CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezekiel 29
Chapter 29 of 48
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezekiel 29
God prophesies against Egypt and its Pharaoh, comparing him to a great crocodile in the Nile River. Egypt would be desolate for forty years, and its people would be scattered. God would also give Egypt as payment to Nebuchadnezzar for his long siege of Tyre.
Scripture
Ezekiel 29
The Great Crocodile of the Nile
Study note
Pharaoh boasted that the Nile River was his own creation. God compared him to a great crocodile lying in the river, claiming to have made it himself. God would put hooks in his jaws, drag him out with all the fish (the Egyptian people) clinging to his scales, and throw them into the desert. Egypt had been like a flimsy reed staff that broke when Israel leaned on it for support, injuring Israel's hand and back.
1 During the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, the Lord spoke to me. In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, face Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and all of Egypt." Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
3 "Deliver this message: The Lord God says -- I am coming against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt! You are the enormous crocodile lounging in your rivers, bragging, 'The Nile belongs to me. I created it for myself.'" 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.
4 "But I will drive hooks into your jaws and make all the fish in your rivers stick to your scales. Then I will drag you out of your rivers with all the fish clinging to you." 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.
5 "I will leave you stranded in the desert -- you and every fish from your rivers. You will collapse in an open field with no one to collect or bury you. I will give your carcass to the wild animals and birds to feed on." 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.
6 "Then everyone in Egypt will acknowledge that I am the Lord. You were nothing but a flimsy reed staff for the Israelites to lean on." 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.
7 "When they grabbed you for support, you splintered and cut into their shoulders. When they put their weight on you, you snapped and made their backs give out." 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.
Egypt's Forty Years of Desolation
Study note
God would bring sword and destruction on Egypt and make it desolate from one end to the other for forty years. The Egyptians would be scattered among the nations. After forty years, God would bring them back but only as a weak kingdom that would never again rule over other nations. Israel would learn never again to trust in Egypt for help.
8 "So the Lord God says: I am sending a sword against you to destroy both your people and your animals." Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
9 "Egypt will become a barren wasteland. Then they will understand that I am the Lord. Because you boasted, 'The Nile is mine -- I made it,'" 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.
10 "I am now coming against you and your rivers. I will devastate the entire land of Egypt from one end to the other -- from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south, all the way to the Ethiopian border." 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.
11 "Not a single person or animal will pass through it. The land will sit completely empty for forty years." No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
12 "I will make Egypt the most desolate land on earth, and its cities will be the most ruined of all cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among foreign nations and spread them across distant countries." 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.
13 "But the Lord God also says: After forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered." Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
14 "I will bring the Egyptian captives home to Pathros, the land of their ancestors. There they will exist as a humble, weak kingdom." 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.
15 "Egypt will be the weakest of all kingdoms and will never again dominate other nations. I will make it so small that it can never again rule over anyone." 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.
16 "Israel will never again be tempted to rely on Egypt for help. Instead, Egypt will only serve as a painful reminder of Israel's sin in turning to it. Then they will know that I am the Lord God." 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.
Egypt as Payment for Nebuchadnezzar
Study note
This prophecy came much later, in the 27th year. Nebuchadnezzar's army had worked hard during the long 13-year siege of Tyre, but had gained little plunder because Tyre had shipped its wealth away by sea. So God would give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as wages for his work. On that day, God would also cause a 'horn to sprout' for Israel, a symbol of renewed strength and hope.
17 During the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day, the Lord spoke to me. 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,
18 "Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon drove his army relentlessly during the long siege of Tyre. Every soldier's head was rubbed raw and every shoulder was scraped bare from the hard labor. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army received no reward from Tyre for all their effort." 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:
19 "So the Lord God says: I am handing Egypt over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth as plunder and loot. That will be his army's payment." 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.
20 "I have given him Egypt as pay for his work, because he and his army were carrying out my plans, says the Lord God." 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.
21 "When that day comes, I will cause new strength to sprout for the people of Israel, and I will open your mouth to speak among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord." 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.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezekiel 29
Judgment on EgyptPharaoh's prideGod uses nations as instrumentsFalse reliance on human powers
Apply This Today
Living Ezekiel 29
Egypt had always been a tempting ally for Israel — powerful and nearby. But God showed that leaning on Egypt was like leaning on a broken stick that would stab you. This reminds us to put our trust in God rather than in human institutions that seem strong but will eventually fail.
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