Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 30:9
In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
9. messengers in ships ] Cf. Isa 18:2. The word “ships” again Num 24:24; Isa 33:21.
go forth from me ] This means more than that messengers go in ships from Egypt, where Jehovah is present. He sends them; his intervention in Egypt is designed to alarm the world, and bring himself to its knowledge.
as in the day ] in the day (om. as) Isa 23:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Careless Ethiopians – The Ethiopians, who were dwelling in fancied security Zep 2:15, shall tremble at Egypts ruin.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Messengers go forth from me in ships] Ships can ascend the Nile up to Syene or Essuan, by the cataracts; and when Nebuchadnezzar’s vessels went up, they struck terror into the Ethiopians. They are represented here as the “messengers of God.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In that day; the day of Gods severe but just judgments, and Egypts fatal desolation.
Messengers; such as having seen and escaped the sword, shall tell the dismal news.
From me; by my permission and providence they shall go, as if sent by me.
In ships; ships that either carried them over into Pentapolis, crossing the river Nilus, or rather going down the river into the Mediterranean, and so to any part of those north parts of Africa, and others by ship through the Red Sea to Arabia Felix, which is that Ethiopia which is here meant; though it is possible in those days the African Ethiopia might, as once it did, extend quite to the mouth of the Red Sea. on whose shore their ancestors must needs first land out of Arabia, whence the Abyssinians, who are our present Ethiopians, do own their descent. So messengers by ships might carry the news to both the Ethiopian, Asian, and African, by the Red Sea.
The careless Ethiopians; in much security they had hitherto lived, the most potent and formidable neighbour having been their ancient ally, till the news of so mighty an enemy at their very doors.
Great pain; apprehensions of danger, that puzzles their wisdom, weakens their courage, makes them in perplexity, both sick and astonished.
As in the day of Egypt; either like that which, when their host was drowned in the Red Sea, seized all Egypt, or rather like this latter fear, which arose from the mighty havoc made by the Chaldean.
It cometh; a storm like that certainly cometh against you.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. messengers . . . in ships to . .. Ethiopians (Isa 18:1;Isa 18:2). The cataractsinterposing between them and Egypt should not save them. Egyptians”fleeing from before Me” in My execution of judgment, as”messengers” in “skiffs” (“vessels ofbulrushes,” Isa 18:2)shall go up the Nile as far as navigable, to announce the advance ofthe Chaldeans.
as in the day of EgyptTheday of Ethiopia’s “pain” shall come shortly, as Egypt’s daycame.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships,…. Either by the river Nile, or by the Red sea, to Arabia Felix, which some think is meant by Ethiopia. Cush or Ethiopia was encompassed about with water, so that there was no coming to it but by ships; see Ge 2:13, compare with this Isa 18:1, the messengers here were either such who under a divine impulse, or however by the providence of God, were directed to go to Ethiopia, and tell them the news of the destruction of Egypt; or these were messengers sent by the king of Babylon, to demand a surrender of their country to him; or it may design him himself, and his army, who marched thither to subdue that country also, after the conquest of Egypt. So the Targum,
“at that time messengers shall go forth from before me with legions;”
and because all this was by the appointment and providence of God, they are represented as messengers sent by him:
to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; with the news of the fall of Egypt their confederate, and of a mighty army coming against them; who had dwelt securely and confidently, at ease and unconcerned, without any sense of danger, or fear of any enemy:
and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt; either as of old, when the plagues were on Egypt, and especially when they were drowning in the Red sea; or as of late, when the sword was in Egypt, and ravaging there:
for, lo, it cometh; the same day was coming on them as came on Egypt, the day of the Lord, a cloudy one, and the time of the Heathen; it was certain, just at hand, and there was no escaping it; see Eze 30:3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Messengers go forth from me in ships.Comp. Isa. 18:1-2. This does not mean the army of Nebuchadnezzar, which did not penetrate into Ethiopia, but the flying Egyptians, who ascend the Nile to seek safety in Ethiopia, and alarm it with the tidings of Egypts fall. The careless are the secure Ethiopians. As in the day of Egypt is a reference to a past event, and can only mean, as in the day of judgment upon Egypt at the Exodus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. From me in ships LXX, and Peshito, in haste; R.V., “from before me in ships.” (Compare Isa 18:2.)
As in the day Omit “as.” The Ethiopians fear that Nebuchadnezzar will not stop at Syene, but will press on into their country (notes Eze 29:10-11).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 30:9. In that day shall messengers go forth, &c. In that day shall swift messengers go forth from me, who shall terrify the secure Ethiopian; and he shall have great fears concerning the day of Egypt, because it shall be nigh. Houbigant; who observes, that as the messengers are sent to Cush or Ethiopia, if the Arabians be meant, they were not to be gone to by ships: if the Ethiopians, properly so called, to the south of Egypt, it was not proper for messengers to be sent to them in ships, because the navigation was against the stream, and could not be so quick as it ought upon an approaching calamity.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 30:9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
Ver. 9. In that day shall messengers go forth from me, ] i.e., The Chaldeans, by an instinct from me to subdue Ethiopia also.
In ships.
“ Lene fluit Nile. ” – Claudian.
To make the careless Ethiopians. ] Heb., Confident Cush. Security ushereth in calamity.
As in the day of Egypt.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
from Me = frorn before Me.
in ships. Going up the Nile. The Septuagint reads “hastening” or “running”; but note that Ethiopia sent messengers in ships to promise help to Judah, but Jehovah sent His messengers in ships to prophesy her judgment.
as in the day. Many codices (including the Hillel Codex, A.D. 600, quoted in the Masserah), with three early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “in the day”. Other codices. with seven early printed editions and Aramaean, read “as (or like, or about the time of) the day”.
lo. Figure of speech Asterismos App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
messengers: Eze 30:5, Eze 30:6, Isa 18:1, Isa 18:2, Isa 20:3, Isa 20:5, Zep 2:12
careless: Eze 38:11, Eze 39:6, Jdg 18:7, Isa 32:9-11, Isa 47:8, Jer 49:31, Zep 2:15, 1Th 5:2
great: Eze 30:4, Eze 26:16, Eze 27:35, Eze 32:9, Eze 32:10, Isa 19:17, Isa 23:5, Jer 49:21, Zec 11:2, Zec 11:3
lo: Eze 33:33, Amo 4:2
Reciprocal: Eze 30:16 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 30:9. In that day refers to the day when Egypt would be attacked by the Babylonians. The Lord will then send men in ships to terrify Ethiopia for having been an ally of Egypt in her evil attitude toward the interests of His people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
On this day of the Lord (Eze 30:3), the day of Egypt’s judgment, God would send soldiers against Egypt in ships, and they would frighten even the distant Ethiopians (cf. Eze 30:4).
"The terror and consternation of Egypt in that hour can only be likened to the time of Egypt’s judgment when Israel was delivered from Egyptian servitude in the exodus (see Exo 15:12-16)." [Note: Feinberg, p. 174.]