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Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel 29:3

A Prophecy against Pharaoh · Ezekiel 29:1–7
Read Ezekiel 29

Translations

Modern
Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself.’
Traditional
Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
Literal
Speak and say, thus says the Lord YHWH: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster stretching out in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘Unto me is my River, and I—have made it for myself!’
Latin
Loquere, et dices: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego ad te, Pharao rex Ægypti, draco magne, qui cubas in medio fluminum tuorum, et dicis: Meus est fluvius, et ego feci memetipsum.

Original

Hebrew
English
Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself.’

Notes

Ezekiel 29:3–16

The message of judgment begins with a judgment against Pharaoh, who is called a great sea monster. In the ancient Near East, sea monsters were common in stories about the gods. These creatures represented chaos, which the gods had to control. In Genesis 1:21, however, sea creatures appear as part of God’s good creation. They are not enemies of God.

In this chapter, the image changes slightly. The sea monster also reflects Pharaoh as a great crocodile. He rests confidently in the streams that flow through the Nile River delta.

Ezekiel 29:1–32:32

  • The seventh and final message of judgment against the nations targets Egypt, an old enemy and ally of Israel. This message is the longest and, like the one against Tyre, it addresses both Egypt and its ruler.

  • Egypt often tempted Israel and Judah to turn away from their loyalty to the Lord. Soon after leaving Egypt, Israel fell into the trap of Egypt's idolatry. Egypt led Judah to rely on chariots and horses instead of the Lord, but Egypt was unreliable when it mattered most. The Lord judged Egypt for leading his people astray (compare Luke 17:1–2).

Ezekiel 25:1–32:32

  • This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

  • One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.

Theme notes and profiles

Egypt Messages Against the Nations

Events

People

Hophra: Pharaoh during Jeremiah's time LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Places

Egypt: Ancient nation; Israelites enslaved there; plagues and Exodus Nile: The major river of Egypt, mentioned in various contexts

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Crocodile Dragon Ezekiel, Book of Hophra Lord Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar Nile River Pharaoh

Topics

Dragon: Symbolical Dragons Egypt: As a Power Was: Proud and Arrogant The Dragon of Cruel and Persecuting Kings the River Nile: Abounded in Crocodiles