Because you said, “The Nile is my own; I made it,” Ezekiel 29:10 therefore, notice I am against you and your Nile. I will turn the land of Egypt into ruins, a sinister desolation from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. Ezekiel 29:11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it. It will be uninhabited for forty years. Ezekiel 29:12 I will make the land of Egypt a sinister desolation among desolate lands, and its cities will be a sinister desolation among ruined cities for forty years. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.
The Nile is not your own
On this prophecy, Kelly writes: “Egypt should be not only smitten but most of all in what was its chief boast, its river. That granary of the world, and garden of the earth, should become a wilderness for forty years, and the Egyptians be scattered exiles: so great chastening should Nebuchadnezzar inflict.”1
What is the one thing that you take the most pride in — the thing you feel most responsible for? Is it your work, your family, your studies? Beware, lest you fall into Egypt’s trap. The Nile is not your own. All of the things that give you confidence — are all gifts from God. Give him the glory, great things HE has done.
1 Kelly, William. Notes on Ezekiel. London: G. Morrish, 1876. p. 140.
Ezekiel 29:6 ” ‘Then all the residents of Egypt will know that I am Yahveh, because they have been a staff made of reed to the house of Israel. Ezekiel 29:7 When Israel grasped you by the hand, you splintered, tearing all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you shattered and made all their hips unsteady. Ezekiel 29:8 ” ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord Yahveh says: notice I am going to bring a sword against you and cut off both man and animal from you. Ezekiel 29:9 The land of Egypt will be a sinister desolation and a ruin. Then they will know that I am Yahveh.
a staff made of reed
Gaebelein reflects on this passage: “Egypt gave no help to Israel and only wounded them grievously as a staff which breaks under the weight of him who leaneth upon it, breaks and pierces the hand. Whenever God’s people turn to Egypt (the type of the world ) for help and form ungodly alliances they do so to their own hurt and shame.” 1
1 Gaebelein, Arno Clemens. The Prophet Ezekiel. New York: Publication office “Our hope”, 1918. p. 191.
Ezekiel 29:1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day of the month, the word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said: Ezekiel 29:2 “Son of Adam, face Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt. Ezekiel 29:3 Speak to him and say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Notice, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the middle of his Nile, who says, “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.” Ezekiel 29:4 I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams cling to your scales. I will haul you up from the middle of your Nile, and all the fish of your streams will cling to your scales. Ezekiel 29:5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open ground and will not be taken away or gathered for burial. I have given you to the wild creatures of the land and the birds of the sky as food.
clingers-on
Redpath states: “Why the fish of the river are described as sticking to the scales of the dragon is not clear unless it means that all the king’s retinue and hangers-on of the court were to share in the king’s fall. As a matter of fact, the end of Hophra’s reign was caused by the occurrence of a revolt of mercenaries in the far South of Egypt which might well be called the wilderness and the open field’ … The prophet also implies that he would not have the rites of royal burial accorded to him”1
The mighty fall and bring their clingers-on down with them. God is against those who try to take his place. If we try to cling on to the ones we think have clout, it will prove to be a mistake.
1 Redpath, Henry A. The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel: With Introd. and Notes. London: Methuen, 1907. p. 157.
Ezekiel 28:25 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are scattered, I will demonstrate my devotion through them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. Ezekiel 28:26 They will live there securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will live securely when I execute judgments against all their neighbors who treat them triflingly. Then they will know that I am Yahveh their God.'”
Tyre will be destroyed because it was one of the prickly briers and painful thorns that troubled Israel (verse 24). God will judge the thorns with destruction. He will — of course — judge Israel as well. He will judge them by scattering them among the nations. The difference is that after that judgment, he will regather the house of Israel and they will return to the land.
The choices here are destruction or repentance and revival. Those are the same choices we have today.
Ezekiel 28:20 The word of Yahveh happened to me: Ezekiel 28:21 “Son of Adam, face Sidon and prophesy against it. Ezekiel 28:22 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Notice! I am against you, Sidon, and I will display my impressive appearance within you. They will know that I am Yahveh when I execute judgments against her and demonstrate my devotion through her. Ezekiel 28:23 I will send an epidemic against her and bloodshed in her streets; the murdered ones will fall within her, while the sword is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am Yahveh. Ezekiel 28:24 ” ‘The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly briers or painful thorns from all their neighbors who treat them triflingly. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahveh.
