1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish 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.
5 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.
6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
9 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.
10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst 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 disperse them through the countries.
13 Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
14 And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
15 It 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.
16 And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
17 And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
18 Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.
21 In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 29, a chapter in the Old Testament of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, is a highly significant portion of Scripture that presents a prophetic message regarding the judgment of Egypt. This chapter is the beginning of a series of oracles against Egypt, which continues until chapter 32. The chapter is essentially divided into two parts; the first is a prophecy against Pharaoh and all of Egypt, and the second is a prophecy of Egypt's desolation and restoration.
The chapter opens with a date, the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day, and God speaking to the prophet Ezekiel. God commands Ezekiel to set his face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and all Egypt. The Pharaoh is depicted as a great monster lying in the midst of his rivers, who has said, "The river is mine, and I have made it for myself" (Ezekiel 29:3). This is an expression of arrogance and self-sufficiency, an attitude of pride that God is set to judge.
God declares that He will put hooks in Pharaoh's jaws and cause the fish of his rivers to stick to his scales. He will bring him up out of the midst of his rivers, with all the fish that are in his rivers sticking to his scales. This is a vivid imagery of God's judgment, signifying the removal of Pharaoh from his place of comfort and security. God is essentially stating that He will expose and overthrow the Pharaoh, bringing him and his kingdom to ruin.
God further declares that He will leave Pharaoh in the wilderness, him and all the fish of his rivers. He will fall upon the open fields and will not be brought together or gathered. The beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens will feed on him. This illustrates the utter desolation and humiliation that will befall Pharaoh and his kingdom. They will be left as food for the beasts and birds, signifying their total defeat and destruction.
God gives the reason for His judgment in verse 6, stating that because Egypt has been a staff of reed to the house of Israel, they will know that He is the Lord. A staff of reed is a symbol of unreliable support, referring to Egypt's unfaithfulness as an ally to Israel. They have broken the trust of Israel, leading them to stumble and fall. Therefore, God is set to judge Egypt for their treachery and unfaithfulness.
God declares that Egypt shall be desolate and waste from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited for forty years. This is a prophecy of Egypt's desolation, a period of utter ruin and abandonment. The number forty is often associated with a period of trial or judgment in the Bible, signifying that Egypt will undergo a time of divine punishment.
Despite the severity of the judgment, God also speaks of a time of restoration for Egypt. He declares that at the end of forty years, He will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered. He will bring back the captivity of Egypt and return them to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms, and it shall never again exalt itself above the nations. God will diminish them so that they will never again rule over the nations.
God's purpose for this is clear; He wants to show the Israelites that they should not rely on Egypt or any other nation, but only on Him. He is the only reliable source of help and support. This is a crucial lesson for the Israelites, and indeed for all believers. It teaches us the folly of trusting in human strength or alliances, and the wisdom of trusting in God alone.
The chapter concludes with a prophecy concerning Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. God states that He has given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his labor because he and his army had worked for Him. Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Tyre for many years without gaining any compensation, so God gives him Egypt as his wages. This signifies God's sovereignty over the nations, showing that He can give and take away kingdoms as He pleases.
In summary, Ezekiel 29 is a profound chapter that speaks of God's judgment and restoration. It teaches us about God's sovereignty, His justice in dealing with the proud and unfaithful, and His mercy in restoring those who have been judged. It also teaches us about the importance of trusting in God alone, and not in human strength or alliances. This is a timeless lesson that remains relevant for all believers today.
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