19 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
20 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
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,
Eze 29:1-7
Here is,
Eze 29:8-16
This explains the foregoing prediction, which was figurative, and looks something further. Here is a prophecy,
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,