Henderson* says that all that is left of the glorious Sidon is a small town, Saida, a little to the west. “It has a fine old ruined tower projecting far into the sea, with a bridge of many arches that was built to reach it” (143).
A combination of epidemic and war left this great city in ruins. Such is the fate of any great city — or person — who does not bow the knee to the LORD.
*Henderson, E. The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. London: Hamilton, Adams, 1855.
Ezekiel 28:11 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said: Ezekiel 28:12 “Son of Adam, sing a dirge for the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, diamond, beryl, onyx, jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created. Ezekiel 28:14 You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the devoted mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. Ezekiel 28:15 From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until guilt was found in you. Ezekiel 28:16 Through the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I expelled you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and banished you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Ezekiel 28:17 Your heart became proud because of your beauty; For the sake of your splendor, you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground; I made you a spectacle before kings. Ezekiel 28:18 You polluted your devoted places by the magnitude of your iniquities in your dishonest trade. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of everyone watching you. Ezekiel 28:19 All those who know you among the peoples are appalled at you. You have become an object of horror and will never exist again.'”
You were in Eden
The fall of the king of Tyre is described with language patterned after the fall of Lucifer, the anointed guardian cherub on the devoted mountain of God. The end of the king of Tyre is the same as the end appointed for that fallen angelic being. Just as the king was destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar’s armies destroyed Tyre, so our great enemy will be destroyed “and will never exist again.”
LORD, give us the wisdom to resist the devil so that we will not share his fate.
Ezekiel 28:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said: Ezekiel 28:2 “Son of Adam, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have set your heart like that of a god. Ezekiel 28:3 Notice, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you! Ezekiel 28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have made wealth for yourself. You have made gold and silver for your treasuries. Ezekiel 28:5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has become proud because of your wealth. Ezekiel 28:6 ” ‘Therefore, notice this is what the Lord Yahveh says: Because you set your heart like a heart of a god, Ezekiel 28:7 notice I am about to bring strangers against you, ruthless men from the nations. They will draw their swords against your magnificent wisdom and will pierce your splendor. Ezekiel 28:8 They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the sea. Ezekiel 28:9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” in the presence of those who slay you? Yet you will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you. Ezekiel 28:10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of strangers. You see, I have spoken. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.'”
swords against wisdom and wealth
The king of Tyre was proud of his wisdom. Daniel was wise and godly, but the king of Tyre thought that his wisdom was greater. Solomon had been extremely wealthy, but the king of Tyre assumed that his wealth was greater.
Almighty God knew that the king of Tyre was deceiving himself. To set the record straight, God would send the sword. He would send soldiers who had neither wealth nor wisdom. But the sword could kill indiscriminately. It could kill a wise man as quickly as a fool. It could stop the heart of a wealthy man from beating as quickly as that of a poor man.
LORD, forgive us for overestimating our importance and assuming our invincibility. Give us the wisdom to depend on you. Give us the wealth of a right relationship with you.
Ezekiel 27:26 Your rowers have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the sea. Ezekiel 27:27 Your wealth, merchandise, and goods, your sailors and captains, those who repair your leaks, those who barter for your goods, and all the warriors on board, with all the other people within you, sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your downfall. Ezekiel 27:28 ” ‘The countryside shakes at the sound of your sailors’ cries. Ezekiel 27:29 All the oarsmen disembark from their ships. The sailors and all the captains of the sea stand on the shore. Ezekiel 27:30 Because of you, they raise their voices and cry out bitterly. They throw dust on their heads; they roll in ashes. Ezekiel 27:31 They shave their heads because of you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They weep over you with a bitter throat and bitter mourning. Ezekiel 27:32 ” ‘In their wailing they sing a dirge for you, mourning over you: “Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea? Ezekiel 27:33 When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. You enriched the kings of the land with your abundant wealth and goods. Ezekiel 27:34 Now you are wrecked by the sea in the depths of the waters; your goods and the people within you have gone down. Ezekiel 27:35 All the residents of the coasts and islands are appalled at you. Their kings shudder with fear; their faces are contorted. Ezekiel 27:36 Those who trade among the peoples scoff at you; you have become an object of horror and will never exist again.”‘”
we need a bigger plan
Shrewsbury* notes on today’s text: “The Prophet retains a nautical phraseology in describing the impending destruction of the magnificent city. By the “rowers he means the statesmen, and by the “east wind” the army of Nebuchadnezzar, and subsequent armies investing Tyre on the east, or land side, to her utter ruin” (111).
