Unknown
Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
29:1-32:32 Oracles against Egypt. The seventh and last of the nations to be addressed, Egypt (like Tyre) receives seven oracles, clarified structurally by the date formula that heads all but one of them (30:1 is the exception). The Egypt oracles equal in bulk the rest of the collection in chs. 25-28. If the chief interest in Tyre was economic, the leading issue for Egypt is military power. As seen in chs. 17 and 19, Egypt was still closely bound up with Judean affairs at this time. The Egyptian king during the period covered by these oracles was Hophra (reigned ), named in the OT only in Jer. 44:30. His aspirations over this region were instrumental in fomenting Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon. This accounts both for the belief that Judeans fleeing Babylonian reprisals would find safety in Egypt (Jeremiah 42-43) and Ezekiel's condemnation of Egypt's opposition to the Babylonians, who wielded the sword of the Lord's wrath.
29:1-16 Against Pharaoh. The two leading charges against Egypt come out clearly in this initial trio of oracles. Verses 1-6a portray the hubris of Egypt putting itself in the place of God, while vv. 6b-9a condemn it for its part in the destruction of Judah. The third section returns to the charge of hubris and subjects Egypt in a more extended way to the retributive hand of God. The date of these prophecies in v. 1, under which these oracles are gathered, equates to , just after Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, and after Hophra came to power in Egypt. In several prophecies, including this one, God shows Ezekiel what was happening hundreds of miles away (see note on 24:2).
29:1-6a Ezekiel delivered this oracle against Pharaoh king of Egypt, soon after Hophra ascended the throne (in ).
29:3 The confrontational formula, Behold, I am against you, also appears at 28:22, there addressed to Sidon, the last nation to be dealt with before Egypt (see also 26:3). The figure of the dragon takes Ezekiel's language to the boundary between the natural and supernatural realms. At one level, this is a symbolic name for the crocodile in the Nile (also 32:2), but at another level it represents a cosmic creature opposed to the rule of God and defeated by him (e.g., Ps. 74:13; Isa. 27:1; 51:9). The claim to be the maker of the Nile amounts to arrogation of divinity (cf. Tyre; Ezek. 28:2).
29:4-5 hooks in your jaws. The judgments against Pharaoh match the metaphorical framework of the accusation ("great dragon . . . in the midst of his streams"; v. 3).
29:6b-9a The second accusation is cast in the familiar because . . . therefore (Hb. ya‘an . . . laken) form seen often in Ezekiel. A river-related metaphor is again used; this time, however, Egypt is the staff of reed (i.e., a useless staff made from a flimsy reed) that treacherously fails to give support. In all likelihood this metaphor relates to the events narrated in Jer. 37:5-11 and echoes the taunt hurled against Hezekiah's Jerusalem by the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:21).
29:9b-16 A brief because section (v. 9b) repeats the accusation against Egypt in v. 3 before a much longer and literal judgment speech (vv. 10-16). The judgment has typical elements in vv. 10-12 that coincide with those leveled against Israel and Judah themselves. That Egypt should also be favored with restoration (vv. 13-16) is more surprising, but not unparalleled (see Jer. 46:26; cf. Jer. 48:47; 49:6, 39). Restored Egypt will, however, be cured of its hubris (Ezek. 29:14-15). Isaiah describes a future even farther off, with the Egyptians brought to knowing the true God (Isa. 19:18-25).
29:10-11 The desolation of Egypt, which lasts , strikes at the assumption that the annual inundations of the Nile that supported Egypt guaranteed its perpetual well-being. The location of Migdol is unknown, but together with Syene (Aswan) it bounds Egypt north and south. Cush is the region roughly corresponding to modern Ethiopia. Most interpreters think this "forty years" does not refer to any specific period of time but is a symbolic number showing the parallel to the wandering of Israel in the wilderness for , or just symbolizing the completeness of God's judgment. Some interpreters have taken it to refer to the period when Egypt was under Babylonian rule from (see note on v. 19).
29:14 Ancient Egyptian tradition located its national origins in the region of the Upper Nile where Pathros is located. The reference suggests that Ezekiel was well informed of Egyptian lore. Jewish mercenaries had been in the region for many years. Judean refugees fled there with Jeremiah (Jer. 44:15).
29:15 they will never again rule over the nations. Egypt never rebuilt the empire it once had.
29:17-21 Nebuchadnezzar and Egypt. This is the latest-dated oracle in the book, coming in Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Tyre had ended with Tyre intact, albeit subject to the Babylonians, who had little to show for
29:19 I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This prophecy was given in (see note on vv. 17-21), and Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt in (this is described in detail in Jeremiah 43-44 and also recorded in Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 10.180-182). Egypt was subsequently subject to Persian rule (beginning in ), was conquered by Alexander the Great and made part of his empire in , and was conquered by the Romans and became part of the Roman Empire in .
