Ezekiel 48

1-35 The Tribal Portions

1-7 Portions allotted to Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Judah

8-14 Allotment for the priests, sanctuary and Levites

15-20 Allotment for the city, its dwellings and open places

21-22 Allotment for the prince, between Judah’s and Benjamin’s territories

23-29 Portions allotted to Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun and Gad

30-34 Names of the 12 gates: Reuben, Judah and Levi on the north; Joseph, Benjamin and Dan on the east; Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun on the south; Gad, Asher and Naphtali on the west. Levi and Joseph may not have received land, but at least they have gates named after them!

35 City circumference is 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.” (Transliterated: Yahweh Shahm, or Yehovah Shahm)

Ezekiel 47

1-12 Water Flowing from the Temple

1-2 The man brings Ezekiel to the front threshold where he can see water flowing from the front toward the east, from the south end toward the south.

3-6 As the man measures the water flowing toward the east, every thousand cubits, it increases from ankle-deep to knee-deep, to waist-deep, until he would have to swim to get across. And the man asks him, “Have you seen this?”

7-12 The man leads Ezekiel along the riverbank, where he sees many trees growing on both sides, and he tells Ezekiel the river will flow down to the sea, where it will cleanse stagnant water, and will provide fish; the trees will provide fruit for food and leaves for healing. Swamps and marshes will be left for salt. No such river flows from Jerusalem’s temple; this of necessity must be spiritualized, and is fulfilled in Revelation 22:1-2:

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

13-23 The New Boundaries of the Land

13-14 God dictates the boundaries by which the land will be divided among the 12 tribes, with Joseph getting two portions, as he promised the ancestors.

16-20 Delineation of northern, eastern, southern, and western boundaries

21-23 The land is to be divided among the tribes. Aliens living there must be allowed to stay and become part of the tribe where they live, also receiving the inheritance.

Ezekiel 46

1-24 Miscellaneous Regulations

1-8 Activity at the gate of inner court facing east:

• Opened only on the sabbath, remains open all day
• Entrance and exit for the prince to offer his sabbath sacrifices: 6 lambs, ram, grain, oil, same on new moon
• The people bow down at that gate on sabbaths and new moons

9-10 If people enter by north gate, they must exit at south gate and vice versa, and the prince must accompany them.

11-12 For festivals, offering is an ephah of grain with the animal sacrifices, again at the east gate for the prince, which is closed after he leaves.

13-15 He is to offer a lamb, with grain and oil every morning

16-18 The prince’s sons keep any gift the prince makes out of his inheritance, while servants must return such gifts to the prince when they are freed.

19-20 The man brings Ezekiel through the gate to the north row of holy chambers, where the priests will boil the guilt and sin offerings and bake the grain offering, and not bring them into the outer court “and so communicate holiness to the people.” This is a curious concept. It is similar to 44:19, where the priests have to take off their priestly garments before going outside. Those offering the sacrifice ate peace offerings, but these were to be eaten only by the priests, those dedicated to God’s service.

21-24 The man brings Ezekiel to the outer court, where in each corner are small courts – 40 by 30 cubits – with hearths, where those who serve the temple boil the people’s sacrifices [peace offerings]. See Leviticus 7:28-34, where the breast and right thigh are given to the priests, but apparently the offerer retains the rest.

Ezekiel 45

1-9 The Holy District

1-5 An area of 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide is to be set aside for a holy district, with a plot of 500 by 500 cubits for the sanctuary. Half the district (25,000 by 10,000) will be for the sanctuary and the priests and their houses, and the other half for the Levites who minister at the temple.

6 Beside this area will be another portion of 25,000 cubits by 5,000 that will belong to the whole house of Israel.

7-9 The prince will own the land around the holy district. He shall not interfere with the land that belongs to the tribes. His princes are to stop oppressing the people and evicting them from their tribal lands.

