Ezekiel 30:21

broken the arm of Pharaoh: The Lord had already weakened the Egyptians' power when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Hophra (see Jeremiah 37:5–11). If Hophra had succeeded, Jerusalem would have had temporary relief.

Now, all hope for help from Egypt was gone. There was no chance for the broken arm to heal or even be temporarily supported, so Pharaoh could not protect Jerusalem. Egypt would be completely helpless, unable to wield a sword as it awaited its final defeat.

This fourth message shows that God had already begun to act against Egypt.

Jerusalem was under attack by Babylon. Some people hoped that Egypt would help Jerusalem. God said this would not happen. Egypt could not save them.

• The seventh and final message of judgment against the nations targets Egypt, an old enemy and ally of Israel. This message is the longest and, like the one against Tyre, it addresses both Egypt and its ruler.

• Egypt often tempted Israel and Judah to turn away from their loyalty to the Lord. Soon after leaving Egypt, Israel fell into the trap of Egypt's idolatry. Egypt led Judah to rely on chariots and horses instead of the Lord, but Egypt was unreliable when it mattered most. The Lord judged Egypt for leading his people astray (compare Luke 17:1–2).

• This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

• One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.