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The Prophets · Old Testament

Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel 29: Pharaoh the great dragon and Egypt's forty years

General context

The prophet dates the first word to the tenth year, tenth month, twelfth day. He is told to set his face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and against all Egypt. Pharaoh is the great dragon lying in his rivers, who says "My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself". The Lord will put hooks in his jaws, draw him out with the fish of his rivers stuck to his scales, and leave him in the wilderness as meat for beasts and birds. Egypt has been a staff of reed to the house of Israel, breaking when leaned on. A sword will cut off man and beast; the land will be waste from the tower of Syene to the border of Ethiopia, uninhabited for forty years, and the Egyptians scattered. At the end of forty years the Lord will gather them and bring them back to Pathros, where they will be a base kingdom, the basest, never again ruling over nations or serving as Israel's confidence. A second word, dated the twenty-seventh year, first month, first day, says Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made his army serve a great service against Tyrus, every head bald and every shoulder peeled, yet received no wages; so the Lord gives him the land of Egypt and its spoil as wages, because they worked for him. In that day the Lord will cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud and give the prophet the opening of the mouth among them.

Cited passages: Ezekiel 29:1, Ezekiel 29:2, Ezekiel 29:3, Ezekiel 29:4, Ezekiel 29:5, Ezekiel 29:6, Ezekiel 29:7, Ezekiel 29:8, Ezekiel 29:10, Ezekiel 29:11, Ezekiel 29:12, Ezekiel 29:13, Ezekiel 29:14, Ezekiel 29:15, Ezekiel 29:16, Ezekiel 29:17, Ezekiel 29:18, Ezekiel 29:19, Ezekiel 29:20, Ezekiel 29:21

Ezekiel 29 (KJV)

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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

3Speak, 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.

4But 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.

5And 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.

6And 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.

7When 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.

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

9And 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.

10Behold, 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.

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

12And 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.

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

14And 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.

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 iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord God.

17And 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,

18Son 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:

19Therefore 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.

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

21In 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.

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Historical context

Two date headings stand in this chapter. The first is the tenth year, tenth month, twelfth day; the second is the twenty-seventh year, first month, first day, which is later than every other date given in the oracles against the nations (the eleventh year in 26:1, 30:20 and 31:1, the twelfth in 32:1). The text places this later word here, beside the earlier one, without comment. Pharaoh is not named; he is "Pharaoh king of Egypt" throughout. The forty years of desolation and the return to Pathros as "a base kingdom" are stated as what will happen; the chapter does not narrate their fulfilment. The complaint that Egypt was "a staff of reed to the house of Israel" refers to Israel relying on Egypt, but the chapter gives no particular occasion. The second word treats Nebuchadrezzar's unpaid service against Tyrus as the reason Egypt is given to him, which links back to the oracle of chapter 26. The closing promise that the prophet will receive "the opening of the mouth" is not explained in this chapter.

Cited passages: Ezekiel 29:1, Ezekiel 29:17, Ezekiel 26:1, Ezekiel 32:1, Ezekiel 29:2, Ezekiel 29:12, Ezekiel 29:14, Ezekiel 29:6, Ezekiel 29:18, Ezekiel 26:7, Ezekiel 29:21

Literary context

Pharaoh's boast is quoted twice, first in full, "My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself", and then in shortened form as the ground of judgment, "The river is mine, and I have made it". The dragon image answers the boast: the creature who owns the river is hauled out of it by hooks and dumped in a waterless wilderness. A second image, the reed staff that breaks and tears the shoulder, describes Egypt from Israel's side. The first oracle moves from Pharaoh to the land, then to a restoration that is also a demotion: gathered, but "the basest of the kingdoms". The second oracle is framed as a matter of wages, the words "service", "wages" and "labour" repeated, so that Egypt's conquest is presented as payment for work done at Tyrus. The final verse turns from Egypt to Israel's horn budding and the prophet's mouth opened, a note of hope set inside a judgment oracle.

Cited passages: Ezekiel 29:3, Ezekiel 29:9, Ezekiel 29:4, Ezekiel 29:5, Ezekiel 29:7, Ezekiel 29:15, Ezekiel 29:18, Ezekiel 29:19, Ezekiel 29:20, Ezekiel 29:21

Key moments

  1. The dragon in his rivers (Ezekiel 29:3). Pharaoh is addressed as the great dragon who claims to have made his own river.
  2. Hooks in the jaws (Ezekiel 29:4). The Lord says he will draw Pharaoh out of his rivers with the fish stuck to his scales.
  3. A staff of reed to Israel (Ezekiel 29:6). Egypt is charged with breaking under Israel when leaned upon.
  4. Forty years of desolation (Ezekiel 29:11). No foot of man or beast will pass through Egypt for forty years.
  5. Return as a base kingdom (Ezekiel 29:14). The Egyptians are brought back to Pathros to be a lowly kingdom.
  6. Egypt as wages for Tyrus (Ezekiel 29:19). The Lord gives Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar as pay for his unpaid service against Tyrus.
  7. The opening of the mouth (Ezekiel 29:21). The Lord promises the prophet the opening of his mouth in that day.

For reflection

Egypt's restoration after forty years is real but deliberately reduced: "the basest of the kingdoms", never again Israel's confidence. What might a recovery look like that is meant to remove the temptation to rely on the one recovered?

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