10-12 Weights and Measures

You shall have a standard measure for an ephah (1/10 homer), a bath (1/10 homer), the homer, the shekel (20 gerahs). A mina is a 20-shekel piece plus a 25-shekel piece plus a 15-shekel piece, or 60 shekels.According to commentator John Gill, an ephah was for measuring dry goods, a bath for liquid.

13-17 Offerings

13-16 All people, with the prince, are to give 1/6 ephah from each homer of wheat and barley, 1/10 bath from each cor (which is 10 baths), 1 sheep from every 200 – for grain, burnt and peace offerings.

17 The prince shall offer burnt, grain and drink offerings at festivals, new moons and sabbaths on behalf of all the people.

18-25 Festivals

18-20 1st month, 1st day – offer unblemished bull whose blood the priest will put on temple doorposts, altar and inner court. 1st month, 7th day – the same for one who sins out of ignorance, to atone for the temple.

21-25 1st month, 14th day – Passover and 7 days of unleavened bread. The prince shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and each day for 7 days 7 young bulls and 7 rams and a male goat for sin offering, grain offering of an ephah and hin of oil for each bull and ram.

25 7th month, 15th day, and for 7 days, the same provisions for sin, burnt and grain offerings and oil.

Ezekiel 44

Continuation of the Vision of the Temple

1-3 The Closed Gate

1 The man brings Ezekiel to the outer gate that faces east, which is shut.

2-3 It shall remain shut, because it is the LORD’s entrance, although the prince may sit in the gate to eat, entering and exiting through the vestibule.

4-14 Admission to the Temple

4 He brings Ezekiel to the north gate, and Ezekiel sees that the glory of the LORD has filled the temple, and he falls on his face.

5-8 God tells him to look and listen well: No one who is a foreigner is to enter the temple; they profane it.

9-14 The Levites who have gone astray, pursuing their idols instead of me, shall serve in the sanctuary, overseeing the gates, slaughtering and serving burnt offerings, but they will not serve as priests, only take care of the temple.

15-31 The Levitical Priests

15-16 Only the descendants of Zadok the priest can offer the fat and the blood or enter the sanctuary, for they were faithful when others when astray.

17-27 Instructions regarding the levitical priests:

• Linen, not wool, apparel, which shall remain in the inner court.
• No shaving of their heads or letting their locks grow long, only trimming
• No wine
• Can marry only a virgin, not a divorced or widowed woman
• Will teach the people the difference between the holy and the common, clean and unclean
• Will act as judges in controversies
• Will follow my laws regarding festivals and sabbaths
• Shall not defile themselves by going near a dead person unless it is a parent, child, brother or unmarried sister. Then they must cleanse themselves, wait 7 days and then offer a sin offering before serving again. A married sister is apparently thought of as a member of another family and therefore not his responsibility.

28-31 I am their inheritance. They shall own no land, eat the grain, sin and guilt offerings, all devoted things, receive the first fruits of all things. They shall not eat anything that died of itself or was torn by animals.

Ezekiel 43

1-12 The Divine Glory Return to the Temple

1-5 The man brings Ezekiel to the gate facing the east, where he sees “the glory of the God of Israel” coming with power, a vision like he had seen by the river Chebar. It lifted Ezekiel up and took him into the inner court of the temple.

6-9 While the man stood beside Ezekiel, he heard a voice coming out of the temple: Mortal, this is my throne. Israel shall no longer defile my name. Let them put away their idolatry, and I will reside with them forever.

10-12 Mortal, describe the temple to Israel, and when they become ashamed, describe the details to them, so they will follow the plan. This is the law of the temple: the whole territory around it shall be holy.

13-27 The Altar

13-17 Measurements of the altar base, hearth and ledge

18-21 Instructions for dedicating the altar: On the day it is erected, the levitical priests of Zadok’s family will offer a bull for a sin offering.

22-27 On the second day: a male goat, bull and ram, and for seven days a daily offering of a goat, bull and ram, all without blemish. After that God will accept the people’s burnt offerings and offerings of well-being [peace offerings in other translations].

