Ezekiel 29:10

Translation
King James Version
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.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers H2975, and I will make H5414 the land H776 of Egypt H4714 utterly H2721 waste H2723 and desolate H8077, from the tower H4024 of Syene H5482 even unto the border H1366 of Ethiopia H3568.
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Complete Jewish Bible
So I am against you and your Nile; and I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate waste from Migdol to S'venah, all the way to the border of Ethiopia.
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Berean Standard Bible
therefore I am against you and against your rivers. I will turn the land of Egypt into a ruin, a desolate wasteland from Migdol to Syene, and as far as the border of Cush.
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American Standard Version
therefore, behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even unto the border of Ethiopia.
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World English Bible Messianic
therefore, behold, I am against you, and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Behold, therefore I come vpon thee, and vpon thy riuers, and I will make the land of Egypt vtterly waste and desolate from the towre of Seueneh, euen vnto the borders of the blacke Mores.
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Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, lo, I am against thee, and against thy floods, And have given the land of Egypt for wastes, A waste, a desolation, from Migdol to Syene, And unto the border of Cush.
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See also
Ezekiel 30:12Exodus 14:2Ezekiel 30:6Ezekiel 30:9Jeremiah 44:1Ezekiel 29:11Jeremiah 46:14
In the KJVVerse 21,194 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 29:10 delivers a profound divine declaration of comprehensive judgment against ancient Egypt, asserting God's absolute sovereignty over nations and His unwavering resolve to humble their pride. The verse specifically targets Egypt's vital "rivers," the very source of its prosperity and self-sufficiency, and pronounces an "utterly waste and desolate" state spanning the entire land, from its southern border at Syene to its northern reaches near Ethiopia. This pronouncement underscores the totality, inevitability, and divine origin of the Lord's punitive action against a nation that had become a snare and a false hope for Judah.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 29 initiates a series of seven distinct prophecies against Egypt (ranging from Ezekiel 29 to Ezekiel 32), delivered by the prophet Ezekiel during his ministry to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. These oracles, dated between 587 and 585 BC, are strategically placed around the final fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, serving both as a theological explanation for Judah's fate and a demonstration of God's universal dominion. The preceding verses (Ezekiel 29:1-9) introduce the primary target of God's wrath: Pharaoh Hophra, depicted as a great "dragon" or "monster" (tannin) in the midst of his rivers, boasting of his self-made power and claiming the Nile as his own creation. God declares His intention to put hooks in Pharaoh's jaws and drag him and all his "fish" (symbolizing his people and allies) out of the rivers. This sets the stage for the comprehensive desolation described in verse 10, which details the extent and severity of the impending judgment, directly linking it to Pharaoh's arrogance and Egypt's unreliable support for Israel, which was like a "staff of reed" that pierced the hand of those who leaned on it, as previously warned in Ezekiel 29:6-7.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Egypt was a dominant geopolitical power in the Near East, renowned for its agricultural wealth, military might, and sophisticated civilization, all largely dependent on the annual flooding of the Nile River. The Nile was not merely a geographical feature but was deified by Egyptians as the source of their life and prosperity, fostering a deep sense of self-sufficiency and pride in their own strength and resources. Historically, Judah had often looked to Egypt for political and military alliances against encroaching powers like Assyria and Babylon, despite divine warnings against such reliance, as seen in Isaiah 30:1-7. At the time of this prophecy, Judah was caught between Babylon's rising power and Egypt's waning influence, with many in Jerusalem still hoping for Egyptian intervention against Nebuchadnezzar. God's judgment against Egypt, therefore, served to dismantle false hopes, demonstrate His universal sovereignty, and vindicate His warnings to His people. The geographical markers "Syene" (modern Aswan) and "Ethiopia" (ancient Cush) were well-known as the southernmost and northernmost traditional boundaries of Egyptian influence, emphasizing the total scope of the coming devastation.
