Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel 29:1-7

The date of this prophecy is observable. It was just at the time when the Egyptian army was advancing to raise the siege of Jerusalem, and when the Jews confidently expelled relief from their approach. The vain hopes sinners entertain are often most sanguine when their ruin is nearest.

The prophecy is directed against Egypt and her king, represented by a great dragon, or crocodile, lying in the river Nile. We have here,

1. His pride. He liath in the midst of his rivers, secure, at ease, and rolling in wealth and pleasures; and hath said, my river is my own, I have made it for myself; as if he reigned independent of God, and owed to himself alone the monarchy he possessed. Thus pride calls God’s gifts our own, and, self-idulants, we leave him far above out of our fight.

2. The judgment executed on Pharaoh. I am against thee, or above thee, able and determined to punish his arrogance. God will put hooks in his jaws, and, with all the fish which stick to his scales, his numerous forces, will drag him out of his rivers, v. 4. and in the wilderness give him, with all his army, for a prey to the hearts of the earth and the souls of heaven. Note, Pride is the prelude to destruction; and they who are most secure are usually most exposed.

3. The provocation which most happened the ruin of Egypt was her falsehood and deceitfulness with regard to the Jewish people. Encouraged by the alliance with Pharaoh, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, and now, when he looked for support from Egypt, the staff on which he traced broke under him, to his vast disappointment and utter confirmation, ever his founder, brought on him the Children Sword, and made all his lives at a stand, compelled to stand alone, and in the greatest amazement, conscious of his own inability to cope with Nebuchadnezzar’s army. It was folly indeed in Zedekiah to trust on such auxiliaries; but their perish in deceiving him was not the less criminal; and God will revenge such treachery.

1 Vrt. 3. ¶ Heb. Wishes of ware. ¶ Chap. xxx. 6. ¶ Heb. Serench. ¶ Chap. xxx. 13. ¶ Chap. xxx. 7. ¶ 1st. viz. 11. 3st. xii. 10. ¶ 1st. xii. ¶ Chap. xxx. 6. 1st. ¶ Heb. Law.

8. ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and healt out of thee. 9. And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waite, and they shall know that I am the LORD; because he hath said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it. 10. Behold therefore, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waite and desolate, ‘from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. 11. ‘No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beall shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 12. ‘And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waite shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. 13. ¶ Yet thus saith the Lord GOD, ‘At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered. 14. And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Fathous, into the land of their habitation, and they shall be there ‘a || base kingdom. 15. It shall be the balest of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. 16. And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 29:8-16

We have here,

1. The terrible overthrow of Egypt foretold. God will make them know by his judgments that he is the Lord, and prove the vanity of their infolent vaunts, v. 9. The sword of the Chaldeans shall pass through the land, lay all waite before it, cut off man and healt from one end of Egypt to the other, v. 10. and leave it depopulated, without trade, unfrequented and like a desert during forty years, v. 11. the inhabitants in general being slain, or carried into captivity, v. 12. We find, v. 17. that, in the 27th year of Jeconiah’s captivity, Egypt was given to Nebuchadnezzar; and if we allow three years for completing the conquest, the forty years will end with the destruction of the Babylonian monarchy by Cyrus, when probably Egypt, as well as the other nations, recovered in great measure her liberty.

2. The restoration of Egypt when the forty years were expired; not to her former grandeur and magnificence, but, tho’ a kingdom, and flourishing under some of her monarchs, particularly the Prolomics, yet by repeated conquests at last reduced to its present haie and low estate under the Turks, no more the multers of nations, nor the flag of Israel, to bring their iniquity to remembrance, by their placing dependence upon Egypt, and withdrawing their confidence from God. Note, (1.) God shall in wrath remembers mercy. (2.) It is gracious as just in the Lord to remove those creature comforts and confidences which estranged our hearts from him.

3. ¶ And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 18. Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, ‘I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey, and it shall be the wages for his army. 20. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD. 21. ¶ In that day: will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 29:11-19

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1. He was, to appearance, raised to the highest pitch of human prosperity. Then foeled up the firm full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, compleat in every accomplishment of mind and person, and great as the wealth of this world could make him. Thou haft face in Eden the garden of God, as happy, in appearance, as Adam in the delicious munitions prepared for him in the days of his innocence. Every precious flame adorned him, flooded his crown, and glittered on his royal robes. The most curious and exquisite instruments of music were prepared to celebrate his birth or carnation day, v. 13. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, alluding probably to the golden cherubim that covered the mercy that, or to that which guarded the tree of life in Eden, so beautiful he seemed, and so mighty to protect his people from every foe. And I have fet thee fo: to God he owed his advancement, and all the greatness he possessed. Thou waft upon the holy mount of God, thou haft walked up and down in the midst of the fonne of fire, adorned with jewels, as God’s high-priest when he put on the precious breast-plate. Which some interpret of Antichrist, alluming infallible wisdom, v. 12. Seated on high in the church of God, dressed in most coiffy apparel, v. 13, pretending the authority of Christ to be the head and protector of the church, the mount of God, and enlarging authority over the people of God, the fones of fire, who shine bright in all holy conversation.

