Ezekiel 29:12

Translation
King James Version
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.
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
And I will make H5414 the land H776 of Egypt H4714 desolate H8077 in the midst H8432 of the countries H776 that are desolate H8074, and her cities H5892 among H8432 the cities H5892 that are laid waste H2717 shall be desolate H8077 forty H705 years H8141: and I will scatter H6327 the Egyptians H4714 among the nations H1471, and will disperse H2219 them through the countries H776.
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, I will make the land of Egypt desolate, even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities; they will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.'
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands, and her cities will lie desolate for forty years among the ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries.
Ask
American Standard Version
And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I wil make the land of Egypt desolate in the middes of the countries, that are desolate, and her cities shall be desolate among the cities that are desolate, for fourtie yeeres: and I wil scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and wil disperse them through the countreis.
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
And I have made the land of Egypt a desolation, In the midst of desolate lands, And its cities, in the midst of waste cities, Are a desolation forty years, And I have scattered the Egyptians among nations, And I have dispersed them through lands.
Ask
See also
Jeremiah 46:19Ezekiel 30:7Ezekiel 30:23Jeremiah 25:15Jeremiah 25:19Ezekiel 30:26Jeremiah 27:6
In the KJVVerse 21,196 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 29:12 pronounces a definitive divine judgment against the powerful nation of Egypt, foretelling a profound and widespread period of desolation for its land and cities, specifically lasting for forty years. This comprehensive judgment extends beyond the land to include the scattering and dispersion of the Egyptian people among various foreign nations, emphatically demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly kingdoms and His precise, unwavering execution of justice against those who embody pride, oppose His will, or mislead His covenant people.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into a series of detailed prophetic oracles against Egypt, which span Ezekiel chapters 29-32. These prophecies are strategically placed immediately following divine judgments against other neighboring nations (Tyre, Sidon, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia) in Ezekiel 25-28, thereby underscoring the universal scope of God's authority and His impartiality in judgment. More specifically, Ezekiel 29:1-16 targets Pharaoh and the entire Egyptian nation, condemning their pervasive pride, their idolatry, and their notorious unreliability as an ally to Judah. The vivid imagery of Egypt as a "broken reed" in Ezekiel 29:6-7 powerfully illustrates its deceptive weakness and the severe harm it inflicted upon those, particularly Israel, who dared to lean upon its false strength. The desolation and scattering described in verse 12 are presented as the direct, inevitable consequences of Egypt's arrogance and its persistent failure to acknowledge the Lord's supreme sovereignty. This period of severe judgment is then contrasted with a later, limited restoration mentioned in Ezekiel 29:13-16, which would see Egypt reduced to a lowly, subservient kingdom, forever stripped of its former glory and its capacity to serve as a source of false hope for Israel.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecies against Egypt were delivered by Ezekiel during a highly tumultuous period in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, a time marked by significant geopolitical shifts. Judah, already under the oppressive yoke of Babylonian subjugation, frequently and unwisely looked to Egypt for military and political support in their desperate attempts to resist the burgeoning Neo-Babylonian Empire. This persistent reliance on Egypt was vehemently condemned by contemporary prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who rightly perceived it as a profound betrayal of trust in Yahweh, Israel's true deliverer. Egypt, with its ancient history, formidable military, and vast resources, had long been considered a dominant regional power and a viable counterweight to any rising empire. However, God, through Ezekiel, declared Egypt to be a "broken staff," utterly incapable of genuinely aiding Judah and, moreover, deserving of severe judgment for its deeply entrenched idolatry, its overweening pride, and its historical opposition to God's chosen people. The specific mention of "forty years" of desolation could refer to a precise historical period of Babylonian domination and subsequent decline, or, more broadly, a typological period of judgment and purification, as the number "forty" frequently signifies a generation, a period of intense testing, or a complete cycle of divine discipline in biblical narratives. The forced scattering of populations was a common and brutal punitive measure employed by ancient empires, including Babylon, designed to dismantle national identity, break resistance, and prevent future rebellions.

