Commentary - Ezekiel 29:1-16

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Ezekiel, the prophetic word turns from Israel to the surrounding nations. This is not because God is finished with Israel, but rather to demonstrate that He is the God of the whole earth. His judgments on the pagan nations are a necessary backdrop to understanding His dealings with His own people. Here, the spotlight falls on Egypt, and on Pharaoh its king. Egypt was an ancient power, a symbol of worldly might, and a constant temptation to Israel. When Israel was afraid, she would often look to Egypt for help instead of to Yahweh. So God here declares His intention to deal with the source of this temptation.

The central sin of Pharaoh is a primal one. He is a creature who has declared himself to be the creator. "My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it." This is the very essence of sin, the desire to be as God, knowing good and evil. In response, Yahweh, the true Creator, declares His absolute sovereignty over this pretender. He will treat this great "monster" as a mere fish to be caught, dragged out of his element, and left to rot in the wilderness. The purpose of this judgment is twofold: that Egypt might know that He is Yahweh, and that Israel might learn, once and for all, not to trust in such a flimsy, worldly power.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying,

The prophecy is dated with precision. This is not a vague, timeless myth. This is history, unfolding according to God's sovereign timetable. God's judgments are not haphazard events; they are appointments. He is the Lord of the calendar, and when the time is ripe for judgment, He speaks and it is done.

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

Ezekiel is commanded to "set his face against" Pharaoh. This is a posture of determined opposition. It is a declaration of hostilities. The prophet is God's herald, and he is to deliver this challenge not just to a man, but to an entire nation and the spiritual principality that stands behind it. The judgment is personal against the king, because his pride is representative of the nation's pride, but it is also corporate, against "all Egypt."

v. 3 Speak and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great monster that lies in the midst of his canals of the Nile, That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.’

Here is the heart of the matter. God declares Himself to be against Pharaoh. And what is Pharaoh? He is the "great monster," the tannin, a word that can mean serpent, dragon, or sea monster. This is the language of Genesis 3 and Revelation 12. Pharaoh has set himself up as a counterfeit leviathan, a chaos monster pretending to be sovereign in his domain. His great sin is then quoted for all to hear: "My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it." This is the native language of fallen man. It is the anthem of every petty tyrant, from a king on his throne to a toddler in his high chair. 'Mine!' The creature puffs himself up and lays claim to the work and prerogatives of the Creator. This is cosmic treason.

v. 4 I will put hooks in your jaws And make the fish of your canals of the Nile cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your canals of the Nile, And all the fish of your canals of the Nile will cling to your scales.

God's response to this blasphemous pride is almost contemptuous in its display of power. The great dragon who thinks he rules the river is about to find out he is just a big fish, and Yahweh has the right tackle for the job. God will put hooks in his jaws and haul him out. The imagery is one of complete helplessness. The monster is unceremoniously yanked from his habitat, his place of power. And he does not go alone. The "fish of your canals," representing his people, his armies, his wealth, all that he depends upon, will "cling to your scales." They are dragged into judgment with him. When a nation's idol falls, everything attached to that idol falls with it.

v. 5 I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your canals of the Nile; You will fall on the open field; you will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

The humiliation is total. The great river dragon is cast into the dry wilderness, a place of death. He will lie unburied on the open field, a sign of ultimate disgrace in the ancient world. There will be no state funeral, no monument. He who saw himself as a god will become nothing more than carrion for scavengers. This is what the glory of man comes to when it sets itself against the glory of God.

v. 6-7 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel. When they seized you with the hand, You tore and split open all their shoulders; And when they leaned on you, You broke and made all their loins quake.”

The first great purpose of this judgment is theological education: "Then all... will know that I am Yahweh." God's judgments are revelatory. They teach the world who is God and who is not. A second charge is then brought forth, this one concerning Egypt's relationship with Israel. Israel had a bad habit of leaning on Egypt for military support instead of trusting God. But Egypt was a "staff of reed", it looked solid, but when you put your weight on it, it splintered and pierced your hand. This is a timeless lesson. Any worldly power that we trust in place of God will not only fail us, it will wound us in the process.

v. 8-9 ‘Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will bring upon you a sword, and I will cut off from you man and beast. The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’

The judgment is specified: a sword will come. This speaks of military conquest. The desolation will be thorough, affecting both man and beast. And again, the purpose is stated: that they will know Yahweh. The reason for this severe judgment is then repeated, because it is the central issue. God will not tolerate creatures who claim to be creators. The sin of pride is not a small thing; it is the foundation of all other sins, and God hates it.

v. 10-12 therefore, behold, I am against you and against your canals of the Nile, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. A man’s foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.”

The scope of the judgment is total. "From Migdol to Syene" means from the northern border to the southern border. The entire nation will be emptied out. The forty-year period of desolation is significant; it echoes Israel's forty years of wandering in the wilderness as a period of judgment. Egypt, which once enslaved Israel, will now experience its own scattering and exile. God is no respecter of persons or nations. Sin is judged wherever it is found.

v. 13-16 ‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. I will return the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not have dominion over the nations. And it will never again be the security of the house of Israel, bringing to remembrance the iniquity of their having turned to go after Egypt. Then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh.” ’ ”

But judgment is not God's final word. Even for pagan Egypt, there is a promise of restoration. This is grace. After the forty years of purging, God will gather them back. However, they will not be restored to their former glory. They will be a "lowly kingdom," never again a superpower. God's purpose in this is redemptive. First, their pride will be permanently broken. Second, they will no longer be a source of temptation for Israel. Israel will no longer be able to look to them as a great power to trust in. God removes the idol so that His people will learn to trust only in Him. And the final, ultimate goal is stated one last time: "Then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh."

Application

The sin of Pharaoh is the sin of every fallen human heart. We all want to be the god of our own little world. We want to say of our career, our family, our money, our abilities, "This is mine, and I have made it." This passage is a stark warning that God will not share His glory with another. He is the Creator; we are the creatures. Any attempt to reverse those roles is an act of rebellion that invites judgment.

Furthermore, we must take to heart the lesson about the "staff of reed." In what worldly powers or securities are we tempted to place our trust? Is it political solutions? Financial stability? Our own cleverness? All these things are reeds that will break and pierce us when we lean on them. Our only true security is in the Lord Yahweh.

Finally, we see the pattern of judgment and restoration. God tears down in order to build up. He humbles in order to exalt. For Egypt, this meant being brought low as a nation. For us, it means dying to our own pride and self-sufficiency through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. He is the true King who, unlike Pharaoh, did not grasp at equality with God, but humbled Himself, even to death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him. It is only by being united to Him that we can be safe from the judgment our pride deserves, and be restored not to a lowly kingdom, but to the glorious kingdom of God's beloved children.