2. His iniquity brought him to destruction. Thou waft perfect in thy ways from the day that thou waft created, prospered and waft forcefully, till iniquity was found in thee. (1.) There was inquiry in traffic, v. 18. In the multitude of merchandise much fraud and violence was practised. For very hard it is to be engaged in a multiplicity of business with clean hands: the mystery of trade is too frequently a mystery of iniquity. (2.) He was proud and vain-glorious, v. 17. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, and, gazing on his own excellencies, his wisdom became foolishness: for those who are proud of their attainments corrupt and spoil what otherwise would be praise-worthy. (3.) Thou haft defied thy sanctuaries by idolatrous worship, or the lewd actions commonly practised there. For which multitude of iniquities God threatens to destroy him, utterly to cast him down from his high estate, and cut him off from all his possessions as profane; having abused his station, he justly forfeits it: in the dust the kings shall behold him lie, and take warning by his fall, or exult over him, v. 17. A fire of divine wrath shall be kindled, consume his city to afters, and himself in the midst of it, v. 18. and the beholders, with terror and astonishment, shall wonder at his fearful fall, from which he shall never recover, v. 19. All which is most applicable to the man of sin, whose coffers are filled with the gainful trade of priestess, pardons and indulgences; proud of his dignity, corrupt in his worship, defiling the sanctuary with image-worship and superlition: for which his day of ruin will come, when all his glory will be tarnished, when he shall be cast down with divine judgments, and at last doomed to the lake which beneath with fire for ever and ever. Now, Let all the workers of iniquity tremble: the same sins will assuredly produce the same destruction.

3. ¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 21. Son of man, fet thy face * against Z’doq,

and prophecy against it, 22. And say, Thus faith the Lord GOD, Behold I am against thee, O Zidon, and * I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and * they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. 23. For I will lend into her path-lones, and blend into her streets, and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 24. ¶ And there shall be no more * apricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that despised them, and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 25. Thus faith the Lord GOD, When * I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are featured, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 26. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards: yea, they shall dwell with confidence when I have executed judgments upon all those that despite them round about them, and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

Ezekiel 29:17-21

This is the last of all Ezekiel’s prophecies, and sixteen or seventeen years after the preceding; but all the prophecies concerning Egypt are laid together.

1. In consideration of the hard service Nebuchadnezzar underwent before Tyre, v. 18. the spoil of which to little repudi him for his pains, great part of their effects being removed, as infamy informs us, before the place was taken, Egypt is given him and his army for their wages, v. 18. being before weakened by intestine divisions, it fell an easy prey to the conqueror. As the vengeance executed on Tyre was by divine command, God will not suffer Nebuchadnezzar to work without a reward. Note, (1.) Even wicked men, when employed in God’s service, find their account in it; they are paid in the good things of this life. (2.) Many who propose no other end but their own advantage, and perhaps the gratification of their ambition and covernishes, by the secret over-ruling power of God are made unwittingly underwritten to his designs.

2. A gracious promise is made to God’s Israel. In that day will I couple the horn of the body of Israel to haul, either at the day of Egypt’s destruction, about which time Daniel and his fellows, Shadrach, Meiftach, and Abednego, were so distinguished of God, and honoured by the king of Babylon, for Dan. i. 3. at 49. or shortly after, when Jehoischim was enlarged from prison and honourably treated, for lib. 31, 32. or the time here spoken of may refer to the forty years, v. 12. when the captivity of Israel as well as Egypt should end, and under Zerubbabel and others the nation should revive from its defoliations. And I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them, when the fulfilment of the prophecies would give peculiar force to his exhortations, and embolden him in the work of the Lord. For, though no more of his prophecies are recorded, no doubt he continued a faithful preacher to the people, which could not but prove a singular blessing to them. For when God enlarges the hearts of his faithful servants, and enables them with boldness to speak, it is a gracious symptom of his purpose to make them see the travail of their souls in the salvation of those to whom they minister.

Ezekiel 29:20-26

Two ways God will glorify himself.

1. In the destruction of Zidon. God is her enemy, will execute his judgments upon her, and be sanctified, make his holiness and justice appear in her ruin. The depopulating courage of possance shall be sent upon her, and the wounded shall fall on every side. Thus will God make himself known in the vengeance he executes.

2. In the restoration and prosperity of his Israel. God will bring them again to their own land, and cause them to dwell safely: the nations around, who despised and used them as briars and thorns, shall be no more; and he will be sanctified among the heathen, who will be made to own his hand evidently displayed in behalf of his own people: and with comfort they shall know him to be the Lord, experiencing his mercy and proving his sanctfulness. And this reshortation deems to look farther than their return from Babylon, after which they were still frequently beset with enemies, and to have respect to their last recovery, when they shall be admitted into the church, and enter with the redeemed into that eternal rest where the wicked will cease from troubling, and every tear be for ever wiped from their eyes.

C H A P. XXIX.

The four following chapters are concerning Egypt, which often proved a broken road to the house of Israel. 1. The destruction of Pharaoh foretold, for his deeling deceitfully with Israel, ver. 1—7. 2. The desolution of the land of Egypt, ver. 8—12. 3. A promise of the reshortation thereof in part after five years, ver. 13—16. 4. The possition that should be given to Nebuchadneuwar of the land of Egypt, ver. 17—20. 5. A promise of mercy to Israel, ver. 21.

1. IN the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2. Son of man, fet thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophecy * against him, and against all Egypt. 3. Speak and say, Thus faith 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. 4. But * I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the sith of thy rivers to flick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the sith of thy rivers shall flick unto thy scales. 5. And I will leave thee * thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the sist of thy rivers: thou shall fall upon the open fields, thou shall not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field, and to the fowls of the heaven. 6. And all the inhabitants of Egypt * shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been * a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7. * When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rent all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou braketh, and madest all their bims to be at a stand.