1 The LORD’s word came again to me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy, and say, thus says the Lord GOD: Wail, Alas for the day! 3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations. 4 A sword shall come on Egypt, and anguish shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. 5 Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all the mixed people, and Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, shall fall with them by the sword. 6 The LORD says: they also who uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: they shall fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh, says the Lord GOD. 7 They shall be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate; and her cities shall be in the middle of the cities that are wasted. 8 They shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed. 9 In that day messengers will go out from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; and there shall be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes. 10 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 11 He and his people with him, the 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. 12 I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, the LORD, have spoken it. 13 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis; and there shall be no more a prince from the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. 14 I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgements on No. 15 I will pour my wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. 16 I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be broken up; and Memphis shall have adversaries in the daytime. 17 The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and they shall go into captivity. 18 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. 19 Thus will I execute judgements on Egypt; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying, 21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians amongst the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. 24 I 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 shall groan before him with the groaning of a mortally wounded man. 25 I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out on the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians amongst the nations, and disperse them through the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, 1706
Verses 1-19
The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is very full. Those who take their lot with God’s enemies, shall be with them in punishment. The king of Babylon and his army shall be instruments of this destruction. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another. No place in the land of Egypt shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans. The Lord is known by the judgments he executes. Yet these are only present effects of the Divine displeasure, not worthy of our fear, compared with the wrath to come, from which Jesus delivers his people.
Verses 20-26
Egypt shall grow weaker and weaker. If lesser judgments do not prevail to humble and reform sinners, God will send greater. God justly breaks that power which is abused, either to put wrongs upon people, or to put cheats upon them. Babylon shall grow stronger. In vain do men endeavour to bind up the arm the Lord is pleased to break, and to strengthen those whom he will bring down. Those who disregard the discoveries of his truth and mercy, shall know his power and justice, in the punishment for their sins.