Ezekiel 29:20 kjv
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.
Ezekiel 29:20 nkjv
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,' says the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 29:20 niv
I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 29:20 esv
I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 29:20 nlt
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.
Ezekiel 29 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 29:3 | Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers... | Judgment against Pharaoh |
| Ezekiel 29:4 | But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to cleave unto thy scales... | Powerlessness of Pharaoh |
| Ezekiel 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. | Duration of judgment |
| Ezekiel 29:12 | And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be desolate in the midst of the cities that are laid waste... | Desolation of Egypt |
| Ezekiel 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 nativity; and there shall they be a base kingdom. | Restoration to humble status |
| Ezekiel 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. | Further humiliation |
| Ezekiel 30:13 | Thus says the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause to cease the graven images out of Noph... | Destruction of idols in Egypt |
| Ezekiel 30:15 | Sin shall be exceedingly sorrowful unto Egypt: and the days shall come, the day of the LORD's reckoning... | Day of the Lord |
| Ezekiel 32:2 | Son of man, lament over the multitude of Egypt, and cast it into the depths of the earth, with the inhabitants of the whole earth... | Lamentation for Egypt |
| Isaiah 19:1 | The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence; and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. | Isaiah's prophecy of Egypt's fall |
| Jeremiah 43:10 | And say unto them, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. | Nebuchadnezzar as God's servant |
| Jeremiah 44:30 | Thus says the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life: as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon his enemy, that sought his life. | Pharaoh-hophra's defeat |
| Jeremiah 50:17 | Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath gnawed his bones. | Nebuchadnezzar's conquests |
| 2 Chronicles 28:16 | At that time did the king Ahaz seek to kill Isaiah. | Judgment on Judah |
| Psalm 110:5 | The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. | Lord's victory |
| Revelation 18:20 | Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Revelation 19:20 | And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. | Judgment of the beast |
| Nahum 3:5 | Yea, saith the LORD of hosts, Because thou art grievous unto all the inhabitants of Samaria, therefore shall I visit upon thee all thy wickedness that thou hast done unto Israel. | Judgment on Nineveh |
| Proverbs 20:18 | Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. | Counsel in war |
| Daniel 4:17 | This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. | God's sovereignty in kingdoms |
Ezekiel 29 verses
Ezekiel 29 20 Meaning
This verse promises that Pharaoh's strength and power, symbolized by Egypt's pride and military might, will be broken. It signifies that Nebuchadnezzar will gain his spoil and his wages as a reward for his actions against Tyre and Egypt. The dominion over Egypt will also be given to others.
Ezekiel 29 20 Context
Ezekiel chapter 29 addresses the judgment of God upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. The preceding verses (29:1-19) detail the pronouncements against Pharaoh, likening him to a great dragon. God declares that He will break Pharaoh's arms and cause him to be thrown into the wilderness, unable to stand. The prophecy specifies that Egypt will be a desolate land for forty years, and its people scattered. Furthermore, God states that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, will have a reward for his service against Egypt, and that Egypt will be a "base kingdom." This verse (29:20) is a continuation and confirmation of these judgments, specifically confirming Nebuchadnezzar's reward and the subsequent diminishing of Egypt's power. The historical context is the Babylonian captivity of Judah, and Egypt, having engaged in alliances against Babylon, is also subject to God's judgment through Nebuchadnezzar.
Ezekiel 29 20 Word Analysis
Hebrew (Transliteration):
- "I have given" (נתתי - natati): First-person singular perfect verb from the root י-ת-נ (y-t-n), meaning "to give." This denotes a completed action by God, establishing His sovereign decree.
- "thee" (לך - lekha): Second-person masculine singular prepositional pronoun, referring to Nebuchadnezzar.
- "Nebuchadrezzar" (נְבֻכַדְרֶאצַּר - Nevukhadretzar): The name of the king of Babylon, a common spelling in Ezekiel.
- "king" (מֶלֶךְ - melekh): Standard word for king.
- "of Babylon" (בָּבֶל - Babel): The great empire that conquered Jerusalem.
- "the king of Egypt" (מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם - melekh Mitsrayim): Refers to Pharaoh.
- "for his labour" (בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ - bimlakhtō): Preposition "b" (in, at, for) + masculine singular noun מלאכה (melakhah) with third-person masculine singular suffix. It signifies the result or compensation for Nebuchadnezzar's military actions.
- "because they wrought against him" (עַל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ עָלָיו - ‘al ’asher ‘asû ‘alâv): "Al" (concerning, for), "asher" (that, which), "‘asû" (they did, third-person plural perfect of עָשָׂה ‘asah, to do/make), "‘alâv" (against him, preposition "‘al" with third-person masculine singular suffix). This clause explains the justification for Nebuchadnezzar's reward—Egypt's hostile actions.
Groups of Words:
- "I have given thee, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, the king of Egypt for his labour; because they wrought against him": This entire phrase highlights God's direct appointment and empowerment of Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument of judgment. The "labour" is not merely physical work but the carrying out of God's purpose, and the "wrought against him" indicates Egypt's opposition which justified the Babylonian invasion as a divine response.
Ezekiel 29 20 Bonus Section
The fulfillment of this prophecy can be historically observed in Nebuchadnezzar's military campaigns into Egypt. While direct detailed accounts of his spoil from Egypt are scarce in readily available historical records compared to other conquests, the historical context supports that Babylonian invasions did occur. Nebuchadnezzar's lengthy siege of Tyre, mentioned in Ezekiel 29:18, eventually resulted in Tyre's destruction, and the spoils from Tyre and subsequent actions in Egypt would have constituted Nebuchadnezzar's reward. The subsequent centuries saw Egypt under foreign rule multiple times, supporting the prophecy of it becoming a base kingdom. Scholars suggest that Nebuchadnezzar’s ambitions and the political instability of Egypt at the time provided the opportunity for his incursions. This passage emphasizes God's control over even pagan kings and empires, using them as tools for His purposes.
Ezekiel 29 20 Commentary
This verse serves as a direct divine confirmation of Nebuchadnezzar's success against Egypt, presented not as an independent victory but as a divinely ordained consequence. God, the ultimate sovereign, orchestrates historical events. Nebuchadnezzar, referred to as God's "servant" in Jeremiah 25:9 and 43:10, is rewarded for his "labor," which encompasses the military campaigns against Egypt that yielded spoils and tribute. This reward is a direct result of Egypt's own actions against Babylon, which provoked divine retribution. The prophecy foreshadows the weakening and eventual subjugation of Egypt, stripping it of its former glory and making it a "base kingdom" (Ezekiel 29:15), reinforcing the theme of God's universal dominion over all nations.