Notes from Ezekiel 32

Still we are upon the destruction of Pharaoh and Egypt, which is wonderfully enlarged upon, and with a great deal of emphasis. When we read so very much of Egypt's ruin, no less than six several prophecies at divers times delivered concerning it, we are ready to think, Surely there is some special reason for it. And,

I. Perhaps it may look as far back as the book of Genesis, where we find (15:14) that God determined to judge Egypt for oppressing his people; and, though that was in part fulfilled in the plagues of Egypt and the drowning of Pharaoh, yet, in this destruction, here foretold, those old scores were reckoned for, and that was to have its full accomplishment.
II. Perhaps it may look as far forward as the book of the Revelation, where we find that the great enemy of the gospel-church, that makes war with the Lamb, is spiritually called Egypt, Rev. 11:8. And, if so, the destruction of Egypt and its Pharaoh was a type of the destruction of that proud enemy; and between this prophecy of the ruin of Egypt and the prophecy of the destruction of the antichristian generation there is some analogy. We have two distinct prophecies in this chapter relating to Egypt, both in the same month, one on the 1st day, the other that day fortnight, probably both on the sabbath day. They are both lamentations, not only to signify how lamentable the fall of Egypt should be, but to intimate how much the prophet himself should lament it, from a generous principle of love to mankind. The destruction of Egypt is here represented under two similitudes:-
1. The killing of a lion, or a whale, or some such devouring creature (v. 1-16).
2. The funeral of a great commander or captain-general (v. 17-32).
The two prophecies of this chapter are much of the same length.

Notes from Ezekiel 31

The prophecy of this chapter, as the two chapters before, is against Egypt, and designed for the humbling and mortifying of Pharaoh. In passing sentence upon great criminals it is usual to consult precedents, and to see what has been done to others in the like case, which serves both to direct and to justify the proceedings. Pharaoh stands indicted at the bar of divine justice for his pride and haughtiness, and the injuries he had done to God's people; but he thinks himself so high, so great, as not to be accountable to any authority, so strong, and so well guarded, as not to be conquerable by any force. The prophet is therefore directed to make a report to him of the case of the king of Assyria, whose head city was Nineveh.

I. He must show him how great a monarch the king of Assyria had been, what a vast empire he had, what a mighty sway he bore; the king of Egypt, great as he was could not go beyond him (v. 3-9).
II. He must then show him how like he was to the king of Assyria in pride and carnal security (v. 10).
III. He must next read him the history of the fall and ruin of the king of Assyria, what a noise it made among the nations and what a warning it gave to all potent princes to take heed of pride (v. 11-17).
IV. He must leave the king of Egypt to apply all this to himself, to see his own face in the looking-glass of the king of Assyria's sin, and to foresee his own fall through the perspective glass of his ruin (v. 18).

Notes from Ezekiel 30

In this chapter we have,

I. A continuation of the prophecy against Egypt, which we had in the latter part of the foregoing chapter, just before the desolation of that once flourishing kingdom was completed by Nebuchadnezzar, in which is foretold the destruction of all her allies and confederates, all her interests and concerns, and the several steps which the king of Babylon should take in pushing on this destruction (v. 1-19).
II. A repetition of a former prophecy against Egypt, just before the desolation of it begun by their own bad conduct, which gradually weakened them and prepared the way for the king of Babylon (v. 20-26).
It is all much to the same purport with what we had before.

Notes from Ezekiel 29

Three chapters we had concerning Tyre and its king; next follow four chapters concerning Egypt and its king. This is the first of them. Egypt had formerly been a house of bondage to God's people; of late they had had but too friendly a correspondence with it, and had depended too much upon it; and therefore, whether the prediction reached Egypt or no, it would be of use to Israel, to take them off from their confidence in their alliance with it. The prophecies against Egypt, which are all laid together in these four chapters, were of five several dates; the first in the 10th year of the captivity (v. 1), the second in the 27th (v. 17), the third in the 11th year and the first month (30:20), the fourth in the 11th year and the third month (31:1), the fifth in the 12th year (32:1), and another in the same year (v. 17). In this chapter we have,

I. The destruction of Pharaoh foretold, for his dealing deceitfully with Israel (v. 1-7).
II. The desolation of the land of Egypt foretold (v. 8-12).
III. A promise of the restoration thereof, in part, after forty years (v. 13-16).
IV. The possession that should be given to Nebuchadnezzar of the land of Egypt (v. 17-20).
V. A promise of mercy to Israel (v. 21).

Notes from Ezekiel 28

In this chapter we have,

I. A prediction of the fall and ruin of the king of Tyre, who, in the destruction of that city, is particularly set up as a mark for God's arrows (v. 1-10).
II. A lamentation for the king of Tyre, when he has thus fallen, though he falls by his own iniquity (v. 11-19).
III. A prophecy of the destruction of Zidon, which as in the neighbourhood of Tyre and had a dependence upon it (v. 20-23).
IV. A promise of the restoration of the Israel of God, though in the day of their calamity they were insulted over by their neighbours (v. 24-26).

Notes from Ezekiel 27

Still we are attending the funeral of Tyre and the lamentations made for the fall of that renowned city. In this chapter we have,

I. A large account of the dignity, wealth, and splendour of Tyre, while it was in its strength, the vast trade it drove, and the interest it had among the nations (v. 1-25), which is designed to make its ruin the more lamentable.
II. A prediction of its fall and ruin, and the confusion and consternation which all its neighbours shall thereby be put into (v. 26-36).
And this is intended to stain the pride of all worldly glory, and, by setting the one over-against the other, to let us see the vanity and uncertainty of the riches, honours, and pleasures of the world, and what little reason we have to place our happiness in them or to be confident of the continuance of them; so that all this is written for our learning.

Notes from Ezekiel 26

The prophet had soon done with those four nations that he set his face against in the foregoing chapters; for they were not at that time very considerable in the world, nor would their fall make any great noise among the nations nor any figure in history. But the city of Tyre is next set to the bar; this, being a place of vast trade, was known all the world over; and therefore here are three whole chapters, this and the two that follow, spent in the prediction of the destruction of Tyre. We have "the burden of Tyre,' Isa. 23. It is but just mentioned in Jeremiah, as sharing with the natives in the common calamity, 25:22; 27:3; 47:4. But Ezekiel is ordered to be copious upon that head. In this chapter we have,

I. The sin charged upon Tyre, which was triumphing in the destruction of Jerusalem (v. 2).
II. The destruction of Tyrus itself foretold.
1. The extremity of this destruction: it shall be utterly ruined (v. 4-6, 12-14).
2. The instruments of this destruction, many nations (v. 3), and the king of Babylon by name with his vast victorious army (v. 7-11).
3. The great surprise that this should give to the neighbouring nations, who would all wonder at the fall of so great a city and be alarmed at it (v. 15-21).