In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the date feels incredibly specific, it anchors this prophecy to a crucial moment: Jerusalem's siege was ongoing, and Egypt’s intervention had just failed. This wasn't a prophecy delivered in a vacuum, but directly tied to the political and military realities of God's people teetering on the brink.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel delivers this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, a time when Judah was hoping for Egyptian aid against Babylon. This message comes just after the Egyptian army temporarily lifted the siege, but before Jerusalem's final fall. The prophet is instructed to pronounce judgment on Egypt, which had often meddled in Judah's affairs and now represents a broken reed of support.
Why is the date so specific? God's message to Ezekiel wasn't random; it landed at a critical, painful moment for his people.
This specific date – the tenth year, tenth month, twelfth day – places us squarely in the midst of Jerusalem's siege. It was a year and two days after the Babylonians first surrounded the city, and just months before its final destruction.
Imagine the despair. Jerusalem was under brutal attack, its people starving and hopeless. To make matters worse, Egypt, a supposed ally, had tried to intervene but failed, leaving Judah to face the Babylonian might alone. It was a time of profound crisis, when all seemed lost.
In this darkness, the "word of the LORD" comes to Ezekiel. This isn't just a prophecy; it's a divine intervention, a sign that even in their lowest point, God is speaking, acting, and has a plan.
Why would God send a message about Egypt to exiles in Babylon? Discover the deep connection between Israel's fate and the nations around them.
While Jerusalem is crumbling, God directs Ezekiel's attention to Egypt. This might seem strange, but it's deeply significant. Egypt represented a powerful, proud nation that had often been a source of false hope and entanglement for Judah.
At this specific time, Egypt had made a failed attempt to relieve Jerusalem. King Zedekiah and his people were looking to Egypt for salvation, a dangerous gamble. God's word to Ezekiel reveals that Egypt, despite its power, was no savior. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar, who was besieging Jerusalem, would eventually conquer Egypt too.
This prophecy served multiple purposes: it declared God's sovereignty over all nations, exposed the futility of relying on human alliances, and offered a stark warning against misplaced trust. For the exiles, it was a reminder that God's judgment extended beyond Judah and that hope lay not in foreign powers but in Him alone.
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Understand the original words
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His faithfulness, holiness, and self-existence to His people. It is the name by which He makes Himself known through revelation and action in history.
Ezekiel's prophecy against Egypt, delivered during the desperate siege of Jerusalem, highlights Judah's foolish reliance on Egypt. The prophecy reveals God's judgment on Egypt, which had meddled in regional affairs, and served as a stark warning against trusting in foreign alliances instead of the Lord.
605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar decisively defeats the Egyptian forces led by Pharaoh Necho, ending Egypt's influence in the region.
c. 594 BC
Pharaoh Hophra ascends throne
Pharaoh Hophra (Apries) comes to power in Egypt, a ruler who would later be courted by Judah for alliance.
c. January 588 BC— this verse
Jerusalem Siege Begins
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, beginning a brutal period for the city and its inhabitants. This date marks the 'tenth year' mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy.
c. January 588 BC
Egyptian army approaches Jerusalem
Pharaoh Hophra's army arrives to aid Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian siege to temporarily lift. This event would have fueled false hopes among the besieged.
c. July 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege and the failure of Egyptian aid, Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, marking a catastrophic end to the kingdom of Judah.
c. 570 BC
Amasis deposes Hophra
A rebellion led by Amasis overthrows Pharaoh Hophra, who is eventually captured and executed. This marks the beginning of Egypt's decline as a major world power.
This verse marks the beginning of Jeremiah's prophecy against Egypt, establishing a thematic link to Ezekiel's oracle concerning the same nation.
Ezekiel 24:1This passage provides the specific date (tenth year, tenth month, tenth day) of Jerusalem's siege, helping to situate Ezekiel's prophecy against Egypt (tenth year, tenth month, twelfth day) in its immediate historical context.
Jeremiah 37:5This verse mentions Pharaoh's army approaching Jerusalem, an event that likely prompted Ezekiel's prophecy and gave the people of Judah a false hope of deliverance.
Ezekiel 17:15This verse directly prophesied against Judah for seeking an alliance with Egypt, highlighting the broken covenant and trust that Ezekiel's oracle against Egypt would underscore.
Ezekiel 30:20This verse gives another specific date for a prophecy against Egypt (in the eleventh year), showing a consistent pattern of God's word coming to Ezekiel concerning Egypt at critical junctures.
barnesEzekiel 29:1: "In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"
The tenth year - Jerusalem had been besieged, but not taken. Jeremiah delivered his prophecy against Egypt, about the time when the approach of Pharaoh Hophra's army caused the Chaldaeans for the time to raise the siege Jeremiah 37:5 . This was the solitary instance of Egypt meddling with the affairs of Palestine or Syria after the battle of Carchemish (compare 2 Ki…
bensonEzekiel 29:1: "In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"
Ezekiel 29:1 . In the tenth year, &c. — The prophecies of Ezekiel, in regard to foreign nations, are not placed according to the order of time in which they were delivered, but according to the respective distances of the nations from Judea, beginning with those which lay nearest to it. And with respect to the prophecies against Egypt, it is justly remarked by Dathi…
While the date feels incredibly specific, it anchors this prophecy to a crucial moment: Jerusalem's siege was ongoing, and Egypt’s intervention had just failed. This wasn't a prophecy delivered in a vacuum, but directly tied to the political and military realities of God's people teetering on the brink.
Ezekiel delivers this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, a time when Judah was hoping for Egyptian aid against Babylon. This message comes just after the Egyptian army temporarily lifted the siege, but before Jerusalem's final fall. The prophet is instructed to pronounce judgment on Egypt, which had often meddled in Judah's affairs and now represents a broken reed of support.
Ezekiel delivers this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, a time when Judah was hoping for Egyptian aid against Babylon. This message comes just after the Egyptian army temporarily lifted the siege, but before Jerusalem's final fall. The prophet is instructed to pronounce judgment on Egypt, which had often meddled in Judah's affairs and now represents a broken reed of support.
"In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:" — While the date feels incredibly specific, it anchors this prophecy to a crucial moment: Jerusalem's siege was ongoing, and Egypt’s intervention had just failed. This wasn't a prophecy delivered in a…
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Last reviewed October 2026