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Ezekiel 29:8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

8 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will bring H935 a sword H2719 upon thee, and cut off H3772 man H120 and beast H929 out of thee.

Cross Reference

Ezekiel 14:17 STRONG

Or if I bring H935 a sword H2719 upon that land, H776 and say, H559 Sword, H2719 go through H5674 the land; H776 so that I cut off H3772 man H120 and beast H929 from it:

Genesis 6:7 STRONG

And the LORD H3068 said, H559 I will destroy H4229 man H120 whom I have created H1254 from the face H6440 of the earth; H127 both man, H120 and H5704 beast, H929 and the creeping thing, H7431 and the fowls H5775 of the air; H8064 for it repenteth H5162 me that I have made H6213 them.

Exodus 12:12 STRONG

For I will pass H5674 through the land H776 of Egypt H4714 this night, H3915 and will smite H5221 all the firstborn H1060 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 both man H120 and beast; H929 and against all the gods H430 of Egypt H4714 I will execute H6213 judgment: H8201 I am the LORD. H3068

Jeremiah 7:20 STRONG

Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, mine anger H639 and my fury H2534 shall be poured out H5413 upon this place, H4725 upon man, H120 and upon beast, H929 and upon the trees H6086 of the field, H7704 and upon the fruit H6529 of the ground; H127 and it shall burn, H1197 and shall not be quenched. H3518

Jeremiah 32:43 STRONG

And fields H7704 shall be bought H7069 in this land, H776 whereof ye say, H559 It is desolate H8077 without man H120 or beast; H929 it is given H5414 into the hand H3027 of the Chaldeans. H3778

Jeremiah 46:13-26 STRONG

The word H1697 that the LORD H3068 spake H1696 to Jeremiah H3414 the prophet, H5030 how Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 should come H935 and smite H5221 the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 Declare H5046 ye in Egypt, H4714 and publish H8085 in Migdol, H4024 and publish H8085 in Noph H5297 and in Tahpanhes: H8471 say H559 ye, Stand fast, H3320 and prepare H3559 thee; for the sword H2719 shall devour H398 round about H5439 thee. Why are thy valiant H47 men swept away? H5502 they stood H5975 not, because the LORD H3068 did drive H1920 them. He made many H7235 to fall, H3782 yea, one H376 fell H5307 upon another: H7453 and they said, H559 Arise, H6965 and let us go again H7725 to our own people, H5971 and to the land H776 of our nativity, H4138 from H6440 the oppressing H3238 sword. H2719 They did cry H7121 there, Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 is but a noise; H7588 he hath passed H5674 the time appointed. H4150 As I live, H2416 saith H5002 the King, H4428 whose name H8034 is the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 Surely as Tabor H8396 is among the mountains, H2022 and as Carmel H3760 by the sea, H3220 so shall he come. H935 O thou daughter H1323 dwelling H3427 in Egypt, H4714 furnish H6213 thyself to go into captivity: H3627 H1473 for Noph H5297 shall be waste H8047 and desolate H3341 without an inhabitant. H3427 Egypt H4714 is like a very fair H3304 heifer, H5697 but destruction H7171 cometh; H935 it cometh out H935 of the north. H6828 Also her hired men H7916 are in the midst H7130 of her like fatted H4770 bullocks; H5695 for they also are turned back, H6437 and are fled away H5127 together: H3162 they did not stand, H5975 because the day H3117 of their calamity H343 was come H935 upon them, and the time H6256 of their visitation. H6486 The voice H6963 thereof shall go H3212 like a serpent; H5175 for they shall march H3212 with an army, H2428 and come H935 against her with axes, H7134 as hewers H2404 of wood. H6086 They shall cut down H3772 her forest, H3293 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 though it cannot be searched; H2713 because they are more H7231 than the grasshoppers, H697 and are innumerable. H369 H4557 The daughter H1323 of Egypt H4714 shall be confounded; H3001 she shall be delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the people H5971 of the north. H6828 The LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 saith; H559 Behold, I will punish H6485 the multitude H527 H528 of No, H4996 and Pharaoh, H6547 and Egypt, H4714 with their gods, H430 and their kings; H4428 even Pharaoh, H6547 and all them that trust H982 in him: And I will deliver H5414 them into the hand H3027 of those that seek H1245 their lives, H5315 and into the hand H3027 of Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and into the hand H3027 of his servants: H5650 and afterward H310 it shall be inhabited, H7931 as in the days H3117 of old, H6924 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

