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Ezekiel Chapter
Thirty
Ezekiel 30
Chapter Contents
A prophecy against Egypt. (1-19) Another. (20-26)
Commentary on Ezekiel 30:1-19
(Read Ezekiel 30:1-19)
The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is very full.
Those who take their lot with God's enemies
shall be with them in punishment.
The king of Babylon and his army shall be instruments of this destruction. God
often makes one wicked man a scourge to another. No place in the land of Egypt
shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans. The Lord is known by the judgments he
executes. Yet these are only present effects of the Divine displeasure
not
worthy of our fear
compared with the wrath to come
from which Jesus delivers
his people.
Commentary on Ezekiel 30:20-26
(Read Ezekiel 30:20-26)
Egypt shall grow weaker and weaker. If lesser judgments
do not prevail to humble and reform sinners
God will send greater. God justly
breaks that power which is abused
either to put wrongs upon people
or to put
cheats upon them. Babylon shall grow stronger. In vain do men endeavour to bind
up the arm the Lord is pleased to break
and to strengthen those whom he will
bring down. Those who disregard the discoveries of his truth and mercy
shall
know his power and justice
in the punishment for their sins.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Ezekiel》
Ezekiel 30
Verse 2
[2] Son of man
prophesy and say
Thus saith the Lord GOD;
Howl ye
Woe worth the day!
Ye — Inhabitants of Egypt.
Verse 3
[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.
A cloudy day — So times of trouble are called.
Of the heathen — The time when God will reckon
with the Heathens.
Verse 4
[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.
Ethiopia — The neighbour and ally to Egypt.
Take away — Into miserable captivity.
Her foundations — Their government
laws
and
strong holds.
Verse 5
[5] Ethiopia
and Libya
and Lydia
and all the mingled
people
and Chub
and the men of the land that is in league
shall fall with
them by the sword.
Lydia — Not the Asiatic
but the Africans placed between some
part of Cyrene and Egypt.
The mingled people — The hired soldiers
from all parts
a confused mixture of nations.
And Chub — The inhabitants of the inmost Libya; perhaps they may
be the Nubians at this day.
The men — All the allies of Egypt.
With them — With the Egyptians.
Verse 6
[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.
Upheld — Those that favour and help her.
The pride — The glory of all her strength.
Verse 7
[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.
They — All those before mentioned.
Verse 8
[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.
Destroyed — The fire that consumes nations is
of God's kindling: and when he sets fire to a kingdom
all they that go about
to quench the fire
shall be consumed by it.
Verse 9
[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.
Messengers — Such as having escaped the sword
shall tell the news.
From me — By my permission and providence.
In ship's — Messengers by ships might carry
the news to both the Ethiopian
Asian
and African
by the Red-sea.
As in the day — During the mighty havock made by
the Chaldeans.
It — A like storm.
Verse 11
[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.
His people — His own subjects
not hired
soldiers.
Verse 12
[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.
The rivers dry — Probably the Chaldeans diverted
them
and so their fortified towns wanted one great defence.
Sell — Give it up entirely.
Verse 13
[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.
Noph — Memphis
now Grand Cairo
the chief city of the
country.
A prince — Either an Egyptian born
or independent
and over all
Egypt.
A fear — Consternation and cowardice.
Verse 14
[14] And I will make Pathros desolate
and will set fire in
Zoan
and will execute judgments in No.
In Zoan — Zoan shall be burnt down to ashes.
In No — A great and populous city situate on one of the mouths
of the Nile.
Verse 15
[15] And I will pour my fury upon Sin
the strength of Egypt;
and I will cut off the multitude of No.
Sin — Pelusium
which was the key of Egypt
and therefore
always well fortified
and strongly garrisoned.
Verse 16
[16] And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain
and No shall be rent asunder
and Noph shall have distresses daily.
Shall be rent — Her walls
and towers
and
fortresses broken through by the violence of engines
and by the assaults of
the soldiers.
Verse 17
[17] The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the
sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.
Young men — 'Tis probable these might be a
body of valiant youths
collected out of these ten cities.
Aven — Bethshemesh
or Heliopolis
an idolatrous city
in
which was a stately temple of the sun: an hundred and fifty furlongs
that is
six miles and three quarters in compass.
Phibeseth — Bubastus
sometimes called
Hoephestus
not far from Aven.
