Ezekiel 29

1 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, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.

3 Speak and say, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.

4 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 come out stuck onto thy scales.

5 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 food to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

6 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 took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou didst brake and make all their loins to come to nothing.

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

9 And the land of Egypt shall be made 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 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 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

12 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 Yet thus hath the Lord GOD said: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.

14 And I will turn to bring again the captives of Egypt and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros into the land of their habitation, and there they shall be a minor kingdom.

15 In comparison with the other kingdoms it shall be humble; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them that they shall no longer rule among the Gentiles.

16 And it shall no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, which brings their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them, but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh 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, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: and yet neither he nor his army had wages of Tyre, for the service that he had served against her.

19 Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said; Behold, I give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude and gather her spoil and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour with which he served against her because they wrought for me, said the Lord GOD.

21 In that time I will 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 Commentary

Chapter 29

The desolation of Egypt. (1-16) Also a promise of mercy to Israel. (17-21)

Verses 1-16 Worldly, carnal minds pride themselves in their property, forgetting that whatever we have, we received it from God, and should use it for God. Why, then, do we boast? Self is the great idol which all the world worships, in contempt of God and his sovereignty. God can force men out of that in which they are most secure and easy. Such a one, and all that cleave to him, shall perish together. Thus end men's pride, presumption, and carnal security. The Lord is against those who do harm to his people, and still more against those who lead them into sin. Egypt shall be a kingdom again, but it shall be the basest of the kingdoms; it shall have little wealth and power. History shows the complete fulfilment of this prophecy. God, not only in justice, but in wisdom and goodness to us, breaks the creature-stays on which we lean, that they may be no more our confidence.

Verses 17-21 The besiegers of Tyre obtained little plunder. But when God employs ambitious or covetous men, he will recompense them according to the desires of their hearts; for every man shall have his reward. God had mercy in store for the house of Israel soon after. The history of nations best explains ancient prophecies. All events fulfil the Scriptures. Thus, in the deepest scenes of adversity, the Lord sows the seed of our future prosperity. Happy are those who desire his favour, grace, and image; they will delight in his service, and not covet any earthly recompence; and the blessings they have chosen shall be sure to them for ever.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 29

This chapter contains a prophecy against Pharaoh king of Egypt; and of the destruction of the land of Egypt; and of the restoration of it after a certain time. The time of prophecy is noted, Eze 29:1, the order to prophesy against Pharaoh, who is described as a large fish, lying in his rivers, and boasting of them, Eze 29:2,3, his destruction and the manner of it, Eze 29:4,5, the reason of it, his treachery to the Jews, Eze 29:6,7, hence the whole land of Egypt is threatened with desolation, from one end to the other, so as to be uninhabited by man or beast for the space of forty years, Eze 29:8-14, but shall not arrive to their former glory as a kingdom, nor be any more the confidence of the house of Israel, Eze 29:15,16, then follows a prophecy seventeen years after this, showing the reason why Egypt was given to the king of Babylon, Eze 29:17-20, and the chapter is closed with a promise of happiness to Israel, Eze 29:21.