Ezekiel 29
29
Prophecy against Egypt
1In the tenth year of our exile, on the twelfth day of the tenth month, # 29:1 This would have been January of 586 BC, six months before the fall of Jerusalem and fifteen years before Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt. Chapters 29–32 contain seven prophecies against Egypt. Yahweh spoke to me, saying, 2“Son of man, turn toward Hophra # 29:2 Or “Pharaoh,” which means “king.” Hophra, mentioned in Jer. 44:30, was the fourth king of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs. He reigned from 589 to 570 BC. king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3Tell them what I, Lord Yahweh, say:
“ ‘Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt—
the great monster # 29:3 Possible translations of the Hebrew word tannim include “serpent,” “dragon,” “sea monster,” “crocodile,” and “Leviathan.” See Gen. 1:21; Job 7:12; Pss. 74:13; 148:7; Isa. 51:9. This “great monster” was one of the gods of Egypt. Egypt represents bondage—the bondage of sin and of the world. wallowing in its waterways.
You boasted: “I made the Nile River for myself, and I own it!”
4I will put hooks through your jaws,
and make the fish of the Nile stick to your scales.
Then I will drag you out of your waterways
with all your fish clinging to your scales.
5I will leave you and all your fish
on the ground to die in the desert.
You will die in the open field,
and I will feed you
to the wild animals and the birds of heaven,
and no one will collect your bones or bury them.
6Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh.
“ ‘The Lord says to Egypt:
You have been no help whatsoever to my people, Israel;
you are nothing more than a crutch of flimsy reeds!
7Wherever they grasped you, you broke in their hands
and splinters pierced their hands. # 29:7 As translated from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is “tore [dislocated] their shoulders.” See Isa. 36:6.
Whenever they leaned on you, you collapsed,
and sent them sprawling.
8“ ‘So, Lord Yahweh says to you: I will bring war against you to eliminate both people and animals. 9The land of Egypt will become an empty desert, and they will know that I am Yahweh. Because you boasted, “The Nile is mine, I made it. It’s all mine,” 10therefore, I am your enemy and the enemy of your waterways. I will reduce Egypt to a desolate, empty desert, from Migdol # 29:10 Migdol was a fortress in northern Egypt where Jews found refuge (see Jer. 44:1; 46:14). in the north to Syene # 29:10 Syene is modern Aswan in southern Egypt. in the south, as far as the border of Ethiopia. # 29:10 Or “Cush.” To the Egyptians all the territory south of Aswan was known as Cush, which was called Ethiopia in Greco-Roman times and included portions of modern Sudan. 11No person or animal will pass through it. For forty years it will remain uninhabited. 12I will turn Egypt into the most desolate of lands, and for forty years its cities will be the most desolate of ruined cities. And I will scatter your people among the nations and disperse them among foreign lands.
13“ ‘However, Lord Yahweh says this: After forty years, I will gather the Egyptians back from the nations where I scattered them. # 29:13 Like the exiled Israelites, the Egyptians were promised that they, too, would be brought back to their land. 14I will bring the Egyptian captives back and restore them to the way they were before in their homeland of Pathros. # 29:14 That is, southern Egypt. There they will be an insignificant kingdom. 15Egypt will be the weakest kingdom of all and no longer dominate other nations. For I will reduce it so that it will never again rule over the nations. 16It will never again be strong enough for the people of Israel to trust in. Its fate will be a reminder of Israel’s sin when they put their confidence in Egypt to help them. Then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh.’ ”
Nebuchadnezzar Will Conquer Egypt
17In the twenty-seventh year of our exile, on the first day of the first month, Yahweh spoke to me, saying: 18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken his army and launched an attack against Tyre and inflicted a heavy toll upon his soldiers. # 29:18 The Babylonian siege against Tyre lasted thirteen years. Their helmets have rubbed their heads bare, and their heavy loads made their shoulders raw and chafed, yet neither Nebuchadnezzar nor his army gained any reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19I, Lord Yahweh, will hand Egypt over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its riches and loot the wealth of Egypt to pay the wages of his army. 20I am giving him Egypt as a reward for the labor he has undertaken on my behalf. I, Lord Yahweh, have spoken!
21“At that time, I will raise up a new day of power # 29:21 Or literally “a horn.” The horn of an ox or ram was a symbol of power, authority, and prosperity. God was decreeing that he would cause Israel to grow strong again. for the people of Israel. And Ezekiel, I will open your mouth, and when you speak, the people will listen to you. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”
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Ezekiel 29: TPT
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