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Commentary on Ezekiel 29 verses 1–7
Here is, I. The date of this prophecy against Egypt. It was in the tenth year of the captivity, and yet it is placed after the prophecy against Tyre, which was delivered in the eleventh year, because, in the accomplishment of the prophecies, the destruction of Tyre happened before the destruction of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar's gaining Egypt was the reward of his service against Tyre; and therefore the prophecy against Tyre is put first, that we may the better observe that. But particular notice must be taken of this, that the first prophecy against Egypt was just at the time when the king of Egypt was coming to relieve Jerusalem and raise the siege (Jer 37:5), but did not answer the expectations of the Jews from them. Note, It is good to foresee the failing of all our creature-confidences, then when we are most in temptation to depend upon them, that we may cease from man.
II. The scope of this prophecy. It is directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and against all Egypt, Eze 29:2. The prophecy against Tyre began with the people, and then proceeded against the prince. But this begins with the prince, because it began to have its accomplishment in the insurrections and rebellions of the people against the prince, not long after this.
III. The prophecy itself. Pharaoh Hophrah (for so was the reigning Pharaoh surnamed) is here represented by a great dragon, or crocodile, that lies in the midst of his rivers, as Leviathan in the waters, to play therein, Eze 29:3. Nilus, the river of Egypt, was famed for crocodiles. And what is the king of Egypt, in God's account, but a great dragon, venomous and mischievous? Therefore says God, I am against thee. I am above thee; so it may be read. How high soever the princes and potentates of the earth are, there is a higher than they (Ecc 5:8), a God above them, that can control them, and, if they be tyrannical and oppressive, a God against them, that will be free to reckon with them. Observe here,
1.The pride and security of Pharaoh. He lies in the midst of his rivers, rolls himself with a great deal of satisfaction in his wealth and pleasures; and he says, My river is my own. He boasts that he is an absolute prince (his subjects are his vassals; Joseph bought them long ago, Gen 47:23), - that he is a sole prince, and has neither partner in the government nor competitor for it, - that he is out of debt (what he has is his own, and none of his neighbours have any demands upon him), - that he is independent, neither tributary nor accountable to any. Note, Worldly carnal minds please themselves with, and pride themselves in, their property, forgetting that whatever we have we have only the use of it, the property is in God. We ourselves are not our own, but his. Our tongues are not our own, Psa 12:4. Our river is not our own, for its springs are in God. The most potent prince cannot call what he has his own, for, though it be so against all the world, it is not so against God. But Pharaoh's reason for his pretensions is yet more absurd: My river is my own, for I have made it for myself. Here he usurps two of the divine prerogatives, to be the author and the end of his own being and felicity. He only that is the great Creator can say of this world, and of every thing in it, I have made it for myself. He calls his river his own because he looks not unto the Maker thereof, nor has respect unto him that fashioned it long ago, Isa 22:11. What we have we have received from God and must use for God, so that we cannot say, We made it, much less, We made it for ourselves; and why then do we boast? Note, Self is the great idol that all the world worships, in contempt of God and his sovereignty.
2.The course God will take with this proud man, to humble him. He is a great dragon in the waters, and God will accordingly deal with him, Eze 29:4, Eze 29:5. (1.) He will draw him out of his rivers, for he has a hook and a cord for this leviathan, with which he can manage him, though none on earth can (Job 41:1): "I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, will cast thee out of thy palace, out of thy kingdom, out of all those things in which thou takest such a complacency and placest such a confidence." Herodotus related of this Pharaoh, who was now king of Egypt, that he had reigned in great prosperity for twenty-five years, and was so elevated with his successes that he said that God himself would not cast him out of his kingdom; but he shall soon be convinced of his mistake, and what he depended on shall be no defence. God can force men out of that in which they are most secure and easy. (2.) All his fish shall be drawn out with him, his servants, his soldiers, and all that had a dependence on him, as he thought, but really such as he had dependence upon. These shall stick to his scales, adhere to their king, resolving to live and die with him. But, (3.) The king and his army, the dragon and all the fish that stick to his scales, shall perish together, as fish cast upon dry ground, and shall be meat to the beasts and fowls, Eze 29:5. Now this is supposed to have had its accomplishment soon after, when this Pharaoh, in defence of Aricius king of Libya, who had been expelled his kingdom by the Cyrenians, levied a great army, and went out against the Cyrenians, to re-establish his friend, but was defeated in battle, and all his forces were put to flight, which gave such disgust to his kingdom that they rose in rebellion against him. Thus was he left thrown into the wilderness, he and all the fish of the river with him. Thus issue men's pride, and presumption, and carnal security. Thus men justly lose what they might call their own, under God, when they call it their own against him.
