Ezekiel 30:4

Eze 30:4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain 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.

Ver. 4. Great pain.] Heb., Pain upon pain, as the throes in childbirth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

pain--literally, "pangs with trembling as of a woman in childbirth."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

4. great pain] anguish, a late word, cf. Eze_30:9.

her multitude] Ch. Eze_29:19; cf. Eze_29:10; cf. Eze_29:15, ch. Eze_31:2. Her “foundations” is suggested by the idea of a building overthrown. Reference is hardly to the allies and mercenaries on whom Egypt relied in war, rather to the classes and institutions in which the strength of the state lay.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the sword shall come upon Egypt,.... The sword of the Chaldeans shall come upon the Egyptians, by which they should be cut off; it having a commission from the Lord for that purpose:

and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; Ethiopia being a neighbouring nation to Egypt, shall be in a panic when it shall hear of the sword of the Chaldeans being in Egypt, and of the ravages made by it, of the multitudes slain with it; fearing it will be their turn next to fall into the same hands, and in the same manner; and the rather, not only as they were neighbours, but allies:

and they shall take away her multitude; that is, the Chaldeans shall carry captive vast numbers of the Egyptians; such as fell not by the sword should not escape the hand of the enemy, but be taken and carried into other lands. Egypt was a very populous country; according to Agrippa's speech in Josephus (f), there were in it 7,500,000 persons from Ethiopia to Alexandria, besides the inhabitants of the latter, as might be gathered from the tribute each person paid; hence they are compared to the trees of a forest that cannot be searched, and to grasshoppers innumerable, Jer 46:23, but now their numbers should be lesser:

and her foundations shall be broken down; either in a literal sense, the foundations of the cities, towers, and fortified places in Egypt, should be undermined and destroyed, and consequently the buildings on them must sink and fall; or in a figurative sense, her king, princes, magistrates, laws, and government, which are the support of a state, should be removed, and be of no more service.

(f) De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ethiopia. Hebrew, "Chus," denoting part of Arabia, or rather Ethiopia.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The sword: see Eze 29:8.

In Ethiopia; next neighbour and ally to Egypt; they shall tremble at so great danger, so near, and they uncertain whether it will come on them, but very certain to be ruined if it does come, and as certain that they have cause to suspect it will come on them.

When the slain shall fall in Egypt; when the Egyptians, under the eye of the Ethiopians, shall fall in battle, and at the taking of their towns.

They shall take away her multitude; in miserable captivity carry them to Babylon, by whole droves.

Her foundations, their government, laws, counsellors, strong holds, which are to a nation as foundations to a house, are destroyed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Multitude — See Eze_29:19.

Her foundations shall be broken down — The national power of Egypt was as strong as her temple walls, but both should feel the shock of invasion.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Great pain shall be in Ethiopia. The words point to the extension of the invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar in the first instance, and afterwards by other conquerors to the upper valley of the Nile. They shall take away her multitude. The word is taken by Keil, Smend, and others of things rather than persons, the multitude of possessions. Hengstenberg renders "tumult" in the sense of the stir of a crowded city. The foundations are probably to be taken figuratively of the bases of the prosperity of Egypt, its allies and mercenaries, rather than of actual buildings. (comp. Psa_11:3 Psa_82:5)

Vers. 4-6. Associated calamities.

I TROUBLE SPREADS.

1. In the individual. The first mischief in Egypt comes from the sword of the invader; but this is quickly followed by other ills. After Nebuchadnezzar"s invasion the "abundance" is taken away, and the "foundations" are broken down.

2. Among communities of men. Cush follows the fate of Egypt, and other nations also fall under the wide sweep of judgment. We are members one of another, and when one member suffers all the members suffer. No people can afford to ignore the ruin of their neighbors. Selfish indifference is ultimately punished by a man"s being compelled to share the sad consequences of the troubles of those whom he has neglected.

