Ezekiel 29:18 kjv
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:
Ezekiel 29:18 nkjv
"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.
Ezekiel 29:18 niv
"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.
Ezekiel 29:18 esv
"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.
Ezekiel 29:18 nlt
"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.
Ezekiel 29 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 29:1 | "In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me;" | Context Setting |
| Ezek 29:2-3 | "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him..." | Prophecy against Pharaoh |
| Ezek 29:17-19 | "Indeed, thus says the Lord GOD: On the first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year..." | Specific fulfillment detail |
| Ezek 29:18 | "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre..." | Verse content |
| Jer 43:10-13 | "and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Your God: Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hidden..." | Divine use of Nebuchadnezzar |
| Jer 46:1-2, 13 | Prophecy concerning Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar's coming... | Judgment on Egypt |
| Isa 10:5-7 | "Oh Assyria, the rod of my anger! And in their hand, the staff of my indignation..." | God using nations as tools |
| Isa 23:1-18 | Prophecy against Tyre, its destruction and restoration. | Tyre's wealth and fate |
| Ezek 26:7-14 | Another prophecy concerning Tyre's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. | Tyre's siege and outcome |
| Ezek 28:1-19 | Prophecy against the king of Tyre. | Pride and fall |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south." | God's sovereign authority |
| Ps 75:10 | "Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall arm Yourself." | God using human actions |
| Job 12:17-25 | God's sovereign control over nations and kings. | God's omnipotence |
| Prov 16:4 | "The LORD has made everything for His own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of disaster." | God's ultimate purposes |
| Rom 9:17-18 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be declared in all the earth.”" | God using people/nations |
| Rom 11:35-36 | "Who has first given to Him, And it shall be repaid to Him? For of Him and through Him and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." | God's ultimate sovereignty |
| Acts 17:24-26 | "The God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands..." | God's universal reign |
| Dan 2:21 | "And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding." | God's sovereignty over rulers |
| Dan 4:17, 25 | God's sovereignty over Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. | God's ultimate power |
| Zech 1:15 | "and I am exceedingly displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was a little displeased, but they helped on the calamity." | God's judgment on nations |
Ezekiel 29 verses
Ezekiel 29 18 Meaning
This verse describes a historical event where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked and subdued Egypt. He labored extensively for Tyre but gained no spoils from the city. Consequently, the Lord declared that Nebuchadnezzar would take the spoils of Egypt and that its land would become his. This signifies a divine recompense for Nebuchadnezzar's unrewarded efforts and a demonstration of God's sovereignty over nations, even in attributing the spoils of one nation to another.
Ezekiel 29 18 Context
Ezekiel chapters 29-32 are a collection of prophecies against Egypt. Chapter 29 specifically deals with the impending judgment of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This prophecy was delivered in the tenth year of Jehoiachin's captivity (Ezekiel 29:1), which corresponds to 587 BC, a significant period when Jerusalem was on the verge of destruction or had recently fallen to the Babylonians. At this time, Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt was actively engaged in military ventures and had allied with Judah, encouraging rebellion against Babylon. However, despite promises of support, Egypt proved to be an unreliable ally. Tyre, a wealthy and powerful Phoenician city-state, had been under siege by Nebuchadnezzar for 13 years prior to this prophecy (around 573 BC, according to some chronologies), but they resisted fiercely. This verse, Ezekiel 29:18, explains the outcome of Nebuchadnezzar's prolonged and difficult siege of Tyre.
Ezekiel 29 18 Word Analysis
Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם - ben-adam): A common prophetic appellation for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and God's commissioning of him.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (נְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל - Nevukhadnetzar melek-Bavel): Refers to the powerful Babylonian monarch, instrumental in God's judgment against various nations, including Judah and Egypt.
made his army labor (הִפְעִיל חֵיל־רַב - hiphil kheyl-rav): The Hebrew indicates an intense, forced, or significant application of labor by his army. This highlights the arduous nature of the siege.
hard against Tyre (עַל־צוֹר - al-Tzor): "Tyre" (Tzor) refers to the renowned Phoenician coastal city, known for its wealth, trade, and fortifications. The preposition "al" signifies opposition or direction towards.
every head was made bald (כָּל־רֹאשׁ סָפַח - kol-rosh safach): This phrase vividly describes the grueling effort and strain. Prolonged toil could lead to weariness and hardship, metaphorically represented as heads becoming bald from the strenuous work and stress, or possibly from the ritualistic shaving common during periods of deep mourning or intense labor. It emphasizes the exhaustive nature of the campaign.
and every shoulder was rubbed bare (וְכָתֵף בְּצֹרוּת – ve-katheph betzurut): Similarly, this speaks to the physical toll. Shoulders rubbed bare suggest the heavy burdens carried, the friction from constant labor, and the resulting wear and tear on the soldiers' bodies. The word "betzurut" implies being made bare, or scraped raw.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "made his army labor hard against Tyre": This phrase emphasizes the significant investment of military resources and the sheer effort involved in Nebuchadnezzar's siege. It underscores the difficulty of overcoming a well-fortified city like Tyre, which was protected by formidable walls and insular sea defenses.
- "every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare": This is a graphic idiom for extreme hardship and exhausting labor. It paints a picture of soldiers toiling ceaselessly, enduring immense physical suffering and deprivation during the lengthy siege. It's a testament to the scale and difficulty of Nebuchadnezzar's operations.
Ezekiel 29 18 Bonus Section
The extensive and difficult siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, though not yielding direct plunder, significantly weakened the city and set the stage for its eventual decline. Tyre eventually fell to Alexander the Great in 332 BC, a testament to the historical context of its strategic importance and resilience. The prophetic utterance in Ezekiel 29:18 not only predicts the military operations but also assigns a divine rationale behind the differential outcome – Nebuchadnezzar's efforts against Tyre would be compensated by the spoils of Egypt. This highlights the theological concept that even human actions and political maneuvering are overseen by God, who can direct them for His purposes and provide His servants with fulfillment of His word. The "spoils of Egypt" are later mentioned in Ezekiel 29:19 as being given to Nebuchadnezzar as payment for his service, linking his unpaid labor against Tyre to a divinely appointed reward from Egypt.
Ezekiel 29 18 Commentary
This verse reveals a divine perspective on a historical military campaign. Nebuchadnezzar’s extended and arduous siege of Tyre, where he expended considerable resources and effort, ultimately yielded no tangible spoils for his army (as alluded to in the context that Nebuchadnezzar was rewarded with the spoils of Egypt instead of Tyre). This speaks to God’s overarching control of world events and His ability to orchestrate outcomes. Despite the king's labor, God declared that Nebuchadnezzar would indeed receive recompense, but it would be from Egypt. This illustrates that human endeavors, even those involving great struggle, are subject to God's sovereign will and can be directed by Him for purposes not immediately apparent to those involved. It serves as a lesson that God uses nations and individuals as instruments in His plan, and He determines the rewards and consequences.