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Ezekiel 28-30

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince[a] of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Your heart is proud[b] and you said, “I am a god;[c]
I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”—
yet you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are godlike.[d]
3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel;[e]
no secret is hidden from you.[f]
4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself;
you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
5 By your great skill[g] in trade you have increased your wealth,
and your heart is proud because of your wealth.
6 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

Because you think you are godlike,[h]
7 I am about to bring foreigners[i] against you, the most terrifying of nations.
They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom,[j]
and they will defile your splendor.
8 They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die violently[k] in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you—
though you are a man and not a god—
when you are in the power of those who wound you?
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised[l] by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

11 The Lord’s message came to me: 12 “Son of man, sing[m] a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the sealer[n] of perfection,
full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God.[o]
Every precious stone was your covering,
the ruby, topaz, and emerald,
the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper,
the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl;[p]
your settings and mounts were made of gold.
On the day you were created they were prepared.
14 I placed you there with an anointed[q] guardian[r] cherub;[s]
you were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked about amidst fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your behavior[t] from the day you were created,
until sin was discovered in you.
16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence,[u] and you sinned;
so I defiled you and banished you[v] from the mountain of God—
the guardian cherub expelled you[w] from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor.
I threw you down to the ground;
I placed you before kings, that they might see you.
18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade,
you desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I drew fire out from within you;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
before the eyes of all who saw you.
19 All who know you among the peoples are shocked at you;
you have become terrified and will be no more.’”

A Prophecy Against Sidon

20 The Lord’s message came to me: 21 “Son of man, turn toward[x] Sidon[y] and prophesy against it. 22 Say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you,[z] Sidon,
and I will magnify myself in your midst.
Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments on her
and reveal my sovereign power[aa] in her.
23 I will send a plague into the city[ab] and bloodshed into its streets;
the slain will fall within it, by the sword that attacks it[ac] from every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers[ad] or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them.[ae] Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power[af] over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely[ag] when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

A Prophecy Against Egypt

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month,[ah] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn toward[ai] Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3 Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against[aj] you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monster[ak] lying in the midst of its waterways,
who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.”[al]
4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales.
I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways,
and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your waterways;
you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected.[am]
I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.
6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord
because they were a reed staff[an] for the house of Israel;
7 when they grasped you with their hand,[ao] you broke and tore[ap] their shoulders,
and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady.[aq]

8 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill[ar] every person and every animal. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,” 10 I am against[as] you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol[at] to Syene,[au] as far as the border with Ethiopia. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for forty years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.

13 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years[av] I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered. 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and will bring them back[aw] to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom. 15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. 16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help.[ax] Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month,[ay] the Lord’s message came to me: 18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar[az] of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre.[ba] Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre,[bb] because they did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 21 On that day I will make Israel powerful,[bc] and I will give you the right to be heard[bd] among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Lament Over Egypt

30 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!”[be]
3 For the day is near,
the day of the Lord is near;
it will be a day of storm clouds,[bf]
it will be a time of judgment[bg] for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt
and panic will overtake Ethiopia
when the slain fall in Egypt
and they carry away her wealth
and dismantle her foundations.

5 Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the foreigners,[bh] Libya, and the people[bi] of the covenant land[bj] will die by the sword along with them.

6 “‘This is what the Lord says:

Egypt’s supporters will fall;
her confident pride will crumble.[bk]
From Migdol to Syene[bl] they will die by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
7 They will be desolate among desolate lands,
and their cities will be among ruined cities.
8 They will know that I am the Lord
when I ignite a fire in Egypt
and all her allies are defeated.[bm]

9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten overconfident Ethiopia; panic will overtake them on the day of Egypt’s doom;[bn] for beware—it is coming!