3.The ground of the controversy God has with the Egyptians; it is because they have cheated his people. They encouraged them to expect relief and assistance from them when they were in distress, but failed them (Eze 29:6, Eze 29:7): Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. They pretended to be a staff for them to lean upon, but, when any stress was laid upon them, they were either weak and could not or treacherous and would not do that for them which was expected. They broke under them, to their great disappointment and amazement, so that they rent their shoulder and made all their loins to be at a stand. The king of Egypt, it is probable, had encouraged Zedekiah to break his league with the king of Babylon, with a promise that he would stand by him, which, when he failed to do, to any purpose, it could not but put them into a great consternation. God had told them, long since, that the Egyptians were broken reeds, Isa 30:6, Isa 30:7. Rabshakeh had told them so, Isa 36:6. And now they found it so. It was indeed the folly of Israel to trust them, and they were well enough served when they were deceived in them. God was righteous in suffering them to be so. But that is no excuse at all for the Egyptians' falsehood and treachery, nor shall it secure them from the judgments of that God who is and will be the avenger of all such wrongs. It is a great sin, and very provoking to God, as well as unjust, ungrateful, and very dishonourable and unkind, to put a cheat upon those that put a confidence in us.
(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.
(Chap. XXIX.—Vers. 1, 2.) In the tenth year (or according to the LXX, the twelfth), in the tenth month (or, according to the Hebrew, the twelfth), on the first (or one) day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt, and say: Thus says the Lord God. After Sidon, which is also situated on the coast of Phoenicia, the word of the Lord came to the prophet in the tenth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin, in the twelfth month, and on the first day of the month, that he should set his face and strengthen himself against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and speak concerning him, and concerning all Egypt, against all of Egypt province. And prophesy regarding what will happen to them. But if we must say something about the numbers, which place does one hold among ten days: hence, at the beginning of Genesis, it is not said: There was evening and morning, the first day, but one day (Gen.1), in order to teach that the same day is always repeated: the tenth number holds the same order among ten decades, which is a hundred, and this number is taken up by the sacrificial lamb, so that it is sacrificed on the fourteenth day, and in this way it continues through its decades, with the order of its numbers proceeding to a thousand and ten thousand, and one hundred thousand, and beyond. But after the tenth year, the twelfth month is placed, so that the perfect number of twelve apostles and prophets (who are contained in one volume) may be shown. Moreover, according to the Septuagint, the tenth month, which is called Tebeth in Hebrew (), and in Egypt týbi, is called January by the Romans, because among them it is the door of the year: with all heat removed, it contains the beginning of winter cold. Let it suffice to have spoken about numbers. Moreover, that must be especially sought after, whether the Pharaoh referred to in Exodus, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and many other places, and in the Song of Songs is the same person or different individuals. And it seems to me that this word does not refer to a single person, but rather signifies the royal dignity among the Egyptians, like how the Romans called their emperors and kings from the first Caesar, Gaius Caesar, and the second, his adopted son Octavian, who was later named Augustus. And among the Syrians, there was Antiochus, among the Persians, there were the Arsacid kings, among the Philistines, Abimelech, and after Alexander, in Egypt, there were the Ptolemies until Cleopatra, who, when defeated at Actium, made Egypt a Roman province. Therefore, in the present time, the word of the Lord is directed against every king of Egypt, who is interpreted as the destroyer, the slayer and maimer, cutting and dividing all things with a sword. This is to be understood in a mystical sense referring to the power to which Egypt is subject. For no man would dare to say: 'The rivers are mine, and I have made them,' nor would the great dragon be called, sitting in the midst of its rivers; but Egypt is called Mizraim in Hebrew, and it is translated into our language as afflicting and troubling, narrowing down and oppressing those who are subject to it, and not lifting its eyes to heaven but, according to the Gospel and the example of that woman whom the devil had bent double for eighteen years, always sinking down to earthly things (Luke 13).' Let us therefore see what is the threat against Pharaoh and all of Egypt.