Verse 18
[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 shall go into
captivity.
Tehaphnehes — A great and goodly city of Egypt;
Tachapanes
Tachpanes
Tahapanes
Tahpanes
Chanes
and Hanes
are names given
it
and this from a queen of Egypt of that name in Solomon's time. It stood not
far from Sin
or Pelusium.
Darkened — A night shall come upon it.
Break — I shall break the kingdom of Egypt
that it no more
oppress with yokes
that is
burdens.
Her daughters — Her towns and villages.
Verse 20
[20] And it came to pass in the eleventh year
in the first
month
in the seventh day of the month
that the word of the LORD came unto me
saying
The eleventh year — Of Jeconiah's
captivity
three months and two days before Jerusalem was taken
about the time
that the Egyptians attempted to raise the siege of Jerusalem.
Verse 21
[21] Son of man
I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of
Egypt; and
lo
it shall not be bound up to be healed
to put a roller to bind
it
to make it strong to hold the sword.
Have broken — Partly by the victory of the
Chaldeans over Pharaoh-necho
partly by the victory of the Cyreneans over
Pharaoh-hophra.
The sword — None can heal the wounds that God
gives but himself. They whom he disables
cannot again hold the sword.
Verse 22
[22] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold
I am against
Pharaoh king of Egypt
and will break his arms
the strong
and that which was
broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.
His arms — Both his arms.
The strong — That part of his kingdom which
remains entire.
Broken — That which was shattered before.
Verse 25
[25] But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon
and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the
LORD
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.
Will strengthen — As judges on the bench like
Pilate
so generals in the field
like Nebuchadrezzar
have no power but what
is given them from above.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Ezekiel》
30 Chapter 30
Verses 1-26
──《The Biblical Illustrator》
30 Chapter 30
INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 30
This
chapter is a continuation of the prophecy against Egypt
both against the
country and the king of it. It is introduced with expressions of lamentation
because of the destruction coming on
Ezekiel 30:1
and not only Egypt
and the
cities thereof
should be destroyed
but all her friends
associates
and
allies; the Ethiopians
Lydians
Lybians
and others
Ezekiel 30:4. Nebuchadnezzar and his army
were to be the instruments of her ruin
Ezekiel 30:10
particular cities are
mentioned by name
which should suffer much
and become desolate
Ezekiel 30:13 and then Pharaoh king of
Egypt himself is threatened with broken arms
and his people to be scattered
among the nations
Ezekiel 30:20
and the king of Babylon is
again mentioned
whose arms should be strengthened to do all this
Ezekiel 30:24.
Verse 1
The word of the Lord came again unto me
.... Whether
this prophecy was delivered about the time of that in the former part of the
preceding chapter
namely
in the tenth year
tenth month
and twelfth day of
it; or whether about the time that was which is recorded in the latter part of
the chapter
in the seven and twentieth year of Jehoiachin's captivity
is not
easy to say; I am inclined to think it was about the time of the latter
since
the time of the fulfilment of it is said to be near
Ezekiel 30:3
saying: as follows:
Verse 2
Son of man
prophesy and say
thus saith the Lord God
.... Prophesy
against Egypt's king and inhabitants
and in the name of the Lord thus speak
against them:
howl ye; ye Egyptians
and also ye Ethiopians
and all others after
named
which should share in the destruction of Egypt; this is said to give
them notice of it
and prepare them for it:
woe worth the day! or
"alas for the day!"F4הה ליום "bah diei"
Munster
Vatablus; "heu diei"
Cocceius
Starckius. O the unhappy
day! what a sad dismal day is this! O that we should ever live to see such
wretched times!
Verse 3
For the day is near
.... The day of Egypt's
destruction
the time fixed for it:
even the day of the Lord is near; the day appointed by
him
and in which he would make himself known by the judgments he executed:
Kimchi observes
that
the same year this prophecy was delivered
Egypt was
given into the hands of the king of Babylon:
a cloudy day; or; "a day of cloud"F5יום ענן "dies nubis"
V. L. Pagniaus
Montanus
Cocceius
Starckius. ; which was seldom seen in Egypt
in a literal sense
rarely having any rain
their country being watered by the
Nile; but now
in a figurative sense
the clouds would gather thick and black
and threaten with a horrible tempest of divine wrath
and of ruin and
destruction:
it shall be the time of the Heathen: both when the Heathen
nation of the Chaldeans should distress and conquer others; and when Heathen
nations
as the Egyptians
Ethiopians
and others
should be destroyed by them.
