Ezekiel 30:26

I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks through Ezekiel to pronounce judgment on Egypt, directly following the transfer of military power from Pharaoh to the Babylonian king. The declaration occurs within a prophetic oracle detailing national defeat and forced displacement.

The words — The Hebrew verbs הָפִיצוֹתִי (ha.fi.tzo.Ti) and זֵרִיתִי (ze.ri.Ti) both translate as "I will scatter" or "disperse," acting on מִצְרַיִם (mitz.Ra.yim, "Egypt") with the prepositions בַּגּוֹיִם (ba.go.Yim, "among the nations") and בָּאֲרָצוֹת (ba.'a.ra.Tzot, "in the lands"). The clause וְ/יָדְע֖וּ (ve./ya.de.'U) states "and they will know," referring to the Egyptians' eventual recognition of divine authority.

The thread — This scattering aligns with the land desolation in Ezekiel 29:12 and the territorial conquest in Daniel 11:42, while the recognition formula "then they will know that I am the LORD" matches the judgment pattern in Ezekiel 6:13.

Why it lands — The text asserts that military defeat and geographic dispersion will function as the historical mechanism for Egypt to acknowledge Yahweh's sovereignty. A reader must accept that divine self-revelation can operate through national ruin rather than moral awakening.

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

וַהֲפִצוֹתִ֤יva./ha.fi.tzo.Tiand/ I will scatter אֶת־'et-<obj.>מִצְרַ֙יִם֙mitz.Ra.yimEgypt בַּגּוֹיִ֔םba./go.Yimamong the/ nations וְזֵרִיתִ֥יve./ze.ri.Tiand/ I will disperse אוֹתָ֖ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them בָּאֲרָצ֑וֹתba./'a.ra.Tzotamong the/ lands וְיָדְע֖וּve./ya.de.'Uand/ they will know כִּֽי־ki-that אֲנִ֥י'a.NiI יְהוָֽה׃ סYah.weh[am] Yahweh

King James Version

And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Cross-references

Daniel 11:42 He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape.
Ezekiel 29:12 I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands, and her cities will lie desolate for forty years among the ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.
Ezekiel 6:13 Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy oak—the places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.
Ezekiel 30:17 The young men of On and Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and those cities will go into captivity.
Ezekiel 30:23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.