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A Lament for Egypt
Ezekiel 30:1–19 is a lament that announces judgement on Egypt. With wailing language, repeated place names, and vivid images, the poem shows that Egypt’s strength, supporters, rulers, and idols will not endure before Yahweh.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
Yahweh gives Ezekiel a message to speak as a lament. The passage stays centred on Egypt, nearby peoples, and a series of Egyptian locations. It speaks of sword, desolation, fear, captivity, and fire, and twice says these acts will lead people to know that Yahweh is Yahweh.
Ezekiel 30:1–19Main takeaway
This lament teaches that Yahweh will bring down Egypt’s pride, allies, rulers, idols, and cities so that his identity is known.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A cry over Yahweh’s near dayThe passage opens with a command to lament: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’” The reason is that “Yahweh’s day is near”.
Explanation
The passage opens with a command to lament: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’” The reason is that “Yahweh’s day is near”. It is described as “a day of clouds” and “a time of the nations”. This is not a general song of sadness. It is a warning that a decisive day of judgement is approaching.
02Egypt and her supporters will fallThe poem then names the effect of that day. A sword comes on Egypt, anguish spreads, the slain fall, and her foundations are broken down.
Explanation
The poem then names the effect of that day. A sword comes on Egypt, anguish spreads, the slain fall, and her foundations are broken down. Other peoples linked with Egypt are listed as falling with her. Even those who uphold Egypt will collapse, and “the pride of her power” will come down.
03Desolation, fire, and fear spread outwardEgypt’s cities are pictured among wasted cities, showing thorough desolation. Yahweh says this judgement will reveal who he is: “They will know that I am Yahweh”.
Explanation
Egypt’s cities are pictured among wasted cities, showing thorough desolation. Yahweh says this judgement will reveal who he is: “They will know that I am Yahweh”. Fire in Egypt and the destruction of helpers are part of that. Messengers travelling in ships will also frighten careless Ethiopians, because Egypt’s day is coming.
04Babylon’s attack and Yahweh’s direct actsYahweh says the multitude of Egypt will cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his people.
Explanation
Yahweh says the multitude of Egypt will cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his people. They will destroy the land with the sword. Yet Yahweh also speaks directly of his own acts: he will dry the rivers, hand the land to evil men and foreigners, and make it desolate. The verse ends with his authority: “I, Yahweh, have spoken it.”
05Idols, rulers, and cities face judgementThe lament becomes very specific. Yahweh will destroy idols and images from Memphis. He says there will be no more a prince from Egypt, and fear will fill the land.
Explanation
The lament becomes very specific. Yahweh will destroy idols and images from Memphis. He says there will be no more a prince from Egypt, and fear will fill the land. Pathros, Zoan, No, Sin, Aven, Pibeseth, and Tehaphnehes are named for fire, anguish, sword, captivity, and broken power. The result is: “they will know that I am Yahweh.”
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does the opening of the poem show that this is a lament about a coming day of judgement?
Look at the command to “Wail”, the cry “Alas for the day!”, and the description of a near day of clouds and a time of the nations.
02What does the passage say will happen not only to Egypt, but also to those connected with her?
Notice the listed peoples who fall with Egypt and the statement that those who uphold Egypt will also fall.
03Which details show that Yahweh’s judgement reaches Egypt’s land, worship, leadership, and cities?
Gather the lines about drying the rivers, destroying idols and images, removing a prince, and naming places such as Pathros, Zoan, and No for judgement.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 30:1–19
1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying,
2“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
3For the day is near, even Yahweh’s day is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations.
4A sword will come on Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia, when the slain fall in Egypt. They take away her multitude, and her foundations are broken down.
5“ ‘ “Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mixed people, Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, will fall with them by the sword.”
6“ ‘Yahweh says: “They also who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her power will come down. They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,” says the Lord Yahweh.
7“They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted.
8They will know that I am Yahweh 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. There will be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.”
10“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
12I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men. I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of foreigners. I, Yahweh, have spoken it.”
13“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis. There will be no more a prince from the land of Egypt. I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
14I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments on No.
15I will pour my wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt. I will cut off the multitude of No.
16I will set a fire in Egypt Sin will be in great anguish. No will be broken up. Memphis will have adversaries in the daytime.
17The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword. They will go into captivity.
18At Tehaphnehes also the day will withdraw itself, when I break the yokes of Egypt there. The pride of her power will cease in her. As for her, a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.
19Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”