  • Key Themes: The overarching and dominant theme in Ezekiel 29:12 is Divine Sovereignty and Judgment, which unequivocally demonstrates that God's authority extends universally over all nations, not merely over Israel. Egypt's profound pride and its detrimental role as a false security for Judah are central to its condemnation, powerfully highlighting the critical theme of False Reliance vs. Trust in God. The detailed and precise nature of the prophecy, including its specified duration and far-reaching effects, underscores the Consequences of Defiance against God's holy will and the absolute Reliability of God's Word, emphasizing the certainty of prophetic fulfillment. Furthermore, the concept of Desolation and Restoration is subtly yet significantly present; the severe judgment is balanced by a future promise of a limited, diminished restoration, illustrating God's ultimate and meticulous control over the rise and fall of kingdoms, and His long-term redemptive purposes that can even extend, albeit in a limited way, to gentile nations. The scattering of Egyptians also powerfully echoes the pervasive theme of Exile and Dispersion, a recurring motif of divine judgment applied to both disobedient Israel and other nations who defy the Lord.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Desolate (Hebrew, shᵉmâmâh', H8077): This feminine noun (H8077) signifies devastation, utter ruin, and emptiness, often carrying a profound connotation of astonishment, horror, or stupefaction. Its powerful repetition in the verse—"make...desolate," "countries that are desolate," "cities that are laid waste shall be desolate"—emphatically underscores the comprehensive, shocking, and irreversible nature of the destruction that would befall Egypt. It implies a state of being uninhabited, unproductive, and utterly laid waste, a stark and tragic contrast to Egypt's former fertility, grandeur, and prominence.
  • Scatter (Hebrew, pûwts', H6327): This primitive root (H6327) means to dash in pieces, to break up, or to disperse with force. It implies a violent, forceful, and destructive act of breaking apart and spreading out, rather than a gentle or voluntary migration. When applied to people, as it is here with the Egyptians, it denotes a punitive and involuntary dispersion, designed to strip them of their national cohesion, identity, and power, strikingly similar to the judgment often pronounced against rebellious Israel.
  • Nations (Hebrew, gôwy', H1471): This term (H1471) refers to a foreign nation, a Gentile people, or even a troop of animals. In this specific context, its use highlights that the Egyptians would be dispersed not merely within their own land, but forcibly scattered among other non-Israelite peoples. This signifies a profound loss of their distinct national presence within their homeland, reducing them to a scattered and fragmented people among the broader world, thereby underscoring the severity and extensive reach of God's judgment beyond their borders.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries [that are] desolate": This opening clause unequivocally declares God's active, sovereign role in orchestrating Egypt's ruin. The phrase "in the midst of the countries that are desolate" powerfully suggests that Egypt, once a preeminent, fertile, and mighty land, would be reduced to the same state as other already ruined and forgotten nations, losing its unique status and becoming just another wasteland among wastelands, stripped of all its former glory.
  • "and her cities among the cities [that are] laid waste shall be desolate forty years": This specifies the precise scope of the desolation to include Egypt's once-thriving urban centers and, crucially, sets a divinely appointed duration of "forty years." This period signifies a complete, divinely ordained cycle of judgment and purification, during which Egypt's cities would remain uninhabited, ruined, and unproductive, reflecting a profound and sustained period of divine wrath and a complete disruption of its societal fabric.
  • "and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries": This final, impactful clause details the grim fate of the Egyptian populace. It prophesies their forced displacement and widespread scattering across various foreign lands, emphasizing a catastrophic loss of national cohesion, identity, and homeland. The deliberate use of two strong verbs, "scatter" and "disperse," intensifies the image of a widespread, thorough, and inescapable scattering, ensuring that no unified Egyptian presence would remain in their homeland for the specified period of judgment.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 29:12 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of comprehensive divine judgment with overwhelming force. Repetition is profoundly prominent, with the word "desolate" (and its cognates "laid waste") appearing multiple times throughout the verse, powerfully hammering home the comprehensive and utter ruin awaiting Egypt. This repetition creates a pervasive sense of dread and emphatically underscores the severity and totality of the judgment. The phrases "in the midst of the countries that are desolate" and "among the cities that are laid waste" utilize Hyperbole and Comparison to amplify the unprecedented extent of Egypt's fall, suggesting it will not merely be desolate but will be exceptionally so, even among other already ruined lands, thereby intensifying the impact of the prophecy. The Personification of God as the active, direct agent ("I will make," "I will scatter," "I will disperse") powerfully underscores His absolute sovereignty and direct, intentional involvement in the unfolding historical events. Furthermore, the specific mention of "forty years" functions as a potent Symbolism for a complete and divinely appointed period of judgment or testing, drawing on well-established biblical precedents (e.g., Israel's wilderness wandering), lending a profound sense of divine intentionality, predetermined duration, and ultimate purpose to the punishment.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 29:12 powerfully articulates God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty over all nations, demonstrating with stark clarity that even formidable empires like Egypt are entirely subject to His divine will and ultimate judgment. It serves as a profound and timeless reminder that national pride, arrogant self-sufficiency, and the leading astray of God's people inevitably incur divine wrath. The remarkable precision of the prophecy, including the specific forty-year duration, underscores God's meticulous control over the grand tapestry of human history and the unwavering certainty of His spoken word. The desolation and dispersion of Egypt parallel similar judgments against disobedient Israel, highlighting God's impartial justice and His consistent moral standards for all humanity, whether they be covenant people or gentile nations. Ultimately, this passage profoundly reinforces the theological truth that reliance on human strength, geopolitical alliances, or any earthly power, rather than on God alone, inevitably leads to ruin and desolation.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 29:12 calls us to a profound and sobering reflection on the majestic nature of God and our humble place within His sovereign, overarching plan for history. It serves as a powerful reminder that no earthly power, no matter how formidable, economically robust, or seemingly secure, stands outside the purview of God's righteous judgment. For nations and individuals alike, this verse functions as a potent warning against the insidious dangers of pride, the futility of self-reliance, and the perilous temptation to place our ultimate trust in anything or anyone other than the Almighty God. It challenges us to deeply examine where our ultimate security truly lies – is it in our financial stability, our political alliances, our military might, our personal achievements, or our accumulated wealth? The devastating desolation of Egypt, a once-mighty and seemingly invincible empire, should cultivate within us a posture of profound humility, unwavering dependence on God alone, and a healthy fear of His righteous judgment. Furthermore, the historical fulfillment of such precise prophecy strengthens our faith in the absolute reliability of God's inspired Word and His active, ongoing involvement in human history, encouraging us to live our lives daily in light of His ultimate authority, His coming kingdom, and the certainty of His justice.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what areas of my personal life, or in the life of my community or nation, might I be tempted to place trust in "Egypt" (human strength, resources, or alliances) instead of cultivating a deeper reliance on God?
  • How does the concept of a "forty-year" period of desolation, a divinely appointed duration, inform my understanding of God's patience, His timing, and the ultimate purpose behind His judgments?
  • What practical and tangible steps can I take today to cultivate a more profound and consistent reliance on God's sovereignty in my daily decisions, my long-term plans, and my response to global events?