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,
by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar[bo] of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him,
the most terrifying of the nations,[bp]
will be brought there to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt,
and fill the land with corpses.
12 I will dry up the waterways
and hand the land over to[bq] evil men.
I will make the land and everything in it desolate by the hand of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I will destroy the idols,
and put an end to the gods of Memphis.
There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt;
so I will make the land of Egypt fearful.[br]
14 I will desolate Pathros,
I will ignite a fire in Zoan,
and I will execute judgments on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my anger upon Pelusium,[bs]
the stronghold of Egypt;
I will cut off[bt] the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will ignite a fire in Egypt;
Syene[bu] will writhe in agony,
Thebes will be broken down,
and Memphis will face enemies every day.
17 The young men of On and of Pi Beseth[bv] will die by the sword;
and the cities will go[bw] into captivity.
18 In Tahpanhes the day will be dark[bx]
when I break the yoke of Egypt there.
Her confident pride will cease within her;
a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.
19 I will execute judgments on Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month,[by] the Lord’s message came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm[bz] of Pharaoh king of Egypt.[ca] Look, it has not been bandaged for healing or set with a dressing so that it might become strong enough to grasp a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look,[cb] I am against[cc] Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong arm and the broken one, and I will make the sword drop from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will place my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan like the fatally wounded before the king of Babylon.[cd] 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon and he extends it against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 28:2 tn Or “ruler” (NIV, NCV).
  2. Ezekiel 28:2 tn Heb “lifted up.” sn See Prov 16:5.
  3. Ezekiel 28:2 tn Or “I am divine.”
  4. Ezekiel 28:2 tn Heb “and you made your heart/mind (לֵב, lev) like the heart/mind of gods.”
  5. Ezekiel 28:3 sn Or perhaps “Danel” (so TEV), referring to a ruler known from Canaanite legend. See the note on “Daniel” in 14:14. A reference to Danel (preserved in legend at Ugarit, near the northern end of the Phoenician coast) makes more sense here when addressing Tyre than in 14:14.
  6. Ezekiel 28:3 sn The tone here is sarcastic, reflecting the ruler’s view of himself.
  7. Ezekiel 28:5 tn Or “wisdom.”
  8. Ezekiel 28:6 tn Heb “because of your making your heart like the heart of gods.”
  9. Ezekiel 28:7 sn This is probably a reference to the Babylonians.
  10. Ezekiel 28:7 tn Heb “they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom.”
  11. Ezekiel 28:8 tn Heb “you will die the death of the slain.”
  12. Ezekiel 28:10 sn The Phoenicians practiced circumcision, so the language here must be figurative, indicating that they would be treated in a disgraceful manner. Uncircumcised peoples were viewed as inferior and unclean. See 31:18 and 32:17-32, as well as the discussion in D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:99.
  13. Ezekiel 28:12 tn Heb “lift up.”
  14. Ezekiel 28:12 tn For a discussion of possible nuances of this phrase, see M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:580-81.
  15. Ezekiel 28:13 sn The imagery of the lament appears to draw upon an extrabiblical Eden tradition about the expulsion of the first man (see v. 14 and the note there) from the garden due to his pride. The biblical Eden tradition speaks of cherubim placed as guardians at the garden entrance following the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:24), but no guardian cherub like the one described in verse 14 is depicted or mentioned in the biblical account. Ezekiel’s imagery also appears to reflect Mesopotamian and Canaanite mythology at certain points. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:119-20.
  16. Ezekiel 28:13 tn The exact identification of each gemstone is uncertain. The list should be compared to that of the priest in Exod 28:17-20, which lists twelve stones in rows of three. The LXX apparently imports the Exod 28 list. See reference to the types of stones in L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
  17. Ezekiel 28:14 tn Or “winged”; see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