Ezekiel 42

1-20 The Holy Chambers and the Outer Wall

1-10a The man leads Ezekiel to the outer court, to chambers opposite the temple yard and building on the north and measures the building, with three stories of chambers, passageway and outer court.

10b-12 Description of chambers on the south, similar to those on the north, and the entrances.

13-14 The man explains to Ezekiel that the north and south chambers are where the priests will eat the grain, sin and guilt offerings. They will change their garments before they leave the holy place to go to the outer court, the area open to the people.

15-20 He finishes measuring the temple then leads Ezekiel out of the gate and measures the outside of the temple area, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits wide, “to make a separation between the holy and the common.”

Ezekiel 41

1-26 Continuation of Temple Description

1-4 Next the man measures the pilasters, entrance, nave, and the inner room (the most holy place). A pilaster is “a rectangular column with a capital and base, projecting only slightly from a wall as an ornamental motif.”

5-11 Next, the wall, with a measurement and description of the side chambers (three stories, 30 in each story), chamber supports, passageway, stairways, raised platform, foundations, outer wall and doors from the chambers into the temple.

12-15 Then he measures the building facing the temple yard on the west, the temple, the temple yard, and the building facing the yard at the west.

16-20 Description of the nave, inner room and outer vestibule – paneled with windows, with a pattern of cherubim and palm trees on the walls.

21-26 Next he describes the doorposts of the nave, an altar in front of the holy place, the double doors of the nave and holy place, the carving of cherubims and palm trees on the doors, a canopy of wood, and recessed windows and palm trees on the side walls of the vestibule.

Ezekiel 40

1-47 Vision of the New Temple

1-2 In the 25th year, 1st month, 10th day of exile – 14 years after Jerusalem was destroyed (13 years since Ezekiel’s prophecy in 33:21), God takes Ezekiel in a vision to a high mountain in Israel.

3-4 There he sees a man, with shining appearance, linen cord and measuring reed, who tells him to look and listen carefully, for what he sees he must declare to Israel.

5-16 Holding the reed, which is 6 long cubits long (a long cubit is a handbreadth more than a cubit), the man measures

• the thickness and height of the wall (1 each)
• the threshold (1)
• recesses (1 wide, and 1 deep)
• space between the recesses (5)
• and so on to the rest of the inner court: the vestibule, other recesses, the gateway opening, a barrier, the gate
• description of windows and shutters

17-23 Measurement and description of the outer court and gate to the outer court

24-27 Measurement and description of the south gate

28-37 Measurement and description of the south, east, and north gates of the inner court

38-34 Description and measurements of furniture in a chamber in the vestibule of the north gate: where sacrifices were to be prepared

44-47 Description and measurement of chambers for singers and priests

48-49 The Temple

48-49 The man takes Ezekiel inside the temple, measuring the gate, vestibule and steps leading up to it.

Ezekiel 39

1-10 Gog’s Armies Destroyed

1-6 Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog: I will lead you against the mountains of Israel, then disarm you, and you and your troops and everyone with you will fall, to be devoured by birds of prey and wild animals. Then I will send fire on Magog and on those who live “securely” on the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

7-8 My holy name shall no longer be profaned; the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. This is the day I have prophesied.

9-10 The people of Israel will not need to gather wood from the forests for seven years, because they will have the enemies’ weapons to burn instead. The number seven here is probably a symbol of completion – no trace of the enemies’ weapons will be left.

11-20 The Burial of Gog

11-16 For seven months the people of Israel will bury Gog and his horde in a valley east of the sea, and it will bring them honor. They will search for the bones and mark them when they find them so that eventually the whole land will be cleansed of the bones. Another “seven.” No trace of the bodies of the enemies will be left.

17-20 Ezekiel is to call birds and animals in to feed on the carcasses, a “great sacrificial feast” on the mountains, where they will eat the flesh of the mighty.

