Ezekiel 29

Prophecy Against Pharaoh and Egypt

¹In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

²“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

³Speak and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

⁴I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.

⁵I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

⁶“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

⁷When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and paralyzed all of their thighs.”

⁸“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.

⁹The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’

¹⁰therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.

¹¹No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years.

¹²I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”

¹³“‘For the Lord GOD says: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.

¹⁴I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. There they will be a lowly kingdom.

¹⁵It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It won’t lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them so that they will no longer rule over the nations.

¹⁶It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’”

Egypt Given to Nebuchadnezzar

¹⁷It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

¹⁸“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

¹⁹Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army.

²⁰I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord GOD.

²¹“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Previous Ezekiel 28

Next Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel delivers two prophecies against Egypt, dated to different years during Babylon's siege of Jerusalem. God condemns Pharaoh's arrogance in claiming ownership of the Nile and promises to devastate Egypt through Nebuchadnezzar's invasion, scattering its people for forty years before allowing a humbled restoration. The judgment serves both to punish Egypt's pride and unreliability as Israel's ally, and to compensate Nebuchadnezzar for his costly but ultimately unprofitable siege of Tyre.

Context

This chapter begins Ezekiel's extended oracles against Egypt (chapters 29-32), following his prophecies against other nations and preceding the final Egyptian oracles.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Prophetic Commission Against Egypt God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against Pharaoh and all Egypt in the tenth year.
3-5
The Great Monster's Downfall Pharaoh is depicted as a river monster claiming ownership of the Nile, whom God will drag out and leave as carrion.
6-9
Egypt as a Broken Reed God condemns Egypt for being an unreliable ally to Israel and promises complete desolation by the sword.
10-12
Forty Years of Desolation Egypt will become utterly waste from north to south, uninhabited for forty years with its people scattered.
13-16
Humbled Restoration After forty years God will restore Egypt as a lowly kingdom, no longer a temptation to Israel's trust.
17-21
Egypt as Nebuchadnezzar's Wages In a later prophecy, God gives Egypt to Babylon's king as compensation for his unrewarded service against Tyre.

Prophecy Against Pharaoh and Egypt

29:1–29:16

prophecy wrathful

God declares judgment against Pharaoh and Egypt, comparing Pharaoh to a great monster who claims ownership of the Nile. Egypt will become desolate for forty years and its people scattered among the nations as punishment for their pride and unreliability as an ally to Israel.

person_contrast

Pharaoh transforms from Israel's deliverer in Exodus to a prideful "great monster" claiming divine ownership of the Nile, reversing his traditional biblical role.

Egypt Given to Nebuchadnezzar

29:17–29:21

prophecy solemn

God promises to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as payment for his service against Tyre, and declares that Israel's horn will sprout in that day.

person_contrast

Nebuchadnezzar uniquely receives divine compensation here—Egypt as payment for military service—transforming him from God's instrument of judgment into a rewarded contractor.

Insight Character Study

Pharaoh transforms from Israel's deliverer in Exodus to a prideful "great monster" claiming divine ownership of the Nile, reversing his traditional biblical role.

Insight Character Study

Nebuchadnezzar uniquely receives divine compensation here—Egypt as payment for military service—transforming him from God's instrument of judgment into a rewarded contractor.

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Ezekiel 29:1 1 reference

Lexicals 1

Ezekiel 33:21 Lexical

In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jeru…

3 shared words

Ezekiel 29:3 5 references

Lexicals 5

Ezekiel 30:22 Lexical

Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and t…

Ezekiel 29

Prophecy Against Pharaoh and Egypt

Egypt Given to Nebuchadnezzar

Prophecy Against Pharaoh and Egypt

Egypt Given to Nebuchadnezzar

Insights

Cross-References

Ezekiel 29:1 1 reference

Ezekiel 29:3 5 references

Ezekiel 29:5 5 references

Ezekiel 29:8 5 references

Ezekiel 29:10 1 reference

Ezekiel 29:12 1 reference

Ezekiel 29:13 4 references

Ezekiel 29:15 1 reference

Ezekiel 29:16 1 reference

Ezekiel 29:18 5 references

Ezekiel 29:19 5 references

Ezekiel 29:20 2 references

Interlinear

Historical Context