The Lord comes to deal with Egypt
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¶ The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud,
and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his
presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
.2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. See 2ch1506. 3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. |
1 -
Burden Literally, "oracle" or "solemn message."
3 - Destroy the counsel The Lord confounded them or allowed them to be confounded by their idol gods. 4 - Give over ... cruel lord No ruler seems to uniquely fit this description although many were cruel. The Assyrians who took over in 525 could be this "lord." Consider, however, that the chosen lord was the prince of darkness we saw as "Lucifer" in is1412. Working through the charmers, spirit possessed, and wizards, he would be in contrast to the true Lord. |
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And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and
dried up.
6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. |
5 -
Sea
The "sea" and the "river" may both refer to the Nile and/or to end-time
devastation.
6 - Turn ... rivers ... far away Literally "The rivers shall stink." Possibly the divided rivers of the Nile delta. |
| 7 The paper reeds by
the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks,
shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.
8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. .10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish. |
7 -
Wither
See ge4134.
10 - Purposes The Hebrew word is "purposes" in ps01103. |
| 11 Surely the princes
of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become
brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of
ancient kings?
12 Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. .13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. |
11 - Zoan Known to the Greeks as Tanis. Founded after Hebron nu1322. Cursed later through Ezekiel ez3014. |
| 14 The LORD hath mingled
a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err
in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. 16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it. |
14
- Perverse spirit Literally, "a spirit of wavering." Uncertainty.
16 - Egypt be like ... women ... Lord of hosts ... shaking ... hand God's hand over Egypt was seen as Moses lifted his rod to initiate plagues and to close the path through the sea ex0705, ex0805. |
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¶ In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language
of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city
of destruction.
In that day The day that Egypt has learned the futility of opposition to the Lord as in the preceding verses. Compare the expression in is0211, is0402, is2601, is2918, is5206, jl0318,zc0211, zc1208, zc1301, mal0317. The text will be fulfilled when God establishes the Messianic kingdom re1115. |
18 -
Five cities The chapter is in figurative language. The five
cities may mean half or part of the cities. We find ten cities as the Decapolis
of the time of Jesus mr0520.
Decapolis, "ten cities = deka, ten, and polis, a city, a district on the east and south-east of the Sea of Galilee containing "ten cities," which were chiefly inhabited by Greeks. It included a portion of Bashan and Gilead, and is mentioned three times in the New Testament...." (Easton's Bible Dictionary). Also see lu1917, 1sa0618. 18 - Swear Or confirm their loyalty to Him. The Egyptian nation did not fulfill the conditions of the prophecy which, in consequence, was not realized. 18 - City of destruction In contrast to the cities of refuge nu3506. It is interesting that there were six cities of refuge. |
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In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land
of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.
Someone wrote to me expressing how he believed the prophecy describes the Coptic church of Egypt. See the notes page which accompanies this present chapter. |
Altar ... midst Egypt is seen in this verse to turn to the Lord. Some point out that two Hebrew temples were built in Egypt but that the prophecy was conditional (as are all promises based on human participation) so never fulfilled. The proposed Israel did not materialize. In the New Earth all will worship the Lord. is1109, is4522, da0727. |
| 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. | Sign
The Lord would provide signs and Pharaoh's heart would be hardened ex0703.
Cry ... oppression The faithful Hebrews expressed this plea ex0223. At the end of time, the world will be like Egypt as oppression increases and pure people among the unbelievers will cry out. A great one Moses was the visible deliverer of the children of Israel. Christ Himself will call His people out of spiritual Babylon re1804. Great one ... deliver Or from the Dead Sea Scrolls, possibly "he will descend and deliver them." |
| 21 And the LORD shall
be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and
shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD,
and perform it.
22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. |
21
- Egyptians shall know the Lord This never happened.
23 - Egyptians ... Assyrians These were enemies of God's people. The faithful among all peoples will finally serve the Lord. re1406b-8. |
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In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even
a blessing in the midst of the land:
25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. |
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- Egypt my people From those nations considered enemies would
come the Lord's chosen – a concept that Israel never seemed to understand.
25 - Blessed Even the most violent opposers of God's people would turn to the Lord and be blessed. Hosea preached a similar message ho0110. They didn't return as a nation. The blessings were conditional. |
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