Ezekiel 29:10, commentary and pictures

Spoken about six hundred years before Christ when Egypt was still great and contending with Babylon for world empire while backslidden Israel looked to it for deliverance, the word is directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt and against his rivers, canals and delta, whose drying up would leave the land waste and uninhabitable. The cause was Pharaoh's overweening pride as the great monster lying in the midst of his rivers who claimed the river as his own and made for himself. From the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia means the whole land of Egypt, Syene being its southern frontier where Assuan stands opposite Elephantine. To make it utterly waste and desolate means its foundations broken down, the pride of its power brought down, its cities wasted in the midst of wasted cities, its idols destroyed and its images caused to cease from Memphis, with fire set in Zoan and judgments executed upon No, even to a desolation of forty years. The prophecy was literally fulfilled in that Egypt, once among the greatest kingdoms, became the basest of the kingdoms and a low kingdom that never again lifted itself above the nations nor ruled over them, though those who held the other expectation looked for its fulfillment through England taking complete control of Egypt.

Context and Meaning

The word was spoken about six hundred years before Christ, when Egypt was still great and was contending with Babylon for supremacy in world empire. At that time backslidden Israel was looking to Egypt for hope and salvation against the on-coming Babylonians. The declaration that God was against Egypt and against its rivers was directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt and against his rivers, canals and delta. Because Egypt depended on the Nile, the drying up of its waters would leave the land waste and uninhabitable.

The cause of the judgment was Pharaoh's overweening pride, as the great monster lying in the midst of his rivers who said his river was his own and he had made it for himself, thus claiming the Nile as his own creation. The phrase from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia denotes the whole land of Egypt. Seveneh, or Syene, was the southern frontier of Egypt, where the ancient town of Assuan stands opposite Elephantine. In the prophecy Egypt appears as a former oppressor of God's people and a symbol of black infidelity, made an example in God's repeated warnings of proud kingdoms He brings down.

To make the land utterly waste and desolate means her foundations would be broken down, those upholding Egypt would fall, and the pride of her power would come down. The land would be desolate in the midst of desolate countries and her cities wasted in the midst of wasted cities, and her rivers would be dried up. The judgment would come through fire and sword, bringing Egypt from glory and wealth to dishonor and poverty because of its devotion to idols.

Prophecy and Fulfillment

The verse belongs to the prophecies of Ammon, Moab, Tyre and Egypt in Ezekiel 25 to 31. It is a prophecy against Egypt declaring the certain fate to come upon Pharaoh and his host. The desolation reaches from Syene to the border of Ethiopia and includes its rivers. It includes the destruction of idols and causing images to cease from Memphis, with no more a prince from Egypt, the setting of fire in Zoan and the execution of judgments upon No. In this way Egypt would be conquered by foreign powers, lose its former strength, and remain subject to outsiders rather than rule over other nations.

The Lord would bring Egypt to this desolation for forty years. The chapter's prophecy was literally fulfilled, and its fulfillment is evident today. Egypt, once one of the greatest kingdoms and even the greatest empire, became one of the basest of the kingdoms and a low kingdom. Her foundations were broken down, those upholding her fell, and the pride of her power came down, so that the land became desolate in the midst of desolate countries and her cities wasted in the midst of wasted cities. She would never again lift herself above the nations nor rule over the nations.

The prophecy about Egypt was expected to be fulfilled through England taking complete control of Egypt.