21-29 Israel Restored to the Land

21-24 The house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God, and the nations will know that I hid my face from Israel because of their iniquity. Knowing that “I am the LORD” and “the LORD their God” have different connotations. “I am the LORD” promises power; “the LORD their God” promises protection and mercy.

25-29 Now I will restore their fortunes and mercy on them, and they will forget their shame, and they will know that I am the LORD their God because I sent them into exile and then gathered them back again. I will never again hide my face from them.

Ezekiel 38

1-16 Invasion by Gog

1-2 Ezekiel is told to prophesy against Gog, of Magog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Magog is mentioned in Genesis 10:2 as the son of Japheth, one of the sons of Noah. Meshech and Tubal are two other sons. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown surmise that Gog is a title, like Pharaoh is of Egypt. Gog and Magog are also mentioned in Revelation 20:8 as enemies of God’s saints.

3-6 I am against you, and will put hooks in your jaws, lead you and your army out, with Persia, Ethiopia, and Put, Gomer and Beth-togarmah.

7-9 Get ready, for after many days (in latter years) you will muster and go against a people that has been gathered into its land, who now live in safety. You shall advance on them like a storm.

10-13 You will devise an evil scheme to fall upon the quiet people in unwalled villages and carry off plunder.

14-16 You will rouse and come in hordes out of the remotest parts of the north, a mighty army, like a cloud covering the earth, so that the nations may know me and see my holiness.

17-23 Judgment on Gog

17 Are you the one my prophets spoke about? Since this is to happen in the future, this could be referring back to Ezekiel, or one of the other prophecies of an unnamed enemy (Daniel 11:2; Joel 3:1-2).

18-20 On the day I will declare my blazing wrath, and the land of Israel – fish, birds, animals, creeping things, humans – will quake at my presence, and every mountain, cliff and wall shall tumble to the ground.

21-22 I will summon the sword against Gog, and will judge him with pestilence, bloodshed and torrential rains of hailstone, fire and sulfur.

23 I will display my greatness and holiness, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 37

1-14 The Valley of Dry Bones

1-3 God takes Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones. He asks Ezekiel if they live. Ezekiel answers, “O Lord GOD, you know.” I find Ezekiel’s answer humorous. He knows what’s obvious, but he also knows God can override the obvious.

4-6 God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones that he will give them life, with sinew and flesh and breath.

7-10 So Ezekiel prophesies, and he hears the noise of rattling as the bones connect, form sinew and flesh, but with no breath. On God’s command, he calls forth air from the four winds to breathe life into the bones.

11-14 These represent the people of Israel. Ezekiel is to prophesy to them to not lose hope. Just as he put life into the dry bones, so can he restore Israel, bringing them back to their land, bringing them up from their graves of captivity, putting his spirit in them. A good reminder to any of us who may tend to lose hope, either for ourselves or for others.

15-28 The Two Sticks

15-17 Ezekiel is to take two sticks and write on one, “For Judah, and the Israelites associated with it,” and on the other, “For Joseph (Ephraim) and the Israelites associated with it,” then join them together in his hand.

18-23 When the people ask what this means, tell them it symbolizes the coming together of Ephraim [the northern tribes] and Judah [the southern tribes], with one king, no more bowing to idols, saved from apostasy.

24-28 My servant David will be their king forever, and they shall obey my laws, and I will make a covenant of peace with them, bless them and multiply. Since David is long dead and is not resurrected, this must be a Messianic prophecy, describing the coming together of all people – Jew and Gentile – in his church.

Ezekiel 36

1-15 Blessing on Israel

1-7 Ezekiel is to prophesy to the mountains that because Edom desolated Israel, making her an object of gossip and slander, plundering it for her pastureland, God speaks in his jealous wrath that the nations around will also suffer insults.

8-12 But Israel will soon come home and will shoot out its branches, be multiplied, inhabit towns, and God will do more good to them than ever before. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

13-15 No longer will you devour people or bereave your nation of children, bear insults of nations, bear disgrace, nor cause your nation to stumble.

