Ezekiel 29:1-16

Ezekiel 29-32. Oracle against Egypt.— Next and last to be denounced is Egypt, the great rival of Babylon, and consequently the opponent of Yahweh’ s purpose. The separate oracles were written either not long before ( Ezekiel 29:1) or not long after ( Ezekiel 32:1) the fall of Jerusalem. An Egyptian army marched to the relief of the city during the siege ( Jeremiah 37:5); probably Ezekiel 29:6 is a warning of the futility of this attempt, while Ezekiel 30:21 may definitely refer to its repulse by the Babylonians.

Ezekiel 29:1-Nehemiah : . The Fall and Restoration of Egypt.— Pharaoh (who incarnates the genius of Egypt, cf. Ezekiel 28), Lord of the Nile, is compared to a crocodile (no unapt symbol of the clumsy strength of Egypt) caught and flung upon the wilderness (= the battlefield) to be devoured. This is the doom of his blasphemous pride ( Ezekiel 29:3); Israel will have good reason to learn the folly of trusting Egypt ( Ezekiel 29:1-Judges :). (In Ezekiel 29:7 for “ shoulder” read “ hand” with LXX, and for “ to be at a stand” read “ to shake.” ) The real meaning of the allegory is at once made plain in Ezekiel 29:8-2 Kings :. A sword (Nebuchadrezzar’ s: cf. Ezekiel 30:10) will work havoc and desolation throughout the length of the land, from Migdol (which should be read instead of “ tower” in Ezekiel 29:10) in the north-east, to Seveneh (now Assouan) in the extreme south. Egypt’ s desolation and exile are to last, like Judah’ s ( Ezekiel 4:6) forty years: then she will be restored, but to a position of no political importance, so that Israel will be no more tempted to commit the “ sin” of trusting her ( Ezekiel 29:13-Nehemiah :). (Pathros in Ezekiel 29:14 = Upper Egypt.)