EZEKIEL 30
Lamentation for Egypt
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:
Wail, “Alas for the day!”
3For a day is near,
the day of the LORD is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
a time of dooma for the nations.
4A sword shall come upon Egypt,
and anguish shall be in Ethiopia,b
when the slain fall in Egypt,
and its wealth is carried away,
and its foundations are torn down.
5Ethiopia,c and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya,d and the people of the allied lande shall fall with them by the sword.
6Thus says the LORD:
Those who support Egypt shall fall,
and its proud might shall come down;
from Migdol to Syene
they shall fall within it by the sword,
says the Lord GOD.
7They shall be desolated among other desolated countries,
and their cities shall lie among cities laid waste.
8Then they shall know that I am the LORD,
when I have set fire to Egypt,
and all who help it are broken.
9On that day, messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians;f and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom;g for it is coming!
10Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,
by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.
11He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations,
shall be brought in to destroy the land;
and they shall draw their swords against Egypt,
and fill the land with the slain.
12I will dry up the channels,
and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers;
I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it
by the hand of foreigners;
I the LORD have spoken.
13Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will destroy the idols
and put an end to the images in Memphis;
there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;
so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14I will make Pathros a desolation,
and will set fire to Zoan,
and will execute acts of judgment on Thebes.
15I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and cut off the hordes of Thebes.
16I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium shall be in great agony;
Thebes shall be breached,
and Memphis face adversaries by day.
17The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword;
and the cities themselvesh shall go into captivity.
18At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark,
when I break there the dominion of Egypt,
and its proud might shall come to an end;
the cityi shall be covered by a cloud,
and its daughter-towns shall go into captivity.
19Thus I will execute acts of judgment on Egypt.
Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
Proclamation against Pharaoh
20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 21Mortal, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. 22Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands. 24I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him with the groans of one mortally wounded. 25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall stretch it out against the land of Egypt, 26and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
next chapter
* * *
a Heb lacks of doom
b Or Nubia; Heb Cush
c Or Nubia; Heb Cush
d Compare Gk Syr Vg: Heb Cub
e Meaning of Heb uncertain
f Or Nubians; Heb Cush
g Heb the day of Egypt
h Heb and they
i Heb she
30.1–19 The third, and undated, pronouncement, which is itself made up of several distinct utterances (vv. 2–9, 10–12, 13–19).
30.2–9 By commencing with Wail, a plural imperative, the prophet admonishes his audience to begin lamenting the destruction of Egypt.
30.3 The day of the LORD. Cf. other prophetic texts in which God’s day is one of doom and destruction (Am 5.18; Zeph 1.14–18). A day of clouds, one in which the darkness of God’s day is envisioned (Joel 2.2; Zeph 1.15).
30.4 Ethiopia, here understood to be part of Egypt, as in Isa 20.3, 5.
30.5 With the exception of all Arabia and the people of the allied land, the other four names rhyme in Hebrew. On Put, Lud, see note on 27.10–11. Them, i.e., the Egyptians. The destruction will be so vast that it affects peoples far and near.
30.6 The key word fall (vv. 4, 5) is repeated, but now it is Egypt’s allies who will fall, perhaps those identified in v. 5.
30.9 As with v. 5, this prose verse appears intrusive; and both verses emphasize that nations other than Egypt will be affected on this terrible day. The Hebrew does not include doom. Cf. Isa 18.2, which also refers to divine emissaries arriving via ship.
30.10–12 Again (29.18–20), Ezekiel identifies Nebuchadrezzar (see note on 26.7) as the one designated by God, i.e., Nebuchadnezzar is to be brought in to destroy Egypt; cf. 26.7–14.
30.12 I, God, the ultimate author of Egypt’s destruction. The drying up of the Nile and sale of Egyptian land are new motifs.
30.13–19 Ezekiel cites various place-names to make God’s judgment geographically specific. The forms of destruction remain general. Moreover, there is no apparent order to the listings. Many of the cities were associated with specific gods, e.g., On (v. 17) with Re-Atum, Pi-beseth (v. 17) with Bastis. Apart from v. 13, there are no overt religious polemics.
