Ezekiel 29: Judgment on Egypt
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.
And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord God.
And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God.
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 29 marks the beginning of an extended oracle (chapters 29–32) focusing on God's judgment upon Egypt, a nation that had long been a problematic presence in Israel's history. This prophecy, delivered nearly a year after Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem commenced (Ezekiel 29:1), highlights the Lord's sovereignty over nations and his commitment to justice. The chapter particularly targets Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, who, like many ancient kings, considered himself a deity and master of the Nile River (Ezekiel 29:2-3).
The Futile Alliance and Impending Desolation
The Pharaoh in power during Judah's subjugation to Babylon was Hophra. When Zedekiah, the king of Judah, sought Egypt's assistance to break his oath to Nebuchadnezzar and rebel against Babylonian rule, Hophra offered support. However, this alliance proved to be utterly unreliable (Ezekiel 29:6-7). Hophra's weak attempt to aid Zedekiah failed, and he withdrew, leaving Zedekiah and Judah to face Nebuchadnezzar's full force. For this betrayal and for its pride, Egypt would face judgment. The Lord would drag Egypt away from its perceived security, symbolized by placing hooks in its jaws, and leave the nation desolate in the desert (Ezekiel 29:4-5). Egypt's false promises of support for Israel would ultimately lead to its own ruin (Ezekiel 29:7-9).
Exile and Restoration, but Humiliation
The prophecy further details Egypt's desolation, predicting a forty-year period of exile during which the land would be so barren that neither humans nor animals would traverse it (Ezekiel 29:10-11). Following this period, a regathering and restoration of Egypt's fortunes would occur (Ezekiel 29:13-14). However, this restoration would come with a significant caveat: Egypt would become the lowliest of kingdoms, never again able to exalt itself above other nations (Ezekiel 29:15). This humbling would also serve as a lesson for Israel, preventing them from relying on Egypt in the future (Ezekiel 29:16).
Nebuchadnezzar's Reward
Ezekiel 29:17-20 shifts the focus to the twenty-seventh year of the exile, placing it chronologically after the events previously described. The inclusion here is due to its thematic connection. Nebuchadnezzar's prolonged siege of Tyre had proven financially unprofitable. His army had endured immense hardship, their heads balding from helmets and bodies chafing from armor (Ezekiel 29:18). Therefore, God determined to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar as both a judgment against Egypt for its historical oppression of Israel and as compensation for Nebuchadnezzar's service to the Lord (Ezekiel 29:19-20). This is a powerful illustration of how God's purposes intertwine with human affairs, raising up and deposing rulers according to His will. God is sovereign over nations and their leaders (Proverbs 21:1).
A Voice Restored
The final verse of Ezekiel 29 speaks of Ezekiel's ability to speak out among the people of Israel when these prophecies came to pass and Israel was restored to their land (Ezekiel 29:21). While it's unlikely that Ezekiel himself would be physically speaking, given his advanced age at this point, it signifies that the fulfillment of his prophecies would validate his role as a faithful and clear communicator of God's word. The people of Israel would recognize that he had truthfully declared God's message to them. This restoration of a "horn" for the house of Israel and the opening of Ezekiel's mouth suggests a renewed sense of hope and divine communication for the exiled people.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.
And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord God.
And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God.
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 29 marks the beginning of an extended oracle (chapters 29–32) focusing on God's judgment upon Egypt, a nation that had long been a problematic presence in Israel's history. This prophecy, delivered nearly a year after Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem commenced (Ezekiel 29:1), highlights the Lord's sovereignty over nations and his commitment to justice. The chapter particularly targets Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, who, like many ancient kings, considered himself a deity and master of the Nile River (Ezekiel 29:2-3).
The Futile Alliance and Impending Desolation
The Pharaoh in power during Judah's subjugation to Babylon was Hophra. When Zedekiah, the king of Judah, sought Egypt's assistance to break his oath to Nebuchadnezzar and rebel against Babylonian rule, Hophra offered support. However, this alliance proved to be utterly unreliable (Ezekiel 29:6-7). Hophra's weak attempt to aid Zedekiah failed, and he withdrew, leaving Zedekiah and Judah to face Nebuchadnezzar's full force. For this betrayal and for its pride, Egypt would face judgment. The Lord would drag Egypt away from its perceived security, symbolized by placing hooks in its jaws, and leave the nation desolate in the desert (Ezekiel 29:4-5). Egypt's false promises of support for Israel would ultimately lead to its own ruin (Ezekiel 29:7-9).
Exile and Restoration, but Humiliation
The prophecy further details Egypt's desolation, predicting a forty-year period of exile during which the land would be so barren that neither humans nor animals would traverse it (Ezekiel 29:10-11). Following this period, a regathering and restoration of Egypt's fortunes would occur (Ezekiel 29:13-14). However, this restoration would come with a significant caveat: Egypt would become the lowliest of kingdoms, never again able to exalt itself above other nations (Ezekiel 29:15). This humbling would also serve as a lesson for Israel, preventing them from relying on Egypt in the future (Ezekiel 29:16).
Nebuchadnezzar's Reward
Ezekiel 29:17-20 shifts the focus to the twenty-seventh year of the exile, placing it chronologically after the events previously described. The inclusion here is due to its thematic connection. Nebuchadnezzar's prolonged siege of Tyre had proven financially unprofitable. His army had endured immense hardship, their heads balding from helmets and bodies chafing from armor (Ezekiel 29:18). Therefore, God determined to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar as both a judgment against Egypt for its historical oppression of Israel and as compensation for Nebuchadnezzar's service to the Lord (Ezekiel 29:19-20). This is a powerful illustration of how God's purposes intertwine with human affairs, raising up and deposing rulers according to His will. God is sovereign over nations and their leaders (Proverbs 21:1).
A Voice Restored
The final verse of Ezekiel 29 speaks of Ezekiel's ability to speak out among the people of Israel when these prophecies came to pass and Israel was restored to their land (Ezekiel 29:21). While it's unlikely that Ezekiel himself would be physically speaking, given his advanced age at this point, it signifies that the fulfillment of his prophecies would validate his role as a faithful and clear communicator of God's word. The people of Israel would recognize that he had truthfully declared God's message to them. This restoration of a "horn" for the house of Israel and the opening of Ezekiel's mouth suggests a renewed sense of hope and divine communication for the exiled people.