Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 29

Verse 1

29:1 In the {a} tenth year, in the tenth [month], in the twelfth [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(a) That is, of the captivity of Jeconiah, or of the reign of Zedekiah. Of the order of these prophecies, and how the former sometimes stands after the latter. See Geneva "Jeremiah 27:1"

Verse 3

29:3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great {b} dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] my own, and I have made [it] for myself.

(b) He compares Pharaoh to a dragon which hides himself in the Nile river, as in Isaiah 51:9 .

Verse 4

29:4 But I will put {c} hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick to thy scales, and I will bring thee out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick to thy scales.

(c) I will send enemies against you who will pluck you and your people which trust in you out of your sure places.

Verse 6

29:6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I [am] the LORD, because they have been a staff of {d} reed to the house of Israel.

(d) Read 2 Kings 18:21, Isaiah 36:6 .

Verse 7

29:7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and tear all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou didst break, and make all their inward parts to {e} shake.

(e) When you felt their hurt, they would stay no more on you, but stood on their feet and put their trust in others.

Verse 9

29:9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD: because he hath said, {f} The river [is] mine, and I have made [it].

(f) Thus God cannot permit man to attribute anything to himself or put his trust in anything save in him alone.

Verse 14

29:14 And I will bring again the captives of Egypt, and will cause them to return [into] the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a {g} base kingdom.

(g) Meaning, that they would not have full dominion but be under the Persians, Greeks and Romans, and the reason is that the Israelites would no more put their trust in them, but learn to depend on God.

Verse 16

29:16 And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth [their] {h} iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.

(h) Lest I should by this means punish their sins.

Verse 17

29:17 And it came to pass in the {i} seven and twentieth year, in the first [month], in the first [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(i) Counting from the captivity of Jeconiah.

Verse 18

29:18 Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great {k} service against Tyre: every head [was] made bald, and every shoulder [was] rubbed raw: yet had he no wages, {l} nor his army, for Tyre, for the service that he had served against it:

(k) He took great pains at the siege of Tyre and his army was sore handled.

(l) Signifying that Nebuchadnezzar had more pains than profit by the taking of Tyre.