Ezekiel 25:13 STRONG

Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 I will also stretch out H5186 mine hand H3027 upon Edom, H123 and will cut off H3772 man H120 and beast H929 from it; and I will make H5414 it desolate H2723 from Teman; H8487 and they of Dedan H1719 shall fall H5307 by the sword. H2719

Ezekiel 29:19-20 STRONG

Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will give H5414 the land H776 of Egypt H4714 unto Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon; H894 and he shall take H5375 her multitude, H1995 and take H7997 her spoil, H7998 and take H962 her prey; H957 and it shall be the wages H7939 for his army. H2428 I have given H5414 him the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for his labour H6468 wherewith he served H5647 against it, because they wrought H6213 for me, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069

Ezekiel 30:4 STRONG

And the sword H2719 shall come H935 upon Egypt, H4714 and great pain H2479 shall be in Ethiopia, H3568 when the slain H2491 shall fall H5307 in Egypt, H4714 and they shall take away H3947 her multitude, H1995 and her foundations H3247 shall be broken down. H2040

Ezekiel 30:10 STRONG

Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 I will also make the multitude H1995 of Egypt H4714 to cease H7673 by the hand H3027 of Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon. H894

Ezekiel 32:10-13 STRONG

Yea, I will make many H7227 people H5971 amazed H8074 at thee, and their kings H4428 shall be horribly H8178 afraid H8175 for thee, when I shall brandish H5774 my sword H2719 before them; H6440 and they shall tremble H2729 at every moment, H7281 every man H376 for his own life, H5315 in the day H3117 of thy fall. H4658 For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 The sword H2719 of the king H4428 of Babylon H894 shall come H935 upon thee. By the swords H2719 of the mighty H1368 will I cause thy multitude H1995 to fall, H5307 the terrible H6184 of the nations, H1471 all of them: and they shall spoil H7703 the pomp H1347 of Egypt, H4714 and all the multitude H1995 thereof shall be destroyed. H8045 I will destroy H6 also all the beasts H929 thereof from H5921 beside the great H7227 waters; H4325 neither shall the foot H7272 of man H120 trouble H1804 them any more, nor the hoofs H6541 of beasts H929 trouble H1804 them.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 29

Commentary on Ezekiel 29 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 29

Three chapters we had concerning Tyre and its king; next follow four chapters concerning Egypt and its king. This is the first of them. Egypt had formerly been a house of bondage to God's people; of late they had had but too friendly a correspondence with it, and had depended too much upon it; and therefore, whether the prediction reached Egypt or no, it would be of use to Israel, to take them off from their confidence in their alliance with it. The prophecies against Egypt, which are all laid together in these four chapters, were of five several dates; the first in the 10th year of the captivity (v. 1), the second in the 27th (v. 17), the third in the 11th year and the first month (ch. 30:20), the fourth in the 11th year and the third month (ch. 31:1), the fifth in the 12th year (ch. 32:1), and another in the same year (v. 17). In this chapter we have,

  • I. The destruction of Pharaoh foretold, for his dealing deceitfully with Israel (v. 1-7).
  • II. The desolation of the land of Egypt foretold (v. 8-12).
  • III. A promise of the restoration thereof, in part, after forty years (v. 13-16).
  • IV. The possession that should be given to Nebuchadnezzar of the land of Egypt (v. 17-20).
  • V. A promise of mercy to Israel (v. 21).