  18. Ezekiel 28:14 tn The meaning of this phrase in Hebrew is uncertain. The word translated here “guards” occurs in Exod 25:20 in reference to the cherubim “covering” the ark.
  19. Ezekiel 28:14 tn Heb “you (were) an anointed cherub that covers, and I placed you.” In the Hebrew text the ruler of Tyre is equated with a cherub, and the verb “I placed you” is taken with what follows (“on the holy mountain of God”). However, this reading is problematic. The pronoun “you” at the beginning of verse 14 is feminine singular in the Hebrew text; elsewhere in this passage the ruler of Tyre is addressed with masculine singular forms. It is possible that the pronoun is a rare (see Deut 5:24; Num 11:15) or defectively written (see 1 Sam 24:19; Neh 9:6; Job 1:10; Ps 6:3; Eccl 7:22) masculine form, but it is more likely that the form should be repointed as the preposition “with” (see the LXX). In this case the ruler of Tyre is compared to the first man, not to a cherub. If this emendation is accepted, then the verb “I placed you” belongs with what precedes and concludes the first sentence in the verse. It is noteworthy that the verbs in the second and third lines of the verse also appear at the end of the sentence in the Hebrew text. The presence of a conjunction at the beginning of “I placed you” is problematic for the proposal, but it may reflect a later misunderstanding of the syntax of the verse. For a defense of the proposed emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
  20. Ezekiel 28:15 tn Heb “ways.”
  21. Ezekiel 28:16 tn Heb “they filled your midst with violence.”
  22. Ezekiel 28:16 tn Heb “I defiled you.” The presence of the preposition “from” following the verb indicates that a verb of motion is implied as well. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
  23. Ezekiel 28:16 tn Heb “and I expelled you, O guardian cherub.” The Hebrew text takes the verb as first person and understands “guardian cherub” as a vocative, in apposition to the pronominal suffix on the verb. However, if the emendation in verse 14a is accepted (see the note above), then one may follow the LXX here as well and emend the verb to a third person perfect. In this case the subject of the verb is the guardian cherub. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
  24. Ezekiel 28:21 tn Heb “set your face against.”
  25. Ezekiel 28:21 sn Sidon was located 25 miles north of Tyre.
  26. Ezekiel 28:22 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  27. Ezekiel 28:22 tn Or “reveal my holiness.” God’s “holiness” is fundamentally his transcendence as sovereign ruler of the world. The revelation of his authority and power through judgment is in view in this context.
  28. Ezekiel 28:23 tn Heb “into it”; the referent of the feminine pronoun has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. Ezekiel 28:23 tn Heb “by a sword against it.”
  30. Ezekiel 28:24 sn Similar language is used in reference to Israel’s adversaries in Num 33:55 and Josh 23:13.
  31. Ezekiel 28:24 tn Heb “and there will not be for the house of Israel a brier that pricks and a thorn that inflicts pain from all the ones who surround them, the ones who scorn them.”
  32. Ezekiel 28:25 tn Or “reveal my holiness.” See verse 22.
  33. Ezekiel 28:26 sn This promise was given in Lev 25:18-19.
  34. Ezekiel 29:1 tn January 7, 587 b.c.
  35. Ezekiel 29:2 tn Heb “set your face against.”
  36. Ezekiel 29:3 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  37. Ezekiel 29:3 tn Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew mss read correctly “the serpent.” The Hebrew term appears to refer to a serpent in Exod 7:9-10, 12; Deut 32:33; Ps 91:13. It also refers to large creatures that inhabit the sea (Gen 1:21; Ps 148:7). In several passages it is associated with the sea or with the multiheaded sea monster Leviathan (Job 7:12; Ps 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Because of the Egyptian setting of this prophecy and the reference to the creature’s scales (v. 4), many understand a crocodile to be the referent here (e.g., NCV “a great crocodile”; TEV “you monster crocodile”; CEV “a giant crocodile”).
  38. Ezekiel 29:3 sn In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240-44.
  39. Ezekiel 29:5 tc Some Hebrew mss, the Targum, and the LXX read “buried.”
  40. Ezekiel 29:6 sn Cf. Isa 36:6.
  41. Ezekiel 29:7 tc The Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) implies בְכַפְּךָ (vekappeka, “by your hand”) but the marginal reading (Qere) has simply בַכַּף (vakkaf, “by the hand”). The LXX reads: “with their hand,” implying בְכַפָּם (vekappam).
  42. Ezekiel 29:7 tn Or perhaps “dislocated.”
