dry,  and sell  the land  into the hand  of the wicked:  and I will make the land  waste,  and all that is therein,  by the hand  of strangers:  I the LORD  have spoken  it. [13] Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  I will also destroy  the idols,  and I will cause their images  to cease  out of Noph;  and there shall be no more a prince  of the land  of Egypt:  and I will put  a fear  in the land  of Egypt.  [14] And I will make Pathros  desolate,  and will set  fire  in Zoan,  and will execute  judgments  in No.  [15] And I will pour  my fury  upon Sin,  the strength  of Egypt;  and I will cut off  the multitude  of No.  [16] And I will set  fire  in Egypt:  Sin  shall have great  and No  shall be rent asunder,  and Noph  shall have distresses  daily.  [17] The young men  of Aven  and of Pibeseth  shall fall  by the sword:  into captivity.  [18] At Tehaphnehes  also the day  shall be darkened,  when I shall break  there the yokes  of Egypt:  and the pomp  of her strength  shall cease  in her:  as for her, a cloud  shall cover  her, and her daughters  into captivity.  [19] Thus will I execute  judgments  in Egypt:  and they shall know  that I am the LORD. 

What does Ezekiel 30:1-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Of the seven oracles against Egypt, this is the only one that is undated. Most of the commentators assumed that Ezekiel gave it in587 B.C, the same year as the first, second, and third oracles. But he could have given it in571 B.C. after his sixth oracle ( Ezekiel 29:17-21). I think he gave it in571 B.C. and that the writer placed it here in the text, after the other late oracle, because both of them contain specific references to Nebuchadnezzar. Knowledge that Nebuchadnezzar would be God"s instrument in judging Egypt is helpful in interpreting the remaining oracles against Egypt. If this chronology is correct, this would have been the last prophecy that Ezekiel gave that this book records.
This oracle appears to be a mosaic of four separate messages. Note the recurrence of the introductory clause "thus says the Lord God" in Ezekiel 30:2; Ezekiel 30:6; Ezekiel 30:10; Ezekiel 30:13.