Eze 29:1-7

Here is,

  • I. The date of this prophecy against Egypt. It was in the tenth year of the captivity, and yet it is placed after the prophecy against Tyre, which was delivered in the eleventh year, because, in the accomplishment of the prophecies, the destruction of Tyre happened before the destruction of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar's gaining Egypt was the reward of his service against Tyre; and therefore the prophecy against Tyre is put first, that we may the better observe that. But particular notice must be taken of this, that the first prophecy against Egypt was just at the time when the king of Egypt was coming to relieve Jerusalem and raise the siege (Jer. 37:5), but did not answer the expectations of the Jews from them. Note, It is good to foresee the failing of all our creature-confidences, then when we are most in temptation to depend upon them, that we may cease from man.
  • II. The scope of this prophecy. It is directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and against all Egypt, v. 2. The prophecy against Tyre began with the people, and then proceeded against the prince. But this begins with the prince, because it began to have its accomplishment in the insurrections and rebellions of the people against the prince, not long after this.
  • III. The prophecy itself. Pharaoh Hophrah (for so was the reigning Pharaoh surnamed) is here represented by a great dragon, or crocodile, that lies in the midst of his rivers, as Leviathan in the waters, to play therein, v. 3. Nilus, the river of Egypt, was famed for crocodiles. And what is the king of Egypt, in God's account, but a great dragon, venomous and mischievous? Therefore says God, I am against thee. I am above thee; so it may be read. How high soever the princes and potentates of the earth are, there is a higher than they (Eccl. 5:8), a God above them, that can control them, and, if they be tyrannical and oppressive, a God against them, that will be free to reckon with them. Observe here,
    • 1. The pride and security of Pharaoh. He lies in the midst of his rivers, rolls himself with a great deal of satisfaction in his wealth and pleasures; and he says, My river is my own. He boasts that he is an absolute prince (his subjects are his vassals; Joseph bought them long ago, Gen. 47:23),-that he is a sole prince, and has neither partner in the government nor competitor for it,-that he is out of debt (what he has is his own, and none of his neighbours have any demands upon him),-that he is independent, neither tributary nor accountable to any. Note, Worldly carnal minds please themselves with, and pride themselves in, their property, forgetting that whatever we have we have only the use of it, the property is in God. We ourselves are not our own, but his. Our tongues are not our own, Ps. 12:4. Our river is not our own, for its springs are in God. The most potent prince cannot call what he has his own, for, though it be so against all the world, it is not so against God. But Pharaoh's reason for his pretensions is yet more absurd: My river is my own, for I have made it for myself. Here he usurps two of the divine prerogatives, to be the author and the end of his own being and felicity. He only that is the great Creator can say of this world, and of every thing in it, I have made it for myself. He calls his river his own because he looks not unto the Maker thereof, nor has respect unto him that fashioned it long ago, Isa. 22:11. What we have we have received from God and must use for God, so that we cannot say, We made it, much less, We made it for ourselves; and why then do we boast? Note, Self is the great idol that all the world worships, in contempt of God and his sovereignty.
    • 2. The course God will take with this proud man, to humble him. He is a great dragon in the waters, and God will accordingly deal with him, v. 4, 5.
      • (1.) He will draw him out of his rivers, for he has a hook and a cord for this leviathan, with which he can manage him, though none on earth can (Job 41:1): "I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, will cast thee out of thy palace, out of thy kingdom, out of all those things in which thou takest such a complacency and placest such a confidence.' Herodotus related of this Pharaoh, who was now king of Egypt, that he had reigned in great prosperity for twenty-five years, and was so elevated with his successes that he said that God himself would not cast him out of his kingdom; but he shall soon be convinced of his mistake, and what he depended on shall be no defence. God can force men out of that in which they are most secure and easy.
      • (2.) All his fish shall be drawn out with him, his servants, his soldiers, and all that had a dependence on him, as he thought, but really such as he had dependence upon. These shall stick to his scales, adhere to their king, resolving to live and die with him. But,
      • (3.) The king and his army, the dragon and all the fish that stick to his scales, shall perish together, as fish cast upon dry ground, and shall be meat to the beasts and fowls, v. 5. Now this is supposed to have had its accomplishment soon after, when this Pharaoh, in defence of Aricius king of Libya, who had been expelled his kingdom by the Cyrenians, levied a great army, and went out against the Cyrenians, to re-establish his friend, but was defeated in battle, and all his forces were put to flight, which gave such disgust to his kingdom that they rose in rebellion against him. Thus was he left thrown into the wilderness, he and all the fish of the river with him. Thus issue men's pride, and presumption, and carnal security. Thus men justly lose what they might call their own, under God, when they call it their own against him.
    • 3. The ground of the controversy God has with the Egyptians; it is because they have cheated his people. They encouraged them to expect relief and assistance from them when they were in distress, but failed them (v. 6, 7): Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. They pretended to be a staff for them to lean upon, but, when any stress was laid upon them, they were either weak and could not or treacherous and would not do that for them which was expected. They broke under them, to their great disappointment and amazement, so that they rent their shoulder and made all their loins to be at a stand. The king of Egypt, it is probable, had encouraged Zedekiah to break his league with the king of Babylon, with a promise that he would stand by him, which, when he failed to do, to any purpose, it could not but put them into a great consternation. God had told them, long since, that the Egyptians were broken reeds, Isa. 30:6, 7. Rabshakeh had told them so, Isa. 36:6. And now they found it so. It was indeed the folly of Israel to trust them, and they were well enough served when they were deceived in them. God was righteous in suffering them to be so. But that is no excuse at all for the Egyptians' falsehood and treachery, nor shall it secure them from the judgments of that God who is and will be the avenger of all such wrongs. It is a great sin, and very provoking to God, as well as unjust, ungrateful, and very dishonourable and unkind, to put a cheat upon those that put a confidence in us.