30.13 Memphis, about fifteen miles south of Cairo, the early capital and largest city in Egypt during most of its history. Both religious images (though the words for idols and images are uncertain and may refer to humans) and leaders (a prince) will be destroyed.
30.14 Pathros, or “land of Pathros” (so reads the Greek manuscript tradition); see note on 29.14. Zoan, a city (probably Avaris, Greek Tanis) in the eastern Nile Delta. Thebes, the capital of Egypt during much of its history, located in Middle Egypt.
30.15 Pelusium, near Zoan in the northeast Delta.
30.17 On, Heliopolis, only six miles northeast of Cairo. Pi-beseth, Bubastis, in the eastern Delta.
30.18 Tehaphnehes, near the northern shore of the Suez Gulf.
30.20–26 The fourth pronouncement. The date in v. 20 is April 29, 587 BCE (see note on 1.2).
30.21 The bodily imagery probably refers to a military defeat of Hophra by Nebuchadnezzar, when the pharaoh came to Judah’s aid during the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Jer 37.5). The defeat probably occurred in 588 BCE.
30.23–24 The historical allusion sets the stage for an announcement that both Hophra’s arms will be broken, an act that symbolizes total defeat for Egypt (mortally wounded). In other “arm” imagery, God will strengthen Nebuchadnezzar’s arms.
30.26 Cf. 29.12.
EZEKIEL 31
The Lofty Cedar
1In the eleve
nth year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
Whom are you like in your greatness?
3Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,
with fair branches and forest shade,
and of great height,
its top among the clouds.a
4The waters nourished it,
the deep made it grow tall,
making its rivers flowb
around the place it was planted,
sending forth its streams
to all the trees of the field.
5So it towered high
above all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large
and its branches long,
from abundant water in its shoots.
6All the birds of the air
made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the animals of the field
gave birth to their young;
and in its shade
all great nations lived.
7It was beautiful in its greatness,
in the length of its branches;
for its roots went down
to abundant water.
8The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it,
nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing
compared with its branches;
no tree in the garden of God
was like it in beauty.
9I made it beautiful
with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
that were in the garden of God.
10Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because itc towered high and set its top among the clouds,d and its heart was proud of its height, 11I gave it into the hand of the prince of the nations; he has dealt with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. 12Foreigners from the most terrible of the nations have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs lie broken in all the water-courses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth went away from its shade and left it.
13On its fallen trunk settle
all the birds of the air,
and among its boughs lodge
all the wild animals.
14All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to lofty height or set their tops among the clouds,e and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height.
For all of them are handed over
to death, to the world below;
along with all mortals,
with those who go down to the Pit.
15Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day it went down to Sheol I closed the deep over it and covered it; I restrained its rivers, and its mighty waters were checked. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. 16I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that were well watered, were consoled in the world below. 17They also went down to Sheol with it, to those killed by the sword, along with its allies,f those who lived in its shade among the nations.
18Which among the trees of Eden was like you in glory and in greatness? Now you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below; you shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his horde, says the Lord GOD.
next chapter
* * *
a Gk: Heb thick boughs
b Gk: Heb rivers going
c Syr Vg: Heb you
d Gk: Heb thick boughs
e Gk: Heb thick boughs
f Heb its arms
31.1–18 The fifth pronouncement. The date in v. 1 is June 21, 587 BCE (see note on 1.2). This pronouncement utilizes the imagery of a cedar from Lebanon in a poem (vv. 2b–9), and two interpretations (vv. 10–14, 15–18). As with the first pronouncement, the fifth is directed to Pharaoh (vv. 2, 18), though apart from these verses there is no explicit reference to Egypt.
31.2 Cf. the analogous question in v. 18.
31.3 Consider Assyria. Cf. “Behold I will liken you” (RSV). However, the word translated Assyria may result from a scribal error in a word meaning “cypress.” The tree is greater than life; some have termed it a cosmic or world tree, with its top in the clouds (cf. Gen 11.4) and its roots in the primeval deep. Cf. 17.23; Dan 4; Mk 4.32; and the tree of life, Gen 2–3.
