(7) Shall be desolate.--This verse is almost an exact repetition of Ezekiel 29:12.

30:1-19 The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt is very full. Those who take their lot with God's enemies, shall be with them in punishment. The king of Babylon and his army shall be instruments of this destruction. God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another. No place in the land of Egypt shall escape the fury of the Chaldeans. The Lord is known by the judgments he executes. Yet these are only present effects of the Divine displeasure, not worthy of our fear, compared with the wrath to come, from which Jesus delivers his people.And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate,.... Or among them, shall be ranked with them, and be as desolate as they are; as Judea and other countries, ravaged by the same enemy:

and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted; undergo the same fate as they have done, as Jerusalem and others. The cities of Egypt were very numerous; Diodorus Siculus (n) says, that in ancient times Egypt had cities and villages of note, more than 18,000. Herodotus (o) writes, that it was said, that under King Amasis there were 20,000 cities in it; and the first mentioned writer (p) says, under Ptolemy Lagus they were reckoned more than 30,000; and, according to Theocritus (q), under Ptolemy Philadelphus they were 33,339.

(n) Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. (o) Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 177. (p) Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. (q) Idyll. 17. v. 82.