Ezekiel 30:24-26

The Lord described the conflict between Babylon and Egypt as a conflict between two warriors. Nebuchadnezzar would break Hophra’s arms as they battled. Egypt would groan like a wounded soldier. The people would know that Yahweh was God when He put His sword of power into Nebuchadnezzar’s arms and strengthened him to defeat Hophra and when the Egyptians dispersed from their land (cf. Ezekiel 30:17-18; Ezekiel 30:23; Ezekiel 29:12).

"The flexed arm was a common Egyptian symbol for the Pharaoh’s strength. Often statues or images of the Pharaoh have this arm flexed, wielding a sword in battle. A king with great biceps was especially a popular concept under the Saites Dynasty of Ezekiel’s day. In addition Hophra took a second formal title that meant ’possessed of a muscular arm’ or ’strong-armed’ . . ." [Note: Alexander, "Ezekiel," p. 897. His quotation is from Freedy and Redford, pp. 482-83.]

This oracle does not specify Nebuchadnezzar as the king of Babylon who would defeat Pharaoh. Evidently his identity was a later revelation that came in the oracles of 571 B.C (Ezekiel 29:17-21; Ezekiel 30:1-19). The point of this one is Yahweh’s certain and complete destruction of Egypt’s power.