Ezek. 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,
Ezek. 29:2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
It would seem that this message to Ezekiel came chronologically before the message directed to Tyre and its prince and king. It is a message directed against Egypt and its king, the Pharaoh.
Ironside: “In Tyre we have seen a picture of the world viewed as a great commercial system, acting independently of God. Egypt is a picture of the world in a different aspect, as the place of bondage out of which God delivers His people. Pharaoh was both its prince and its god, and therefore typifies Satan, the prince and the god of this age.”
Ezek. 29:3 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.
“dragon” = a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal
God addresses the Pharaoh as a great dragon lying in the land embraced by its rivers as a kingdom of his own making through his own power, authority and abilities. Just as the prince and king of Tyre, he is a ruler filled with pride.
Some translations and commentaries identify the “great dragon” as a crocodile. Burton Coffman’s commentary states: “Historically, there is no excuse whatever for seeking sources here in ancient mythology. The crocodile was a well-known symbol of Egypt, found on Roman coins of that vintage, and being universally understood as a symbol of Egypt and its Pharaohs.”
It struck me that reference was made to the Pharaoh resting in the midst of his rivers (plural), yet referencing the river (singular) as of his own making. No one can deny that the prosperity of biblical Egypt was directly connected to the Nile River. In trying to understand the two references, I found the following at http://www.lexicorient.com/e.o/egypt.htm: “The Nile Valley which extends at the maximum some kilometres on either side of the river, gives just about enough ground for the agriculture needed by the fast growing population in Egypt. The delta area, where the Nile divides into many smaller rivers, is of major importance to agriculture of Egypt.”
In claiming that the Nile was of his own making, the Pharaoh was declaring himself to be a god.
This section seems to tie directly to verse 9 in the next chapter as well as Isaiah 18:1-2.
Ezek. 29:4 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 stick unto thy scales.
Ezek. 29:5 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 meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
Though the crocodile was mighty and feared, God declares that He will put hooks in the jaws of the crocodile and remove it from its “kingdom” and source of sustenance, leaving it to die in the wilderness (desert) and become food for the beasts of the field and scavenger birds of prey. This message is a word picture of how the Pharaoh and his people will be destroyed by its enemies.
Constable: “In the delta region of Egypt, the Egyptians worshipped the crocodile as a god, Sebek which they believed protected their nation. Thus, God promised to destroy Pharoah, Egypt and the god supposedly responsible for their protection.”
Ezek. 29:6 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.
Ezek. 29:7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
These verses declare the reason for God’s judgment upon Egypt in addition to the pride of the Pharaoh referenced in verse 3. They have been deceitful and undependable in their alliances with Israel. Though Israel had sought their alliance in direct disobedience to and rejection of God, He would stay true to His promises to Abraham—“I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that curse thee.” (Genesis 12:3)
Utley: “‘they have been only a staff made of reed’— This is a metaphor of weakness and inability.
Ezek. 29:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
Ezek. 29:9 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.
These verses are a statement of the extent of the destruction of Egypt. It will result in the death of much of its human and animal population and will make the land desolate (ruined, deprived of inhabitants) and waste (through drought, unproductive, worthless). God again declares that the people of Egypt will be made to recognize God as LORD. Pharaoh had no right to claim the Nile as his creation; it is part of the creation of God. Egypt enjoyed its benefit because God so allowed them the privilege.
Ezek. 29:10 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.
Ezek. 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
Ezek. 29:12 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.
The wording in the King James is confusing. Almost all the other translations I read, translated verse 10 to read “from Migdol to Syene.” For example, the ESV states: “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.”
The Hebrew for the word tower is defined as referring to Migdol. Migdol was a city in northern Egypt and Syene (today known as Aswan) was located on its southern border with Ethiopia (Cush); this statement clarifies that the whole land of Egypt from north to south will suffer judgment at the hand of God. God is declaring through the prophet that the land of Egypt will lay waste and desolate for 40 years. Verse 12 indicates that Egypt will not be the only nation to face destruction. The Egyptians, just as the Israelites, would be dispersed among the nations.
Ezek. 29:13 Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
Ezek. 29:14 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.
