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Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel 30:24

Pharaoh’s Power Broken · Ezekiel 30:20–26
Read Ezekiel 30

Translations

Modern
I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, who will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.
Traditional
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.
Literal
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will put My sword in his hand. And I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan the groans of a wounded one before him.
Latin
Et confortabo brachia regis Babylonis, daboque gladium meum in manu ejus, et confringam brachia Pharaonis, et gement gemitibus interfecti coram facie ejus.

Original

Hebrew
English
I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, who will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.

Notes

Ezekiel 30:24–26

While weakening Pharaoh (Ezekiel 30:22), the Lord would strengthen the arms of Babylon's king, making the contest even more uneven. The Lord controlled the fate of the upcoming battle between the superpowers and had already decided its outcome. Nebuchadnezzar fought the Egyptians several times, ending with victory in 567 BC.

Ezekiel 30:20–26a

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

Ezekiel 30:20–26b

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.

Ezekiel 29:1–32:32

  • 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).

Ezekiel 25:1–32:32

  • 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.

Theme notes and profiles

Messages Against the Nations

Events

People

Hophra: Pharaoh during Jeremiah's time

Places

Babylon: Ancient Mesopotamian city, capital of Babylonian Empire, site of the Tower of Babel

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Ezekiel, Book of Hophra Lord Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar

Topics

Egypt: Prophecies Respecting: Destruction of Its Power Pharaoh: Pharaoh-Hophra: Prophecies Concerning