  • Key Themes: The overarching theme in Ezekiel 29, and specifically in verse 10, is Divine Judgment and Sovereignty. God's declaration, "Behold, therefore I am against thee," unequivocally establishes Him as the active agent of judgment, not merely a passive observer of geopolitical shifts. This judgment is a direct response to Egypt's Pride and Arrogance, particularly Pharaoh's boast concerning the Nile, which represents a usurpation of divine prerogative. The comprehensive nature of the desolation, "utterly waste and desolate," highlights the Completeness of God's Retribution, leaving no aspect of Egypt's power or prosperity untouched. Furthermore, the prophecy underscores God's Universal Dominion, demonstrating that His authority extends beyond Israel to encompass all nations, holding even the most formidable empires accountable for their actions and pride, as seen in other prophetic declarations against nations in Jeremiah 25:15-38. The targeting of "thy rivers" is particularly significant, symbolizing an attack on the very Source of Egypt's Life and Pride, dismantling their false sense of security and self-sufficiency. This serves as a powerful reminder that relying on human strength or resources ultimately leads to ruin, a theme echoed throughout the prophetic literature, such as in Isaiah 31:1.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • rivers (Hebrew, yᵉʼôr', H2975): This term (H2975), of Egyptian origin, specifically refers to a channel or canal, and preeminently to the Nile River, which was the lifeblood of Egypt. In this context, "rivers" (plural) can encompass the Nile and its extensive network of canals and irrigation systems that sustained Egyptian agriculture and prosperity. God's declaration against "thy rivers" signifies a direct assault on the very source of Egypt's wealth, power, and self-sufficiency, which Pharaoh had arrogantly claimed as his own creation. It implies a disruption of the natural order that Egypt depended upon, leading to widespread famine and economic collapse.
  • utterly (Hebrew, chôreb', H2721): This word (H2721), derived from a root meaning "drought," denotes a state of desolation, dryness, or waste. When used with "waste" (the related H2723, chorbâh), it intensifies the meaning, indicating a complete and severe destruction. The repetition of similar concepts ("utterly waste and desolate") emphasizes the totality of the judgment, leaving no room for recovery or partial survival. It paints a picture of a land stripped bare of its vitality and productivity.
  • desolate (Hebrew, shᵉmâmâh', H8077): This feminine noun (H8077) signifies devastation, ruin, or astonishment. It describes the state of a place that has been laid waste, often implying a sense of shock or horror at the extent of the destruction. Coupled with "utterly waste," it reinforces the idea that Egypt will be reduced to an uninhabitable and unproductive wasteland, a stark contrast to its former fertility and grandeur. This desolation is not merely physical but also carries a sense of abandonment and divine curse, highlighting the profound impact of God's judgment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Behold, therefore I [am] against thee, and against thy rivers": This opening clause serves as a dramatic, emphatic declaration of divine opposition. "Behold" (Hebrew: hinneh) draws immediate attention to the pronouncement, signaling its importance. The phrase "I am against thee" reveals God as the direct and active agent of judgment, targeting both the nation of Egypt (represented by "thee," referring to Pharaoh and by extension, the entire kingdom) and its life-sustaining "rivers," primarily the Nile and its associated canals. This signifies a direct assault on the very foundation of Egypt's power, prosperity, and pride, striking at the heart of its self-sufficiency.
  • "and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste [and] desolate": This segment specifies the nature and severity of the judgment. God declares His intention to actively bring about a state of complete ruin and emptiness upon the entire land of Egypt. The combination of "utterly waste" and "desolate" (using cognate Hebrew terms, chôreb and shᵉmâmâh) emphasizes the comprehensive and severe nature of the destruction, implying a land stripped of its inhabitants, productivity, and former glory, reduced to a barren and uninhabitable state. This is a divine act of de-creation, reversing the order and abundance that Egypt prided itself on.
