Ezekiel 29 18

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 verses

Ezekiel 29 18 meaning

Ezekiel 29:18 details the arduous and ultimately unrewarded siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. It states that his army suffered extreme physical hardship—soldiers became bald from the effort of carrying heavy materials for siege works, and their shoulders were chafed bare. Despite this immense labor, neither Nebuchadnezzar nor his army received any plunder or "wages" from Tyre, because the city's wealth was likely evacuated. This verse serves as God's explanation for a subsequent divine act: His intention to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as a reward for his efforts, highlighting God's meticulous justice and sovereignty over nations.

Ezekiel 29 18 Context

Ezekiel 29:18 is part of a series of prophecies against Egypt, delivered by Ezekiel to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. While earlier prophecies in this chapter (vv. 1-16) speak of Egypt's judgment, the section from verse 17 onward introduces a new and later prophetic word, dated to the 27th year of Jehoiachin's exile (c. 571 BC). This specific oracle directly follows the conclusion of Nebuchadnezzar's extended thirteen-year siege of Tyre (historically lasting from around 586-573 BC). The verse sets the stage for God's divine reallocation of spoils, explaining why the immensely powerful and divinely-used Babylonian empire, despite its overwhelming military victory and suffering against Tyre, was left uncompensated for its effort. The wider context of Ezekiel’s prophecies against foreign nations (Ezekiel 25-32) highlights God's universal sovereignty, demonstrating that He judges not only Judah and Israel but also the proud and idolatrous nations surrounding them.

Ezekiel 29 18 Word analysis

• Son of man (בֶן־אָדָם, ben-adam): This is God's frequent address to Ezekiel. It underscores Ezekiel's human nature, a finite messenger delivering divine, eternal truth. It contrasts sharply with the omnipotence of the God speaking through him.
• Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל, nebukadnetzar melech-babel): A specific, historically identifiable pagan ruler, directly named. God used him as His instrument of judgment against many nations, including Judah and Tyre. His actions, though often driven by imperial ambition, were divinely directed and utilized for God's purposes.
• caused his army to labor hard (הֵעֱבִ֕יד חֵילֹ֣ו עַל־צֹ֑ר, he'evid cheylo al-Tzor): The verb he'evid implies intense, grueling service or toil, often associated with forced labor. It highlights the extreme exertion demanded of Nebuchadnezzar's forces during the long and difficult siege of Tyre.
• against Tyre (עַל־צֹר, al-Tzor): Tyre, a powerful Phoenician island city, was known for its maritime trade and fortifications. Its geographical position made its siege a monumental task. The lengthy 13-year siege against Tyre is one of the longest in ancient history.
• every head was made bald (כָּל־רֹאשׁ֙ קָרְחָ֔ה, kol rosh karhach): This vivid imagery denotes the extreme physical burden endured by the soldiers. Baldness was a sign of severe labor, grief, or extreme hardship, likely due to carrying heavy loads of earth and timber on their heads for the construction of the massive causeway connecting the mainland to the island city of Tyre.
• every shoulder was rubbed bare (וְכָל־כָּתֵף֙ מָר֔וּקָה, v'kol katef marukah): Similar to baldness, this signifies intense, protracted manual labor. The continuous carrying of materials on shoulders would chafe and abrade the skin, revealing raw flesh. Both phrases emphasize the immense and costly physical effort.
• yet neither he nor his army had any wages (וְשָׂכָ֛ר לֹא־הָ֥יָה לֹ֛ו וּלְחֵילֹ֖ו, v'sakhar lo hayah lo ul'cheylo): "Wages" (sakhar) refers to the expected compensation, profit, or spoils of war. Despite the victory, Tyre's movable wealth had been largely evacuated to its island fortress or shipped away. The Babylonians were denied the material reward they expected from such an arduous conquest. This "unpaid" labor forms the crucial premise for God's subsequent action.
• from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it (מִצֹּ֥ר עַל־הָעֲבֹדָה֙ אֲשֶׁר־עָ֣בַד עָלֶֽיהָ, mi'Tzor al ha'avodah asher-avad aleha): Re-emphasizes the lack of just compensation for the immense, self-sacrificing effort expended by the Babylonian forces. It sets up the divine solution that follows in the next verses, where God provides a different "wage."

Ezekiel 29 18 Bonus section

The remarkable detail in describing the soldiers' physical plight ("bald heads," "rubbed bare shoulders") serves to amplify the extent of their suffering and thus magnify the divine oversight of even this human experience. It is not just the act of labor, but the visible and painful evidence of that labor that God acknowledges. This demonstrates that God pays attention to the efforts and hardships of all humanity, even those outside the covenant and used as His instruments, before He renders His judgments and enacts His plans for justice and recompense. The protracted nature of the Tyre siege, stretching over thirteen years, would have tested the limits of any ancient army and empire, underscoring the severity of the effort.

Ezekiel 29 18 Commentary

Ezekiel 29:18 reveals a profound aspect of divine sovereignty and justice. God explicitly recognizes and weighs the immense, suffering-laden labor of a pagan king and his army, even when they act out of their own ambition. Nebuchadnezzar was God's "servant" (Jer 25:9, 27:6), unknowingly carrying out divine judgment against Tyre for its pride and self-sufficiency. However, because Tyre's wealth largely escaped him, Nebuchadnezzar was left without the expected spoils—a humanly perceived injustice for the victor. God, in His meticulous oversight, observed this uncompensated toil. This forms the divine justification for His next move: delivering Egypt, with its rich resources, into Nebuchadnezzar's hands as his rightful "wages" for the campaign against Tyre. This passage highlights that God’s providential rule extends beyond His chosen people, encompassing all nations, and that His justice ensures even pagan instruments of His will are ultimately compensated, not necessarily according to their desert, but according to His own wise and overarching plan.