Ezek. 29:15 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.
Even in this message of judgment, God declares a message of hope to the Egyptians. After 40 years He will cause the people of Egypt to return to their land, but its boundaries would be significantly smaller. They would occupy Pathros, a portion of its former empire also known as Upper Egypt, which was in the southern portion of the country between modern Cairo and Aswan according to the NIV Commentary. From that time on they would be one of the basest of kingdoms; in other words, they would never rise to the position of a world power again. They would never again rule over any of the nations.
Though I could not find specific documentation of the 40 years of dispersal, I agree with the assessment of the writers of the NIV Commentary: “If Egypt fell to the Babylonians about 568 B.C., as implied in the chronicles of the Babylonian kings, then a forty-year “captivity” of Egypt would end under the Persians. Since the Persians returned many of the peoples displaced by the Babylonians, this very well may be the case. Just because there is no direct statement in ancient history concerning this dispersion does not mean that it did not occur. God’s word is more valid than our conjectures or ignorance.”
Ezek. 29:16 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.
Never again will Israel be tempted to look to Egypt for help. When the people of Israel look to Egypt, all they will see is a reminder of their sin in seeking help and protection from Egypt instead of God. They will understand that Egypt’s judgment has come at the hand of God.
I think it is significant to note that God’s message and purpose is constant. All the peoples on planet earth are to be made to recognize the Lord God, THE self-existent, eternal, one and only God.
Ezek. 29:17 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,
This message seems to be dated 17 years after the previous one; Wiersbe dates it to April 26, 571 BC. I would assume that it is included here because it is directly connected to the judgment upon Egypt.
Ezek. 29:18 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:
Ezek. 29:19 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.
Ezek. 29:20 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.
These verses describe the efforts made by Nebuchadnezzar and his men to capture the city of Tyre. As noted in chapter 26, history records that his siege of Tyre lasted for 13 years. During that time his men labored hard (to the point of losing their hair and getting raw shoulders as a result of the heavy loads they carried) yet came up empty handed. The NIV Commentary states that because Egypt and Tyre were allies, the Egyptians could have had a hand in thwarting Nebuchadnezzar in achieving his objective—an objective that was according to God’s purposes. Therefore, the Lord decided to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as compensation for his efforts. Historical records indicate that Egypt fell to Nebuchadnezzar around 568 BC.
Ezek. 29:21 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.
“In that day” – The wording seems to indicate that this is referencing the day when Egypt falls captive to Nebuchadnezzar. It is connected to the time that Ezekiel will again be allowed to speak freely.
The Hebrew for horn is a reference to power and a ray of light among other things. This would seem to indicate that the fulfillment of this prophecy against Egypt would serve to strengthen the hope and expectation of Israel regarding the truth of God’s word and the fact that their judgment would come to an end and they would return to Israel to rebuild their nation and the temple as foretold by the prophets—including Ezekiel. It would be another affirmation that the prophet’s message was from God.
Again, God’s declaration—“They shall know that I am the LORD.”
Ezek. 30:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Ezek. 30:2 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!
Ezek. 30:3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
Ezekiel receives another message from the Lord. God wants him to declare this message with wailing and grief (from the Hebrew). “The day of the Lord” is near. This phrase is always associated with God’s judgment. It is often associated with the specific judgment that we know as the tribulation period, the 70th week of Daniel. In context in this scripture, the judgment is associated with His prophesied judgment to come upon Egypt through Nebuchadnezzar. It is described as a cloudy day, a picture of the thunderclouds of an oncoming storm. It is also described as a “time of the heathen,” a time that will affect the heathen nations, which identifies all nations except Israel. In this regard it is a type of the time of God’s wrath against the heathen during the years preceding Christ’s return as King to set up His earthly kingdom.
Ezek. 30:4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.