(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.'
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 29:2 inaugurates a significant prophetic oracle from God, delivered through His prophet Ezekiel, directly targeting Pharaoh and the entire nation of Egypt. This verse functions as a divine imperative, precisely identifying the subject and the nature of the impending judgment. It powerfully underscores God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty over all earthly powers, even a formidable kingdom like ancient Egypt, thereby setting the theological and narrative foundation for a series of detailed prophecies that expose Egypt's profound pride and its inevitable downfall, while simultaneously serving as a crucial warning to Judah against misplaced trust in human alliances.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 29:2 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message with clarity and force. The direct address, Apostrophe, is immediately evident in "Son of man," where God directly speaks to Ezekiel, firmly establishing the divine origin and authority of the command. The pervasive use of the Imperative Mood in phrases such as "set thy face" and "prophesy" unequivocally underscores the authoritative, non-negotiable, and divinely mandated nature of God's command to His prophet; this is not a suggestion but an absolute decree. Furthermore, the phrase "Pharaoh king of Egypt" functions as a clear example of Metonymy, where Pharaoh, the individual ruler, stands as a representative for the entire nation of Egypt. Thus, the judgment pronounced against the king is simultaneously a judgment against the entire kingdom he embodies, a connection explicitly reinforced by the subsequent phrase "and against all Egypt." The entire verse also serves as the definitive opening of a Prophetic Oracle, a distinct genre of biblical literature characterized by direct divine pronouncements of judgment or salvation, delivered through a chosen prophet. This particular oracle is marked by its confrontational tone and its unequivocal declaration of God's sovereign intentions.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 29:2 profoundly illustrates God's universal sovereignty and His active, meticulous involvement in the affairs of all nations, extending far beyond the confines of Israel. It decisively challenges any humanistic notion that earthly powers operate outside of divine oversight, accountability, or ultimate judgment. The imperative command to "set thy face against Pharaoh" powerfully highlights the moral accountability of even the most powerful rulers and empires before the Almighty God. This passage fundamentally reinforces the consistent prophetic message throughout Scripture: that reliance on human strength, political maneuvering, or military alliances, particularly those that disregard or defy God's explicit will, is ultimately futile, deceptive, and leads inevitably to destruction. It serves as a stark and timeless reminder that profound pride and self-sufficiency, whether manifested in individuals or in entire nations, constitute a direct affront to the Creator and will inevitably face His righteous and unwavering judgment. The Lord alone is the true, steadfast, and eternal source of security, power, and ultimate hope.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 29:2 carries profound and timeless relevance for believers today, serving as a powerful reminder that God remains utterly sovereign over all global powers, political landscapes, economic systems, and societal structures, even amidst times of apparent chaos, injustice, or humanistic self-sufficiency. Just as He unequivocally commanded Ezekiel to confront the formidable Pharaoh, He continues to call His people to recognize His ultimate and supreme authority and to place their unwavering trust not in fallible human leaders, transient nations, or fluctuating systems, but solely in His unfailing power, His perfect plan, and His unchanging character. This verse challenges us to deeply examine where our ultimate hope, security, and allegiance truly lie. Are we prone to placing our confidence in political movements, economic stability, technological advancements, or military might, rather than in the unchanging character and infallible promises of God? Furthermore, it powerfully underscores the enduring importance of a courageous prophetic voice in every generation – one that, empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit, is willing to speak God's unvarnished truth, even when that message is one of warning, judgment, or uncomfortable confrontation, to those in positions of authority or to a complacent society. Ultimately, it encourages profound humility and absolute dependence on the Creator, knowing with certainty that human arrogance and self-reliance, exemplified by ancient Egypt, inevitably lead to a divinely ordained downfall.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was Pharaoh in Ezekiel 29:2, and why was he significant?