FAQ

Was the "forty years" of desolation for Egypt a literal historical period, or is it symbolic?

Answer: While biblical scholars continue to debate the precise historical fulfillment, many interpret the "forty years" as a literal period of significant decline and foreign domination for Egypt, particularly under the oppressive rule of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which began shortly after Ezekiel delivered this prophecy. Historical records from the period indeed indicate a time of Egyptian weakness, subjugation, and loss of imperial influence following Nebuchadnezzar's extensive military campaigns. However, the number forty in biblical typology often signifies a complete period of testing, judgment, or preparation (e.g., Israel's forty years of wilderness wandering, Jesus' forty days of fasting and temptation), suggesting a divinely appointed and complete duration for this judgment, whether precisely forty calendar years or a significant, defined era of subjugation and decline. The subsequent prophecy in Ezekiel 29:13-16 does speak of a partial restoration for Egypt thereafter, but explicitly states it would be as a "lowly kingdom," never regaining its former prominence as a world power.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Ezekiel 29:12 directly concerns God's temporal judgment on ancient Egypt, its profound theological underpinnings find their ultimate and most comprehensive Christ-centered fulfillment. The verse powerfully highlights God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty over all nations, a truth fully and gloriously revealed in Christ, who is eternally declared to be the King of kings and Lord of lords. The desolation and scattering of Egypt, a direct consequence of its pervasive pride and its opposition to God's divine purposes, serves as a potent foreshadowing of the ultimate and inescapable judgment that will inevitably fall upon all who persistently reject God's gracious rule and His Son, culminating in the final, righteous judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15. Conversely, Christ's redemptive work on the cross and His resurrection establish a new, eternal kingdom, one that is emphatically not of this world, where all who place their trust in Him are gathered, not scattered, into one unified body, transcending all earthly divisions (Ephesians 2:19-22). The "forty years" of judgment, a period of divine discipline and testing, powerfully points to the perfect, complete, and once-for-all judgment borne by Christ on the cross, where He, the sinless Lamb of God, took upon Himself the very desolation and curse of sin for all humanity (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, while ancient Egypt faced a temporal scattering and a diminished future, in Christ, believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation are eternally gathered and reconciled to God, finding everlasting peace, belonging, and an inheritance, rather than dispersion or ruin (Galatians 3:28).

Copy as

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.
Copy as
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.
Copy as

Continue studying Ezekiel 29:12 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.