  • "from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia": This final clause provides the geographical scope of the judgment, indicating its vast and all-encompassing reach. "Syene" (modern Aswan) was a city at the southernmost frontier of ancient Egypt, marking its traditional boundary with Nubia. "The border of Ethiopia" (ancient Cush) refers to the region immediately south of Syene, extending into what is now Sudan. This phrase acts as a merism, signifying the entire length of Egypt, from its southern extreme to its northernmost point (implied by the inclusion of the southern border and the exclusion of any northern limit, meaning the judgment would sweep across the whole land). It underscores that no part of Egypt would escape the divine wrath, demonstrating the totality of God's sovereign decree.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 29:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of impending judgment with dramatic force. Personification is evident in God's declaration "I am against thee," treating the nation of Egypt as a personal adversary, emphasizing the direct, intentional, and relational nature of divine opposition. The phrase "against thy rivers" uses Metonymy, where "rivers" (primarily the Nile) stand for the entire source of Egypt's wealth, power, and national identity. By targeting the rivers, God targets the very foundation of Egypt's existence and pride, demonstrating His ability to dismantle their perceived security. The use of the terms "utterly waste" and "desolate" together creates a powerful instance of Repetition and Emphasis (specifically, a hendiadys, where two words convey a single, intensified idea), intensifying the pronouncement of complete destruction and leaving no doubt about the severity and totality of the judgment. Finally, the geographical markers "from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia" constitute a Merism, a figure of speech in which two contrasting parts represent the whole, effectively stating that the judgment will span the entire length and breadth of Egypt, leaving no region untouched and highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's sovereign decree.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 29:10 powerfully asserts God's absolute sovereignty over all nations, demonstrating that even the most formidable empires are subject to His righteous judgment. Egypt's fall serves as a stark reminder that national pride, self-sufficiency, and reliance on material wealth or military might are ultimately futile when pitted against the divine will. The theological message is clear: God alone is the source of all prosperity and power, and He will humble those who boast in their own strength or claim His gifts as their own creation. This judgment also underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant people, as He removes the false hopes (Egypt) that might tempt Israel away from trusting in Him alone, thereby clearing the way for a renewed reliance on Yahweh.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 29:10, though a prophecy against an ancient nation, carries profound and timeless lessons for believers today. It calls us to examine the foundations of our own security and pride. Are we, like ancient Egypt, prone to boasting in our achievements, our resources, or our perceived self-sufficiency, forgetting that all good things come from the Lord? This verse challenges us to cultivate a deep sense of humility, recognizing that our lives, our abilities, and our possessions are gifts from God, not products of our own making. It warns against placing our ultimate trust in human systems, political powers, or material wealth, which are inherently unstable and subject to divine judgment. Instead, we are called to place our unwavering faith and hope in God alone, whose sovereignty is absolute and whose justice will ultimately prevail. The desolation of Egypt serves as a powerful reminder that God holds all nations and individuals accountable for their actions, particularly their pride and their treatment of His people. Therefore, our lives should be characterized by a humble reliance on God, a commitment to justice, and a recognition that true security is found only in Him, fostering a spirit of gratitude rather than self-exaltation.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "rivers" or sources of pride and security in my life or society might be hindering a full reliance on God?
  • How does this passage challenge my tendency to trust in human strength or material possessions rather than divine provision?
  • In what ways can I cultivate a deeper sense of humility and acknowledge God's sovereignty in all areas of my life?
  • How should the knowledge of God's ultimate judgment on nations influence my prayers and actions regarding current global events?

FAQ

Why was God so "against" Egypt and its rivers?