The Targum is
"it
shall be the time of the breaking or destruction of the people.'
Verse 4
And the sword shall come upon Egypt
.... The sword of the
Chaldeans shall come upon the Egyptians
by which they should be cut off; it
having a commission from the Lord for that purpose:
and great pain shall be in Ethiopia
when the slain shall fall in
Egypt; Ethiopia being a neighbouring nation to Egypt
shall be in a
panic when it shall hear of the sword of the Chaldeans being in Egypt
and of
the ravages made by it
of the multitudes slain with it; fearing it will be
their turn next to fall into the same hands
and in the same manner; and the
rather
not only as they were neighbours
but allies:
and they shall take away her multitude; that is
the
Chaldeans shall carry captive vast numbers of the Egyptians; such as fell not
by the sword should not escape the hand of the enemy
but be taken and carried
into other lands. Egypt was a very populous country; according to Agrippa's
speech in JosephusF6De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 4.
there were
in it 7
500
000 persons from Ethiopia to Alexandria
besides the inhabitants of
the latter
as might be gathered from the tribute each person paid; hence they
are compared to the trees of a forest that cannot be searched
and to
grasshoppers innumerable
Jeremiah 46:23
but now their numbers
should be lesser:
and her foundations shall be broken down; either in a
literal sense
the foundations of the cities
towers
and fortified places in
Egypt
should be undermined and destroyed
and consequently the buildings on
them must sink and fall; or in a figurative sense
her king
princes
magistrates
laws
and government
which are the support of a state
should be
removed
and be of no more service.
Verse 5
Ethiopia
Lybia
and Lydia
.... Or
"Cush
Phut
and Lud". Cush and Phut were both sons of Ham
from whom Egypt is
sometimes called the land of Ham; and Lud or Ludim was the son of Mizraim
the
son of Ham
the common name of Egypt in Scripture
Genesis 10:6. Cush is by us rendered
Ethiopia; and is thought by some to be a part of Arabia
which lay near to
Egypt. Phut and Lud are properly enough rendered Lybia and Lydia; and both
these
with Ethiopia
are represented as the allies and confederates of Egypt
Jeremiah 46:9.
And all the mingled people; the Syriac version
renders it
"all Arabia": and so Symmachus
according to Jerom;
though others think they are the Carians
Ionians
and other Greeks
which
Pharaohapries got together to fight with AmasisF7See Prideaux's
Connexion
part 1. p. 93. : and "Chub"; or "Cub"; the
inhabitants of this piece are thought to be the Cobii of PtolemyF8Geograph.
l. 4. c. 5.
who dwelt in Mareotis
a country of Egypt; though some
by a
change of a letter
would have them to be the Nubians
a people in Africa; and
so the Arabic version here reads it. Of these StraboF9Geograph. l.
17. p. 541
563. says
on the left of the stream of the Nile dwell the Nubians
a large nation in Lybia; and which he afterwards mentions along with the
Troglodytes
Blemmyes
Megabarians
and Ethiopians
that dwell above Syene: and
so PtolemyF11Geograph. l. 5. c. 8. speaks of them along with the
Megabarians
and as inhabiting to the west of the Avalites: and PlinyF12Nat.
Hist. l. 6. c. 30. calls them Nubian Ethiopians
whom he places near the Nile:
and a late travellerF13Norden's Travels in Egypt and Nubia
vol. 2.
p. 131
132. in those parts informs us that the confines of Egypt and Nubia are
about eight miles above the first cataract (of the Nile); Nubia begins at the
villages of Ellkalabsche
and of Teffa; the first is to the east of the Nile
and the second to the west.
And the men of the land that is in league shall fall with them by
the sword; all the nations above mentioned
with whomsoever should be found
that were confederates with Egypt
should share the same fate with them. The
Septuagint render it
"and those of the children of my covenant"; as
if the Jews were meant that were in Egypt
who are sometimes called "the
children of the covenant"
and of "the promise"
Acts 3:25
and so some interpret the place;
but it takes in all the allies of Egypt
and does not design the Jews
at least
not them only.
