Book of Ezekiel 30:13–18 in an English manuscript from the early 13th century, MS. Bodl. Or. 62, fol. 59a. A
Latin translation appears in the margins with further interlineations above the
Hebrew.
Ezekiel 30 is the thirtieth chapter of the
Book of Ezekiel in the
Hebrew Bible or the
Old Testament of the
ChristianBible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the
prophet/
priestEzekiel, and is one of the
Books of the Prophets.[1] Biblical commentator Susan Galambush observes that
Chapters 29–
32 contain seven oracles against
Egypt, balancing the seven oracles against Israel's smaller neighbors in
chapters 25–
28.[2]Andrew Davidson divides this chapter into two prophecies, "the first of which, verses 1-19, in all probability belongs to the same date as
Ezekiel 29:1–16, that is, about seven months before the fall of
Jerusalem; and the second, verses 20-26, is dated four months before the capture of the city".[3]
This group of verses records the oracle of YHWH's judgement on Egypt in three sections:[7]
Verses 1–5: YHWH announces that the day of YHWH (cf.
Ezekiel 7:10) has come for Egypt, as his
sword will be unsheathed and Egypt will be utterly destroyed.
Verses 6–12, the oracle's central section: describes King
Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon (verse 10) as the instrument by which YHWH devastates Egypt.
Verses 13–19, final section: lists the cities to be vanquished during a successful military campaign, presenting YHWH as the "Divine Warrior" who conquers them (in the manner of ancient Near Eastern monarchs publishing their conquest list).[7]
Verse 2
"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord God:
Pharaoh's broken arm and Nebuchadrezzar's strong arm (30:20–26)
In the second oracle, recorded in this section, YHWH repeats his condemnations of Pharaoh (cf.
chapter 29) and his announcement of placing 'his own divine sword in
Nebuchadnezzar's hand' (cf.
30:10—11;
chapter 21). The date of this oracle (verse 20), as also stated in
Ezekiel 29:1, places the arrival of this prophecy after Apries's withdrawal from Jerusalem, where YHWH claims to have already broken one of Pharaoh's arms and would soon 'shatter the other', while in contrast YHwH would strengthen Nebuchadnezzar's arms with YHWH's own sword, so all nations would 'acknowledge the sovereignty of YHWH'.[7]
Verse 20
And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,[14]
The date corresponds to April 29, 587 BCE, based on an analysis by German theologian Bernhard Lang.[15]
Verse 21
"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt;
and see, it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a splint put on to bind it,
"Pharaoh" (Hebrew: פרעה par-‘ōh; Egyptian: pr-±o, "great house"; Greek: Φαραω, Pharao): the title of ancient Egyptian kings, of royal court, and (in new kingdom) of the king, until the Persian invasion.[17][18]
Brown, Francis; Briggs, Charles A.; Driver, S. R. (1994). The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (reprint ed.). Hendrickson Publishers.
ISBN978-1565632066.
Gesenius, H. W. F. (1979). Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures: Numerically Coded to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, with an English Index. Translated by Tregelles, Samuel Prideaux (7th ed.). Baker Book House.
Kee, Howard Clark; Meyers, Eric M.; Rogerson, John; Levine, Amy-Jill; Saldarini, Anthony J. (2008). Chilton, Bruce (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to the Bible (2, revised ed.). Cambridge University Press.
ISBN9780521691406.