Answer: God was "against" Egypt primarily because of its pervasive pride and arrogance, particularly exemplified by Pharaoh's boast that the Nile River, the lifeblood of Egypt, was his own creation and property, as stated in Ezekiel 29:3. This claim was a direct affront to God's sovereignty as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Furthermore, Egypt had consistently acted as an unreliable and deceptive ally to Israel, luring them away from trusting in God alone and becoming a "staff of reed" that broke and pierced the hand of those who leaned on it, as described in Ezekiel 29:6-7. God's judgment was therefore a demonstration of His justice against national hubris and a vindication of His warnings to His people to trust in Him alone. The targeting of "rivers" symbolized an attack on the very source of Egypt's self-sufficiency, wealth, and false security, dismantling the foundation of their pride and demonstrating that true power belongs to God alone.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Ezekiel 29:10 speaks of a temporal judgment on ancient Egypt, its deeper theological currents flow toward the ultimate and comprehensive judgment executed by Christ, and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. The pride of Pharaoh, who boasted of his self-made dominion over the Nile, foreshadows the pride of humanity that seeks to establish its own kingdom apart from God, rejecting the true Creator. Just as God put "hooks in Pharaoh's jaws" (Ezekiel 29:4), Christ, through His crucifixion and resurrection, decisively triumphed over the spiritual powers of darkness that hold humanity captive, disarming principalities and powers and making a public spectacle of them on the cross, as declared in Colossians 2:15. The desolation pronounced upon Egypt, spanning its entire length, points to the universal scope of Christ's ultimate judgment, where every knee will bow and every tongue confess His Lordship, as foretold in Philippians 2:10-11. Moreover, the "rivers" of Egypt, the source of its false life and pride, stand in stark contrast to the living water that Christ offers, which springs up to eternal life for all who believe in Him, as promised in John 4:14. Ultimately, the judgment on Egypt serves as a prophetic type of the final judgment of all nations and the establishment of God's righteous reign through Christ, where every earthly kingdom and source of human pride will be made utterly waste before the glorious and eternal dominion of the Lamb of God, who alone is worthy of all honor and praise, as revealed in Revelation 19:11-16.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 29 verses 8–16

This explains the foregoing prediction, which was figurative, and looks something further. Here is a prophecy,

I. Of the ruin of Egypt. The threatening of this is very full and particular; and the sin for which this ruin shall be brought upon them is their pride, Eze 29:9. They said, The river is mine and I have made it; therefore their land shall spue them out. 1. God is against them, both against the king and against the people, against thee and against thy rivers. Waters signify people and multitudes, Rev 17:15. 2. Multitudes of them shall be cut off by the sword of war, a sword which God will bring upon them to destroy both man and beast, the sword of civil war. 3. The country shall be depopulated. The land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste (Eze 29:9), the country not cultivated, the cities not inhabited. The wealth of both was their pride, and that God will take away. It shall be utterly waste (wastes of waste, so the margin reads it), and desolate (Eze 29:10); neither men nor beasts shall pass through it, nor shall it be inhabited (Eze 29:11); it shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are so, Eze 29:12. This was the effect not so much of those wars spoken of before, which were made by them, but of the war which the king of Babylon made upon them. It shall be desolate from one end of the land to the other, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. The sin of pride is enough to ruin a whole nation. 4. The people shall be dispersed and scattered among the nations (Eze 29:12), so that those who thought the balance of power was in their hand should now become a contemptible people. Such a fall does a haughty spirit go before.

II. Of the restoration of Egypt after awhile, Eze 29:13. Egypt shall lie desolate forty years (Eze 29:12) and then I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, Eze 29:14. Some date the forty years from Nebuchadnezzar's destroying Egypt, others from the desolation of Egypt some time before; however, they end about the first year of Cyrus, when the seventy years' captivity of Judah ended, or soon after. Then this prediction was accomplished, 1. That God will gather the Egyptians out of all the countries into which they were dispersed, and make them to return to the land of their habitation, and give them a settlement there again, Eze 29:14. Note, Though God will find out a way to humble the proud, yet he will not contend for ever, no, not with them in this world. 