The imagery of the city of Tyre as a great ship is mingled with a prediction of how the city would be destroyed by invading armies. The dirge continues to show how all those nations that traded with Tyre were appalled by its destruction.
When our lives are over, so much of them — even how much others depended on us — will be silenced. That is when we need hope in a bigger plan — a plan that includes our resurrection and glorification. We can do a lot in this life, and we should. But it is all temporary. For God to be truly glorified by us, there must be a bigger plan.
*Shrewsbury, W. J., and J. V. B. Shrewsbury. Notes on Ezekiel, Critical and Explanatory: [With the English Text]. 1863.
Ezekiel 27:10 Men of Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army, serving as your warriors. They hung shields and helmets in you; they gave you splendor. Ezekiel 27:11 Men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around, and Gammadites were in your towers. They hung their shields all around your walls; they perfected your beauty. Ezekiel 27:12 ” ‘Tarshish was your trading partner because of your abundant wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. Ezekiel 27:13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged necks of men and bronze utensils for your goods. Ezekiel 27:14 Those from Beth-Togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise. Ezekiel 27:15 Men of Dedan were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks and ebony as your payment. Ezekiel 27:16 Aram was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise, purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise. Ezekiel 27:17 Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm, for your goods. Ezekiel 27:18 Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your abundant wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool. Ezekiel 27:19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods. Ezekiel 27:20 Dedan was your merchant in saddle-cloths for riding. Ezekiel 27:21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats. Ezekiel 27:22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. For your merchandise, they exchanged the best of all spices and all kinds of precious stones as well as gold. Ezekiel 27:23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. Ezekiel 27:24 They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets, which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace. Ezekiel 27:25 Ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your goods. ” ‘So you became full and heavily loaded in the heart of the sea.
beyond the eulogy
The city of Tyre brought jobs, commerce, and trade to many nations. Knowing what we know from reading the entire chapter, we understand these words as a kind of eulogy. Typically during funerals, we hear about how the person who has died helped others and will be missed. The destruction of Tyre was certainly a case like that. It brought ruin to the economy of many, not to mention the loss of many lives. But justice had been waiting a long time.
When you get beyond the eulogy, what really matters is not how crucial we were to the people around us, but whether or not we were citizens of the coming kingdom.
Ezekiel 27:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said: Ezekiel 27:2 “Now, son of Adam, sing a dirge for Tyre. Ezekiel 27:3 Say to Tyre, who is located at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coasts and islands, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Tyre, you declared, “I am perfect in beauty.” Ezekiel 27:4 Your realm was in the heart of the sea; your builders perfected your beauty. Ezekiel 27:5 They constructed all your planking with pine trees from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. Ezekiel 27:6 They made your oars of oaks from Bashan. They made your deck of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory. Ezekiel 27:7 Your sail was made of fine embroidered linen from Egypt and served as your banner. Your awning was of blue and purple fabric from the coasts of Elishah. Ezekiel 27:8 The residents of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men were within you, Tyre; they were your captains. Ezekiel 27:9 The elders of Gebal and its wise men were within you, repairing your leaks. ” ‘All the ships of the sea and their sailors came to you to barter for your goods.
Tyre-tania
Tyre is being described as a huge luxurious merchant ship. Davidson says the “lament represents Tyre under the figure of a gallant, richly laden ship, steered by her pilots into dangerous waters and suffering shipwreck.* This section (and up to verse 11) is a detailed description of the ship and its crew.
I recently read Eric Larson’s amazing book Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, which described the ocean liner and those involved in its final voyage, and the German u-boat who sunk her. As I read, it kept occurring to me that ships in that time were known for their majesty. Their were not just transportation.
Because Tyre was so crucial to the commerce of the known world at the time, its depiction as a mighty ship was appropriate. And its destruction being described as a shipwreck also caught the emotional significance of the tragedy.
“We have an anchor, that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure as the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.” — Priscilla J. Owens.
Davidson, A. B. Ezekiel. (Cambridge: University Press, 1892), p. 191.
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