Ezekiel 30:20 - Meaning and Application

This short prophecy about Egypt’s growing weakness was given around the time when the Egyptian army tried to lift the siege of Jerusalem, but failed and returned without success. Then the king of Babylon renewed the siege and achieved his purpose. Egypt was an ancient kingdom and had long been powerful, while Babylon had only recently risen to great splendor and strength after taking Assyria’s place. In the course of God’s providence, some nations rise while others fall, one must increase and the others must decrease.

The prophecy says that the king of Egypt will grow weaker and weaker. His borders will shrink, his wealth and power will decline, and he will be less able than ever to help himself or his allies. This had already begun to happen, in part, when God said, “I have broken Pharaoh’s arm” (Ezekiel 30:21). One arm of that kingdom could be called broken when the king of Babylon defeated Pharaoh-Necho’s army at Carchemish (Jeremiah 46:2) and took control of all that belonged to Egypt from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (2 Kings 24:7).

Egypt had spent a long time building its strength and extending its rule, so, in keeping with God’s ways, its fall came slowly and step by step. This happened soon after Egypt’s king killed good King Josiah, and in that same reign Egypt received the fatal blow it never recovered from. Before Egypt’s heart and neck were broken, its arm was broken first. God’s judgments often come in stages, giving people time to repent. When God breaks Egypt’s arm, no one else can heal it, because only God can cure the wounds he gives. When he disables a power, that power cannot take up the sword again.

This judgment would happen again and in fuller form. One arm had been broken before, and some effort had been made to set it again, like trying to heal a deadly wound. But now God says, “I am against Pharaoh, and I will break both his arms, the strong one and the one that was already broken and set again” (Ezekiel 30:22). If smaller judgments do not humble and correct sinners, God sends greater ones. He will make Pharaoh drop the sword he had seized, thinking himself strong enough to hold it.

The same warning is repeated, “I will break Pharaoh’s arms” (Ezekiel 30:24). Pharaoh had once been a cruel oppressor of God’s people, and more recently he had served as a weak support like a broken reed. Now God would break his arms and settle accounts for both. God has the right to break the power of anyone who uses it to do wrong or to deceive others.

This is not all. The king of Egypt would lose heart when he saw the king of Babylon’s forces coming against him. He would groan before him like a man with a deadly wound. Those who are most proud in times of success are often the most crushed in times of trouble. Pharaoh would groan even before the sword touched him, as if he had already been struck to death.

The people of Egypt would also be scattered among the nations (Ezekiel 30:23, 30:26). Other nations had mixed in with them (Ezekiel 30:5), and now they would be mixed among other nations, forced to seek refuge there. In that way, they would learn that the Lord is right in all he does.

The prophecy also says that the king of Babylon would grow stronger and stronger (Ezekiel 30:24, 30:25). God would give strength to the king of Babylon’s arms so he could carry out the work assigned to him. God would also put his sword into the king of Babylon’s hand, meaning he would give him authority and power to wage war, especially against Egypt. Judges and generals alike, like Pilate (John 19:11) and Nebuchadnezzar, have no power except what comes from above.