Bible Strands
Ezekiel 30:16
I will set fire to Egypt, Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be split open, and Memphis will face daily distress.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel during a prophetic oracle pronouncing impending judgment on Egypt and its major cities.
The words — אֵשׁ ('esh) denotes the literal fire God will set upon the land, while תָּחוּל (ta.chil) describes the physical convulsions of Pelusium under that judgment.
The thread — The motif of God setting fire to Egypt reappears in Ezekiel 30:8, where the destruction of Egypt and its helpers serves as the means by which the nations recognize Yahweh.
Why it lands — The text records God's direct action of igniting Egypt and the specific, localized suffering of Pelusium, Thebes, and Memphis. It asks the reader to acknowledge that divine judgment operates through concrete historical events against named political centers.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 28:18 By the multitude of your iniquities and the dishonesty of your trading you have profaned your sanctuaries. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the eyes of all who saw you.
- Ezekiel 30:8 Then they will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are shattered.