16-37 The Renewal of Israel

16-22 When Israel was on their own soil, they defiled it with the blood they shed for idols, and I scattered them among the nations. They profaned my name, because people of other nations saw they were my people, but they had had to leave my land.

22-23 So for the sake of my name – not for you – will I sanctify my name, so I will display my holiness among you, so that they will know that I am the LORD.

24-28 So I will gather you from other nations, cleanse you, give you a new heart and a new spirit, and you will follow my laws and live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people and I will be your God.

29-32 I will save you from your uncleanness, make your land abundant again, and you will be ashamed of your past ways, your shall loathe yourselves. I do not act for your sake.

33-36 When I cleanse you and inhabit your cities, passersby will admire a land that once was desolate and now looks like Eden, and the nations will know that I am the LORD.

37-38 I will let the house of Israel ask me to increase their population, like the flock during her festivals, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 35

1-15 Judgment on Mount Seir

1-2 Ezekiel to set his face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it. Mount Seir is another name for Edom, where descendants of Esau settled. See Genesis 36:1-8.

3-5 I am against you and will desolate you because you “cherished” an ancient grudge against Israel and did not come to their aid.

6-9 Because you did not hate bloodshed, it will follow you; your mountains will be filled with your slain. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

10-11 Because you wanted to take possession of two nations (Israel and Judah?) because of anger and envy, even though God was there, I will judge you.

12-15 I have heard your abuse, seen your arrogance, your rejoicing over the desolation of Israel. You shall be desolate – all Edom – and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 34

1-10 Israel’s False Shepherds

1-2 God to Ezekiel: Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: Shouldn’t shepherds feed the flock?

3-6 But you have not. Instead, you

• eat fat and wear wool, slaughtering the fatlings
• do not feed the sheep
• have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, nor sought the lost
• have ruled them with force and harshness
• have caused them to scatter over the face of the earth because they had no shepherd.

7-10 Because my sheep have become prey for wild animals, I will stop the shepherds from feeding my sheep; I will rescue my sheep from their mouths.

11-31 God, the True Shepherd

11-15 I will seek my sheep and rescue them from the places where they’ve scattered, bring them back to their own land, feed them with good pasture, make them lie down. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but will destroy the fat and the strong.

16 “I will feed them with justice.”

17-19 As for the flock I will judge between sheep and sheep, rams and goats: those who feed on good pasture and tread down the rest of the pasture; those who drink clear water and foul the rest with their feet.

20-22 I will judge between the fat and the weak – those who have butted the weak animals – and will save my flock from being ravaged.

23-24 I will give them one shepherd, David, who will feed them. I will be their God and David will be my prince. This has to refer to the promised descendant of David, the Messiah, for David had died generations before. John 10:1-18 confirms it. Verse 14 and 15 read:

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

25-29 I will

• make a covenant of peace with them and banish wild animals so they can live securely
• make them showers of blessings
• make the earth fruitful for them
• break their yokes of slavery
• rescue them from those who would devour and insult them.
• provide for them so they’ll never be hungry

30-31 They will know they are my people, the sheep of my pasture, and that I am their God.

Ezekiel 33

1-9 Ezekiel Israel’s Sentry

1-6 God to Ezekiel: If the people appoint a sentinel, and he sees a sword coming and warns the people, and people don’t heed the warning, their blood is upon their own heads. But if the sentinel doesn’t sound the warning, they will be taken away in their iniquity, but their blood is upon his head.

7-9 Mortal, I have appointed you as sentinel for Israel. You shall give them warnings from me. If you do not warn the wicked, they will die in their iniquity, but I will require their blood at your hand. If you warn them, and they refuse, they will die, but you will have saved your life.

