Ezekiel 29

The time of this prophecy, verse 1. Against Pharaoh and all Egypt, 2. with a promise of a finall restauration, 13. that the people of God may trust no more in trouble, 16. the time of the ensuing prophecy, 17 whenin God giveth the land of Egypt unto King Nebuchadnezar for a reward of his service against Tyrus, 18. The restauration of Israel, 21.

1. In the tenth year [After the captive-carrying away of Jechonia, or Jorachin. Compare above chapter 1.2 and below 33.21,c.] in the tenth (moneth), [In the ecclesiastical year called Tabith, in the civil, Tamuz] on the twelveth (day) of the moneth, the word of the Lord came unto me saying:

2. Child of man, set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt: [See of this phrase above chapter 6. on verse 2. some hold this Pharaoh to have been Pharaoh-Hophra. See jerem. 44.30. with the Annotay. From which place may be gathered, that he lived at the time when the Jews, after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezar, fled into Egypr; otherwise Pharaoh was a common name of the Kings of Egypt. See Genes. 22 on verse 15.] and prohesie against him all Egypt.

3. Speak and say, thus saith the Lord LORD; behold, I (will be) upon thee, [As above chapter 28.22. So below verse 10 and chapter 30.22, &c.] O Pharaoh, King of Egypt; that great sea-dragon, [see Psalms 74:13,14. Isaiah 27:1 and 51.9 and below chapter 32.2. Some understand here a crocodile] that lieth in the midst of the rivers: [understand the sundry arms and streams of great and famous river Nilus, whereby he thought to be Sosase, that no enemy, yea no God (as Hirodotus writeth Lib. 2) was able to drive him ot of his kingdom] which saith, my river is mine, [To wit, the river Nilus: I alone am Lord and master over it is onely for my profit and security, no man else hath power or command over it, nor can take or wrest it away from me] and I have made it for myself. [Ordered and divided it for the accommodation and strengthening of my kingdom]

4. But I will put books in thy chews, [Compare Amos 4 on verse 2.] and cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy seales: And I will draw thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy seales. [That is, I will pluck out thy subjects with thee (as the little fishes stick fast unto the scales of the great ones) and I will carry and hale you together to the places where it shall fare with with you as followeth: I will execute my judgement upon you partly by the Cyrenians, (as some conceive out of Herodotus Lib. 2) and partly also by Nebuchadnezar, whereof mention is made I in the sequel verse 19, &c. also chapter 30.24,25,&c.] Compare Jerem. 43. 10 and 46.2,&c. and see also Jerem. 44 on verse 30. The order of these histories is somewhat obscure among interpreters, because Pharaoh-Hophra is held to be the be the grand-child of Pharaoh Necho, whom Nebuchadnezar in the life-time (as is conceived) of his father Nebuchadnezzar the first, (otherwise called Nabopolaffir) conquered, and afterward destroyed Egypt; the matter it self and the truth of God’s word remaining without all controversie: as God often joyneth the beginning. Progress, and end together and mixeth them one among another, so doth he also in his prophecies of judgements; forasmuch as all things are known unto him from all eternity, and one thing is as sure and certain as another; which is especially to be heeded in the writings of the prophets. Compare Jerem. 46.2,13 With the Annotat. On both verses there]

5. And I will have thee in the wilderness, thee; and all the fish of the rivers; thou shalt fall [That is, be smitten and perish. See Genes.14 on verse 10. Or, falling for lying, as elsewhere] upon the field; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered for meat to the beasts of the field, and to the fowls of heaven.

6. And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord: because they have been a stass of reed to the house of Israel. [Stirring them up to rebellion against the chaldrean, with promises of great help which they performed not. See 2 Kings 18 on verse 31. Isaiah 36:6.]

7. Then they took hold of thee thy hand, then wast thou broken, [Or crackt: not onely not supporting them, but also hurting and pricking them as followeth] and didst all their sides: [Heb. side, or the whole side. Others, shoulder, in the following words is spoken of leaning, or staying and resting] and when they leane upon thee, then thou wast broken and suffereth all loins to stand upon themselves. [Heb. madest all their loins to stand. That is, thou didst forsake them, didst leave them to shift for themselves as well as they could , without helping, or supporting them, contrary to thy promises, and their hope and expiration, Or this: And shouldst thou cause all their loins to stand? That is, be able to keep them standing, or to hold them upright?]

8. Therefore thus saith the Lord LORD; behold, I will bring the sword [Hostility, war, murder and destruction] upon thee: and I will cut off man and beast out of thee.

9. And the land of Egypt shall become a wilderness, and a desert; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he [Pharaoh] saith, the river is mine and I have made (it). [As above verse 3.]

