Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 30

The time of the heathen: The judgment upon Egypt is but an individual instance, and is symbolic of general judgment upon all merely worldly power. Her fall is one step in the general overthrow of whatever exalts and opposes itself to God. Very similar to Ezekiel 30:2-3 are the prophecies in Isaiah 13:6; Isaiah 13:9; Joel 1:13; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:2; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7; Zephaniah 1:14.

Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia. — Ethiopia and Egypt were closely connected, and during much of their history were often under one government. Ethiopian soldiers served in great numbers in the Egyptian armies. Libya and Lydia are an unfortunate substitution for the original terms, Phut and Lud, which are preserved in Ezekiel 27:10 (see the note on that verse). They are mentioned there as furnishing mercenaries to the Tyrian army, and it is known historically that they supplied them to a still greater extent to the Egyptian army.

All the mingled people, and Chub. — The same expression, “mingled people,” is found in reference to Egypt in Jeremiah 25:20. In this context, it may be understood especially of the foreign mercenaries from various regions in the Egyptian armies. Chub is a name entirely unknown. Various conjectures have been made, and various changes in the text proposed, but none are supported by sufficient evidence. It evidently denotes some ally of Egypt, possibly Nubia.

Men of the land that is in league. — Literally, sons of the land of the covenant. The ancient interpreters, St. Jerome and Theodoret, understood this expression to refer to the Jews who had sought refuge from Nebuchadnezzar in Egypt after the murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 42–44). Jeremiah had expressly prophesied to them that the sword and famine they feared would overtake them there (Jeremiah 42:16–18).

This interpretation is supported by the Septuagint translation, made in Egypt, which reads “land of my covenant.” The objection to this view—that Palestine is never called “the land of the covenant,” and that this phrase must therefore signify some unknown country allied with Egypt at the time—seems rather specious than real. Even if this expression is never used of Palestine, it was nonetheless unquestionably the land of the people of the covenant, and a particular expression may very well be used once without occurring again.

From the tower of Syene.—From Migdol to Syene. (See Note on Ezekiel 29:10.)

Shall be desolate. This verse is almost an exact repetition of Ezekiel 29:12.

Messengers go forth from me in ships. —Compare Isaiah 18:1-2. This does not mean the army of Nebuchadnezzar, which did not penetrate Ethiopia, but the fleeing Egyptians, who ascend the Nile to seek safety in Ethiopia and alarm it with the news of Egypt’s fall. The “careless” are the secure Ethiopians. “As in the day of Egypt” refers to a past event and can only mean the day of judgment on Egypt at the Exodus.