II ASSOCIATION IN SIN WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ASSOCIATION IN PUNISHMENT. Cash was joined to Egypt in wickedness; she will be joined to the greater nation in suffering. He who walks in the way of sinners will come to the end of sinners. There is no assurance against the fatal consequences of wickedness that can be effected by means of association. "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished". (Pro_11:21)

III THERE IS NO PROTECTION IN OBSCURITY. Poor Cush and Phut and Lud are obscure, unimportant, and remote. Yet they share the fate of better-known Egypt-No one can hide his sin under the cloak of his own insignificance. No ferret is so keen as a man"s own sin when the time comes for it to find him out.

IV ALLIANCE WITH GREAT SINNERS WILL NOT AFFORD ANY PROTECTION. These other nations were joined to great Egypt. But this alliance did not save then. On the contrary, the grandeur of Egypt attracted Nebuchadnezzar to their neighborhood. Had there been no rich and famous Egypt, he would not have troubled himself to attack Cush and Phut and Lud. We gain nothing by the power or prestige of influential connections when we are called to judgment for our sins.

V THEY ARE GUILTY OF SIN WHO AID AND ABET IT. These neighboring nations uphold Egypt. They will share her fate. From Migdol on the Delta to the granite-quarries of Syene far away to the south on the borders of the Soudan five hundred miles the ruin of great Egypt will extend; it will also spread to the people who support her policy and contribute to her prosperity. He who makes others to sin is himself the greatest of sinners. Fagin the trainer of child-thieves is himself a monstrous thief, though he never steals a handkerchief with his own fingers. People who encourage opium-eating, drunkenness, or profligacy, by supporting the causes of those evils, are guilty of them. The mercenaries of Egypt share the fate of their wealthy mistress. There are too many mercenaries of sin in the present day. For the sake of gain men will carry on a business which they know is directly ministering to the ruin of their fellow-creatures. They attempt to defend themselves with the excuse that they do not force those whom they supply with the means of self-destruction to avail themselves of it. This is true; but, on the other hand, they tempt the miserable victims by affording facility for fatal indulgence. That is the sin of Satan.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ethiopia - The neighbour and ally to Egypt. Take away - Into miserable captivity. Her foundations - Their government, laws, and strong holds.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

These are Yahweh's words about Egypt.

Then a sword will come against Egypt

The word "sword" here represents war or an army that attacks. AT: "There will be war against Egypt" or "An enemy army will attack Egypt" (See: Metonymy)

there will be anguish in Cush

The abstract noun "anguish" can be expressed in terms of how the people feel. AT: "the people of Cush will be very sad" or "the people of Cush will suffer" (See: Abstract Nouns)

when the killed people fall in Egypt

Possible meanings are that 1) "fall" is a euphemism for dying. AT: "when people in Egypt die in war" or 2) "fall" refers to their bodies falling and lying on the ground. AT: "when people in Egypt die in war and lie fallen" (See: Euphemism)

when they take her wealth

"when the attackers take away the wealth of Egypt"

when her foundations are ruined

This can be translated in active form. AT: "when the attackers destroy the foundations of the buildings in Egypt" (See: Active or Passive)

Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, and Libya

These names refer to the people of these countries. AT: "The people of Cush and Put, Libya, and all Arabia, and Lydia" (See: Metonymy)

Libya

Libya is a country west of Egypt. (See: How to Translate Names)

Lydia

This probably refers to the kingdom of Lydia which was in what is now Turkey.

the people belonging to the covenant

Possible meanings are 1) the "covenant" refers to the agreement that Yahweh made with the Israelites. AT: "the Jews who live in Egypt" or 2) the "covenant" refers to an agreement that Egypt made with other nations. AT: "the people of the nations that had a covenant with Egypt" or "Egypt's allies" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

will all fall by the sword

Here the sword represents battle. AT: "will all die in battle" or "will all die in the war" (See: Metonymy)

will all fall by the sword

The word "all" here is a generalization. It means that many people will die. (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

translationWords

sword

Egypt

Cush

found

ruin

covenant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and there will be quaking in Cush [Heb. חַלְחָלָה,] expression of trembling. When they hear of Egypt’s downfall, they will fear for their lives: perhaps the king of Babylon will rise up against them.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.