Ezekiel 30 2

Ezekiel 30:2 kjv

Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!

Ezekiel 30:2 nkjv

"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Wail, 'Woe to the day!'

Ezekiel 30:2 niv

"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "?'Wail and say, "Alas for that day!"

Ezekiel 30:2 esv

"Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Wail, 'Alas for the day!'

Ezekiel 30:2 nlt

"Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign LORD: "Weep and wail
for that day,

Ezekiel 30 verses

Ezekiel 30 2 meaning

Ezekiel 30:2 declares a divine pronouncement of impending lament and judgment upon Egypt. It begins with God addressing Ezekiel, commissioning him to prophesy. The core message is a command to wail in anguish, signifying profound sorrow and desolation. This wailing is directed towards a specific time, referred to as "the day," which is understood as a day of severe divine judgment and catastrophe. It encapsulates the Lord God's direct and imminent intervention to bring about ruin upon Egypt.

Ezekiel 30 2 Context

Ezekiel 30:2 stands within a series of prophecies against Egypt, spanning chapters 29 through 32 of the book of Ezekiel. This particular prophecy likely dates to a specific period after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC, though Egypt had long been a point of contention for Judah, alternately sought as an ally and warned against by prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Historically, Egypt represented a significant regional power, often tempting Judah to trust in its strength rather than God's. However, this period saw Egypt's decline, exacerbated by the rising Neo-Babylonian Empire. Ezekiel's prophecies declared that Egypt, like other proud nations, would fall under God's judgment, often executed through Babylon. The prophet, speaking to the exiled Israelites in Babylon, underscored God's sovereignty over all nations, aiming to dissuade reliance on worldly powers and encourage faith in the Lord alone, demonstrating that even a formidable nation like Egypt could not escape the hand of the Most High. The preceding chapters (Ezek 29) described Pharaoh as a "great monster" brought down by God, and the following verses elaborate on the extent of Egypt's coming desolation and its impact on its allies.

Ezekiel 30 2 Word analysis

• Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם - ben adam): This is God's frequent address to Ezekiel (93 times in the book). It highlights Ezekiel's humanity and frailty in contrast to the divine majesty of the one speaking to him. It serves to emphasize that the message is from God, delivered through a mere human instrument, underlining the authoritative source rather than the messenger's power.
• prophesy (נַבֵּא - nibba’): A command to speak God's word authoritatively. The verb form implies active and forceful declaration, not just passive reception. This denotes the divine origin and mandatory delivery of the message.
• and say (וְאָמַרְתָּ - v'amarta): A direct instruction to communicate the precise words given by God. It underlines the prophet's role as a faithful messenger, reiterating the divine authorship of the impending pronouncement.
• Thus says the Lord God (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה - khoh amar Adonai YHVH): The quintessential prophetic formula, asserting the divine origin and unalterable nature of the message. "Adonai" emphasizes God's sovereign authority, while "YHVH" (represented as LORD) refers to the covenant-keeping God of Israel. Together, it presents the universal, transcendent, and personal God as the speaker.
• Wail (הֵילִילוּ - heylilu): An imperative verb, a command for deep lamentation and a cry of extreme distress. It's often associated with national disaster, mourning the dead, or impending judgment. This is not merely a description but a divine summons for a lament that has not yet occurred but will be utterly necessary.
• Alas for the day! (הוֹי לַיּוֹם - hoy layom!):
  • Alas (הוֹי - hoy): An interjection of woe, lament, or distress, frequently used in prophetic literature to introduce an announcement of judgment, disaster, or condemnation. It's a mournful exclamation.
  • for the day (לַיּוֹם - layyom): The "day" (יוֹם - yom) here is not just any day but a specific day of significant calamity. In prophetic context, it frequently refers to the "Day of the Lord," a concept signifying a time of divine intervention in human history, often bringing judgment upon nations or a final reckoning. This "day" is anticipated as an overwhelming and devastating event for Egypt.

Ezekiel 30 2 Bonus section

This verse sets a crucial theological precedent: divine judgment, even against mighty empires like Egypt, serves to manifest God's sovereign control over history and nations. For the exiles, who had witnessed Judah's own judgment, this declaration provided a reaffirmation that the God of Israel was not defeated but remained the ultimate power, executing justice even upon the proudest nations who opposed Him or upon whom Judah had foolishly relied. The "day" mentioned is often linked in scholarship to a "Day of Yahweh," which signifies an eschatological and decisive event in God's plan, whether fulfilled through immediate historical events (like Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Egypt) or pointing to a broader concept of divine judgment to come.

Ezekiel 30 2 Commentary

Ezekiel 30:2 functions as a stern divine mandate, initiating a series of prophecies against Egypt with a command to mourn. The address "Son of man" continually reinforces the prophet's humanity against the backdrop of God's overwhelming authority. The prophetic formula "Thus says the Lord God" grounds the pronouncement firmly in divine truth, ensuring its certainty. The core instruction "Wail, 'Alas for the day!'" is not merely descriptive but prescriptive—God himself is commanding the coming lament, signaling an inevitable and overwhelming judgment upon Egypt. This "day" is a time of God's direct intervention, a concept resonant with the "Day of the Lord," indicating an appointed time of justice and reckoning, dismantling human pride and false security. For Judah in exile, these pronouncements against powerful nations like Egypt offered both warning against misplaced trust and consolation, affirming God's sovereignty over all worldly powers and His ultimate justice. It demonstrates that no nation, however mighty, stands outside of God's divine scrutiny and ultimate rule.