Verse 6
Thus saith the Lord
they also that uphold Egypt shall fall
.... That is
by the sword; either their allies and auxiliaries without
that supported the
Egyptians with men and money; or their principal people within
their nobles
that supported their state with their estates
their counsellors with their
wisdom
their soldiers with their valour and courage:
and the pride of her power shall come down; or the power
they were proud of
the dominion and grandeur they boasted of; the greatness of
their king
and the largeness of their empire
with the wealth and riches of
it:
from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword
saith
the Lord God; or rather
from "Migdol to Syene"; so the Septuagint
and Arabic versions
from one end of Egypt to the other; the sword would
ravage
and multitudes fall by it
in all cities and towns
between the one and
the other; which denotes the general slaughter that should be made; See Gill on
Ezekiel 29:10.
Verse 7
And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are
desolate
.... Or among them
shall be ranked with them
and be as desolate
as they are; as Judea and other countries
ravaged by the same enemy:
and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted; undergo the
same fate as they have done
as Jerusalem and others. The cities of Egypt were
very numerous; Diodorus SiculusF14Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. says
that in
ancient times Egypt had cities and villages of note
more than 18
000.
HerodotusF15Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 177. writes
that it was said
that under King Amasis there were 20
000 cities in it; and the first mentioned
writerF16Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. says
under Ptolemy Lagus they were
reckoned more than 30
000; and
according to TheocritusF17Idyll. 17.
v. 82.
under Ptolemy Philadelphus they were 33
339.
Verse 8
And they shall know that I am the Lord
.... The
Egyptians shall know the Lord to be the true God
and acknowledge him to be
omniscient and omnipotent
that should so exactly foretell their destruction
and accomplish it:
when I have set a fire in Egypt: a war there; the heat of
battle
very devouring and consuming
as well as very grievous and terrible
as
fire is. The Targum is
"when
I shall give (or set) people that are strong as fire against Egypt;'
the
army of the Chaldeans:
and when all her helpers shall be destroyed; her
auxiliaries
the neighbouring nations in alliance with them
before mentioned.
Verse 9
In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships
.... Either by
the river Nile
or by the Red sea
to Arabia Felix
which some think is meant
by Ethiopia. Cush or Ethiopia was encompassed about with water
so that there
was no coming to it but by ships; see Genesis 2:13
compare with this Isaiah 18:1
the messengers here were
either such who under a divine impulse
or however by the providence of God
were directed to go to Ethiopia
and tell them the news of the destruction of
Egypt; or these were messengers sent by the king of Babylon
to demand a
surrender of their country to him; or it may design him himself
and his army
who marched thither to subdue that country also
after the conquest of Egypt.
So the Targum
"at
that time messengers shall go forth from before me with legions;'
and
because all this was by the appointment and providence of God
they are
represented as messengers sent by him:
to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; with the news
of the fall of Egypt their confederate
and of a mighty army coming against
them; who had dwelt securely and confidently
at ease and unconcerned
without
any sense of danger
or fear of any enemy:
and great pain shall come upon them
as in the day of Egypt; either as of
old
when the plagues were on Egypt
and especially when they were drowning in
the Red sea; or as of late
when the sword was in Egypt
and ravaging there:
for
lo
it cometh; the same day was coming on them as came on
Egypt
the day of the Lord
a cloudy one
and the time of the Heathen; it was
certain
just at hand
and there was no escaping it; see Ezekiel 30:3.
Verse 10
Thus saith the Lord God
I will make the multitude of Egypt to
cease
.... The vast numbers of people that inhabited Egypt; some of its
cities were very populous
especially the city No
after mentioned; but now the
numbers should be greatly lessened
and the whole land sadly depopulated: or
the "noise"F18את המון "strepitum"
Vatablus
Cocceius.
"tumult"
and hurry of it; which is very great where there are large
numbers of people
and which ceases when they are cut off. The Syriac version
renders it
the riches of Egypt. Now the instrument God would make use of to do
all this is mentioned by name
as follows
by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; the then
greatest monarch in the world.
