Ezekiel 29:9 kjv
And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
Ezekiel 29:9 nkjv
And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he said, 'The River is mine, and I have made it.'
Ezekiel 29:9 niv
Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "?'Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it,"
Ezekiel 29:9 esv
and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I made it,'
Ezekiel 29:9 nlt
The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile River is mine; I made it,'
Ezekiel 29 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 29:3 | "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great beast..." | Ezekiel 29:3 |
| Isaiah 19:5 | "The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be emptied..." | Isaiah 19:5 |
| Jeremiah 46:2 | "...Egypt was a beautiful heiferr but destruction comes from the north." | Jeremiah 46:2 |
| Nahum 3:5 | "I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty." | Nahum 3:5 |
| Zephaniah 2:15 | "...but Egypt will be a desolate waste..." | Zephaniah 2:15 |
| Psalm 74:13 | "You divided the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters..." | Psalm 74:13 |
| Exodus 7:18 | "The fish in the Nile will die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians..." | Exodus 7:18 |
| Ezekiel 30:7 | "They will be desolate in the midst of the desolate lands, and their cities..." | Ezekiel 30:7 |
| Isaiah 27:1 | "In that day the LORD will punish with his fierce, great, and powerful sword..." | Isaiah 27:1 |
| Ezekiel 32:2 | "Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him..." | Ezekiel 32:2 |
| Psalm 106:12 | "Then they quickly forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel," | Psalm 106:12 |
| Ezekiel 38:4 | "I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out..." | Ezekiel 38:4 |
| Jeremiah 51:36 | "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will contend with your contentions..." | Jeremiah 51:36 |
| Revelation 17:3 | "So he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman..." | Revelation 17:3 |
| Psalm 11:6 | "The wicked shall be ensnared, and the pit and the snare will be laid for them..." | Psalm 11:6 |
| Leviticus 26:22 | "Let me send wild beasts among you, which will bereave you of your children..." | Leviticus 26:22 |
| Deuteronomy 32:24 | "They will be worn out by hunger, consumed by plague and destructive pestilence..." | Deuteronomy 32:24 |
| Jeremiah 15:3 | "I will appoint over them four kinds,' declares the LORD: 'the sword to slay..." | Jeremiah 15:3 |
| Ezekiel 28:14 | "You were a signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." | Ezekiel 28:14 |
| Ezekiel 14:21 | "For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more will it be when I send my four severe judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, harmful beasts, and pestilence—to cut off from it both man and beast?" | Ezekiel 14:21 |
Ezekiel 29 verses
Ezekiel 29 9 Meaning
The Lord declares that He will stretch out His hand against Egypt and make the land desolate. He will cut off both the man and the beast from the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 29 9 Context
Ezekiel chapter 29 prophesies against Egypt, specifically addressing Pharaoh. The overarching theme of this chapter is God's judgment upon Egypt for its pride and its history of oppressing God's people, particularly Israel. Egypt, depicted as a mighty dragon or serpent in ancient Near Eastern thought and alluded to in the Bible as such, was considered unchallengeable by many nations. However, Ezekiel declares God's absolute sovereignty and His power to bring low even the most powerful entities. This prophecy occurs during the Babylonian exile, a time when Egypt, though weakened, was still a significant regional power. The judgment on Egypt serves as a sign to Israel, demonstrating that God is sovereign over all nations and can deliver His people.
Ezekiel 29 9 Word Analysis
- "I am against you": This phrase signifies divine opposition and impending judgment. It establishes the direct adversarial relationship God declares.
- "Pharaoh king of Egypt": Refers to the ruler of Egypt, a title historically held by kings. In this context, Pharaoh represents the entire nation and its leadership.
- "the great dragon": (Hebrew: tanin gadol - תַּנִּין גָּדוֹל). 'Tanin' can refer to a sea monster, serpent, dragon, or crocodile. It is often used metaphorically in the Old Testament to symbolize powerful, chaotic, or antagonistic entities, frequently associated with Egypt (e.g., Psalm 74:13, Isaiah 27:1). This imagery draws on common ancient Near Eastern cosmologies where creation involved overcoming chaotic sea monsters. By calling Pharaoh a "great dragon," Ezekiel identifies him with the very chaos and power that God subdued at creation and now confronts in judgment. It highlights Pharaoh's perceived power and arrogance, portraying him as a formidable foe against God.
- "that lies in the midst of his rivers": Refers to the Nile River and its delta, the source of Egypt's life and power. For Egypt, the Nile was central to its identity and prosperity, and the crocodile was a symbol of royal power and of the river god. This phrase anchors the symbolism to Egypt's geographical and political heartland.
- "who has said, 'My River is my own; I have made it for myself.'": This statement represents Pharaoh's extreme pride and self-deification. He attributes his power, prosperity, and land solely to his own might and decree, denying any divine source or authority, including the God of Israel. This is a direct challenge to God's sovereignty.
Ezekiel 29 9 Bonus Section
The imagery of the "great dragon" in the "midst of his rivers" strongly resonates with ancient Egyptian religious and political ideology, which often depicted the Pharaoh as divinely empowered and intrinsically linked to the life-giving Nile. The crocodile was a symbol of divine power, fertility, and protection associated with Egyptian deities. By calling Pharaoh a "great dragon," Ezekiel deconstructs this Egyptian theology, portraying Egypt’s power not as divine favor, but as a challenge to the one true God. This symbolic warfare aligns with the Old Testament theme of God battling the chaotic forces represented by sea creatures, echoing His victory at creation and in the exodus. The prophecy's fulfillment would demonstrate God’s sovereign dominion over all creation and all nations, including the mightiest empire of the ancient world.
Ezekiel 29 9 Commentary
Ezekiel 29:9 presents God's declaration of war against Pharaoh, the symbol of Egypt's power. The use of "great dragon" vividly portrays Egypt's formidable might and arrogance, comparing Pharaoh to a primeval chaos monster that God will conquer. Pharaoh’s claim, "My river is my own; I have made it for myself," epitomizes his hubris. He usurves divine prerogative, believing his power and prosperity are self-generated, thus rejecting God’s ultimate authority and His role in sustaining all nations. God's response is an unequivocal declaration of opposition, signaling His intention to dismantle this self-made power and expose its vulnerability. This prophecy would have been a powerful message to the exiles, assuring them that the God of Israel also reigned supreme over Egypt, a nation that had oppressed them.