Ezekiel 30:13

"Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis; and there shall be no more a prince from the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments upon No. And I will pour my wrath upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be broken up; and Memphis shall have adversaries in the day-time. The young men of Avert and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. Thus will I execute judgments upon Egypt; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."

THE CITIES TO BE DESTROYED

"Memphis ..." (Ezekiel 30:13) "This was the principal city of Lower Egypt, built on the left bank of the Nile 10 miles south of Cairo."[10] "This city was also called `Noph.'"[11]

"I will destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease ..." (Ezekiel 30:13). "The `idols' here were great men and princes, as indicated in NEB."[12] Since the Pharaohs themselves pretended to divine honors, the term "idols" is appropriate.

"Pathros, Zoan, and No ..." (Ezekiel 30:14) "Pathros was the native name of Upper, or Southern Egypt; Zoan, called `Tanis' by the Greeks, was mentioned by Moses in Numbers 13:22. It was an important city of the Eastern Delta."[13]

No was located some 400 miles south of Memphis; it was the capital of Upper Egypt, known to the Greeks as Thebes, and featured in the Book of Nahum under the name of No-Amon. There is nothing haphazard about this list of Egyptian cities. Memphis, the capital of Lower Egypt, and its supporting cities was named first, and then Thebes, or No, the capital of Upper Egypt was named next.

No was famous as a residential city for the Pharaohs between 1380,930 B.C.; and many of the greatest of the Pharaohs were buried there.[14] The sun-god Amon was worshipped there; and his name was often incorporated into that of the city, as in No-Amon (Nahum 3:8f).

Each one of the cities mentioned here, "was identified with a particular pagan deity; and therefore God's prophecies against these cities may be construed as a frontal assault upon the paganism of Egypt."[15]

"Sin ..." (Ezekiel 30:16). This place is called the "stronghold of Egypt." It is usually associated with Pelusium, but the actual location is disputed.

"Avert ..." (Ezekiel 30:17). "This word means `nothingness,' or 'wickedness,' and is a contemptuous rendition of On (Heliopolis), the words being spelled exactly alike in Hebrew. Joseph's father-in-law was Potiphera the high priest there (Genesis 41:45). It was the center of sun-worship.

"Pibeseth ..." (Ezekiel 30:17). At this place, "The cat-headed goddess Ubastet was worshipped."[16]

Herodotus has the report of a Persian ruler, Cambyses, who won a victory over this city by deploying several thousand dogs and cats in front of the Persian army. The Egyptians would not attack through fear of killing some of the animals which were sacred to their god.

"Tehaphnehes ..." (Ezekiel 30:18). "This place is now Tel-Deffeneh, 10 miles west of E1-Kantara on the Suez Canal."[17] It is the place where Jeremiah prophesied that the king of Babylon would erect his throne (Jeremiah 43:8f).

The list of cities mentioned here has now been noted; and we appreciate Eichrodt's comment that, "This list provides a very suitable means of representing the almost inexhaustible resources of that kingdom on the Nile."[18]

"When I shall break there the yokes of Egypt ..." (Ezekiel 30:18). Some of the versions have "yokes and bars." "Both words are used as a figure of tyranny, and of Egyptian tyranny in particular."[19]