Verse 11
He and his people with him
.... He and his army
consisting chiefly of Chaldeans; though there were of other nations among them
as were in his army when he besieged Jerusalem
as seems to be suggested in the
next clause:
the terrible of the nations shall be brought to destroy the land; the
Chaldeans
the most fierce
cruel
and terrible of all people
and others the
most terrible that could be collected out of all nations under the yoke of the
king of Babylon; and all of them terrible to the nations against whom they
came
as now against Egypt to destroy it; see Habakkuk 1:6
and they shall draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land
with the slain; go through the land with their drawn swords
and kill all they
meet; and not put them up till they have quite depopulated the land
and filled
it with dead carcasses.
Verse 12
And I will make the rivers dry
.... Egypt was a country
that abounded with rivers; however
with canals cut from the river Nile; its
wealth and riches very much depended here on
partly on account of the
multitude of fishes taken out of them
and the paper reeds that grew upon their
banks; but chiefly because the whole land
was watered by them
and made
exceeding fruitful
rain being not so common in it; so that to dry up the riven
was in effect to take away their substance and dependence; besides
hereby the
way was made easy and passable for the enemy; there was nothing to obstruct
him
he could overrun and ravage the land at pleasure:
and sell the land into the hand of the wicked; the Chaldeans
under Nebuchadnezzar
who were wicked idolaters
men of flagitious lives
and
of merciless and cruel dispositions; who would show no favour to the
inhabitants of the land
when delivered up to them
which is called a selling
it; for
as things sold are delivered to the buyer
so should this land be to
them; which though they had no right to it before
yet by the event of war
and
disposal of divine Providence
came to have a property in it
given them by him
who is the proprietor of all lands; and after them into the hands of the
Persians
under Cambyses
and Ochus; who were very wicked and cruel princes
and may be reckoned among the terrible or violent ones of the nations in the
preceding verse; and then into the hands of the Grecian
Romans
Saracen
Mamaluck
and now the Turks
all very wicked people:
and I will make the land waste
and all that is therein
by the
hand of strangers; the Babylonians
people of another country and distant
of
another language
and with whom they had no commerce
alliance
and friendship
and so would not spare them
and their land
when in their possession; and so
all the rest above mentioned
into whose hands they successively fell:
I the Lord have spoken it; determined it
prophesied of it; and it shall come to pass
as it did accordingly.
Verse 13
Thus saith the Lord God
I will also destroy the idols
.... With
which Egypt abounded
making an idol of all sorts of creatures
rational and
irrational
animate and inanimate
and in which they trusted; wherefore these
being destroyed
they had nothing to put their confidence in:
I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; called Moph
Hosea 9:6 and which we there rightly render
Memphis
as many versions do here
and was very famous for idolatry: here stood
the temple of Serapis
and the temple of other idols; here Isis and Osiris were
worshipped; and it was in Jerom's time
as he says
the metropolis of the
Egyptian superstition. It was built by MenesF19Herodot
Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 99.
the Mizraim of the Scriptures
the first king of Egypt;
though Diodorus SiculusF20Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 46. makes Uchoreus to
be the founder of it. Some interpreters take this city to be the same with what
is now called Alkair
or Grand Cairo; or
however
that this is built upon the
same spot
or near the same place that was
in which I have followed them on Isaiah 19:13 whereas Cairo stands right
over against old Memphis
the Nile being between them
on the east side of it
and Memphis on the west; as is clear from HerodotusF21Euterpe
sive
l. 2. c. 99.
and from the charts of Dr. Shaw
and Mr. Norden; and who
observe
that some take the place of it to have been where a village now
stands
Dr. Shaw calls Geza
and Mr. Norden Gize:
and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt; that is
a
native of that country; or that should rule over the whole of it
and in that
grandeur the kings of Egypt had before; or
however
not dwell in Memphis
which was the seat of the kings of Egypt
but now should be so no more: when
Egypt was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar
it was under the Babylonians; and then
under the Persians; and then under the Greeks; and afterwards under the Romans;
since under the Saracens and Mamalucks; and now in the hands of the Turks; so
that it never recovered its former glory; and indeed
after Nectanebus was
driven out of it by Ochus
king of Persia
it never after had a king:
and I will put a fear in all the land of Egypt; a panic in
all the inhabitants of it; as soon as they shall hear of the king of Babylon
entering into it
their courage
bravery
and fortitude
shall at once leave
them
and they shall be dispirited
and have no heart to defend themselves
and
oppose the enemy.
