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 says, that in ancient times Egypt had cities and villages of note, more than 18,000. Herodotus writes, that it was said, that under King Amasis there were 20,000 cities in it; and the first mentioned writer says, under Ptolemy Lagus they were reckoned more than 30,000; and, according to Theocritus , under Ptolemy Philadelphus they were 33,339.
Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 177. Bibl. l. 1. p. 19. Idyll. 17. v.