Ezekiel 29 meaning explained in AI Summary
This chapter contains a prophecy against Egypt, delivered in several pronouncements over a period of time.
1. Judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt (29:1-16):
- Pharaoh, compared to a crocodile in the Nile, is arrogant and boasts about owning the river (v. 1-3).
- God declares he will pull Pharaoh and his army from the Nile and leave them to rot in the wilderness (v. 4-5).
- Egypt will become a desolate wasteland for 40 years, and its people will be scattered among the nations (v. 6-12).
- After 40 years, God will gather the scattered Egyptians back to their land, but they will remain a lowly kingdom, never to rule over other nations again (v. 13-16).
2. Nebuchadnezzar's Reward (29:17-21):
- This section, dated 27 years after the first prophecy, explains that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will receive Egypt as a reward for his service in besieging Tyre (v. 17-20).
- This prophecy highlights that God uses even pagan kings to fulfill his purposes (v. 21).
Key Themes:
- God's Sovereignty: He controls the fate of nations, even powerful ones like Egypt.
- Pride and its Consequences: Pharaoh's arrogance and self-reliance lead to his downfall.
- Judgment and Restoration: While God punishes sin, he also offers hope for restoration and a future.
- God's Use of Instruments: He uses both his people and pagan nations to accomplish his will.
Overall, Ezekiel 29 serves as a warning against pride and a reminder of God's absolute power and control over all nations. It also offers a glimmer of hope for the future restoration of even a nation as rebellious as Egypt.
Ezekiel 29 bible study ai commentary
Ezekiel 29 judges Egypt and its Pharaoh for their supreme arrogance and for being a faithless ally to Israel. Portraying Pharaoh as a great sea monster (crocodile) who claims to be his own creator, God decrees a humiliating downfall for the ruler and a 40-year desolation for the nation. Egypt will be restored but only as a lowly kingdom, a permanent lesson against trusting in human power. A later prophecy is included, designating the plunder of Egypt as God's payment to Nebuchadnezzar for his costly siege of Tyre, culminating in a promise of restoration for Israel.
Ezekiel 29 context
The oracles against Egypt are delivered by Ezekiel while in exile in Babylon. This specific prophecy in verses 1-16 is dated to approximately 587 BC, just months before Babylon's final destruction of Jerusalem. For years, Judah had foolishly ignored the warnings of prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah, looking to Egypt as a political and military savior from the rising Babylonian threat. This chapter is a divine verdict on both Egypt's hubris and Judah's misplaced trust. It directly confronts Egyptian theology, where the Pharaoh was considered a divine being and the Nile (personified by the god Hapi) was the sacred source of all life.
Ezekiel 29:1-2
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 against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
In-depth-analysis
- Precise Dating: The date (Jan. 7, 587 BC) places this prophecy during the final siege of Jerusalem. Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) had recently made a failed attempt to relieve the siege, proving Egypt to be an ineffective ally.
- Set your face against: A common prophetic formula indicating a determined, unwavering stance of judgment and confrontation (Eze 6:2, 25:2). The judgment is total, directed at both the king ("Pharaoh") and the entire nation ("all Egypt").
Bible references
- Jer 44:30: '...I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies...' (Direct prophecy against the same Pharaoh).
- Eze 6:2: “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,” (Shows the recurring formula of divine confrontation).
- Luke 9:51: '...he set his face to go to Jerusalem.' (Jesus's resolute determination to face His judgment).
Cross references
Jer 1:10 (authority over nations); Isa 20:1-6 (prophecy against Egypt); Nah 3:8-10 (previous judgment on Egypt).
Ezekiel 29:3-5
“Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your streams to stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales. And I will cast you on the land, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field and not be brought together or gathered. To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens I have given you as food.
In-depth-analysis
- Great monster (Heb. tannin): Refers to a crocodile, a symbol of pharaonic power and the Egyptian god Sobek. It can also mean serpent or dragon. God belittles Pharaoh, portraying him not as a deity but as a mere animal He can control.
- 'My Nile is my own; I made it': The pinnacle of blasphemous pride. Pharaoh usurps the role of the Creator. This is the central reason for his judgment. He attributes Egypt's life source not to God but to himself.
- Hooks in your jaws: Vivid imagery of complete dominance. Like an animal being captured and controlled, Pharaoh's power is nothing before God. This imagery is used for Assyria as well (2 Kgs 19:28).
- Fish ... stick to your scales: The "fish" represent Egypt's armies, officials, and allies. They are attached to their leader and will share in his demise.
- Cast you on the land... given you as food: A dishonorable end. Instead of a royal burial, Pharaoh and his nation are depicted as unburied carrion left in the desert. This is the ultimate humiliation, denying them passage to the Egyptian afterlife.
