יחזקאל, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י״ב

The impending fall of Egypt is destined to be absolute and comprehensive, designed to eliminate any hope of a quick recovery. This decree of devastation extends far beyond the physical land, bringing about a total dispersal of its people across the globe for a fixed period of forty years.

The sheer scale of this ruin means Egypt will share the grim fate of other desolate lands, collapsing alongside them [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. However, a deeper perspective reveals that the devastation reaches even further. Often, a region might fall into ruin while its central cities remain populated, surviving like isolated islands in an empty ocean. In Egypt's case, this will not happen. The destruction will spread to neighboring countries as well, ensuring that Egypt's cities lie in ruins alongside the ruined cities of their neighbors. Consequently, the Egyptian people will have no surrounding allies to rely on for help in rebuilding. The magnitude of Egypt's ruin will be so severe and unique that, by comparison, the devastation of the surrounding nations will hardly even register as desolate [מלבי״ם].

The survivors who manage to escape this catastrophe will not find refuge together in a single new homeland. Instead, they will be entirely fractured and scattered among various foreign nations [מלבי״ם]. This total dispersal presents a unique complication regarding the biblical law that forbids an Egyptian from marrying into the Jewish people until the third generation after conversion. This restriction relies on a person's Egyptian origin being known and fixed. If the Egyptian refugees were to scatter permanently and assimilate completely into other nations, their distinct national identity would fade. Under standard rules of Jewish law, which follow the majority in cases of uncertain identity, their descendants would be immediately permitted to marry into the community. What was meant to be a severe punishment would ironically transform into a significant advantage.

To prevent this exile from turning into a benefit, the period of dispersion is strictly limited to exactly forty years. At the end of this era, God will gather the Egyptians back to their native land. By returning them to their borders, their original national identity will be restored and clearly defined once again, ensuring that the original restrictions placed upon them remain firmly intact [אהבת יהונתן].