Verse 14
And I will make Pathros desolate
.... A country in Egypt;
See Gill on Ezekiel 29:14
perhaps it was the first
place that Nebuchadnezzar entered
and so went from place to place in the order
hereafter mentioned:
and I will set fire in Zoan; or Tunis
a famous city
in Egypt in the times of Moses
Numbers 13:22. The Targum and Septuagint
version call it Tanis here; and from hence a nome in Egypt was called the
Tanitic nome. This city was burnt down by the king of Babylon: the place now
built on the spot is called Mansourah
as Dr. ShawF23Travels
p.
304. Ed. 2. says:
and I will execute judgment in No. The Vulgate Latin
version renders it Alexandria; and so does the Targum; of which place Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech interpret it; and so does Jerom; which
though built
after these times by Alexander
and called so after his name
yet is supposed
to be built on or near the place where ancient No stood. The city is now called
Scanderoon
or Scanderea; the Turks calling Alexander Scander: here the
judgments of God were executed in the destruction of it by the Chaldean army;
and great devastations have been made in it since it was rebuilt by Alexander
by the Saracens
who destroyed all places where they came; so that
as Dr. ShawF24Ib.
p. 292. observes
it is somewhat extraordinary that the greatest part of the
ancient walls
together with their respective turrets
should have continued
entire quite down to this time. The Septuagint version calls it Diospolis
or
the city of Jupiter
as does the Arabic version
that is
of Jupiter Hammon;
the city of Thebes
where he was worshipped; as it is in a following verse
called Hammon No; though HillerusF25Onomastic. Sacr. p. 571
&c.
thinks neither of these places are meant
neither Alexandria nor Diospolis; but
Memphis
as it is rendered by the Septuagint in the next verse; See Gill on Nahum 3:8.
Verse 15
And I will pour out my fury upon Sin
the strength of Egypt
.... Either
the city Sais
as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; or rather Pelusium
as
the Vulgate Latin version
so called from "pelos" which signifies
"clay" in the Greek language; and the same "Sin" signifies
in the Chaldee
Psalm 18:43
and as now called Tineh
from טין
"clay": it had a very fine haven
and may be
called the strength of Egypt
it lying at the entrance of it; and having a
strong fortified tower
it was difficult to enter into it; but could not stand
before the wrath and fury of the Lord of hosts
when he sent the Chaldeans to
it. It is thought by some to be the same with Pithom
built by the first of the
pastor kings of Egypt
and fortified by him
Exodus 1:11
according to ManethoF26Apud
Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 14.
he put into it a garrison of two hundred
and forty thousand men; and the same writer says it contained ten thousand
acres of land; according to AdrichomiusF1Theatrum Terrae Sanctae
p.
122
123.
it was two and a half miles in compass
and near it was a vast
hollow
which extended to Mount Cassius
and which made the way into Egypt on
that side difficult; and is now
as he says
called "campus de
Gallo"; in which he is mistaken
as well as Thevenot
and others
who take
it to be the same with Damieta:
and I will cut off the multitude of No; the numerous
inhabitants of it; hence called "populous No"
Nahum 3:8
or "Hamon No"; See
Gill on Ezekiel 30:14; here
as before observed
the Septuagint version renders it Memphis; as does also the Arabic version.
Some take it
as before
to be the Egyptian Thebes
where was a temple
dedicated to Jupiter Hammon; and which city
PausaniasF2Arcadica
sive l. 8. p. 509. Vid. Juvenal. Satyr. 15. ver. 6. says
was reduced to
nothing in his time.
Verse 16
And I will set fire in Egypt
.... Kindle a war there
which shall consume it; see Ezekiel 30:8
Sin shall have great pain; as a woman in travail
seeing its destruction is just at hand; the same with Pelusium
as before:
and No shall be rent asunder
the walls of it shall be
broken down by the enemy
or a breach shall be made in it
like the breach of
waters which were about it; see Nahum 3:8
and Noph shall have distresses daily: that is
Memphis
as before; enemies shall surround it daily
as the Targum; shall besiege and
distress it
until it is taken: or
"in the daytime"; their enemies
should not come as thieves in the night
openly in the day. Abendana interprets
it of their unfortunate day
their star being unlucky.