31.4 The deep. See Gen 1.2; 7.11;8.2; 49.25; Deut 33.13; Isa 51.9–11. The tree is so important that the poet may speak of its rivers.
31.5 Towered and branches present Aramaic spellings.
31.6 All the birds, all the animals, all great nations. The poet uses hyperbole to reinforce the cosmic scale of this tree. It provides protection for birthing and living; cf. 17.23.
31.7 Beautiful in its greatness. Cf. Gen 3.6 for a tree that was “a delight to the eyes.”
31.8–9 A new tone of rivalry and envy between the great tree and the cedars in the garden of God. This element suggests the great tree was not located in the Garden; see v. 18. Moreover, 17.23 speaks of a tree being planted on the mountain of God. Plane trees, perhaps a form of pine; cf. Isa 41.19.
31.9 God is the explicit creator of this tree.
31.10–14 Indictment and sentence passed.
31.10 The tree (“you” in the Hebrew, though other manuscript traditions read it) took inappropriate pride in its stature. Cf. 28.17 for similar language applied to the king of Tyre.
31.11 The prince of the nations, lit. “a ram,” which probably refers to Nebuchadnezzar.
31.12 Foreigners, the Neo-Babylonians, cut down the tree, leaving both timber and detritus.
31.13 Ironically, the tree still appears to provide shelter for birds and animals, though people have left (v. 12). All taint of civilization has disappeared.
31.14 An almost sermonic conclusion for the benefit of other “trees.”
31.14b Related to vv. 15–18.
31.15–18 Fate in the underworld; cf. 26.19–21; 28.8; 32.17–32.
31.15–16 I closed the deep over it and covered it. Cf. “I will make the deep mourn for it” (the Greek manuscript tradition and the RSV). The tree, as would a person, descends into Sheol, the netherworld (see also 32.21, 27), which could be viewed as a watery abyss. God controls the watery powers (cf. Gen 8.2). Whereas the trees of the field fainted, the trees of Eden apparently are also in Sheol and are comforted, since they share the same fate as that of the great tree.
31.17 Hebrew text is problematic here.
31.18 The question now asks the pharaoh for a comparison with the trees of Eden; cf. 28.10 on the motif of the uncircumcised.
EZEKIEL 32
Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt
1In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:
You consider yourself a lion among the nations,
but you are like a dragon in the seas;
you thrash about in your streams,
trouble the water with your feet,
and foul youra streams.
3Thus says the Lord GOD:
In an assembly of many peoples
I will throw my net over you;
and Ib will haul you up in my dragnet.
4I will throw you on the ground,
on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the air to settle on you,
and I will let the wild animals of the whole earth gorge themselves with you.
5I will strew your flesh on the mountains,
and fill the valleys with your carcass.c
6I will drench the land with your flowing blood
up to the mountains,
and the watercourses will be filled with you.
7When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens,
and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon shall not give its light.
8All the shining lights of the heavens
I will darken above you,
and put darkness on your land,
says the Lord GOD.
9I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,
as I carry you captived among the nations,
into countries you have not known.
10I will make many peoples appalled at you;
their kings shall shudder because of you.
When I brandish my sword before them,
they shall tremble every moment
for their lives, each one of them,
on the day of your downfall.
11For thus says the Lord GOD:
The sword of the king of Babylon shall come against you.
12I will cause your hordes to fall
by the swords of mighty ones,
all of them most terrible among the nations.
They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
and all its hordes shall perish.
13I will destroy all its livestock
from beside abundant waters;
and no human foot shall trouble them any more,
nor shall the hoofs of cattle trouble them.
14Then I will make their waters clear,
and cause their streams to run like oil, says the Lord GOD.
15When I make the land of Egypt desolate
and when the land is stripped of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who live in it,
then they shall know that I am the LORD.
16This is a lamentation; it shall be chanted.
The women of the nations shall chant it.
Over Egypt and all its hordes they shall chant it,
says the Lord GOD.
Dirge over Egypt
17In the twelfth year, in the first month,e on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
18Mortal, wail over the hordes of Egypt,
and send them down,
HarperCollins Study Bible Page 308