29:21 The final note of promise appears to be for Ezekiel himself. The phrase open your lips does not relate to Ezekiel's muteness (which would have ended years earlier than the events foretold here; see 33:21-22). Rather, it affirms that, after all those years, Ezekiel's prophetic ministry was to be vindicated.
30:1-19 Lament for Egypt. The third of the seven anti-Egypt oracles is the only one undated, and it contains no written basis for dating. It is comprised of four relating prophecies, each introduced by Thus says the Lord (vv. 2, 6, 10, 13) and each echoing motifs and ideas seen elsewhere in Ezekiel's oracles. Together they announce the fall not only of Egypt but also of her allies, and again by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar (v. 10). Much like in the Tyre oracle in ch. 27, there is no specific charge brought against Egypt here; rather, God's judgment is simply pronounced. See map.
30:2-5 The cry of the day (v. 2) and the announcement that the day is near (v. 3) point to the "day of the Lord" concept, developed in 7:10-27 (see notes there). The bare announcement of the day of the Lord finds its counterpart in the time . . . for the nations, explained almost at once as a time of doom. Ezekiel combines this motif with the "sword of the Lord" in a subtle way at 21:8-10, but here the connection is overt with the reference to the sword in 30:4.
30:4-5 On Cush, see 29:10. Put refers to the same region as Libya; for it and Lud, see note on 27:10. The Hebrew underlying Arabia (‘Ereb) literally means "mixed peoples." This geographical survey anticipates the central thrust of the next unit.
30:6-9 Here the allies of Egypt come into focus. They shall share the same fate as their master. On Migdol to Syene, see 29:10. The language of desolation also forges a link back to 29:8, 10.
30:10-12 The explicit identification of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians as the agents of God's wrath links to 29:17-20, although it is likely that this unit comes from an earlier period. Likewise, the drying up of the Nile (30:12) links back to 29:9b-12.
30:13-19 The knowledge of Egypt demonstrated in 29:14 is seen in this unit's plethora of place names, often compared to Mic. 1:10-15. To each place is joined a facet of judgment to fall upon it. This litany of divine actions amounts to a comprehensive rejection of Egyptian religion and politics. There is no clear geographical organization to the list, but where information is available, the judgments appear to be appropriate to the place. Memphis (Ezek. 30:13, 16) was the capital of Lower Egypt, south of the Nile delta. On Pathros (v. 14), see 29:14. Zoan (30:14), Pelusium (vv. 15-16), and Tehaphnehes (v. 18) were in the northeastern delta, with Pelusium being a strategic fortress at the border with the Sinai. Thebes (vv. 14-16) was capital of Upper Egypt, thus holding great symbolic value. On and Pi-beseth (v. 17) were in the southeastern delta, near the land of Goshen, the location of the sojourn of the people of Israel before the exodus (Gen. 45:10). Some of the judgments (Ezek. 30:18) provide allusions to the exodus plagues.
30:17 The Hebrew text has only a feminine pronoun ("they"), and the ESV supplies the referent as women, anticipating the ending of v. 18; it could also be "cities," which is grammatically feminine (see ESV footnote).
30:20-26 The Kings of Egypt and Babylon. The dates return in this fourth Egypt oracle, locating this unit in This oracle contrasts the weakness of Hophra's forces with the might of Babylon. The direct confrontation between these kings has been announced in v. 10. The sword (vv. 21-22) will fall from the hand of Hophra, but Nebuchadnezzar wields the sword of the Lord (v. 24; cf. 29:11, 19). Again, the king of Babylon does God's work (29:20).
30:23 scatter . . . and disperse (see also v. 26). This language appeared in 29:12. The fear of dispersion is one of the most deep-seated in the OT (e.g., Gen. 11:4; cf. Ezek. 28:24-26).
31:1-18 The Fall of Pharaoh. Ezekiel's fifth oracle against Egypt dates to , thus only a few weeks after the preceding unit. Here the prophet points to Assyria as an object lesson to Egypt. In its dying days, the once-mighty Assyrian Empire looked to Egypt for help against the mounting power of Babylon (). Even together they could not withstand the Babylonian onslaught. That had been a mere , well within living memory. In Isaiah's prophecies, given earlier still, Assyria--pride personified--was chopped down by the axe of the Lord (Isa. 10:5-19). This, the prophet says, is the fate awaiting Egypt. The motif of the "cosmic tree" that harbors the nations in its branches uses elements from ancient mythology, much as does the oracle of Tyre in the "garden of God" (see Ezek. 28:11-19).
31:2 The notice of Pharaoh and his multitude is repeated in v. 18b, but there as a statement rather than an address. Likewise, the rhetorical question in v. 2b is posed again and expanded in v. 18a. This provides an effective frame around the intervening verses.