Verse 17
The young men of Aven and of Phibeseth shall fall by the sword
.... Aven is
the same with On
of which Potipherah was priest in Joseph's time and whose
daughter he married
Genesis 41:45
the same with Heliopolis
or
Bethshemesh
the city of the sun
see Jeremiah 43:13; see Gill on Jeremiah 43:13; where was the temple of the
sun
and where it was worshipped; and so it is rendered by the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Arabic versions. It is called here "Aven"
or
"vanity"
because of the vain and idolatrous worship here performed.
Phibeseth is the Bubastis of Herodotus
and called by other writers Bubastus;
hence there was a nome or province in Egypt called the Bubastic nome
mentioned
by PtolemyF3Geograph. l. 4. c. 5.
and others. In this was a temple
built to the honour of Diana
where she was worshipped and HerodotusF4Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 59
138
156. says
that Bubastis
in the Greek tongue
is Diana;
here she was worshipped in the form of a cat; and StephanusF5De
Urbibus. observes
that the Egyptians call a cat Bubastus; and it is also said
that dead cats salted were buried in this city
as being sacred: according to
Diodorus SiculusF6Bibliothec l. 1. p. 24.
it was built for the
sake of Isis; and HillerusF7Onomastic. Sacr. p. 672. says
that in
the Abyssine language it was called "Phy' mly' sith"; that is
the
portion of the wife
namely of Isis married to Osiris
by whom this city was
built to the honour of her; as appears by the pillar of Isis
on which these
words are inscribed
"for
me the city of Bubastia is built; be glad
be glad
O Egypt
which brought me
up.'
This
place is now called Bishbesh
according to Dr. ShawF8Travels
p.
306. Ed. 2. : now the young men of both these places
though they might exert
themselves in the defence of them
yet should fail therein
and fall by the
sword of the Chaldeans:
and these cities shall go into captivity; the rest of
the inhabitants of the cities of Aven and Pibeseth
that shall not fall by the
sword
shall be carried captive into other lands. Joseph Kimchi supplies
"women" instead of "cities"; and thinks
that as the males
are mentioned before
the females are understood here. The Targum is
"they
that served them shall go into captivity;'
that
served the idols worshipped in these cities.
Verse 18
At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened
.... The same
with Hanes in Isaiah 30:4 and Tahapanes in Jeremiah 2:16 and Tahpanhes
Jeremiah 43:7
it was a royal seat of the
kings of Egypt: there was in Solomon's time a queen of Egypt of this name
and
perhaps it might be so called from her
1 Kings 11:19. It is generally thought to
be the Daphne of Pelusium
it being near that city; though Junius takes it to
be a place in another part of Egypt
at a great distance
which HerodotusF9Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 29. calls Tahcompso
an island encompassed by the Nile; and by
PtolemyF11Geograph. l. 4. c. 5. called Metacompso: now at this place
the day should be darkened; or should "restrain"F12חשך "prohibuit"
Montanus; "vitavit"
Munster; "cohibuit"
Cocceius; "probibebit
arcebit"
Vatablus; so Ben Melech.
as it may be rendered; that is
its light; it should
be a calamitous and mournful time with the inhabitants of it:
when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt; the yokes
they put upon the necks of others
who now should be freed from them: or
"the sceptres of Egypt"
as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; the
regalia of their kings
which might lie in this place; it being a royal seat
where Pharaoh had a house
as appears from Jeremiah 43:9
and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her; all that
grandeur and magnificence which appeared in the courts of the kings of Egypt in
this place:
as for her
a cloud shall cover her; as for this city
a
cloud of calamity shall cover it
so as its glory shall not be seen. The Targum
is
"a
king with his army shall cover her as a cloud ascends and covers the earth:'
and her daughters shall go into captivity; which may be
taken either in a literal sense for the daughters of the inhabitants of this
place
which must be a great affliction to their tender parents
to have them
forced away by rude soldiers
and carried captive into distant lands; or in a
figurative sense
for the villages and the inhabitants of them round about this
city; it being usual to represent a city as a mother
and its villages as
daughters; and so the Targum
Jarchi
and Kimchi interpret it.
Verse 19
Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt
.... In the
several provinces
and in the several cities of it before mentioned
and in all
other places; even the judgments of fire
famine
sword
and captivity:
and they shall know that I am the Lord; God
omniscient and omnipotent
by the
judgments executed; and own the same: this
more especially they did
when the Gospel was preached among them
and many
were converted by it in the times of the apostles.