  43. Ezekiel 29:7 tn Heb “you caused to stand for them all their hips.” An emendation that switches two letters but is supported by the LXX yields the reading: “you caused all their hips to shake.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:103. In 2 Kgs 18:21 and Isa 36:6 trusting in the Pharaoh is compared to leaning on a staff. The oracle may reflect Hophra’s attempt to aid Jerusalem (Jer 37:5-8).
  44. Ezekiel 29:8 tn Heb “I will cut off from you.”
  45. Ezekiel 29:10 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  46. Ezekiel 29:10 sn This may refer to a site in the Egyptian Delta that served as a refuge for Jews (Jer 44:1; 46:14).
  47. Ezekiel 29:10 sn Syene is known today as Aswan.
  48. Ezekiel 29:13 sn In Ezek 4:4-8 it was said that the house of Judah would suffer forty years.
  49. Ezekiel 29:14 tc Thus the MT, which reads וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי (vahashivoti, “I will cause to return”), a Hiphil of the verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”). The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate translate as though the Hebrew had the vocalization וְהֹשַׁבְתִּי (vehoshavti, “I will cause to inhabit”), a Hiphil from יָשַׁב (yashav “to dwell”).
  50. Ezekiel 29:16 tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”
  51. Ezekiel 29:17 sn April 26, 571 b.c.
  52. Ezekiel 29:18 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more exact spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-uṣur has an “r” rather than an “n” (so also in v. 19).
  53. Ezekiel 29:18 sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571 b.c.
  54. Ezekiel 29:20 tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).
  55. Ezekiel 29:21 tn Heb “I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.” The horn is used as a figure for military power in the OT (Ps 92:10). A similar expression is made about the Davidic dynasty in Ps 132:17.
  56. Ezekiel 29:21 tn Heb “I will grant you an open mouth.”
  57. Ezekiel 30:2 tn Heb “Alas for the day.”
  58. Ezekiel 30:3 tn Heb “a day of clouds.” The expression occurs also in Joel 2:2 and Zeph 1:15; it recalls the appearance of God at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:9, 16, 18).
  59. Ezekiel 30:3 tn Heb “a time.” The words “of judgment” have been added in the translation for clarification (see the following verses).
  60. Ezekiel 30:5 tn The same expression appears in Exod 12:38; Jer 25:20; 50:37; Neh 13:3. It may refer to foreign mercenaries serving in the armies of the nations listed here.
  61. Ezekiel 30:5 tn Heb “sons.”
  62. Ezekiel 30:5 tn The expression “sons of the covenant land” possibly refers to Jews living in Egypt (Jer 44).
  63. Ezekiel 30:6 tn Heb “come down.”
  64. Ezekiel 30:6 sn Syene is known as Aswan today.
  65. Ezekiel 30:8 tn Heb “all who aid her are broken.”
  66. Ezekiel 30:9 tn Heb “in the day of Egypt.” The word “doom” has been added in the translation to clarify the nature of this day.
  67. Ezekiel 30:10 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more exact spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-uṣur has an “r” rather than an “n.”
  68. Ezekiel 30:11 tn The Babylonians were known for their cruelty (2 Kgs 25:7).
  69. Ezekiel 30:12 tn Heb “and I will sell the land into the hand of.”
  70. Ezekiel 30:13 tn Heb “I will put fear in the land of Egypt.”
  71. Ezekiel 30:15 tn Heb “Sin” (so KJV, NASB), a city commonly identified with Pelusium, a fortress on Egypt’s northeastern frontier.
  72. Ezekiel 30:15 tn Or “kill.”
  73. Ezekiel 30:16 tc The LXX reads “Syene,” which is Aswan in the south. The MT reads Sin, which has already been mentioned in v. 15.
  74. Ezekiel 30:17 sn On and Pi Beseth are generally identified with the Egyptian cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis.
  75. Ezekiel 30:17 tn Heb “they will go.” The pronoun and verb are feminine plural, indicating that the cities just mentioned are the antecedent of the pronoun and the subject of the verb. The translation makes this clear by stating the subject as “the cities.”
  76. Ezekiel 30:18 sn In Zeph 1:15 darkness is associated with the day of the Lord.
  77. Ezekiel 30:20 tn April 29, 587 b.c.
  78. Ezekiel 30:21 sn The expression “breaking the arm” indicates the removal of power (Pss 10:15; 37:17; Job 38:15; Jer 48:25).
  79. Ezekiel 30:21 sn This may refer to the event recorded in Jer 37:5.
  80. Ezekiel 30:22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  81. Ezekiel 30:22 tn Or “I challenge.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  82. Ezekiel 30:24 tn Heb “him”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
New English Translation (NET)

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