Polemics
This is a direct polemic against Egyptian religion. By calling Pharaoh a tannin and dragging him from the Nile, God shows His superiority over Sobek (the crocodile god of pharaonic might) and Hapi (the deity of the Nile's inundation). Pharaoh claims to have created the Nile; Yahweh shows that He created and now controls both Pharaoh and the Nile.
Bible references
- Ps 74:13-14: 'You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.' (Parallels God crushing a sea monster and giving it as food).
- Job 41:1-2: “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook...? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?” (Rhetorically asks if man can do what God is about to do to Pharaoh).
- Rev 20:2: 'And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.' (Imagery of God's agent seizing a great dragon/serpent).
- Isa 27:1: '...the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent... and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.' (God slaying the chaos monster).
Cross references
Isa 14:13-15 (Lucifer's boast); 2 Kgs 19:28 (hooks in the jaw); Dan 4:30-31 (Nebuchadnezzar's pride); Rev 19:17-18 (flesh for the birds).
Ezekiel 29:6-7
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, when they leaned on you, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.
In-depth-analysis
- Know that I am the LORD: A primary theme in Ezekiel. God's acts of judgment are for the purpose of revealing His true identity and sovereign power to all nations.
- Staff of reed: A perfect metaphor for Egypt's unreliability. A reed looks strong but splinters under pressure, injuring the one who leans on it. Israel's alliance with Egypt was not just futile; it was harmful.
Bible references
- 2 Kgs 18:21: 'Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt...' (The exact same metaphor used by the Assyrian Rabshakeh).
- Isa 36:6: 'Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff...' (Isaiah's parallel account of the same event).
Cross references
Isa 30:1-3 (rebuke for trusting Egypt); Jer 2:36-37 (shame from relying on Egypt); Lam 4:17 (vanity of looking to Egypt for help).
Ezekiel 29:8-12
“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 be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and a desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited for forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation for forty years among cities that are laid waste. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.
In-depth-analysis
- Sword upon you: Symbol of military conquest, specifically the Babylonian invasion.
- Migdol to Syene: From the northeast frontier (Migdol) to the southern border (Syene, modern Aswan), signifying the entire length of Egypt. The judgment is total.
- Forty years: This number often signifies a generation of trial, testing, or judgment in the Bible. It may be a symbolic number for a significant period of humiliation and loss of power rather than a literal 40 years of complete vacancy. Egypt did suffer decline but was never literally empty for 40 years.
- Scatter the Egyptians: Similar to the punishment of Israel, showing God's judgment is impartial. Exile and dispersion are a recurring form of divine discipline.
Bible references
- Jer 43:8-13: 'Behold, I will send... Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon... and he shall strike the land of Egypt...' (Jeremiah's specific prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion).
- Deut 28:64: 'And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples...' (A curse for disobedience upon Israel, now applied to Egypt).
- Num 14:33: 'And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years...' (Israel's 40 years of punishment for unbelief).
Cross references
Eze 30:10 (destruction by Nebuchadnezzar); Joel 3:19 (Egypt a desolation); Zeph 2:13-15 (judgment on Nineveh).
Ezekiel 29:13-16
“For thus says the Lord GOD: 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. It shall be the lowliest of the kingdoms, nor shall it ever again exalt itself over the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. And it shall never again be a source of confidence for the house of Israel, but it will be a reminder of their iniquity in turning to them for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”
In-depth-analysis
- Gather the Egyptians: Even in judgment, God shows a measure of sovereign mercy. Like Israel, they will be regathered after a period of discipline.
- Land of Pathros: Upper (southern) Egypt, considered their ancient homeland. It signifies a return to their origins but in a diminished state.
- A lowly kingdom: This is the crucial outcome. Egypt will survive, but its days as a world power are over. It will never again be a "superpower" that could tempt Israel to make alliances.
- Reminder of their iniquity: The permanent, weakened state of Egypt will serve as a constant, visible sermon to Israel: Do not trust in human strength.
Bible references
- Isa 19:22-25: 'And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD... In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth' (A more positive, eschatological prophecy of Egypt's ultimate restoration and worship of God).
- Jer 46:26: 'But afterward [Egypt] shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD.' (Jeremiah also prophecies a restoration after judgment).
- Zech 10:10: 'I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria...' (A promise of restoration for Israel, mirroring the pattern seen here for Egypt).
Cross references
Deut 30:3 (pattern of scattering/gathering); Jer 12:15 (God's mercy on nations); Zech 14:18-19 (future role of Egypt).
Ezekiel 29:17-20
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... Yet he and his army got no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it. 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 take its spoil and seize its plunder, and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt as his reward for his labor, because they worked for me, declares the Lord GOD.
In-depth-analysis
- A New Date: This prophecy is from April 26, 571 BC, about 16 years after the previous one. It's placed here thematically, not chronologically, to complete the story of Egypt's downfall.
- Labor hard against Tyre: Nebuchadnezzar's siege of mainland Tyre was incredibly long (13 years). While he eventually subdued the city, the Tyrians had moved much of their wealth to their impregnable island fortress, leaving little plunder.
- Wages for his army: God, in His absolute sovereignty, uses pagan kings as His instruments of judgment ("they worked for me"). Since Nebuchadnezzar acted as God's agent against Tyre, God ensures he is compensated.
- I will give... Egypt: This demonstrates God's sovereignty over the wealth and fate of all nations. He dispenses them as He sees fit to fulfill His divine purposes.
Bible references
- Jer 27:6: 'Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant...' (God explicitly calls Nebuchadnezzar "my servant").
- Isa 10:5-6: 'Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger... Against a godless nation I send him...' (God using Assyria as His tool of judgment).
- Isa 45:1-3: 'Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus... I will give you the treasures of darkness...' (God using Cyrus and rewarding him for fulfilling His purpose).
Cross references
Jer 25:9 (Nebuchadnezzar as God's agent); Eze 26:7-12 (prophecy of Tyre's fall); Hab 1:6 (God raising up the Chaldeans).
Ezekiel 29:21
“On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips in their midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
In-depth-analysis
- On that day: An eschatological phrase referring to the time of God's decisive action. In this context, it connects the humbling of Israel's false hopes (Egypt) to the rise of their true hope.
- A horn to spring up: "Horn" is a common biblical symbol of strength, power, and salvation (often Messianic). After pride (Pharaoh) is brought low and false hopes (Egypt) are removed, God will raise up true strength for His people.
- I will open your lips: Ezekiel's ministry often involved periods of divinely imposed silence (Eze 3:26, 24:27). His ability to speak freely again would be a sign of vindication, proving his prophecies were true as they watched them come to pass.
Bible references
- Ps 132:17: 'There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.' (A clear Messianic use of the "horn" metaphor).
- Luke 1:69: 'and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David' (Zechariah's prophecy about Jesus, directly linking the "horn" to the Messiah).
- Eze 33:22: '...and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.' (The fulfillment of Ezekiel's speech being restored after the fall of Jerusalem).
Cross references
1 Sam 2:10 (horn of the anointed); Ps 92:10 (horn exalted); Dan 7:8 (horn symbolism).
Ezekiel 29 Analysis
- Sovereignty as a Central Theme: The chapter is a powerful declaration of Yahweh's absolute sovereignty. He controls history, uses pagan kings as His "servants," determines the fates of empires, and reorders the world to accomplish His purposes. He gives nations as "wages" and restores them on His own terms.
- Polemic against Deified Man: The core sin of Pharaoh is not merely political arrogance but theological usurpation. His claim, "I made it for myself," is the ultimate expression of human pride that seeks to replace God. The judgment is a direct refutation of this claim. This theme echoes through scripture from the Tower of Babel (Gen 11) to the Man of Sin (2 Th 2:4).
- The "40 Years" of Desolation: While Nebuchadnezzar's invasion did weaken Egypt, there is no historical evidence of a literal 40-year period where the land was completely uninhabited. Most scholars view this number symbolically, representing a complete generational cycle of judgment and humiliation during which Egypt lost its status as an imperial power and became subject to foreign rule (Babylonian, then Persian).
- Judgment and Restoration Pattern: The chapter follows a common prophetic pattern: statement of sin, pronouncement of judgment, and promise of a future (though diminished) restoration. This shows that God's judgment is not purely destructive but also corrective and sovereignly ordered.
Ezekiel 29 Summary
God pronounces a severe judgment upon Pharaoh Hophra and Egypt for their blasphemous pride and for being a treacherously unreliable source of hope for Israel. Using the imagery of a great crocodile being hooked and discarded, God declares Egypt will be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, made desolate for a "forty year" period of humbling, and restored only to the status of a "lowly kingdom" that will never again be a world power. This judgment serves as wages for Nebuchadnezzar and a permanent lesson for Israel, clearing the way for God to raise up a true "horn" of salvation for His people.
Ezekiel 29 AI Image Audio and Video
Ezekiel chapter 29 kjv
- 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 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 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 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 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 brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
- 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
- 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.
- 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 saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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,
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Ezekiel chapter 29 nkjv
- 1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
- 2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.
- 3 Speak, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, 'My River is my own; I have made it for myself.'
- 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
- 5 I will leave you in the wilderness, You and all the fish of your rivers; You shall fall on the open field; You shall not be picked up or gathered. I have given you as food To the beasts of the field And to the birds of the heavens.
- 6 "Then 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 you with the hand, You broke and tore all their shoulders; When they leaned on you, You broke and made all their backs quiver."
- 8 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will bring a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast.
- 9 And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he said, 'The River is mine, and I have made it.'
- 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia.
- 11 Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years.
- 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries."
- 13 'Yet, thus says the Lord GOD: "At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered.
- 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
- 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore.
- 16 No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD." ' "
- 17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
- 18 "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it.
- 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army.
- 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,' says the Lord GOD.
- 21 'In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.' "
Ezekiel chapter 29 niv
- 1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me:
- 2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
- 3 Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "?'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, "The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself."
- 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams, with all the fish sticking to your scales.
- 5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.
- 6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the LORD. "?'You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel.
- 7 When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.
- 8 "?'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.
- 9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "?'Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it,"
- 10 therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush.
- 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.
- 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.
- 13 "?'Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered.
- 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
- 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.
- 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'?"
- 17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:
- 18 "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre.
- 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army.
- 20 I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD.
- 21 "On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel chapter 29 esv
- 1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
- 2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt;
- 3 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, that says, 'My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.'
- 4 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, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales.
- 5 And I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your streams; you shall fall on the open field, and not be brought together or gathered. To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens I give you as food.
- 6 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,
- 7 when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.
- 8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast,
- 9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I made it,'
- 10 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.
- 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.
- 12 And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.
- 13 "For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered,
- 14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
- 15 It shall be the most lowly 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.
- 16 And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD."
- 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:
- 18 "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 neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.
- 19 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.
- 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord GOD.
- 21 "On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel chapter 29 nlt
- 1 On January 7, during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
- 2 "Son of man, turn and face Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt.
- 3 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: "I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt ?
you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.
For you have said, 'The Nile River is mine;
I made it for myself.' - 4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and drag you out on the land
with fish sticking to your scales. - 5 I will leave you and all your fish
stranded in the wilderness to die.
You will lie unburied on the open ground,
for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds. - 6 All the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD,
for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds. - 7 When Israel leaned on you,
you splintered and broke
and stabbed her in the armpit.
When she put her weight on you,
you collapsed, and her legs gave way. - 8 "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals.
- 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile River is mine; I made it,'
- 10 I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia.
- 11 For forty years not a soul will pass that way, neither people nor animals. It will be completely uninhabited.
- 12 I will make Egypt desolate, and it will be surrounded by other desolate nations. Its cities will be empty and desolate for forty years, surrounded by other ruined cities. I will scatter the Egyptians to distant lands.
- 13 "But this is what the Sovereign LORD also says: At the end of the forty years I will bring the Egyptians home again from the nations to which they have been scattered.
- 14 I will restore the prosperity of Egypt and bring its people back to the land of Pathros in southern Egypt from which they came. But Egypt will remain an unimportant, minor kingdom.
- 15 It will be the lowliest of all the nations, never again great enough to rise above its neighbors.
- 16 "Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt's shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."
- 17 On April 26, the first day of the new year, during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
- 18 "Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors' heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work.
- 19 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army.
- 20 Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign LORD, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.
- 21 "And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
- Bible Book of Ezekiel
- 1 Ezekiel in Babylon
- 2 Ezekiel's Call
- 3 A Watchman for Israel
- 4 The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized
- 5 Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed
- 6 Judgment Against Idolatry
- 7 The Day of the Wrath of the Lord
- 8 Abominations in the Temple
- 9 Idolaters Killed
- 10 The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple
- 11 Judgment on Wicked Counselors
- 12 Judah's Captivity Symbolized
- 13 False Prophets Condemned
- 14 Idolatry Will Be Punished
- 15 Jerusalem, a Useless Vine
- 16 The Lord's Faithless Bride
- 17 Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
- 18 The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
- 19 A Lament for the Princes of Israel
- 20 Israel's Continuing Rebellion
- 21 The Sword of the Lord
- 22 Israel's Shedding of Blood
- 23 Oholah and Oholibah the immoral sisters
- 24 The Siege of Jerusalem
- 25 Prophecy Against Ammon
- 26 Prophecy Against Tyre
- 27 A Lament for Tyre
- 28 Prophecy against the King of Tyre
- 29 Prophecy Against Egypt
- 30 A Lament for Egypt
- 31 Pharaoh to Be Slain
- 32 A Lament over Pharaoh and Egypt
- 33 Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman
- 34 Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel
- 35 Prophecy Against Mount Seir
- 36 Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel
- 37 The Dry Bones Live
- 38 Prophecy Against Gog
- 39 The Lord Will Restore Israel
- 40 Vision of the New Temple
- 41 The Inner Temple
- 42 The Temple's Chambers
- 43 The Glory of the Lord Fills the Temple
- 44 The Gate for the Prince
- 45 The Holy District
- 46 The Prince and the Feasts
- 47 Water Flowing from the Temple
- 48 The Gates of the City