Ezek. 30:5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
The judgment that God declared against Egypt in the previous chapter will affect some of the surrounding nations that are recognized as her allies as well. Biblical Ethiopia is also known as Cush and encompassed much of what we know today as black Africa. Libya could also be a reference to Somalia (cf note at 38:5). Lydia was a nation in Asia Minor in the land today known as Turkey. Research for the land of Chub produced nothing definitive; it is generally accepted as being part of the African continent. The Hebrew for “mingled people” made reference to a dusky sundown and to be darkened. This must be a general reference to some other dark skinned peoples from different nations that allied themselves to Egypt; JFB identified them as mercenaries in league with the Egyptians. Some of the translations identify the “mingled people” as from Arabia. All these people identified with Egypt would also “fall with them by the sword.” JFB also identifies “men of the land that is in league” as those from Israel who had sought refuge in Egypt, including the captive prophet Jeremiah.
Personal note: I question that Lydia is a reference to the place of that name in Asia Minor (Turkey). I tend to think the application has to be to some nearby ally of Egypt. The Hebrew refers to Lud that many connect to Libya, but I don’t see why the same nation would be named twice with different names. Goes in the category of “Can’t be determined.”
Ezek. 30:6 Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
Again, the prophet states that all the allies of Egypt will fall. Egypt will be humbled when her land is destroyed from the north to the south (cf note at 29:10 re “tower of Syene). Point is again made that they will fall to the sword—to the armies of another nation.
Ezek. 30:7 And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.
Ezek. 30:8 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.
These verses are declaring that Egypt will be only one of many countries around her that will face or had already faced desolation; the cities of Egypt will be wasted in the same way as many cities surrounding her. The Complete Jewish Bible indicates that the desolation and waste of Egypt and her cities will be worse when compared to other nations around her: “They will be desolate even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities.”
Again the declaration—“They shall know that I am the LORD.” Sadly, the next word is “when.” It is so sad that men so often have to experience the judgment of God before they will recognize Him as God. God has sovereignly given man the ability to make choices; he can choose to reject God or accept Him in faith as Lord, but he will eventually be made to recognize or acknowledge God as LORD.
Again emphasis is made that the fire that is set in Egypt will spread to destroy all her allies.
Ezek. 30:9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
I can’t help but want to make a connection with this verse and Isaiah 18. If that connection is valid, it would seem that the messengers from God that go to Ethiopia with a message that causes fear would be coming from Egypt. Adam Clarke’s commentary indicates that these messengers are the mighty ships of Babylon’s military.
The clear truth is that Ethiopia will suffer great pain in the same way that Egypt is made to suffer. This would indicate that Egypt was conquered first and, in my mind, would support the idea of the messengers coming from Egypt—escapees seeking refuge.
Ezek. 30:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
Ezek. 30:11 He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
These verses identify Nebuchadnezzar as the leader of the forces that will destroy Egypt and her allies. The numbers of people who will die will “fill the land.”
Ezek. 30:12 And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it.
The rivers were the main source for Egypt’s prosperity. God is declaring that He will dry up her rivers and sell or surrender (from the Hebrew) the land and its merchandise to the “wicked.” That was interesting phrasing to me. Even though Nebuchadnezzar is the vessel that God is choosing to use to accomplish His will in this judgment, he is still identified as wicked. God can use a dishonorable vessel to accomplish His purposes just as surely as an honorable vessel; history is full of examples of this truth—from Pharaoh (whom He used to exhibit His power and glory through His deliverance of the Israelites) to Hitler (whom He used to bring about the rebirth of the nation of Israel after almost 2000 years of no Jewish homeland).
Ezek. 30:13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
This verse begins a further description of the destruction to come upon Egypt. God is going to destroy her idols. Noph, also known as Memphis, was the capital of Upper Egypt (in the south—that always confuses me) or Middle Egypt according to JFB; it was located near today’s city of Cairo. No prince or successor to the crown will survive the destruction. God is going to cause the whole land to fear for their future.
Ezek. 30:14 And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.
Ezek. 30:15 And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.
Ezek. 30:16 And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.
