Ezekiel 29, Prophecy Against Egypt

The next several prophecies of Ezekiel are against Egypt. Egypt, the nation that initially helped Israel survive because of Joseph’s leadership but then enslaved them. Egypt, the nation from which they escaped but took with them the idolatry they learned there (Ezekiel 20). Egypt, the nation Israel was constantly tempted to ally with to resist invaders. Yahweh is going to deal with Egypt once and for all.

In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3 Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says:

“‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself.” 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams, with all the fish sticking to your scales. 5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky. 6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am Yahweh.

Yahweh likens Egypt to the sea monster, elsewhere called Leviathan (Psalm 74:13,14; Ezekiel 32:2). His pride over the life-giving Nile will be brought low with his defeat at Yahweh’s hand (through Babylon, as we will see).

“‘You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. 7 When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.

Egypt was never reliable as an ally. Jehoiakim had relied on Egypt to break the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon, but Egypt failed to even engage Babylon in battle. Israel was supposed to trust in Yahweh, like Hezekiah had done and seen the defeat of the Assyrian siege.

8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast. 9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” 10 therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

Egypt would experience its own diaspora, like Israel, finding its inhabitants dispersed among the nations. This was how Assyria and now Babylon subdued other kingdoms.

13 “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”

Yahweh has a promise for Egypt of restoration, though not as a superpower like she was before, but as a weak nation that Israel would never think to look to for help.

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of Yahweh came to me: 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. 20 I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Yahweh.

Though Babylon defeated Tyre, Babylon got little by way of “booty” from the defeat.

In Ezekiel’s time Nebuchadnezzar blockaded the city and severely curtailed Tyre’s trade. The siege lasted thirteen years (Josephus, C. Ap. 1.156). In the end the two sides must have come to a compromise. King Ethbaal III of Tyre was deposed. He probably corresponds to “the king of Tyre” who appears among other royal captives deported to Babylon in the Court List of Nebuchadnezzar. A Babylonian royal high commissioner was appointed over the town. The city, however, remained intact and was not even subjected to habitual looting. (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary)

But with the defeat of Egypt Nebuchadnezzar was amply compensated.

21 “On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 29)

A horn is a symbol of strength. Expositor’s notes:

The symbol must refer to the strength (cf. NIV note) and encouragement that Israel was to receive when she observed God’s faithfulness in executing his judgment on her enemy, Egypt, in accord with these prophecies and the Abrahamic covenant (Ge 12:3). At this time Ezekiel’s mouth would be opened among the exiles to proclaim God’s purposes and workings more freely, since the exiles would be more ready to listen. Through these events the Israelites would perceive that the God who was accomplishing these mighty acts in faithfulness was the Lord their God.