10. Therefore behold, I (will be) upon the, [As above verse 3] and upon thy river, and I will make the land of Egypt desolate, wilde, solitariness, [Heb. desolations of desolation, of solitariness, or wilderness; that is I will make it utterly waste and desolate] from the tower [Heb. Migdol; which some take to be the city of Migdol, whereof . see Jeremiah 44.41 and 46.14] of Syene, [Heb. Seveneh, that is, from one end of the land to the other, as some expound this; But Syene was a famous city in Egypt, lying just under the circle, or the Tropick of cancer, Pln, lib. 2 chapter 75. Some are of opinion that is now called Asna] unto the border of the coutrey of Ethopia: [Heb. Cuseb. See Genesis 2 on verse 13 and 10 on verse 6. That Ethopia bordereth on Egypt is held to be a truth without all controversie. See Isaiah 18 on verse 1,2 and compare below chapter 30.4.]

11. No foot of man shall pass thorow it, nor any foot of beast shall pass thorow it, neither shall it be inhabited [see of the Heb. word Jerem. 17 on verse 6] fourty years

12. For I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolate countreyes, [That is, in such a condition, as other desolate countreyes and cities are wont be in. so below chapter 30.7.] and her cities shall be a desolate in the midst of desolate cities, fourty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the heathen and will disperse [Or, san, winnow, shake So below chapter 30.23.] them in the lands.

13. But thus saith the Lord LORD; At the end of fourty years, [After this desolation, when the Babylonian Monarchy shall decline to an end] will I gather the Egyptians from the nations whither they were scattered.

14. And I will turn the captivity of the Egyptians, and bring them again into the land of Pathros, [see Genesis 10 on verse 14] into the land of their merchandise. [Where they were wont to drive in their trade in the buying and selling. Others, converse, habitation; the meaning is, their own country] and they shall be there a base kingdom. [Under the monarchy of the Persians. Compare above chapter 17.14]

15. And it shall be baser then (other) kingdoms, neither (shall it) exalt self any more above the heathen: for I will diminish them that they shall not rule over the heathen.

16. And it shall be no more a confidence unto the house of Israel, to cause (then) iniquity to be remembered, To wit, the iniquity which they committed in trading with the Egyptians and otherwise of old had brought away from thence. See above chapter 21.24 with the Annotat. And further chapter 8.10,14 and 23.19,20,21.] When they look after them: [Or, when they looked after them: to wit, the Egyptians; not trasting in me, but in the Egyptians and so consequently departing from me: whereby they would give me occasion to remember the one with the other, and to punish them for the same. See Genesis 8 on verse 1.] But they shall know that I am the Lord LORD.

17. Moreover, it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, [See verse 1.] in the first (moneth) [called Nisan, in the ecclesiastical year; thesri, in the civil] on the first (day) of the moneth; (that) the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

18. Child of man, Nebuchadnezzar the Kings of Babel caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus; [See above chapters 26,27,28.] all heads [Heb. headside] are grown bad, [that is, his souldiers were grown bare and poor, tired and worn out by the long and tedious siege of Tyrus, which lasted, as ancient histories report (Josephus cont. Appi. Lib. 1) thirteen years together] and all sides are plucked up: [or, all shoulders are peeled, by the carrying of burdens] and neither he nor his army have had any wages for Tyrus, for the service that he served against it.

19. Therefore thus saith the Lord LORD; behold, I will give the land of Egypt into Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babel, and he shall carry away her [The land of Egypt] multitude, [or, common people, or plenty riches. See of the Hebrew word Psalms 37 on verse 16. Jeremiah 46 on verse 3.4,10,15. And 31.2,12,16,&c. and spoil her spoil, and prey her prey, and it shall be the wages for his army.

20. (For) his wages, [Compare Jeremiah 22 on verse 13.] because he served against her, [The city of Tyrus] have I given him the land of Egypt, because they wrought. [See of such use of the Hebrew word, Ruth 2 on verse 19. Proverbs 31 on verse 13.] For me, [not that Nebuchadnezzar’s and his souldiers arm was to obey the true God of Israel in this, (who are called wicked, below chapter 30.12) but because God by his secret providence used them for the execution of this his judgement, as it were for his own service. See Jeremiah 25 on verse 9. Although it may be that Nebuchadnezzar having heard of Ezekiel’s prophecy (as being made in Babylon) by God’s direction and government did the more victoriously his intent and purpose. Compare Jeremiah 40:2, 3] saith the Lord LORD.

21. In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, [That is, cause the honour and respect of the church again to spring up (as herbs or plants spring up out of the earth) in the midst of their captivity, so as that ye shall dare boldy speak of me and my works, even in Babel, and spread abroad my praise there, as followeth: for which purpose questionless God used both the accomplishment of such prophecies as these and also the grace and favour and dignity and renown of Daniel and his companions. See Daniel 2:46 and 3.29 and 4.37. And 5.29. Or, it may be taken in general as a prophecy concerning the grace and mercy that God is wont to shew unto his church after great troubles and afflictions, a this in Babel was, whereby he giveth them occasion to extol his holy name in publick] and (I will) thee the opening of the mouth [See Psalms 51:17. Proverbs 31:9 and above chapter 16.63 and below chapter 33.22. Ephesians 6:19 with the Annotat.] In the midst of them; [The Babylonians] and they shall know that I am the LORD.