A NEW word from Jehovah with regard to Egypt, undated, is comprised in the first and major portion of this chapter. It begins (verses 2 to 9) with a short reference to the still future day of the Lord (day of Jehovah) introducing the Millennium with terrible judgments. Of that day the prophet Isaiah, and the Psalms have told much, and Ezekiel’s later chapters contribute to the accounts of it which God’s word contains.
“Howl ye; Alas for the day! For the day is at hand, yea, the day of Jehovah is at hand, a day of clouds; it shall be the time of the nations” (verses 2 and 3, N. T.). Unparalleled blessing will be poured upon this earth, but this cannot be until after the judgment of those living-on it, the Church of God meanwhile having been removed to heavenly glory.
Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, the mingled people, and Chub are named together with Egypt as chief, as to be visited heavily in that day. Libya and Lydia are west of Egypt, and the ancient-Ethiopia covered much more territory than the present country of that name. Chub has not been identified, but as the others named belong to northern Africa it is thought to be another of Egypt’s neighbors. The “men of the land that is in league” (or land of the covenant), would seem to be Jews then living in Egypt.
Verses 10 to 26 take up the conquest by Nebuchadnezzar already spoken of in chapter 29. The land was to be filled with the slain, made utterly desolate (verse 12); the idols and images were to be destroyed; not again should there be a prince out of the land of Egypt; instead, God would put fear in the land (verse 13).
The principal cities of Egypt are, one by one, spoken of as to fall under the judgment of God,—places of renown in their day, but in ruins if found at all today. First named is Noph, or Memphis, which is believed to have been not far south of the present city of Cairo; it and Zoan were one-time capitals of Egypt, and Zoan, close to the Mediterranean Sea, was the place where Moses and Aaron met the Pharaoh of their day and performed miracles (Psalm 78:12, 4812Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. (Psalm 78:12)
48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. (Psalm 78:48)).
No, or Thebes, was a noted place, built on both banks of the Nile in southern Egypt; its massive ruins remain to this day. Sin, or Pelusium, called the strength or stronghold of Egypt (verse 15), is believed to have been near one of the mouths of the Nile. Aven, or On (Heliopolis) was some distance north of Cairo; Joseph was given as wife a daughter of Potipherah, priest of On (Genesis 41:4545And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:45)). It at one time was the capital of Lower Egypt; Pibeseth, or Bubastis, in the Nile delta was another place of grandeur; its ruins remain; here also was a capital city of Lower Egypt.
Tehaphnehes was the place to which the Jews in Palestine fled, taking Jeremiah, with them (Jeremiah 43). Pharaoh had a house there, and Nebuchadnezzar was to set his own throne in the place in the conquest of the country (Jeremiah 43:8-108Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; 10And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. (Jeremiah 43:8‑10)). The damage inflicted on the cities of ancient Egypt under Nebuchadnezzar was never recovered from. That there were other, later conquerors of the country is well-known, but God’s judgment upon it was initially wrought by the king of Babylon; then it was that the pride of her strength ceased in her (verse 18).
The date of the word of Jehovah to Ezekiel which occupies verses 20 to 26 is a few months before the Babylonian besiegers broke down the defenses of Jerusalem and put many of the inhabitants to death (Jeremiah 39 and 52). Shortly Jerusalem itself was a ruin, fire and pillage having removed all that remained that belonged to the glory of Solomon’s reign. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies were then free to attack Egypt, only that the siege of Tyre, which held out a strong resistance for thirteen years, delayed the opening of the war against the southern kingdom. The last seven verses give promise of what was in due time accomplished by Nebuchadnezzar, wielding the sword of Jehovah, and already Egypt’s ruler could anticipate that end to his power which lay only a few years distant.
ML-12/29/1935