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Ezekiel 29

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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,

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Ezekiel 29

God addresses Pharaoh as a monster of the Nile and announces Egypt's comprehensive destruction: its cities will be desolate, its people will be scattered, and its influence will be ended, establishing that Egypt—though a great power—is subject to God's judgment and must acknowledge divine sovereignty. The crocodile metaphor establishes Pharaoh as a chaotic, predatory force, connecting Egyptian imagery to broader ancient Near Eastern symbolism of chaos. God promises that Israel will see Egypt's judgment and realize that God alone is the Lord, and that Egypt will be restored to subservience (a non-restoration quite different from Israel's promised renewal). The oracle's multiple pronouncements—destruction, desolation, dispersal—establish judgment's comprehensiveness. This chapter initiates the extended Egypt oracle (chapters 29-32), emphasizing that even the ancient world's greatest superpower experiences divine judgment. The theodicy issue of Egypt's judgment is addressed through establishing that nations should recognize God's sovereignty; Egypt's failure to do so necessitates judgment. The promise that Israel will witness Egypt's destruction establishes that Israel will be confirmed in its own restoration through observing judgment on oppressive powers. The specific reference to Pharaoh's claim to have made the Nile establishes the theological problem: attributing divine power to human agency. This chapter's opening position in the oracles against nations section emphasizes Egypt's significance as Israel's ancient oppressor and potential false savior.

Ezekiel 29:1

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, set your face toward Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt, dating the oracle against Egypt and shifting focus to Africa's greatest power as the next target of divine judgment. The specification of date emphasizes the divine orchestration of prophecy, while the directive to address Pharaoh directly personalizes the judgment. The inclusion of 'all Egypt' suggests that the nation as a whole bears responsibility for opposing God's purposes.

Ezekiel 29:2

Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, and says, 'My Nile is my own; I made it,' introducing a mythological characterization of Pharaoh as a 'great dragon' (Heb. tannin), language that associates him with primordial chaos monsters in ancient Near Eastern cosmology. The location 'in the midst of his streams' references Egypt's absolute dependence on the Nile, suggesting that Pharaoh's identification with the river represents his ultimate source of power and pride. Pharaoh's claim 'My Nile is my own; I made it' represents theological presumption paralleling the king of Tyre's divinity claim: he attributes to himself the power to create or control nature.

Ezekiel 29:3

I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, and all the fish of your streams shall stick to your scales, using the metaphor of fishing and hunting to describe God's capture of Pharaoh. The 'hooks in your jaws' and the clinging of fish suggest that Pharaoh will be drawn out of the Nile—the source of his power—and exposed. The fishing metaphor inverts Pharaoh's mastery over the Nile, showing him vulnerable to divine capture.

Ezekiel 29:4

And I will leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field and not be gathered or buried; I have given you as food to the beasts of the field and to the birds of the air, describing the ultimate humiliation: exposure in the wilderness, unburied and consumed by scavengers. The refusal of burial—crucial in ancient cultures for ensuring peaceful afterlife existence—represents severe disgrace. The provision of Pharaoh's body as food for animals emphasizes total loss of dignity and honor.

Ezekiel 29:5

Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel, introducing the theological motivation for judgment: Egypt's failure to support Israel. The 'staff of reed' metaphor characterizes Egypt as a weak, unreliable ally that crumbles when leaned upon, suggesting that Egypt promised support but failed to deliver. This phrase may reference Egyptian failure to aid Judah against Babylon.

Ezekiel 29:6

When they grasped you with their hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke, and made all their loins shake, extending the image of the broken staff, emphasizing Egypt's complete failure as a support. The graphic depiction of rupture and wounding suggests that Egypt not only failed to help but actively harmed those who depended on it. This reflects the historical experience of Judah's reliance on Egyptian aid that never materialized.

Ezekiel 29:7

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast; and the land of Egypt shall become a desolation and a waste; then they shall know that I am the Lord, transitioning from metaphor to the concrete judgment: military conquest that will devastate Egypt's population and territory. The 'sword' indicates warfare and conquest, while the desolation of land emphasizes comprehensive destruction. The recognition formula affirms that survivors will understand this as God's action.

Ezekiel 29:8

Because you said, 'The Nile is mine; I made it,' therefore, behold, I am against you, and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush, directly attributing judgment to Pharaoh's blasphemous claim of divine powers over the Nile. The geographic scope—from Migdol (north) to Syene (south) to the Cushite border—indicates total territorial devastation from north to south. This comprehensive destruction means that nowhere in Egypt will escape judgment.

