Ezekiel 29:12

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 waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. I WILL MAKE THE LAND OF EGYPT DESOLATE ... FORTY YEARS: AND I WILL SCATTER THE EGYPTIANS AMONG THE NATIONS - as Israel passed through a term of wilderness-discipline (cf. , etc.), which was in its essential features to be repeated again, so it was to be with Egypt (Fairbairn). Some Egyptians were to be carried to Babylon, also many "scattered" in Arabia and Ethiopia through fear; but mainly the 'scattering' was to be the dissipation of their power, even though the people still remained in their own land....

1-16 Worldly, carnal minds pride themselves in their property, forgetting that whatever we have, we received it from God, and should use it for God. Why, then, do we boast? Self is the great idol which all the world worships, in contempt of God and his sovereignty. God can force men out of that in which they are most secure and easy. Such a one, and all that cleave to him, shall perish together. Thus end men's pride, presumption, and carnal security. The Lord is against those who do harm to his people, and still more against those who lead them into sin. Egypt shall be a kingdom again, but it shall be the basest of the kingdoms; it shall have little wealth and power. History shows the complete fulfilment of this prophecy. God, not only in justice, but in wisdom and goodness to us, breaks the creature-stays on which we lean, that they may be no more our confidence....

Verse Ezekiel 29:12. _SHALL BE DESOLATE FORTY YEARS_] The country from Migdol or Magdolan, which was on the isthmus between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, was so completely ruined, that it might well be called _desert_; and it is probable that this desolation continued during the whole of the _reign of Amasis_, which was just _forty_ _years_. See _Herod_. lib. iii. c. 10; and see _Calmet_....

FROM THE TOWER OF SYENE - Or, as in the margin, “Migdol” (“tower”) was about two miles from Suez. “Syene” was the most southern town in Egypt, on the borders of Ethiopia, in the Thebaid, on the eastern bank of the Nile. The modern Assvan lies a little to the northeast of the ancient Syene. We have no record of the circumstances of the Chaldsaean invasion of Egypt, but it is possible that it did not take place until after the fall of Tyre. We gather of what nature it must have been by comparing the description of the results of Assyrian conquest (Isaiah 37:25 ff). Minute fulfillment of every detail of prophecy is not to be insisted upon, but only the general fact that Egypt would for a time, described as 40 years, be in a state of collapse. No great stress is to be laid on the exact number of years. The number of years passed

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 29:1 IN THE TENTH YEAR, etc. The precision with which the dates of the several portions of the prophecy against Egypt are given, here and in Ezekiel 29:17; Ezekiel 30:20; Ezekiel 31:1; Ezekiel 32:1, Ezekiel 32:7, shows that each was called forth by the political events of the time, and has to be studied in connection with them. It will be well, therefore, to begin with a Brief survey of the relat

AND I WILL MAKE THE LAND OF EGYPT DESOLATE IN THE MIDST OF THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE DESOLATE,.... As Judea and others, made desolate by the king of Babylon: AND HER CITIES AMONG THE CITIES THAT ARE LAID WASTE SHALL BE DESOLATE FORTY YEARS; such as Thebes, Sais, Memphis, and others; which should share the same fate as Jerusalem and other principal cities in other countries, which fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar: AND I WILL SCATTER THE EGYPTIANS AMONG THE NATIONS, AND WILL DISPERSE THEM THROUGH THE COUNTRIES; such as were not carried captive into Babylon fled into other countries, as Arabia, Ethiopia, and other places, Berosus u makes mention of this captivity of the Egyptians under Nebuchadnezzar the son, which no other writer does. u Apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1....

Ezekiel 29-30. First Egypt's desolation is announced (Ezekiel 29:1). The king of Egypt addressed in this prophecy was Pharaoh-Hophra, called in Greek, Apries. He was the grandson of Pharaoh-Necho, who defeated King Josiah at Meggido 2 Chronicles 35:20. King Zedekiah of Judah expected help and relief from Pharaoh-Hophra, when Jerusalem was besieged. The Egyptian army under Hophra advanced through Phoenicia and forced the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem Jeremiah 37:5. But the relief was only temporary, for the Egyptian army had to retire. The prophet Jeremiah announced also the doom of Hophra, associating it with Zedekiah's doom: “Thus saith the LORD, Behold I will give Pharaoh-Hophra, King of Egypt,

EZEKIEL 29-32. ORACLE AGAINST EGYPT. Next and last to be denounced is Egypt, the great rival of Babylon, and consequently the opponent of Yahweh's purpose. The separate oracles were written either not long before (Ezekiel 29:1) or not long after (Ezekiel 32:1) the fall of Jerusalem. An Egyptian army marched to the relief of the city during the siege (Jeremiah 37:5); probably Ezekiel 29:6 is a warning of the futility of this attempt, while Ezekiel 30:21 may definitely refer to its repulse by the Babylonians....

HER CITIES—SHALL BE DESOLATE, &C.— We cannot prove indeed, from heathen authors, that this desolation of the country continued exactly _forty years,_ though it is likely enough that this, as well as the other conquered countries, did not shake off the Babylonish yoke till the time of Cyrus; but we are assured by Berosus, that Nebuchadnezzar took several captives in Egypt, and carried them to Babylon; and from Megasthenes we learn, that he transplanted and settled others in Pontus. So true it is, that they _were scattered among the nations, and dispersed through the countries,_ and might, upon the dissolution of the Babylonish empire, return to their native country. Newton, p. 362....

CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE ECLIPSE OF EGYPT 29:1-32:32 In the four Chapter s devoted to Egypt Ezekiel speaks seven words from the Lord. All but one of these words are given specific dating. Why such a large section devoted to this one heathen power? Because the affairs of tiny Judah were so intertwined with that of the superpowers of the sixth century. Egypt had been very much involved in encouraging Judah's final revolt against Babylon. The main point stressed by Ezekiel and the other Hebrew prophets is that the final destiny of Israel was in the hands of God, not the hands of human monarchs. Furthermore, the prophets dared to preach what was in their day a revolutionary doctrine: even the destiny of the superpowers was determined by God and God was Yahweh! Israel might be little; but Israel's God was great to the ends of the earth. Israel appeared to be only a pawn in the hands of political...