Commentary - Ezekiel 29:17-21

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent section, the prophet Ezekiel delivers a word from Yahweh that reveals His absolute sovereignty over the affairs of nations. The prophecy is dated much later than the surrounding oracles against Egypt, but it is placed here for a crucial thematic reason. It addresses the aftermath of Nebuchadnezzar's long and ultimately fruitless siege of Tyre. God, as the great King and cosmic paymaster, declares that because the Babylonian army received no wages for their hard labor in executing His judgment on Tyre, He will give them the nation of Egypt as their compensation. This striking passage demonstrates that even pagan kings are but instruments in God's hand, and that He is a just God who pays His servants, witting or not. The oracle concludes by pivoting from the judgment of the nations to the promise of restoration for Israel. The humbling of the great pagan powers is the necessary groundwork for causing a "horn to sprout" for the house of Israel, a clear messianic promise that looks forward to the coming of Christ. All of this is done for one ultimate purpose: that Israel, and the nations, "will know that I am Yahweh."

Outline

Context In Ezekiel

This prophecy is dated to the twenty-seventh year of Jehoiachin's exile, which is about 571 B.C. This makes it one of the latest dated prophecies in the book of Ezekiel. Its placement here, within the collection of oracles against Egypt, is not chronological but theological. The preceding prophecies had announced the downfall of Egypt. This later word comes after the thirteen year siege of Tyre (c. 586-573 B.C.) had ended, and it serves as a divine commentary on that event. By inserting it here, the Spirit shows how the judgment on Tyre is directly connected to the judgment on Egypt. God is weaving the histories of these pagan nations together to accomplish His singular purpose. He is the God of all history, not just Israel's history, and the rise and fall of empires is simply the outworking of His decreed will.

Key Issues

Commentary

17 Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying,

The Holy Spirit is meticulous with dates when it suits His purpose. This isn't just trivia for future historians. The date places us late in Ezekiel's ministry, long after the fall of Jerusalem. The exiles have been waiting, and God is showing them that His plan is still unfolding, precisely on schedule. The word of Yahweh comes. It is not Ezekiel's analysis of the geopolitical situation. It is a direct revelation from the throne room of the universe.

18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his military force labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his military force had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had labored against it.”

God begins with an assessment of a worldly affair. He speaks like a general contractor reviewing a job site. The work against Tyre was grueling. The siege lasted thirteen years. The imagery is visceral. "Every head was made bald" from the constant wearing of helmets. "Every shoulder was rubbed bare" from carrying siege materials, stones, and timbers. This was back breaking, relentless toil. And for what? Nothing. "He and his military force had no wages from Tyre." The Tyrians, being a seafaring people, had likely moved their great wealth to their island fortress or shipped it away before the mainland city fell. Nebuchadnezzar won a hollow victory. He got the real estate, but the bank vault was empty. God saw the hard labor, and He saw the empty pay envelope.

19 Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her abundance and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his military force.”

The word "Therefore" is the hinge of this passage. Because Nebuchadnezzar's army was not paid for their work against Tyre, God will ensure they are compensated. And what is the payment? An entire nation. God, the sovereign Lord, simply gives the land of Egypt to the king of Babylon. Notice the active, possessive language. I will give. It is Mine to give. Nebuchadnezzar will not conquer Egypt because he is a military genius; he will conquer Egypt because God has handed it to him on a platter. The wealth of Egypt, her "abundance," "spoil," and "plunder," will be the back pay for the thankless job at Tyre. This is cosmic justice. God is settling accounts between nations.

20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his work which he labored because they acted for Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.

Here is the theological bombshell. Why does God care if a pagan army gets paid? "Because they acted for Me." Nebuchadnezzar had no intention of serving Yahweh. He was serving his own ambition, his own gods, his own glory. But in the divine counsel, he was God's hammer. God had a judgment to execute against the proud and idolatrous city of Tyre, and He hired the Babylonian army to do it. They were an unwitting instrument, a saw in the hand of the Carpenter. And the Carpenter pays for the use of His tools. This is one of the most robust statements of God's absolute sovereignty in all of Scripture. The motives of men are one thing; the purposes of God are another, and God's purposes always prevail. He accomplishes His will through willing servants like Ezekiel and unwilling servants like Nebuchadnezzar.

21 “On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

And now, the pivot. The toppling of proud nations is not the end of the story. It is the prelude. "On that day," the day of God's judgment on His enemies, something else will happen. God will cause a "horn to sprout for the house of Israel." A horn in the Old Testament is a symbol of strength, kingship, and salvation. While the great pagan empires are being used and then judged, God is cultivating a new beginning for His own people. This is a messianic promise. The line of David, which seemed cut off, will sprout again. This points directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the horn of our salvation (Luke 1:69). At the same time, Ezekiel, the prophet, will have his mouth opened. His words, which may have been doubted, will be vindicated by the unfolding of history. He will speak with confidence in their midst. And what is the grand conclusion of all this divine maneuvering in history? "Then they will know that I am Yahweh." The purpose of judgment, salvation, prophecy, and history itself is the revelation of God's character. He is tearing down kingdoms and raising up a horn of salvation so that His covenant people would know, trust, and worship Him as the one true God.

Application

First, we must have a robust confidence in the sovereignty of God over all human affairs. We read the headlines about world leaders, military campaigns, and economic shifts, and we are tempted to anxiety. This passage reminds us that the most powerful rulers on earth are merely fulfilling their assigned tasks in God's great story. They may think they are acting for themselves, but they are acting for Him. God is not reacting to history; He is writing it.

Second, God is a just God who rewards labor. He paid a pagan king for his work. How much more will He reward the faithful service of His own children? Our labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). We are to work with all our might at whatever He has given us to do, knowing that our ultimate wages come from a Paymaster who is both infinitely rich and perfectly just.

Finally, we must see that God's work of judgment in the world is always for the sake of His work of salvation for His people. The humbling of the proud, the collapse of corrupt systems, the turning of the tables of history, this is all God clearing the ground. He does this to make room for the kingdom of His Son to grow. The horn of our salvation, Jesus Christ, has sprouted. His kingdom is advancing, and the purpose of it all is that the glory of God would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Our lives, our work, and our worship should be aimed at that one great end: that we, and all the world, might know that He is the Lord.