And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded.
As families and states go, some rise while others fall; Egypt's long gathering of strength must be matched by a slow loss of it, God's mercy giving time for repentance. One arm broken already at Carchemish, yet before Egypt's neck and heart are crushed, the Lord deals in steps, not all at once.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 30:20-26
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon,.... Give him a commission to make war; direct his councils; supply him with all necessaries; animate and encourage his soldiers; and give him success in all his enterprises: and put my sword in his hand; which confirms the above sense, that he should have power and authority from the Lord to attack the king...
The arm means military power, and this was no future threat but what already happened when Babylon routed Pharaoh's relief force at Jerusalem. God's perfect tense is fact, not prophecy: the arm is broken and will not heal, while Babylon's arms grow strong to wield God's own sword against Egypt.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 30:21-26