Answer: The Pharaoh specifically referenced in Ezekiel 29:2 was Pharaoh Hophra, also known by his Greek name Apries, who reigned over Egypt from approximately 589 to 570 BC. He was a powerful and ambitious ruler who actively sought to reassert Egyptian influence and dominance in the ancient Near East, frequently clashing with the burgeoning Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar. For the kingdom of Judah, Hophra was particularly significant because many within Jerusalem, facing the imminent siege by Babylon, desperately looked to him and Egypt for military assistance and political salvation. This decision represented a profound act of misplaced trust, relying on a human alliance rather than God's promised deliverance or judgment. This reliance on Egypt ultimately proved to be a "broken reed" (Isaiah 36:6), as Egypt failed to provide any lasting help to Judah and was itself subjected to God's righteous judgment.
Why was God prophesying against Egypt specifically?
Answer: God prophesied against Egypt for several critical and interconnected reasons, as extensively detailed in Ezekiel 29-32. Firstly, Egypt was characterized by immense pride, arrogance, and profound self-sufficiency, believing itself to be a self-made power independent of any divine influence. This hubris was vividly symbolized by Pharaoh's boast, "My Nile is my own; I made it for myself" (Ezekiel 29:3). Such arrogance was a direct affront to God, the true Creator and sustainer of all existence. Secondly, Egypt had a long history of being an unreliable, deceptive, and ultimately harmful ally to Israel, consistently offering false hope and leading God's people astray from trusting in Him, a pattern highlighted in passages like 2 Kings 18:21. God's judgment on Egypt therefore served as a powerful, tangible lesson for Judah about the utter futility and spiritual danger of trusting in human power over divine faithfulness. Finally, these prophecies unequivocally demonstrated God's universal and absolute sovereignty, proving that His authority extended over all nations and their rulers, not exclusively over Israel, and that He would hold all earthly powers accountable for their actions, pride, and rebellion (Psalm 33:10-11).
What does the address "Son of man" mean in the context of Ezekiel?
Answer: The title "Son of man" (Hebrew: ben 'adam) is God's characteristic and most frequent way of addressing Ezekiel throughout the entire book, appearing over 90 times. In this specific context, and throughout the book, it primarily emphasizes Ezekiel's profound humanity, his mortality, and his inherent frailty. It serves as a constant and stark distinction between the prophet, a mere mortal, and the divine, omnipotent, and awe-inspiring God who speaks through him. This consistent reminder of his human nature underscores that the profound visions, overwhelming experiences, and powerful messages Ezekiel delivers are not products of his own making, wisdom, or authority, but originate entirely and solely from God. It highlights his crucial role as a humble, dependent messenger, a representative of humanity chosen by God to convey divine truth, often in striking contrast to the overwhelming glory and majesty of God that Ezekiel is privileged to witness (Ezekiel 1:28).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 29:2, with its powerful declaration of God's sovereign judgment over the proud and self-sufficient earthly power of Egypt, finds its ultimate and most profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Ezekiel, addressed as "Son of man," was a human prophet specifically tasked with delivering God's authoritative word, Jesus is the definitive and ultimate "Son of Man" in the New Testament, a title He frequently used to describe Himself, emphasizing both His true humanity and His unparalleled divine authority as the long-awaited Messiah (Mark 10:45). The earthly kings and nations, like the arrogant Pharaoh and the proud kingdom of Egypt, who historically stood in opposition to God's righteous will and His chosen people, are ultimately brought to nothing by the supreme and eternal reign of Christ. He is the true and sovereign King who "sets His face" not merely against one nation or one earthly ruler, but against all sin, all rebellion, and all spiritual powers and principalities that oppose God's kingdom and His divine purposes (Colossians 2:15). The judgment prophesied against Egypt in Ezekiel 29:2 foreshadows Christ's ultimate and decisive victory over all earthly and spiritual dominion, establishing an everlasting kingdom that will never be destroyed or overthrown (Daniel 7:13-14). Through His sacrificial death on the cross and His glorious resurrection, Jesus decisively disarmed the powers of darkness and secured the triumphant reign of God's righteous rule, ensuring that all who place their trust and hope in Him find their ultimate security not in fleeting human strength or earthly alliances, but in the eternal, unshakable sovereignty of the Lamb who reigns forever and ever (Revelation 19:11-16).