In the previous chapter we learned that Pathros was the designation for what is generally called Upper Egypt. Zoan is identified as the ancient capital of Egypt. According to the Bible Dictionary at www.christiananswers.net, Zoan was the capital of the Hyksos or shepherd kings who ruled in Egypt for 500 years; they identify it with the city of Goshen. No is also known as Thebes and according to Strong’s Concordance was the capital of Upper Egypt. (I sure wish these historians would get their facts together; whatever, we know that these are all important cities in Egypt.) According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, the grandeur and extent of No was comparable to that of Nineveh. Burton Coffman makes note that “No was famous as a residential city for the Pharaohs between 1380 and 930 B.C.; and many of the greatest of the Pharaohs were buried there.” JFB describes Sin as “Pelusium, the frontier fortress on the northeast, therefore called “the strength (that is, the key) of Egypt.” It stands in antithesis to No or Thebes at the opposite end of Egypt. Point being—God will afflict Egypt from one end to the other.”
Again it is emphasized that it is God who is going to set the fire of judgment in Egypt.
Ezek. 30:17 The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.
The Hebrew for Aven is a word that describes exertion that produces no results, vanity. Most translators and commentators make identification with On or Heliopolis, the city of the sun, home to the temple to the sun gods. Vanity is a good word in association with idol worship; these idols would be totally impotent in stopping the hand of God’s judgment. Pibeseth is also known as Bubastis, in honor of the feline goddess Bubastis; she was worshipped in Greece as Artemis, the goddess of the moon, according to A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith, Ed.
Ezek. 30:18 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.
I couldn’t really find much about this city other than that it was a city close to the border that at one point was home to some Jews. There must have been some significance for its being singled out. Maybe it was because it was home to some Jews during the time of Jeremiah who thought that they would find security there rather than in the Almighty God of Israel. In doing a word search on Tehaphnehes I found the following passage in Jeremiah that supports this thought and applies to other places mentioned as well.
Jer. 44:1 & 12-14 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying….And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
This city, as well as all the others in Egypt, would experience a very dark day when Egypt fell. Not only does the thundercloud represent the oncoming storm of Nebuchadnezzar’s troops, it also pictures the gloom and despair that the people will experience as the mighty land of Egypt falls and her children are taken captive.
Ezek. 30:19 Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Again the declaration—“they shall KNOW that I am the LORD.”
I am reminded that scripture states that it is God’s goodness and longsuffering that leads us to faith and repentance.
Rom. 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
If, however, we choose to harden our hearts and reject His call, we will eventually be made to acknowledge that He is LORD.
Ezek. 30:20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
This message is dated a couple of months after the first message in chapter 29.
Ezek. 30:21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.
Ezek. 30:22 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.
Ezek. 30:23 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
The first thing that stands out to me in this verse is the past tense—“I have broken…” God’s judgment once purposed is as good as done. The prophet Isaiah states this truth clearly.
Is. 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand….
The arm is a symbol of strength in the scripture.
Ex. 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone….
Deut. 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm….
Is. 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him….
Is. 62:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength….
Once judgment falls, the Pharaoh will never again experience the power that he had enjoyed among the nations until that time. God declares boldly that He will break the arms of Pharaoh (remove him from power) and will cause the sword to fall from his hand (make his military strength ineffective and weak). Burton Coffman’s Commentary was more specific regarding the application of this wording to Egypt: ”The flexed arm was a common symbol for the strength of Pharaoh. Statues and images of Pharaoh showed the flexed arm, wielding a sword in battle. A king with a great biceps was a popular conception during the Saites Dynasty in the times of Ezekiel. Also another title taken by Pharaoh-Hophra was, `The Strong armed.' Thus the defeat of Pharaoh-Hophra was most appropriately described by the expression `breaking his arm.'"
Verse 23 declares that the people of Egypt will be dispersed among the nations.
Ezek. 30:24 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.
Ezek. 30:25 But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.
Ezek. 30:26 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Point is again made that Nebuchadnezzar is but the tool in the hand of the Lord to accomplish His purposes. God is the One empowering Nebuchadnezzar and his armies. He is the one that is removing Egypt from a position of power among the nations. God is unwavering in His purpose to have the Egyptians recognize that He is the LORD.
The purpose of prophecy is to testify to just that—not only among the Jewish people but among the nations. Prophecy is a unique attribute of God.
Is. 42:8-9 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
The prophecy along with its fulfillment is an undeniable proof of the hand of God at work according to His word.