Ezekiel 29:11-21

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 29:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010