10-20 God’s Justice and Mercy

10-16 God to Ezekiel: Tell the people who despair because of their sin that if they will turn from their evil ways, they will not die. I get no pleasure in the death of the wicked. On the other hand, the righteous cannot rely on their own righteousness to save them if they continue in sin. If the wicked turn from sin and restore what they have stolen, they shall live. I will forget their sins.

17-20 Your people say “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. When the righteous turn from their righteousness they will die; when the wicked turn from their wickedness, they will live.

21-22 The Fall of Jerusalem

21 In the 12th year, 10th month, 5th day of the month, someone who escaped from Jerusalem came to me and told me Jerusalem has fallen. This was a year and a half after the city had been destroyed, per Jamieson, Fausset and Brown.

22 The LORD had opened my mouth the evening before, so I was able to speak when the fugitive came to me. As prophesied in 24:27:

On that day your mouth shall be opened to the one who has escaped, and you shall speak and no longer be silent. So you shall be a sign to them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

23-33 The Survivors in Judah

23-24 God to Ezekiel: The inhabitants of the wasteland in Israel use Abraham as an example of just one man who came to possess a land, so with so many of them, they should be able to do the same thing.

25-26 But I say, How can you expect to possess a land when you participate in abominations: eating flesh with blood, worshiping idols, defiling your neighbor’s wife?

27-29 As I live, those who live in the wasteland will die by the sword, the mountains of Israel will become desolate. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

30-31 Mortal, the people come to you and listen to you as they would an entertainer, but they don’t heed what you tell them. When this desolation comes to pass, they will know a prophet has been among them.

Ezekiel 32

1-16 Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt

1-2a In the 12th year, 12th month, 1st day of the month, God tells Ezekiel to “raise a lamentation” over Pharaoh.(This is one year and nine months after the warning of Ezekiel 31. Because I read these chapters one day after another, I tend to see them as a continuous prophetic doom, but for Ezekiel they were months apart. While they seem repetitious as we read them, for Egypt they were simply reminders of what will happen to them as a result of their arrogance.)

2b-4 You think you are a lion, but you are a thrashing dragon, polluting your streams, and I will capture you in my net, throw you into an open field where birds will settle on you and wild animals will feast on you.

5-6 I will spread your carcass and blood over the land and the rivers

7-8 When I blot you out, the heavens – stars, sun and moon – will darken above you.

9-10 The hearts of the people around will be appalled and fearful of my sword.

11-12 Your hordes will fall under the sword of Babylon.

13-15 I will destroy livestock; streams will run like oil; the land will be desolate. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

16 This lamentation shall be chanted by women of the nations.

17-32 Dirge over Egypt

17 In the 12th year, 1st month, 15th day of the month. (The NRSV has inserted “1st month” here, though a footnote states it’s not in the original Hebrew. Other translations leave it out. So this dirge appears to be two weeks after the first half of the chapter, not nine months before.)

18-21 Compose a dirge, because Egypt, like other majestic nations before her, will be cast into oblivion (the Pit, or Sheol).

22-23 Assyria is there, with all its company around its grave, who spread terror in the land of the living.

24-25 Elam is there, bearing their shame, who spread terror in the land of the living.

26-28 Meshech and Tubal (northern nations) are there, but they do not lie with fallen warriors.

29-30 Edom and its kings and the princes of the north and all the Sidonians will be there, for all the terror they caused, lying uncircumcised, killed by the sword.

31-32 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be consoled for all his hordes.His only consolation in Sheol will be that other mighty nations are there as well.

Ezekiel 31

1-18 The Lofty Cedar

1-2a In the 11th year, 3rd month, 1st day, God tells Ezekiel to say to Pharaoh:

2b Who are you like in your greatness?

3-6 You are like Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon – rising above the clouds, nourished by much water, nourishing other trees, giving shelter to birds and shade to animals.

7-9 I made it beautiful, unrivaled, the envy of all the trees of Eden.