Ezekiel 29:9

No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited for forty years, specifying that Egypt will become completely depopulated and abandoned for four decades, indicating protracted devastation extending far beyond immediate military conquest. The forty-year period evokes wilderness wandering traditions in Israel's history, suggesting punishment and purification. The absence of both human and animal traffic suggests that the land becomes a wasteland unsuitable for habitation.

Ezekiel 29:10

And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries, depicting the diaspora of Egypt's population across the known world. Scattering among nations represents the ultimate loss of national coherence and collective identity, with Egyptians becoming minorities in foreign lands. This dispersion parallels Israel's exile, suggesting that Egypt experiences a judgment analogous to that inflicted on God's people.

Ezekiel 29:11

Yet, at the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered; and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; and there they shall be a lowly kingdom, introducing an unexpected reversal: after forty years, God will restore Egypt, but not to former greatness. The gathering mirrors the future restoration of Israel, suggesting that redemption is available even to nations that opposed God. However, Egypt's restoration to a 'lowly kingdom' indicates diminished status, no longer functioning as a great power.

Ezekiel 29:12

It shall be the lowliest of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations; and I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations, specifying that Egypt's restoration will involve permanent limitation of power. The repeated negations ('never again exalt,' 'never again rule') emphasize that Egypt will not recover its imperial status. This suggests a future where Egypt exists but subordinate to other powers.

Ezekiel 29:13

And the house of Israel shall no more rely on the house of Egypt, a staff of reed, but it will be a reminder to the house of Israel of their sin, in turning to Egypt for help; then they shall know that I am the Lord God, introducing Israel's perspective: Egyptian restoration serves pedagogical purposes for Israel. Israel's past reliance on Egypt, rather than on God, constituted sin, and Egypt's demonstration of unreliability should teach Israel to trust God alone. The recognition that Egypt's weakness is God's doing should transform Israel's understanding of power.

Ezekiel 29:14

Thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, repeating the promise of restoration to emphasize its certainty and to separate it definitively from the preceding judgment.

Ezekiel 29:15

And I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom; it shall be the lowliest of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations; and I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations, reiterating the promise of restoration but with the important qualification of permanent diminishment. The repetition emphasizes both the certainty and the specific character of restoration—return but not recovery to former status.

Ezekiel 29:16

And they shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, calling to mind their iniquity, when they turned to seek the aid of Egypt; but then they shall know that I am the Lord God, concluding the oracle by emphasizing that Israel will be permanently disabused of reliance on Egypt. The memory of Egypt's failure will serve as perpetual reminder of the folly of seeking human allies rather than trusting God. This suggests that historical experience becomes pedagogical: the weakness of human power teaches faith in divine power.

Ezekiel 29:17

In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare; yet he got no wages nor his army from Tyre, for the labor that he expended on her, introducing a historical note about the Babylonian siege of Tyre and Nebuchadnezzar's reward. Despite the extraordinary expenditure of effort (heads made bald, shoulders rubbed raw), Tyre remained intact and Nebuchadnezzar received no plunder or tribute. This apparent historical failure requires explanation from a theological perspective.

Ezekiel 29:18

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army, offering compensation to Nebuchadnezzar for his fruitless labor against Tyre by granting him Egypt instead. This divine recompense demonstrates that although human military effort may not immediately succeed, God ensures that faithful service (in executing divine judgment) will be rewarded. The spoils of Egypt become the 'wages' for an army that received nothing from Tyre.

Ezekiel 29:19

I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he labored, because he labored for me, declares the Lord God, emphasizing that Nebuchadnezzar's labor, though directed against Tyre, served God's purposes and thus merits divine reward. The phrase 'he labored for me' suggests that even military campaigns undertaken for human political purposes ultimately serve God's will when they align with divine judgment.

Ezekiel 29:20

On that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them; then they shall know that I am the Lord, concluding the oracle with a promise of Israel's future vindication. The 'horn' symbolizes strength and power, while the opening of Ezekiel's mouth indicates restoration of prophetic voice. This conclusion suggests that as God rewards Nebuchadnezzar for serving divine purposes, so too God will restore Israel. The recognition formula appears again, affirming that history's meaning is revealed through God's actions.

Ezekiel 29:21

Then they shall know that I am the Lord, reiterating the recognition formula as the final word, emphasizing that Israel's restoration will serve, like all of history, the purpose of revealing God's sovereignty and character to the world.