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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 29:17-21

The date of this prophecy is observable; it was in the twenty-seventh year of Ezekiel's captivity, sixteen years after the prophecy in the former part of the chapter, and almost as long after those which follow in the next chapters; but it comes in here for the explication of all that was said against Egypt. After the destruction of Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar spent two or three campaigns in the conquest of the Ammonites and Moabites and making himself master of their countries. Then he spent... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 29:19

Therefore thus saith the Lord God ,.... Since this was the case, that the king of Babylon had been working for nothing, and had spent much blood and treasure, as well as time, to little purpose and advantage to himself; behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon ; which will make him a sufficient recompence for his loss of time, men, and money, before Tyre; and though the conquest of Egypt was made easy to him, by the internal divisions and wars which were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 29:20

I have given him the land of Egypt for labour wherewith he served against it , That is, against Tyre; meaning not Nebuchadnezzar merely or only, but his army also, who did the main of the service and labour, and had the plunder of the country for it; though the kingdom itself was given to their king, and annexed to his monarchy: because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God ; not intentionally, but eventually; they did not design to do any service for God; they only sought to serve... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 29:20

I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor - Because he fulfilled the designs of God against Tyre, God promises to reward him with the spoil of Egypt. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 29:17-20

Nebuchadnezzar's wages. Nebuchadnezzar was used as God's servant in the work of destroying Tyre. But he got little profit out of that expedition. Therefore he was to receive his wages in the possession of the fertile and wealthy land of Egypt. This curious rendering of history in the light of Hebrew prophecy and poetry is suggestive. I. THE GREATEST KING IS BUT GOD 'S HIRELING . Nebuchadnezzar is referred to as a common laborer whose wages must be provided for. The pomp... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 29:17-20

The King of kings. By the very remarkable events here foretold, viewed in the light of the very remarkable interpretation which Ezekiel was inspired to add, we are taught some lessons of wider application and deeper interest than those which appear upon the surface of the prophet's writings. I. GOD IS OVER ALL . II. GOD USES ALL . 1. He has and directs his own instruments of work, kings and nations being at his service. 2. He has his own resources from which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 29:17-20

A New Year's gift to a king. There is a common proverb, that "he who gives quickly gives double." But this is not always true. A deferred gift is sometimes the best gift. God may to us seem to forget, but it is only seeming. The memory never fails, nor yet his good will. I. ROUGH WAR IS SOMETIMES SERVICE DONE FOR GOD . "They wrought for me, saith the Lord God." Men of delicate sensibility cannot understand how God can allow the rough business of war to serve his cause.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 29:19

Behold I give the land of Egypt , etc. For this disappointment, Ezekiel, writing, so to speak, the postscript which he incorporates with his earlier oracles, promises compensation. Egypt, as he had said seventeen years before, should be conquered, and its cities plundered, and so there should be wages enough for the whole thirteen years of fruitless labor in the siege of Tyre. In that labor, the prophet adds (Verse 20), they, though they knew it not, had been working out the will of the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 29:17-21

The prophet places this prediction out of chronological order, that he may point out what had not been stated in the foregoing prophecy, namely, that the agent who should strike the first blow on Egypt should be the Chaldaean king, Nebuchadnezzar.Ezekiel 29:18Yet had he no wages - It is not improbable that the Tyrians before they surrendered their island-citadel managed to remove much of their treasure; but others exlplain the verse; that the siege and capture of Tyre is to be regarded as the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezekiel 29:19-20

Ezekiel 29:19-20. He shall take her multitude, and take her spoil Nebuchadnezzar and his army shall have the captives and spoil of Egypt, which they shall utterly pillage and lay waste. Because they wrought for me, saith the Lord The destruction of cities and countries is a work of God’s providence, for the effecting of which he makes use of kings and princes as his instruments. Upon this account he calls Nebuchadnezzar his servant, Jeremiah 25:9, because he wrought for him, as it is... read more

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