10-13 Because it became arrogant in its size, I gave it into the hand of “the prince of the nations,” and he cut it down so that the branches now lie in the rivers and all who were in its shade have left; the birds and animals inhabit its fallen trunk and boughs. Most of the commentators I consulted believe that “the prince of the nations” refers to Nebuchadnezzar.

14 No other nation will grow so lofty [arrogant] but will go to the world below, with mortals who go down to the Pit. Psalm 82:6-7 helps explain the last phrase.

I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince."

15-17 At its destruction, says God, I covered it over with water, restrained its rivers, clothed Lebanon in gloom, made the nations quake at the sounds of its fall, and all its allies went down with it.

18-20 Who was like you in glory? But you shall be brought down to the world below. This is Pharaoh and his horde, says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 30

1-19 Lamentation for Egypt

1-2 God tells Ezekiel to prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Alas for the day/!”

3-4 A day of clouds, doom, a sword on Egypt and anguish on Ethiopia, loss of wealth and foundations is near

5 Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia and Libya will fall with it.

6-8 Those who support Egypt will be desolated and laid waste, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

9 I will send messengers to terrify Ethiopia.

10-12 I will use Nebuchadnezzar to put an end to the hordes of Egypt, dry up the channels, sell the land to evildoers.

13 I will destroy her idols, dethrone her princes, put fear in her.

14-19 I will execute judgment on her cities: Pathros, Zoan, Thebes, Pelusium, Memphis, On, Pi-beseth, Tehaphnehes, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

20-26 Proclamation against Pharaoh

20 In the 11th year, 1st month, 7th day of the month. This vision takes place between 29:16 and 17.

21-25a I have broken the arm of Pharaoh of Egypt, and not bound it so that it would become stronger, but I have strengthened the arm of the king of Babylon.

25b They will know that I am the LORD when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon.

26 When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 29

1-16 Proclamation against Egypt

1 In the 10th year, 10th month, 12th day of the month, Ezekiel is to prophesy against Pharaoh king of Egypt.

2 You are a great dragon who claims to own and have created the Nile.

3-5 I will hook you in the jaws, draw you up while other fish cling to you, fling you and your fish into the wilderness, where you will not be buried but will be eaten by the birds.

6-7 Then Egyptians will know that I am the LORD and that you were but a reed staff, breaking with their weight, making them unsteady.

8-9 I will bring a sword and cut you off from humans and animals, and your land will be desolate. And they will know that I am the LORD.

10-12 Because you said “the Nile is mine, and I made it,” I will make Egypt desolate and uninhabited for 40 years, and I will scatter your people. Commentators suggest that this 40 years begin with the overthrow of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar (in the 27th year of Jeconiah’s captivity) and end when Cyrus conquers Babylon, in the 70th year of captivity (43 years). The desolation and dearth of people are relative to the prosperity of Egypt before captivity.

13-15 After 40 years I will return the Egyptians to their land, but they will never again rule over other nations.

16 Israel will never rely on Egypt again; they will remember their sins, and they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

17-21 Babylonia’s Plunder of Egypt

17 In the 27th year, 1st month, 1st day, God tells Ezekiel,

18-20 King Nebuchadnezzar’s army worked hard for me against Tyre and received nothing from it, so I am giving Egypt and its wealth as wages for his army, as payment for their work for me.

21 I will cause a horn to sprout up and open your lips, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

I like what Jamieson Fausset and Brown say about this sprouting horn:

In the evil only, not in the good, was Egypt to be parallel to Israel. The very downfall of Egypt will be the signal for the rise of Israel, because of God's covenant with the latter.

I cause the horn of . . . Israel to bud--(Psalms 132:17). I will cause its ancient glory to revive: an earnest of Israel's full glory under Messiah, the son of David (Luke 1:69). Even in Babylon an earnest was given of this in Daniel (Daniel 6:2) and Jeconiah (Jeremiah 52:31).

I will give thee . . . opening of . . . mouth--When thy predictions shall have come to pass, thy words henceforth shall be more heeded (compare Ezekiel 24:27).