2. That yet they shall not make a figure again as they have done. Egypt shall be a kingdom again, but it shall be the basest of the kingdoms (Eze 29:15); it shall have but little wealth and power, and shall not extend its conquests as formerly; it shall be the tail of the nations, and not the head. It is a mercy that it shall become a kingdom again, but, to humble it, it shall be a despicable kingdom; it shall be a long time before it recover any thing like its ancient lustre. For two reasons it shall be thus mortified: - (1.) That it may not domineer over its neighbours, that it may not exalt itself above the nations, nor rule over the nations, as it has done, but that it may know what it is to be low and despised. Note, Those who abuse their power will justly be stripped of it; and God, as King of nations, will find out a way to maintain the injured rights and liberties, not only of his own, but of other nations. (2.) That it may not deceive the people of God (Eze 29:16): It shall no more be the confidence of the house of Israel; they shall no more be in temptation to trust in it as they have done, which is a sin that brings their iniquity to remembrance, that is, provokes God to punish them not for that only, but for all their other sins. Or it puts them in mind of their idolatries to return to them, when they look to the idolaters, to repose a confidence in them. Note, The creatures we confide in are often therefore ruined, because there is no other way effectually to cure us of our confidence in them. Rather than Israel shall be ensnared again, the whole land of Egypt shall be laid waste. He that once gave Egypt for their ransom (Isa 43:3) will now give Egypt for their cure; and it shall be destroyed rather than Israel shall not in this particular be reformed. God, not only in justice, but in wisdom and goodness to us, breaks those creature-stays which we lean too much upon, and makes them to be no more, that they may be no more our confidence.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–16. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 8 and following) Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast. And the land of Egypt shall become a desolation (or destruction) and a wilderness: and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he (or you) said, My river is mine, and I have made it (or My rivers are mine, and I have made them). Therefore behold, I am against you and against your rivers: and I will make the land of Egypt desolate, cut off by the sword from Migdol to Syene (or from Migdol to Syene and beyond) to the border of Ethiopia. The foot of man shall not pass through it, nor shall the foot of beast tread upon it; it shall not be inhabited for forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be desolate for forty years. And I will scatter (or disperse) the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries. For thus says the Lord God: After the end of forty years, I will gather Egypt (or the Egyptians) from the peoples (or nations) among whom they were scattered. And I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and I will place them in the land of Phatures, in the land of their birth (or in the land from which they were taken). And there they shall be in a humble kingdom (or principality), among the other kingdoms it shall be the most humble (or lowest). And they shall no longer be elevated above the nations, and I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations (or so that there are not many among the nations). And they shall no longer be a confidence (or hope) to the house of Israel, teaching iniquity in order to flee and follow them (or in order to remember the iniquity and follow them). And they shall know that I am the Lord God. You were a reed staff to the house of Israel, and not only were you broken in his hand, but according to Isaiah (Isa. XXXVI), you pierced his hand, and now you have torn his shoulder, and you yourself are broken, and you have loosened the loins of those who leaned on you. Therefore, I will bring the sword of the enemies upon you, and I will devastate both men and animals, and the land of Egypt will be reduced to desolation, and the Egyptians will know for the second time that I am the Lord. But I will not be content with this; but because he burst forth into such great blasphemy, that he said his own rivers were gods, and all the abundance of Egypt: therefore I will take away him who said he was the Creator, and the rivers which he had boasted were created by him, and I will reduce the land of Egypt to a long wilderness, and it will be destroyed by the sword, from the tower of Syene to the borders of Ethiopia. They called the tower, which in Hebrew is called Magdal (), 'the tower of the LXX,' so that they would write Μαγδαλὸν. However, the tower of Syene still stands today, a fortress subject to Roman rule, where the cataracts of the Nile are located, and up to which place our sea is navigable. Therefore, he says that the whole of Egypt must be depopulated until the borders of Ethiopia, where the outermost region of Egypt is joined, so that the chief priests may not cross into Egypt, nor may any animals be found there, and it may not be inhabited for forty years. For Egypt is spared, and because the Israelites were once guests there, the punishment is of shorter duration. Tyre celebrated its sabbaths for seventy years, and thus it was restored to its former state. The captivity of Judah and the destruction of the temple lasted for seventy years, until the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia. For the mighty will endure mighty torments (Wisdom 6:7). And when it says, 'I will make the land of Egypt a desolation, in the midst of desolated countries,' it refers to the Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, and all the other regions against which the prophecy of the prophets was given. Then he will scatter or disperse the Egyptians into nations, and will scatter them into lands. Because the Lord is merciful and compassionate, patient and full of mercy, after forty years the restoration of Egypt will occur, and all the captivity will be brought back to the ancient land, and will be placed in the metropolis city, which is called Phaturos, where it originated and from where it set forth: but only in such a way that it