Ezekiel 30:4

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. GREAT PAIN SHALL BE IN ETHIOPIA - "pain," literally, pangs with trembling, as of a woman in childbirth....

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....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 30:1 THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME AGAIN, etc. The section that follows, ending with Ezekiel 30:18, is exceptional as standing without a date. It may be either (1) a continuation of the prophecy in Ezekiel 29:17, and so belong to the latest years of Ezekiel's work; or (2) that prophecy may be regarded as standing by itself—a parenthesis inserted at a later date, so that we go back to the earlier word of the Lord in Ezekiel 29:1. Jerome, Havernick, Hitzig, Rosenmüller, Kliefoth, and others are in favor of the former

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...

Ezekiel 29-30. First Egypt's desolation is announced (Ezekiel 29:1). The king of Egypt addressed in this prophecy was Pharaoh-Hophra, called in Greek, Apries. He was the grandson of Pharaoh-Necho, who defeated King Josiah at Meggido 2 Chronicles 35:20. King Zedekiah of Judah expected help and relief from Pharaoh-Hophra, when Jerusalem was besieged. The Egyptian army under Hophra advanced through Phoenicia and forced the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem Jeremiah 37:5. But the relief was only temporary, for the Egyptian army had to retire. The prophet Jeremiah announced also the doom of Hophra, associating it with Zedekiah's doom: “Thus saith the LORD, Behold I will give Pharaoh-Hophra, King of Egypt,

EZEKIEL 30. THE DESOLATION OF EGYPT. The interrupted denunciation of Egypt is resumed. The neighbours and allies will be involved in her ruin, which is to be effected by Nebuchadrezzar and his terrible army (Ezekiel 30:1). (In Ezekiel 30:5, for Put and Lud see Ezekiel 27:10: for mingled people read Arabians. For Cub, read Lub = Lybians; and for the next clause read the Cretans.) The collapse of Egypt is then described in detail, the towns which are singled out for special mention being all of religious, political, or military importance (Ezekiel 30:13). (In...

ETHIOPIA. Hebrew Cush, allied with Egypt. Compare Ezekiel 30:9. and Jeremiah 46:9. Also resorted to for help by Israel....

HER MULTITUDE— _Her wealth._ Houbigant: and so Ezekiel 30:10....

III THE IMMINENT FALL OF EGYPT 30:1-19 TRANSLATION (1) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Wail, woe be the day! (3) For the day is near, yes the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day, it shall be the time of the nations. (4) And a sword shall come upon Egypt, and consternation shall be in Cush, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her abundance, and her foundations shall be broken down. (5) Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mingled peoples, Cub, and the children of the land that are in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (6) Thus says the LORD: those who uphold Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her strength shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall in her by the sword (oracle of the Lord GOD. (7) And they shall be desolate in the midst of lands that are desolate, and her cities i...

30:4 Ethiopia, (a-14) Cush....