Eze 29:8-16

This explains the foregoing prediction, which was figurative, and looks something further. Here is a prophecy,

  • I. Of the ruin of Egypt. The threatening of this is very full and particular; and the sin for which this ruin shall be brought upon them is their pride, v. 9. They said, The river is mine and I have made it; therefore their land shall spue them out.
    • 1. God is against them, both against the king and against the people, against thee and against thy rivers. Waters signify people and multitudes, Rev. 17:15.
    • 2. Multitudes of them shall be cut off by the sword of war, a sword which God will bring upon them to destroy both man and beast, the sword of civil war.
    • 3. The country shall be depopulated. The land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste (v. 9), the country not cultivated, the cities not inhabited. The wealth of both was their pride, and that God will take away. It shall be utterly waste (wastes of waste, so the margin reads it), and desolate (v. 10); neither men nor beasts shall pass through it, nor shall it be inhabited (v. 11); it shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are so, v. 12. This was the effect not so much of those wars spoken of before, which were made by them, but of the war which the king of Babylon made upon them. It shall be desolate from one end of the land to the other, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. The sin of pride is enough to ruin a whole nation.
    • 4. The people shall be dispersed and scattered among the nations (v. 12), so that those who thought the balance of power was in their hand should now become a contemptible people. Such a fall does a haughty spirit go before.
  • II. Of the restoration of Egypt after awhile, v. 13. Egypt shall lie desolate forty years (v. 12) and then I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, v. 14. Some date the forty years from Nebuchadnezzar's destroying Egypt, others from the desolation of Egypt some time before; however, they end about the first year of Cyrus, when the seventy years' captivity of Judah ended, or soon after. Then this prediction was accomplished,
    • 1. That God will gather the Egyptians out of all the countries into which they were dispersed, and make them to return to the land of their habitation, and give them a settlement there again, v. 14. Note, Though God will find out a way to humble the proud, yet he will not contend for ever, no, not with them in this world.
    • 2. That yet they shall not make a figure again as they have done. Egypt shall be a kingdom again, but it shall be the basest of the kingdoms (v. 15); it shall have but little wealth and power, and shall not extend its conquests as formerly; it shall be the tail of the nations, and not the head. It is a mercy that it shall become a kingdom again, but, to humble it, it shall be a despicable kingdom; it shall be a long time before it recover any thing like its ancient lustre. For two reasons it shall be thus mortified:-
      • (1.) That it may not domineer over its neighbours, that it may not exalt itself above the nations, nor rule over the nations, as it has done, but that it may know what it is to be low and despised. Note, Those who abuse their power will justly be stripped of it; and God, as King of nations, will find out a way to maintain the injured rights and liberties, not only of his own, but of other nations.
      • (2.) That it may not deceive the people of God (v. 16): It shall no more be the confidence of the house of Israel; they shall no more be in temptation to trust in it as they have done, which is a sin that brings their iniquity to remembrance, that is, provokes God to punish them not for that only, but for all their other sins. Or it puts them in mind of their idolatries to return to them, when they look to the idolaters, to repose a confidence in them. Note, The creatures we confide in are often therefore ruined, because there is no other way effectually to cure us of our confidence in them. Rather than Israel shall be ensnared again, the whole land of Egypt shall be laid waste. He that once gave Egypt for their ransom (Isa. 43:3) will now give Egypt for their cure; and it shall be destroyed rather than Israel shall not in this particular be reformed. God, not only in justice, but in wisdom and goodness to us, breaks those creature-stays which we lean too much upon, and makes them to be no more, that they may be no more our confidence.

Eze 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 thirteen years in the siege of Tyre. During all that time the Egyptians were embroiled in war with the Cyrenians and one with another, by which they were very much weakened and impoverished; and just at the end of the siege of Tyre God delivers this prophecy to Ezekiel, to signify to him that that utter destruction of Egypt which he had foretold fifteen or sixteen years before, which had been but in part accomplished hitherto, should now be completed by Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecy which begins here, it should seem, is continued to the twentieth verse of the next chapter. And Dr. Lightfoot observes that it is the last prophecy we have of this prophet, and should have been last in the book, but is laid here, that all the prophecies against Egypt might come together. The particular destruction of Pharaoh-Hophrah, foretold in the former part of this chapter, was likewise foretold Jer. 44:30. This general devastation of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar was foretold Jer. 43:10. Observe,

