*THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
EZEKIEL

Ezekiel 29

1The judgment upon Pharaoh for his treachery to Israel. 8The desolation of Egypt, and restoration of it after forty years. 17Egypt the reward of Nebuchadrezzar's service against Tyrus. 21Israel shall flourish again.


1IN the 1tenth year, in the 2tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1 After taking Jeconiah or Jehoiachin away into custody. Compare Ezek. 1:2; 33:21, etc.

2 In the ecclesiastical year called Tebeth, in the civil Tamuz.

2Son of man, 3set thy face against 4Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

3 See Ezek. 6 on verse 2.

4 Some hold this one to have been Pharaoh-Hophra. See Jer. 44:30 with the annotation. From which place may be gathered that he lived at the time when the Jews, after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, fled into Egypt. Otherwise Pharaoh was a common name of the kings of Egypt. See Gen. 12 on verse 15.

3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I 5am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great 6dragona that lieth in the midst of his 7rivers, which hath said, My 8river is mine own, and I have 9made it for myself.

5 As Ezek. 28:22. Also below, verse 10; Ezek. 30:22, etc.

6 See Psalm 74:13, 14; Isa. 27:1; 51:9; Ezek. 32:2. Some understand here a crocodile.

a Psalm 74:13, 14; Isa. 27:1; 51:9.

7 Understand the sundry arms and streams of the great and famous river Nile, whereby he thought to be so safe and secure that no enemy, yea, no god (as Herodotus writes lib. 2.) was able to drive him out of his kingdom.

8Nile; I alone am lord and master over it; it is only for my profit and security; no one else has power or command over it, or can take or wrest it away from me.

9 Ordered and divided it for the accommodation and strengthening of my kingdom.

4But I will put 10hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the 11fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

10 Compare Amos 4 on verse 2.

11 That is, I, (namely, God) will pluck out thy subjects with thee (as the little fishes stick fast unto the scales of the large ones) and together will carry and compel you to places where ye shall sail as follows: I will execute My judgment upon you partly by the Cyrenians (as some conclude from Herodotus, lib. 2), and partly also by Nebuchadnezzar, of which mention is made in the sequel, verse 19, etc.; Ezek. 30:24, 25, etc. Compare Jer. 43:10; 46:2, etc. and see also Jer. 44 on verse 30. The order of these histories is somewhat obscure among interpreters, because Pharaoh-Hophra is held to the grandchild of Pharaoh Necho, whom Nebuchadnezzar, in the lifetime (as is conceived) of his father Nebuchadnezzar the first (otherwise called Nabopolassar), conquered, and afterward destroyed Egypt; the matter itself and the truth of God’s Word remaining without any controversy. As God in His promises of grace often joins the beginning, progress and end together, and mixes them one among another, so does He also in His prophecies of judgments, forasmuch as all things are known unto Him from all eternity, and one thing is as sure and certain as another; which is especially to be heeded in the writings of the prophets. Compare Jer. 46:2, 13, with the annotations on both verses there.

5And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt 12fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be 13brought together, nor gathered: 14I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

12 That is, be smitten and perish. See Gen. 14 on verse 10. Or fall for lie, as elsewhere.

13 For burial, also elsewhere.

14 Compare Psalm 74:14, etc.

6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a 15staff of reedb to the house of Israel.

15 Stirring them up to rebellion against the Chaldeans, with promises of great help, which they did not keep. See 2 Kings 18 on verse 21.

b 2 Kings 18:21; Isa. 36:6.

7When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst 16break, and rend all their 17shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and 18madest all their loins to be at a stand.

16 Or, bruise; not only not supporting them, but also hurting and pricking them.

17 Hebr. side; or, the entire side. Other, shoulder; in the following words is spoken of leaning or staying and resting.

18 Hebr. madest all their loins to stand, that is, thou didst forsake them, didst leave them to shift for themselves as well as they could, without helping or supporting them, contrary to thy promises and their hope and expectation. Or, thus: and shouldest thou cause all their loins to stand? That is, be able to keep them standing, or, to hold them upright?

8¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a 19sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

19 Hostile war, murder and destruction.

9And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because 20he hath said, 21The river is mine, and I have made it.

20 Pharaoh.

21 As verse 3.

10Behold, therefore I 22am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly 23waste and desolate, from the 24tower of 25Syene even unto the border of 26Ethiopia.