loses its ancient pride for its own benefit, and becomes a humble kingdom, or rather the humblest of all nations: so that it does not elevate itself above other peoples, nor have dominion over them; but reduced to a small number, it will by no means deceive the house of Israel with its confidence, nor teach them wickedness; whether it brings them to remembrance of their wickedness, that they sought the aid of Egypt by abandoning the help of God. And all these things will happen so that the Egyptians may know on the third day that He Himself is the Lord. We have briefly explained these matters, laying the foundations of history. Now the cloud of allegory must be discussed, and we will try to avoid both brevity and the lengthiness of this explanation. This is a discourse about the dragon, who said: 'The rivers are mine, and I made them.' (Above, same.) May the Lord Himself bring a sword upon him, as it is written in Isaiah: 'My sword is intoxicated in the sky; now it will descend to the earth to destroy humans and animals from it.' (Isaiah 34:5) Whatever the dragon seems to possess, whether of reason or simplicity, should be destroyed, not absolutely, but by the dragon itself, so that the dragons may perish and God may live, and the land of Egypt may become a wasteland, according to the higher understanding, whatever the dragon may perish by, and after its destruction, be reduced to solitude, ceasing to have the worst guest. And then shall men and beasts know, and the earth, being ruined, that He is the Lord, in that sense in which it is written in the seventy-seventh Psalm: When He slew them, then they sought Him (Ps. LXXVII, 34). For everyone who seeks, finds. It is indeed an act of God's mercy that the abundance of this world perishes, and the rivers of Egypt are dried up, and even their land becomes a desert, and the purpose of the Lord is scattered from the Tower of Syene, which means a circle, so that it may not have any righteousness in itself, even to the land of the Ethiopians, who are called the humble ones, so that every pride that had exalted itself against the knowledge of God may be destroyed and humbled for its own salvation. Neither the foot of man, that is, anything rational, passes through Egypt, nor does the foot of an animal walk in it: so that it does not hold even the simple ones, whom Pharaoh desired to keep in Egypt after dismissing the people, Moses objecting, and desiring that even the animals be liberated from the captivity of Egypt. And it shall not be inhabited for forty years, which number is always one of affliction and punishment. Hence Moses, and Elijah, and the Savior himself, fasted for forty days and nights, and the people were in the wilderness for forty years, so that afterwards they would be freed in Gilgal, having been circumcised, from the reproach and shame of Egypt (Exod. XXXIV; III Reg. IX; Matth. IV; Num. XIV). In the sacrament of this number, the prophet of the tribe of Judah also slept on the right side for forty days, and it was announced that the people would serve in Egypt for four hundred years (Gen. 7). They make forty decades, or four hundreds. The rains of the flood last for forty days and bring shipwreck to the world. For it was just that the one who offends God by loving and cherishing the four elements of the world, which are said to constitute everything, should be punished in that very number. And Israel, who sinned on the Sabbath, would endure the punishment of seventy years, which is the punishment of seven decades. And the barren land of Egypt is given, and its cities in the midst of the lands and of the subverted cities, which are not built of stones, but of mud and straw, so that Egypt, which was joined together poorly, may be dispersed and scattered into the lands, and so that the wheat may be separated from the straw, and when the completion of forty years is reached, there may be restitution of Egypt, and its captivity may be brought back, and it may be placed in the land of Phatures, which is interpreted as trampled bread; where that bread which said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven' (John 6:5), was trampled upon by heretical wickedness: so that when they come to the Church, they may dwell in trampled bread, and may not be lifted up in pride, but may be in a humble kingdom. And also, when they are restored to their previous state, they should humble themselves, because they lived in Egypt and built brick cities, and among many kingdoms they should be humble in the Church, and they should know whom they have sinned against, and Egypt should no longer be exalted above the Churches throughout the divided world, but should be reduced to a few, and only a few should remain among the nations, according to what is written: Give them, O Lord. What will you give them? Give them a barren womb and dried-up breasts (Hosea 9:4), so that they may not rejoice and exalt themselves in the multitude of deceivers, but be reduced to a few: For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20). And let them no longer deceive the house of Israel, that is, the Church; nor promise them vain hope and confidence, teaching iniquity, so that they may avoid the discipline of the Church and pursue Egyptian pleasures. But these things will happen so that the Egyptians may know for the third time that He Himself is the Lord. This, it seems to me, is said for this reason: that the first knowledge of the Egyptians is in the flesh, the second in the soul, the third in the spirit. First, upon the earth; second, after the completion of the conversation of this world; third, after the resurrection.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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