For the rest of this prophecy, the picture of the sea monster fades and the focus is on the king and country of Egypt.

I will trouble the hearts of many peoples means to disturb the minds of the people of many nations, to provoke them in some way. Often the Hebrew verb for trouble means “provoke to anger,” that is, make people angry, but here it has to do with provoking them in other ways, such as making them upset, distressed, anxious, and afraid. It does not simply refer to the emotional response of fear, since in the Old Testament the heart was the center of thinking (see 3.7). It is difficult to find a word that covers all of the feelings mentioned above, and translators may need to choose a word that focuses on just one; for example, this clause may be rendered “I will make many foreign nations afraid” or “I will make many foreign nations to be very worried.”

When I carry you captive among the nations: This rendering follows the Septuagint (so also New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). The Hebrew reads “when I cause to come your breaking/shattering among the nations.” Some translations take this clause to refer in general terms to Egypt’s “destruction” (Good News Translation, New International Version, King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “ruin” (Moffatt), while others are more explicit and refer to its “shattered remnants” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “broken army” (Revised English Bible). The Hebrew text is the preferred reading here (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). The Hebrew verb for carry (literally “cause to come”) may mean that God actually causes the destruction (so New International Version, King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible), but many translations understand it as God bringing news of the destruction (so Good News Translation, Christian Community Bible, Moffatt, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). Both interpretations are acceptable. Among the nations is where the destruction of Egypt will happen, or where the news of Egypt’s fall will be announced.

Into the countries which you have not known: The news will spread so widely all over the world that nations the Egyptians “have never heard of” (Contemporary English Version) will hear it.

A model for this verse is:

• “When I destroy you, I will make many nations anxious/afraid. Yes, nations that you have never even heard of will become anxious/afraid.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .