Ezekiel 29:16 kjv
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.
Ezekiel 29:16 nkjv
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." ' "
Ezekiel 29:16 niv
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.'?"
Ezekiel 29:16 esv
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."
Ezekiel 29:16 nlt
"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."
Ezekiel 29 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 29:11 | No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, nor shall it be inhabited for forty years. | Prophecy of desolation and forty-year period |
| Eze 29:12 | I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands; and her cities shall be a desolation among the cities that are desolate, for forty years. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the countries. | Scattering and desolation of Egypt |
| Eze 30:12 | “Behold, I will cause the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. | Divine judgment through Nebuchadnezzar |
| Jer 46:25-26 | The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt and her gods and her kings, the king of Egypt and those who trust in him... | Prophecy against Egypt's gods and kings |
| Isa 19:1-10 | An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt; the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt within her. | God's intervention in Egypt |
| Isa 19:11-15 | Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; the counsel of Pharaoh's wisest counselors has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of wisdom, a son of the ancient kings”?... | Folly of Egypt's leadership |
| Jer 49:34-38 | concerning Elam... | Prophecy of Elam's destruction |
| Rev 11:8 | and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. | Spiritual parallel to Sodom and Egypt |
| Psa 79:1-4 | O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins... | Lamentation over desolation of the land |
| Luke 21:24 | and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. | Gentiles trampling Jerusalem, parallel to Egypt's fate |
| 2 Cor 10:5 | We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to obey Christ, | Spiritual warfare and destruction of pride |
| Pro 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Consequence of pride |
| Eze 28:6-7 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you became haughty in your speech, arrogant, you did not uncover the mystery of your iniquity. Therefore I will bring an enemy against you... | Pride and judgment against Tyre |
| Eze 25:3-7 | and say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD, because you said, “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was profaned... | Judgment against Ammon for pride |
| Eze 26:2 | “Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be filled, now that she is waste!’... | Tyre's pride and destruction |
| Eze 27:3 | and say, ‘O Tyre, most favorably situated, mistress of the sea, you who were a center of trade for the coastlands... | Description of Tyre's prosperity before judgment |
| Eze 32:1-32 | And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, wail over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: ‘The lion of the nations, you are shut off from your lair... | Lamentation over Pharaoh, describing his pride and fall |
| Rev 18:10 | They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, saying, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”’ | Parallel judgment on Babylon |
| Jer 50:9 | For behold, I will stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country... | Divine judgment through northern nations |
| Eze 29:19 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will give Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon the land of Egypt, and he shall carry off her wealth and plunder her spoil and strip her territory; and it shall be a reward for his army. | Nebuchadnezzar's reward for conquering Egypt |
Ezekiel 29 verses
Ezekiel 29 16 Meaning
This verse signifies a perpetual state of emptiness and devastation for Egypt, where it will never be re-inhabited or flourish again. Its people will be removed, and its cities will remain ruins.
Ezekiel 29 16 Context
This verse is the conclusion of a prophecy concerning Egypt, specifically aimed at its king and its might. Ezekiel had delivered pronouncements of judgment against Egypt, highlighting its arrogance and its perceived reliance on its own strength and foreign alliances rather than the Lord. The forty-year period mentioned earlier (Eze 29:11-12) points to a significant span of time during which Egypt would be rendered desolate, its people scattered. This prophecy addresses the spiritual and national implications of Egypt's unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 29 16 Word Analysis
- וְ (wə): "and" - a conjunctive particle, linking this verse to the preceding statements and reinforcing the ongoing nature of the judgment.
- לֹא (lō): "not" - absolute negation, emphasizing the finality and totality of the devastation.
- תִּֽהְיֶה (ti hy·yeh): "it shall be" or "she shall be" - refers to Egypt as a land. The future tense indicates a predicted outcome.
- וְלֹא (wə lō): "and not" - another instance of negation, further strengthening the declaration of perpetual ruin.
- תְּמַלֵּא (tə mal·lē’): "it shall be filled" - implying it will not be replenished or populated again. The root "māla'" means to be full, complete. Here it denotes a permanent state of emptiness.
- מְרִיבֹ֣ת (mə·ri·ḇō·ṯ): "inhabited places" or "dwelt-in places" - the plural form emphasizes multiple cities and regions. It's derived from the root "rūḇ" (to dwell, remain).
- וְלֹא (wə lō): "and not" - third instance of negation, stressing the complete absence of habitation.
- תִּֽמָּלֵא (ti m·mā·lē’): "it shall be filled" - again with a focus on its inability to be occupied.
- קִרְיֹ֔ת (qi r·yoṯ): "cities" - plural noun referring to the urban centers of Egypt.
- שֹׁמְמָה (šō·mǝ·māh): "desolation" or "wasteland" - the state of being utterly ruined and uninhabited.
- תִּהְיֶ֖יןָ (ti hy·yeh ·nā): "they shall be" - referring back to the cities.
Word Group Analysis:
- "no foot... shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it" (Eze 29:11) sets a powerful imagery of complete abandonment, a place so forsaken that even nomadic herds would not traverse it.
- "she shall not be inhabited for forty years" (Eze 29:11) indicates a specific period of judgment. However, verse 16 broadens this to a more permanent state of non-inhabitation. This suggests the forty years is the initial phase of a more enduring curse on Egypt's ability to truly flourish and be repopulated.
- "and I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands" (Eze 29:12) elevates Egypt's ruin to a paradigmatic level of desolation, becoming a case study in divine retribution.
- "her cities shall be a desolation among the cities that are desolate" (Eze 29:12) mirrors the fate of the land upon its cities, intensifying the picture of a complete urban collapse.
- "she shall not be inhabited" vs. "she shall not be filled with inhabited places" and "cities shall be desolation": Verse 16 emphasizes that Egypt will not merely be left uninhabited, but it will lack the possibility of becoming inhabited places or thriving cities again. It will remain a desolation among desolations, signifying a perpetual state of spiritual and physical barrenness.
Ezekiel 29 16 Bonus Section
The judgment pronounced against Egypt here, and in related prophecies, served as a powerful polemic against the Egyptians' belief in the inherent power and eternal nature of their land, their gods, and their empire. They prided themselves on the fertility of the Nile and their established civilization. This prophecy dismantles that pride by declaring not only temporary subjugation but a lasting emptiness, stripping away any confidence they might have had in their own might. The "forty years" in previous verses (Eze 29:11-12) likely referred to the period of Babylonian dominance and subjugation under Nebuchadnezzar. However, verse 16 points beyond this immediate historical context to a deeper, more permanent spiritual and national desolation as a consequence of their collective posture towards God and His people throughout history. The repeated use of "not" (lō) and the doubling of "desolation" emphasizes the thoroughness and enduring nature of God's judgment.
Ezekiel 29 16 Commentary
This verse is the ultimate consequence of Egypt's historical pride, idolatry, and defiance against God's people. Despite earlier prophecies speaking of a forty-year desolation, this verse elevates the judgment to a more permanent state. Egypt, once a symbol of worldly power and perceived unassailable strength, would become a stark testament to God's sovereign judgment. This perpetual emptiness underscores that when nations or individuals exalt themselves against the Creator, their foundations crumble irreversibly. It serves as a warning against misplaced trust and the dangers of absolute self-reliance, echoing the fate of other proud empires described in Scripture that faced divine judgment for their hubris. The theme of desolation as a divine consequence is a recurring motif in prophetic literature, highlighting the complete reversal of fortunes for those who reject God.