Ezekiel 29 5

Ezekiel 29:5 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 29:5 nkjv

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.

Ezekiel 29:5 niv

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.

Ezekiel 29:5 esv

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.

Ezekiel 29:5 nlt

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.

Ezekiel 29 verses

Ezekiel 29 5 meaning

This verse pronounces God's judgment upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. It declares that Pharaoh will be abandoned and cast out into a barren wilderness, along with the creatures of the Nile that were a symbol of Egypt's life and power. Their bodies will lie unburied in the open fields, denied the customary funerary rites, a great dishonor in the ancient world. Ultimately, their carcasses will become food for the wild beasts and birds, signifying utter destruction, desecration, and humiliation, demonstrating God's sovereign power over Egypt's pride and its false gods.

Ezekiel 29 5 Context

Ezekiel 29:5 is part of the first prophecy against Egypt, delivered in the tenth year, tenth month, and twelfth day (January 587 BC, during the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon). Chapters 29-32 comprise seven oracles explicitly against Egypt. Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) is metaphorically depicted as a "great dragon" or "river monster" (Eze 29:3) sprawling in the midst of his rivers (the Nile), boasting of its creation. God asserts his intention to deal with Pharaoh, symbolized by putting hooks in his jaws and dragging him out, along with the fish of the Nile (Eze 29:4).

Historically, Egypt was a formidable power, often seen by Judah as a potential ally against Babylon. This prophecy, however, consistently undercuts such reliance, showing Egypt's true weakness and the futility of trusting in human power over divine promise. Culturally, proper burial was extremely important in the ancient Near East, particularly for a king like Pharaoh. Denial of burial and becoming carrion for animals was the ultimate indignity, signaling absolute defeat, dishonor, and the gods' complete abandonment. This judgment directly confronts Egypt's animal worship and Pharaoh's self-deification, showcasing Yahweh's supreme authority over all earthly rulers and their supposed deities.

Ezekiel 29 5 Word analysis

• And I will abandon you (וְנָטַשְׁתִּיךָ - wĕnāṭashtîkhā): From the root națash, meaning to cast off, forsake, abandon, or let go. This signifies a decisive, active judgment by God, utterly stripping Pharaoh of all protection and honor.
• to the wilderness (לַמִּדְבָּר - lammidbār): Midbar is the arid desert or wilderness, starkly contrasting with the fertile Nile Delta. It represents barrenness, desolation, and removal from civilization and life-sustaining resources—a place of death and ultimate neglect for a king used to opulent palaces.
• you and all the fish of your streams (וְאֵת כָּל־דְּגַת יְאֹרֶיךָ - wĕ'ēt kol-dəgath yə'oreykhā): Pharaoh is explicitly identified with Egypt, and its symbolic strength, the fish of the Nile (Hebrew ye'orim, referring to the branches and canals of the Nile). This is a strong polemic: Pharaoh boasted of making his Nile (Eze 29:3); now the very source of his supposed divine power and the creatures sacred to Egypt are swept away with him, demonstrating their helplessness before Yahweh.
• You shall fall upon the open field (עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה תִפֹּל - ʿal-pəney haśśādeh tippōl): Pəney haśśādeh means "face of the field" or open country. Nāphal (fall) denotes violent overthrow, defeat, and death. To fall in the open field signifies utter exposure, public humiliation, and lack of dignified shelter, completely stripped of royal protection and honor.
• you shall not be gathered or collected (לֹא תֵאָסֵף וְלֹא תִקָּבֵץ - lō' te'āsēf wĕlō' tiqqāvēṣ): Two synonymous verbs (from 'āsāp and qāvaṣ) emphasizing the denial of burial rites. The bodies of the dead, particularly a king's, were typically collected for burial to preserve their memory and spirit. To be neither gathered nor collected is the ultimate disgrace, a powerful cultural curse in the ancient Near East, symbolizing oblivion and desecration.
• To the beasts of the earth (לְחַיַּת הָאָרֶץ - ləḥayath hā'āreṣ) and to the birds of the air I have given you as food (וּלְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נְתַתִּיךָ לְאָכְלָה - ulə'ôf haššāmayim nĕthattîkhā lə'ākhlāh): God actively declares this horrific fate. Nāthan (I have given) underscores divine sovereignty. Becoming food for scavenging animals (ḥayyath hā'āreṣ) and birds ('ôf haššāmayim) is the ultimate abasement and public desecration of the body, reserved for the most wicked or despised. It mocks Egypt's veneration of certain animals by making Pharaoh himself food for them, twisting their beliefs into a source of their judgment.

Ezekiel 29 5 Bonus section

• The deliberate juxtaposition of the fertile Nile (Pharaoh's boasted creation) and the desolate wilderness is crucial. The judgment forces Pharaoh and Egypt out of their perceived realm of life and into the domain of death and barrenness.
• This curse of unburied bodies devoured by scavengers appears throughout the Old Testament as a definitive sign of severe divine judgment against idolaters and the wicked (e.g., Jeroboam, Ahijah in 1 Ki 14:11; Judah in Jer 7:33), illustrating that Pharaoh's fate is equated with that of God's most reviled enemies.
• The detail of the fish of the streams emphasizes that God's judgment extends to the entire socio-religious fabric of Egypt, including its natural symbols of power and even its sacred creatures. This highlights the comprehensiveness of divine retribution.
• For the exiles in Babylon, this message offered crucial assurance: the nations around them, no matter how formidable, were ultimately under God's dominion. Trusting in a weakening Egypt (whose false promise led to Israel's doom) was misguided; Yahweh alone was their true deliverer.

Ezekiel 29 5 Commentary

Ezekiel 29:5 is a pronouncement of profound divine judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt, designed to shatter their pride and demonstrate Yahweh's ultimate sovereignty. The core message is one of total humiliation and desecration for a powerful king who once saw himself as a god. By consigning Pharaoh and the symbolic life of the Nile (its fish) to the barren wilderness, God undoes Egypt's self-perception as a land of life and abundance. The denial of burial, followed by their bodies becoming carrion, was the ultimate curse in ancient societies, ensuring that Pharaoh would not even have a legacy or resting place, let alone the revered tombs expected of Egyptian royalty. This passage is a clear polemic, challenging Egyptian religious beliefs, which venerated certain animals and considered the Pharaoh divine. By making Pharaoh a feast for common beasts and birds, God demolishes these false notions, affirming His unique status as the true and living God who alone controls the destiny of nations. This also served as a stark warning to Israel not to place their trust in such unreliable human powers.