Ezekiel 29:1-16

1 It was the tenth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

2 "Human, look toward the king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and all Egypt.

3 Say: 'This is what the Lord God says: I am against you, king of Egypt. You are like a great crocodile that lies in the Nile River. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of the Nile stick to your sides. I will pull you up out of your rivers, with all the fish sticking to your sides.

5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish from your rivers. You will fall onto the ground; you will not be picked up or buried. I have given you to the wild animals and to the birds of the sky for food.

6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. "'Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass.

7 When their hands grabbed you, you splintered and tore open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their backs twist.

8 "'So this is what the Lord God says: I will cause an enemy to attack you and kill your people and animals.

9 Egypt will become an empty desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord. "'Because you said, "The Nile River is mine, and I have made it,"

10 I am against you and your rivers. I will destroy the land of Egypt and make it an empty desert from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south, all the way to the border of Cush.

11 No person or animal will walk through it, and no one will live in Egypt for forty years.

12 I will make the land of Egypt the most deserted country of all. Her cities will be the most deserted of all ruined cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries.

13 "'This is what the Lord God says: After forty years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered.

14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives and make them return to southern Egypt, to the land they came from. They will become a weak kingdom there.

15 It will be the weakest kingdom, and it will never again rule other nations. I will make it so weak it will never again rule over the nations.

16 The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. Instead, Egypt's punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.'"

Ezekiel 29:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 29

This chapter contains a prophecy against Pharaoh king of Egypt; and of the destruction of the land of Egypt; and of the restoration of it after a certain time. The time of prophecy is noted, Eze 29:1, the order to prophesy against Pharaoh, who is described as a large fish, lying in his rivers, and boasting of them, Eze 29:2,3, his destruction and the manner of it, Eze 29:4,5, the reason of it, his treachery to the Jews, Eze 29:6,7, hence the whole land of Egypt is threatened with desolation, from one end to the other, so as to be uninhabited by man or beast for the space of forty years, Eze 29:8-14, but shall not arrive to their former glory as a kingdom, nor be any more the confidence of the house of Israel, Eze 29:15,16, then follows a prophecy seventeen years after this, showing the reason why Egypt was given to the king of Babylon, Eze 29:17-20, and the chapter is closed with a promise of happiness to Israel, Eze 29:21.