Ezekiel — Chapter 29

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1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

3Speak, 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.

4But 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.

5And 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.

6And 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.

7When 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.

8Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

9And 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.

10Behold, 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.

11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

12And 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.

13Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:

14And 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.

15It 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.

16And 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.

17And 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,

18Son 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:

19Therefore 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.

20I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.

21In 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.

1In the tenth year, in the tenth [month], in the twelfth [day] of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt;

3speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

4And 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, with all the fish of thy rivers which stick unto thy scales.

5And I will cast thee forth into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open field; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered; I have given thee for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens.

6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

7When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and didst rend all their shoulders; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.

8Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and will cut off from thee man and beast.

9And the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. Because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it;

10therefore, behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even unto the border of Ethiopia.

11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

12And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

13For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples whither they were scattered;

14and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

15It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations: and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

16And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they turn to look after them: and they shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

17And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first [month], in the first [day] of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

19Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

20I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he served, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord Jehovah.

21In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth unto the house of Israel, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:

2“Son of man, turn toward Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the midst of its waterways, who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.”

4I will put hooks in your jaws and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales. I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways, and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.

5I will leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your waterways; you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.

6Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord because they were a reed staff for the house of Israel;

7when they grasped you with their hand, you broke and tore their shoulders, and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady.

8“‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill every person and every animal.

9The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “‘Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,”

10I am against you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border with Ethiopia.

11No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for 40 years.

12I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for 40 years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.

13“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of 40 years I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered.

14I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and will bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom.

15It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.

16It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”

17In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:

18“Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it.

19Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages.

20I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre, because they did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

21On that day I will make Israel powerful, and I will give you the right to be heard among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

4I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.

5I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

6“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

7When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke, and paralyzed all of their thighs.”

8“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.

9The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it;’

10therefore, behold, I am against you, and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.

11No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years.

12I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”

13“‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.

14I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. They will be a lowly kingdom, there.

15It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It won’t lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them, so that they will no longer rule over the nations.

16It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.”’”

17It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

19Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army.

20I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord Yahweh.

21“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

The oracles against Egypt begin. Pharaoh is depicted as a great dragon (crocodile/sea monster) lying in the Nile, boasting "My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself." God promises to put hooks in his jaws, drag him from the waters, and scatter Egypt for forty years. Egypt will never again rule over nations — reduced to "the basest of kingdoms." The chapter ends with God giving Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his service against Tyre.

Authorship & Background

Author: Ezekiel son of Buzi (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Oracle Against the Nations (Egypt Series: 1 of 7) Key Themes: Pharaoh as the great dragon, "My river is mine own," the dragon dragged from the water, Egypt scattered forty years, the basest of kingdoms, Nebuchadnezzar's wages, God's sovereignty over empires
Historical Context: Chapters 29-32 contain seven oracles against Egypt — more than any other nation receives in Ezekiel. This reflects Egypt's special significance: she was the false hope that Judah trusted instead of God. Every time Judah faced Babylonian pressure, she looked south to Egypt for military help (cf. Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1; Jeremiah 37:5-10). Egypt repeatedly promised aid and repeatedly failed to deliver.
The first oracle (29: 1-16) is dated to January 587 BC — during the siege of Jerusalem, when Egypt's Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) had actually marched north, briefly lifting the siege, before retreating (Jeremiah 37:5-11). This apparent rescue was a cruel mirage: Egypt came, then left, and Babylon returned stronger.
Pharaoh is depicted as a "tannin" — a great sea monster/dragon/ crocodile in the Nile. This imagery draws on both the literal crocodile of the Nile and the mythological chaos-monster that God subdues (cf. Isaiah 51:9; Psalm 74:13). Pharaoh claims to be master of the Nile — "I have made it" — which is creation language. He claims to be the creator of Egypt's prosperity. God responds by treating him like a caught fish: hooks in the jaws, dragged from the water, left in the desert to rot.
Structure:
  • The Great Dragon in the Nile (vv.1-5)
  • Egypt: A Staff of Reed to Israel (vv.6-7)
  • Judgment: The Sword and Forty Years of Desolation (vv.8-12)
  • Restoration as the Basest Kingdom (vv.13-16)
  • Nebuchadnezzar Receives Egypt as Wages (vv.17-21)

Map & Geography

  • Egypt (v.2, v.3, v.6): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.
  • Babylon (v.18, v.19): Capital of the Babylonian empire; place of Judah's exile (modern Iraq).

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.' Here is the ultimate blasphemy of empire: claiming to be the source of your own prosperity. Pharaoh looked at the Nile and saw his own reflection. God looked at Pharaoh and saw a crocodile about to be hooked. The mightiest empires are merely fish in God's river."

Reflection

  • 1. "My river is mine own, and I have made it" (v.3). The lie of self-creation. Everything you have — talent, resources, opportunity, even the breath in your lungs — belongs to God. When you say "I built this," you're playing Pharaoh. The river is not yours.
  • 2. False support wounds you (v.6). The "reed staff" — whatever you lean on instead of God — will not just fail to support you; it will INJURE you when it breaks. False security is worse than no security because it stabs you when it fails.
  • 3. God hooks dragons (v.4). Whatever terrifies you — whatever seems too powerful, too entrenched, too monstrous to defeat — is merely a fish to God. He has hooks for every dragon. Don't be intimidated by crocodiles when you serve the Fisherman.
  • 4. "The basest of kingdoms" (v.15). Permanent reduction is a real consequence. Egypt never recovered imperial status. Some losses from pride are PERMANENT. Don't assume God will always restore everything to its former glory. Humility NOW prevents permanent diminishment LATER.
  • 5. God pays His workers (v.20). Even Nebuchadnezzar — an unwitting servant — receives compensation. How much more will God reward those who serve Him KNOWINGLY and willingly? Nothing done for God is unrewarded (1 Corinthians 15:58).