  • I. What success God would give to Nebuchadnezzar and his forces against Egypt. God gave him that land, that he might take the spoil and prey of it, v. 19, 20. It was a cheap and easy prey. He subdued it with very little difficulty; the blood and treasure expended upon the conquest of it were inconsiderable. But it was a rich prey, and he carried off a great deal from it that was of value. Their having been divided among themselves, no doubt, gave a common enemy great advantage against them, who, when they had been so long preying upon one another, soon made a prey of them all. En! quo discordia cives perduxit miseros-What wretchedness does civil discord bring! Jeremiah foretold that Nebuchadnezzar should array himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his coat, which intimates what a rich and cheap prey it should be.
  • II. Upon what considerations God would give Nebuchadnezzar this success against Egypt; it was to be a recompence to him for the hard service with which he had caused his army to serve against Tyre, v. 18, 20.
    • 1. The taking of Tyre was a tedious piece of work; it cost Nebuchadnezzar abundance of blood and treasure. It held out thirteen years; all that time the Chaldean army was hard at it, to make themselves masters of it. A large current of the sea, between Tyre and the continent, was filled up with earth, and many other difficulties which were thought insuperable they had to struggle with; but so great a prince, having begun such an undertaking, thought himself bound in honour to push it on, whatever it cost him. How many thousand lives have been sacrificed to such points of honour as this as! In prosecuting this siege every head was made bald, and every shoulder peeled, with carrying burdens and labouring in the water when they had a strong tide and a strong town to contend with. Egypt, a large kingdom, being divided within itself, is easily conquered; Tyre, a single city, being unanimous, is with difficulty subdued. Those that have much to do in the world find some affairs go on a great deal more readily and easily than others. But,
    • 2. In this service God own that they wrought for him, v. 20. He set them at work, for the humbling of a proud city and its king, though they meant not so, neither did their heart think so, who were employed in it. Note, Even great men and bad men are tools that God makes use of, and are working for him even when they are pursuing their own covetous and ambitious designs; so wonderfully does God overrule all to his own glory. Yet,
    • 3. For this service he had no wages nor his army. He was at a vast expense to take Tyre; and when he had it, though it was a very rich city, and he promised himself good plunder for his army from it, he was disappointed; the Tyrians sent away by ship their best effects, and threw the rest into the sea, so that they had nothing but bare walls. Thus are the children of this world ordinarily frustrated in their highest expectations from it. Therefore,
    • 4. He shall have the spoil of Egypt to recompense him for his service against Tyre. Note, God will be behind-hand with none for any service they do for him, but, one way or other, will recompense them for it; none shall kindle a fire on his altar for nought. The service done for him by worldly men, with worldly designs, shall be recompensed with a mere worldly reward, which his faithful servants, that have a sincere regard to his will and glory, would not be put off with. This accounts for the prosperity of wicked men in this world; God is in it paying them for some service or other, in which he has made use of them. Verily they have their reward. Let none envy it them. The conquest of Egypt is spoken of as Nebuchadnezzar's full reward, for that completed his dominion over the then known world in a manner; that was the last of the kingdoms he subdued; when he was master of that he became the head of gold.
  • III. The mercy God had in store for the house of Israel soon after. When the tide is at the highest it will turn, and so it will when it is at the lowest. Nebuchadnezzar was in the zenith of his glory when he had conquered Egypt, but within a year after he ran mad (Dan. 4), was so seven years, and within a year or two after he had recovered his senses he resigned his life. When he was at the highest Israel was at the lowest; then were they in the depth of their captivity, their bones dead and dry; but in that day the horn of the house of Israel shall bud forth, v. 21. The day of their deliverance shall begin to dawn, and they shall have some little reviving in their bondage, in the honour that shall be done,
    • 1. To their princes; they are the horns of the house of Israel, the seat of their glory and power. These began to bud forth when Daniel and his fellows were highly preferred in Babylon; Daniel sat in the gate of the city; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were set over the affairs of the province (Dan. 2:49); these were all of the king's seed, and of the princes, Dan. 1:3. And it was within a year after the conquest of Egypt that they were thus preferred; and, soon after, three of them were made famous by the honour God put upon them in bringing them alive out of the burning fiery furnace. This might very well be called the budding forth of the horn of the house of Israel. And, some years after, this promise had a further accomplishment in the enlargement and elevation of Jehoiachin king of Judah, Jer. 52:31, 32. They were both tokens of God's favour to Israel, and happy omens.
    • 2. To their prophets. And I will give thee the opening of the mouth. Though none of Ezekiel's prophecies, after this, are recorded, yet we have reason to think he went on prophesying, and with more liberty and boldness, when Daniel and his fellows were in power, and would be ready to protect him not only from the Babylonians, but from the wicked ones of his own people. Note, It bodes well to a people when God enlarges the liberties of his ministers and they are countenanced and encouraged in their work.