22 As verse 3.

23 Hebr. desolations of desolation, of solitariness or wilderness, that is, I will make it utterly waste and desolate.

24 Hebr. migdol, which some take to be the city of Migdol, of which see Jer. 44:1; 46:14.

25 Hebr. Seveneh, that is, from one end of the land to the other, as some expound this. Yet Syene was a famous city in Egypt, situated just under the circle or the Tropic of Cancer, Plinius, lib. 2, chap. 73. Some are of the opinion that it is now called Asna.

26 Hebr. Cush. See Gen. 2 on verse 13; Gen. 10 on verse 6. That Ethiopia borders on Egypt is held to be a truth without any doubt. See Isa. 18 on verses 1, 2. Compare Ezek. 30:4.

11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be 27inhabited forty years.

27 See of the Hebrew word Jer. 17 on verse 6.

12And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the 28midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will 29disperse them through the countries.

28 That is, in such a state as other desolate countries and cities are accustomed to be; also Ezek. 30:7.

29 Or. fan, winnow, shake. Also Ezek. 30:23.

13¶Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of 30forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:

30 After this desolation when the Babylonian monarchy shall decline to an end.

14And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of 31Pathros, into the land of their 32habitation; and they shall be there a 33base kingdom.

31 See Gen. 10 on verse 14.

32 That is, where they were used to drive their trade in buying and selling. Other, converse, merchandise. The sense is: their native land.

33 Under the monarchy of the Persians. Compare Ezek. 17:14.

15It 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.

16And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their 34iniquity to remembrance, when they shall lookc after 35them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

34 Which they committed in trading with the Egyptians, and otherwise of old had brought away from there. See Ezek. 21:24 with the annotation, and further Ezek. 18:22, 24; 23:19, 20, 21.

c Lam. 4:17.

35 Or, when they look after them; namely, the Egyptians; not on Me, but trusting on Egypt, and consequently also departing from Me; whereby they would give Me occasion to remember the one with the other, and to punish them for the same. See Gen. 8 on verse 1.

17¶And it came to pass in the 36seven and twentieth year, in the 37first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

36 See verse 1.

37 Called Nisan, in the ecclesiastical year; Thisri, in the civil.

18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against 38Tyrus: every 39head was made 40bald, and every 41shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:

38 See Ezekiel 26; 27; 28.

39 Hebr. head, side.

40 That is, his soldiers were become bare and poor, tired and worn out by the long and tedious siege of Tyrus, which lasted, as ancient histories report (Josephus contra Apion, book 1) thirteen years.

41 Or, all shoulders are peeled, by the carrying of burdens.

19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take 42her 43multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

42 Of the land of Egypt.

43 Or, common people, or, plenty, riches. See of the Hebrew word Psalm 37 on verse 16; Jer. 46 on verse 25. Also Ezek. 30:4, 10, 15; 31:2, 18; 32:12, 16, etc.

20I have given him the land of Egypt for his 44labour wherewith he served against 45it, because they 46wrought 47for me, saith the Lord GOD.

44 Compare Jer. 22 on verse 13.

45 The city Tyrus.

46 See of such use of the Hebrew word Ruth 2 on verse 19; Prov. 31 on verse 13.

47 Not that the aim of Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers was to obey in this the true God of Israel (who are called wicked, Ezek. 30:12), but because God by His secret government used them for the execution of this His judgment, as for His service. See Jer. 25 on verse 9. Although it may be that Nebuchadnezzar, having heard of Ezekiel’s prophecy (as being made in Babylon) by God’s direction and government, did the more victoriously his intent and purpose. Compare Jer. 40:2, 3.

21¶In that day will I cause the 48horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the 49opening of the mouth in the midst of 50them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

48 That is, cause the honor and respect of My church to spring up again (as herbs or plants spring up out of the earth) in the midst of their captivity, so that ye shall dare speak boldly of Me and My works, even in Babel, and spread abroad My praise there; for which purpose God undoubtedly used both the fulfillment of such prophecies as these, and also the grace and favor, dignity and renown of Daniel and his companions. See Dan. 2:46; 3:29; 4:37; 5:29. Or, it may be taken in general as a prophecy concerning the grace and mercy that God is wont to show unto His church after great troubles and afflictions, as this has been in Babel; whereby He gives them occasion to extol His holy Name in public.

49 See Psalm 51:15; Prov. 31:8; Ezek. 16:63; 33:22; Eph. 6:19, with the annotations.

50 The Babylonians.