Keraia
Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel 30:9

A Lament for Egypt · Ezekiel 30:1–19
Read Ezekiel 30

Translations

Modern
On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten Cush out of complacency. Anguish will come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For it is indeed coming.
Traditional
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.
Literal
On that day messengers will go forth from before My face in ships, to make tremble the confident Cush, and there will be anguish among them, as on the day of Egypt, for behold, it is coming!
Latin
In die illa egredientur nuntii a facie mea in trieribus ad conterendam Æthiopiæ confidentiam: et erit pavor in eis in die Ægypti, quia absque dubio veniet.

Original

Hebrew
English
On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten Cush out of complacency. Anguish will come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For it is indeed coming.

Notes

Ezekiel 30:1–19

This third message against Egypt is written as a lament (a poem of sorrow). It repeats much of the earlier message in Ezekiel 29:1–16.

God would judge Egypt and its allies. The nation would fall under his judgment.

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

Places

Cush: Ancient region in Africa; associated with Egypt and Babylon Egypt: Ancient nation; Israelites enslaved there; plagues and Exodus

Glossary

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

Topics

Ethiopia: Desolation of