31:3 Some find the reference to Assyria problematic, expecting rather immediate application to Egypt. However, the text is stable and clear, and there is no support from the ancient translations for suggested textual corrections (which are themselves not free from interpretative problems).
31:8-9 The garden of God is mentioned three times. As in 28:13 (see note), this garden is identified with Eden (also 31:16, 18). I (God) made it beautiful, leaving no room for self-exaltation (v. 9).
31:10-14 Pride precedes the fall, here brought about by the agency of a mighty one of the nations (v. 11), paralleled by the most ruthless of nations (v. 12), elsewhere a cryptic code for Babylon (28:7). Those who once prospered in Egypt's shadow now languish on its remains; no longer is it able to sustain life. The closing mention of those who go down to the pit (cf. 26:19-21) provides a bridge into the next paragraph.
31:15-17 While the judgment entailed in these verses echoes the content of those immediately preceding, the attention to Sheol (the place of the dead) prepares the way for the longer reflection on this theme in 32:17-32.
32:1-16 Lament over Pharaoh. Like the preceding oracle, this one is firmly bounded by a repeated element, the call to "lament" (vv. 2, 16)--although the poetic form itself is not strongly marked by this genre. The poem turns on the identification of Pharaoh as a "dragon" (v. 2), recalling 29:3 (see note). It is followed by two pronouncements of divine activity, one in 32:3-10, which develops the metaphorical world of the "dragon," and the second in vv. 11-15, which more briefly and literally applies divine judgment to Egypt.
32:1 The date formula corresponds to , placing it some time after the fall of Jerusalem and its defining moment in Ezekiel at 33:21, breaking the book's chronological sequence in order to follow the thematic gathering of the foreign-nation oracles into a single collection.
32:2 Egypt may fancy itself a lion, a self-delusion like that in 29:3, but it is a dragon, the cosmic beast being associated with the Nile's crocodile (again, see 29:3). In the verses that follow, the cosmic and natural elements intermingle, although the metaphorical language predominates.
32:3-6 Slaying the monster affects the entire landscape. The gorging of the birds and beasts in v. 4 is a stage beyond settling on the remains of the "cosmic tree" in 31:13.
32:7-8 The "cosmic" scope of the language is obvious in these heavenly effects of the dragon's death. The darkness on your land again provides allusions to the exodus story (cf. 30:13-19; also Ex. 10:21-23).
32:9-10 The political dimension is introduced. The more literal language, along with the reference to my sword, provides a transition to the second unit.
32:11-13 Yet again the agent of God's punishment is identified as the king of Babylon (v. 11), once again bearing the sword of the Lord (v. 10). Here, the demise of Egypt provides an opportunity for nature to recover from its corrupting influence, with the "waters" and "rivers" of v. 14 pointing back to the initial picture drawn in v. 2.
32:16 The closing verse of the oracle also connects with v. 2, providing a literary envelope for the whole oracle.
32:17-32 Egypt's Descent to the Pit. The seventh and final oracle against Egypt--and the last of the entire foreign-nation oracle collection--returns to a theme introduced briefly in an oracle on the sinking of Tyre in 26:20, and already used against Egypt in 31:14, 16. In a grand finale, all the nations are gathered together in the pit (32:18), in Sheol, the place of the dead. Egypt joins them there, Pharaoh receiving cold comfort from the welcome he receives (v. 31). Ezekiel is instructed to wail (v. 18), not to "lament," so this dirge lacks the poetic structure of the lament genre. After a leading rhetorical question, which serves as a thematic superscription, Egypt's reception in Sheol is described in terms of the "welcoming party"--five nations already languishing there. In drawing the nations together in this place over which God alone has power, Ezekiel again demonstrates God's sovereignty, poised at this juncture of the book when Judah's own death seems assured.
32:17 This oracle occurs two weeks later than the previous one (fifteenth day; cf. "first day," v. 1).
32:19 The rhetorical question with its implied irony alludes to Tyre's proud claim in 27:3, but is framed in a way similar to the question posed to Egypt in 31:2b. The Egyptians practiced circumcision, thus their place with the uncircumcised would be cause for deep shame.
32:22-23 Assyria is the chief of the slain (cf. ch. 31), but in the uttermost parts of the pit. Ezekiel's Sheol knows gradations of shame, and Assyria's appears to be the deepest.
32:24-25 Elam, in modern terms bordering southern Iraq to the east, was not at this time a notable political power. Its inclusion may be to mark a remote eastern edge of the nations gathered.
32:26-27 Not . . . with the mighty implies that residence in Sheol includes distinctions of shame and honor (cf. note on 32:22-23).
32:28 The focus of the mourning returns briefly to address Egypt directly.