Verse 20
And it came to pass in the eleventh year
.... Of
Zedekiah's reign
and Jehoiachin's captivity; some little time after the
prophecy in Ezekiel 19:1
here the prophecies come into
their order again
being interrupted by those of a much later date
at the end
of the preceding chapter
and the former part of this:
in the first month
in the seventh day of the month; the month
Nisan
which answers to part of March
and part of April; the seventh day must
be about the twenty ninth of March; but
according to Bishop UsherF13Annales
Vet. Test. A. M. 3416.
it was on the twenty sixth of April
on the third day
of the week (Tuesday)
in 3416 A.M. or before Christ 588: this was given out
three months and two days before Jerusalem was taken:
that the word of the Lord came unto me
saying; as follows:
Verse 21
Son of man
I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt
.... Not
Pharaohnecho
king of Egypt
whose army was overthrown at Carchemish by the
king of Babylon
in the fourth year of Jehoiakim; when the latter took from the
former all that belonged to him between the river of Egypt and the river
Euphrates; by which he was so weakened and dispirited
that he could not stir
any more out of his own land
Jeremiah 46:2 and of him Jarchi and Kimchi
interpret it; but Pharaohhophra
or Apries
who was defeated by the Cyreneans
and saved himself by flight; See Gill on Ezekiel 29:4
and
lo
it shall not be bound up to be healed
to put a roller to
bind it; a metaphor taken from chirurgeons
who
having set broken bones
put on a bandage or rollers of linen
or such like stuff
to keep them tight;
but nothing of this kind should be done; hereby suggesting that Egypt should
receive such a blow or wound as would be incurable; see Jeremiah 46:11
to make it strong to hold the sword; which it should not be
able to do
or to make war any more
at least with success
or to defend
itself.
Verse 22
Therefore thus saith the Lord God
behold
I am against Pharaoh
king of Egypt
.... The then present king of Egypt
whose name was Hophra or
Apries
Jeremiah 44:30
and I will break his arms
the strong
and that which was broken: both his
arms
the sound and the broken one
his whole power
strength
and dominion;
meaning that that part of his kingdom which lay between the two rivers of Egypt
and Euphrates
that had been taken away by the king of Babylon
should remain
so; and the other part of his kingdom should fall a prey to him also:
and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand; so that he
should be so far from being so able to make use of the sword
that he should
not be able to hold it; it should drop out of his hand; nor should he be able
to take it up again
and make war
either offensive or defensive.
Verse 23
And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations
.... Among the
several provinces of Babylon
and other places
where the Chaldeans should
carry or send them:
and will disperse them through the countries: the same
thing repeated in different words for the confirmation of it.
Verse 24
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon
.... Give him
a commission to make war; direct his councils; supply him with all necessaries;
animate and encourage his soldiers; and give him success in all his enterprises:
and put my sword in his hand; which confirms the above
sense
that he should have power and authority from the Lord to attack the king
of Egypt
and should gain a victory over him; since it was not his own sword he
drew
but the sword of the Lord of hosts; which coming from him
and having his
commission
cannot fail of doing execution;
but will break Pharaoh's arms; as before in Ezekiel 30:21
and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly
wounded man; that is
before the king of Babylon; by whom
as an instrument
his arms shall be broken
and his power destroyed; and he be like a man in the
agonies of death
just expiring
not able to speak
but groaning out his life
under the inexpressible anguish of broken bones
and none to set them.
Verse 25
But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon
.... Which is
repeated for the sake of confirmation:
and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down: as when a
man's arms are broken; and he shall not be able to lift them up and defend
himself:
and they shall know that I am the Lord; namely
the
Egyptians
as in Ezekiel 30:19
when I shall have put my sword into the hand of the king of
Babylon
and he shall stretch it out on the land of Egypt; that is
when
he shall have a commission to carry the war into Egypt; and he shall spread
desolation over all the land
cutting off the inhabitants of it everywhere
as
before described in this chapter.
Verse 26
And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations
and disperse
them among the countries
.... Of which they might assure themselves
since the Lord had
before spoken it
and here again repeats it:
and they shall know that I am the Lord; whose name
alone is Jehovah
and does whatsoever he pleases; sets up kings
and puts them
down; strengthens and weakens kingdoms just as seems good in his sight; none having
any power but what is given by him
and which he can take away when he thinks
fit.
── John Gill