Ezekiel 29:1-3
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This seemingly simple date is actually crucial context. It places Ezekiel's prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, right when Judah was desperately, and foolishly, relying on Egypt for help—a trust that would soon prove disastrous.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel receives this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, just before its fall, a time when Judah had foolishly sought an alliance with Egypt, which proved to be a "broken reed." This specific message against Egypt is given a precise date, indicating it's tied to current political events, likely after an Egyptian army had temporarily relieved the siege, only to fail. The following chapters will unpack God's judgment on Egypt, using imagery of a fearsome crocodile.
Have you ever felt like God is silent when you need Him most? This verse pinpoints a specific moment, showing God's Word arriving right in the thick of a national crisis.
The precise date mentioned – the tenth year, tenth month, twelfth day – isn't just a historical marker. It’s a sign that God’s communication is never random. It’s strategic and timely, often delivered when human hope is failing.
A Nation on Edge
This moment occurred during the siege of Jerusalem. The city was surrounded, and Jerusalem’s leaders were desperately, and foolishly, looking to Egypt for help, even as God had warned them against it. It was a time of immense fear and uncertainty.
God's Voice Amidst Chaos
Right when things looked darkest, and the people were likely clinging to the hope of Egyptian intervention, God’s message came to Ezekiel. This shows God’s faithfulness to speak, even when His people are in rebellion and facing imminent destruction.
Why Egypt? This prophecy against a foreign nation wasn't just about politics; it struck at the heart of Judah's misplaced trust.
Egypt represented a powerful, but ultimately unreliable, alliance that Judah repeatedly turned to, despite God’s warnings.
Leaning on a Broken Reed
Judah’s leaders, like King Zedekiah, were seeking military aid from Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt against the Babylonians. They saw Egypt as a superpower that could rescue them. However, God, through Ezekiel, paints a different picture.
Ask a follow-up
God's Judgment on False Security
The prophecy Ezekiel is about to deliver (though its full delivery is spread over several chapters) targets Egypt directly. This is a divine exposure of Egypt’s weakness and a condemnation of Judah’s misplaced faith. It’s a stark reminder that true security and deliverance come only from the LORD, not from earthly powers.
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.
ben 'adam · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A title often used for the prophet Ezekiel, highlighting his humanity and frailty in contrast to the majesty and holiness of God. It emphasizes the prophet's role as a representative of mankind before God and God's messenger to man.
Par'oh · Hebrew Proper Noun
A title for the monarch of Egypt, symbolizing pride, worldly power, and often opposition to God’s people. In prophetic literature, it represents the arrogance of human empires that exalt themselves against the sovereignty of the Creator.
naba' · Hebrew Verb
To declare a message from God to humanity, acting as His spokesperson. It involves announcing God’s will, calling for repentance, or declaring coming judgment and deliverance.
Adonay Yahweh · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A Hebrew title for God (Adonai Yahweh) that emphasizes His absolute authority, sovereignty, and rule over all creation as Master and Lord.
tannin · Hebrew Noun
A mythological or symbolic creature often representing chaos, demonic power, or an oppressive, tyrannical empire. In biblical imagery, it portrays the hostile, sea-dwelling powers that God ultimately masters and judges.
This prophecy comes at a pivotal moment, just after the Egyptians failed to relieve Jerusalem, a hope they had clung to. It shows that even powerful nations like Egypt are subject to God's judgment, especially when they meddle in His people's affairs.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh Necho
Pharaoh Necho's forces were decisively defeated by Nebuchadnezzar at the Battle of Carchemish. This marked the end of Egyptian influence in the region and solidified Babylonian dominance.
597 BC
First deportation from Jerusalem
King Jehoiachin and many of Jerusalem's elite were exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. This event marked the beginning of the end for the kingdom of Judah and deeply impacted the exiled community.
c. 589 BC
Siege of Jerusalem begins
Nebuchadnezzar's armies laid siege to Jerusalem. This intense period of pressure and dwindling hope lasted for over a year and a half.
c. 588 BC
Pharaoh Hophra attempts to relieve Jerusalem
Egypt, under Pharaoh Hophra (Apries), sent an army to try and break the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. This intervention was a last-ditch effort to exert influence and support Zedekiah.
c. 588 BC— this verse
Egyptian relief army retreats
The Egyptian forces were forced to withdraw from their attempt to relieve Jerusalem. This failure dashed the hopes of Jerusalem's defenders and sealed their fate.
587 or 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar's armies finally breached Jerusalem's walls, leading to its destruction and a final, massive deportation of its people.
This verse sets the historical scene for Ezekiel's prophecy, noting that Pharaoh's army had approached Jerusalem, temporarily raising the siege, which the commentaries highlight as a crucial political context for Ezekiel's message.
Ezekiel 24:1-2This provides the exact date of Jerusalem's siege, grounding Ezekiel 29:1 in the specific timeline of Jerusalem's downfall, a context that heightened the significance of God's word to the exiles.
Ezekiel 17:11-18This passage details Ezekiel's earlier prophecy about Judah's misplaced trust in Egypt, directly foreshadowing the 'broken reed' imagery and the judgment that is now being declared in chapter 29.
Jeremiah 46:1-28This chapter contains Jeremiah's prophecy against Egypt, spoken around the same time frame, showing a consistent prophetic voice from God concerning Egypt's impending judgment.
Ezekiel 29:17-20This later part of the same prophecy in Ezekiel explains the forty-year judgment on Egypt and its eventual restoration, providing a fuller picture of God's long-term plan for Egypt, which begins with this specific word to Ezekiel.
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…
This seemingly simple date is actually crucial context. It places Ezekiel's prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, right when Judah was desperately, and foolishly, relying on Egypt for help—a trust that would soon prove disastrous.
Ezekiel receives this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, just before its fall, a time when Judah had foolishly sought an alliance with Egypt, which proved to be a "broken reed." This specific message against Egypt is given a precise date, indicating it's tied to current political events, likely after an Egyptian army had temporarily relieved the siege, only to fail. The following chapters will unpack God's judgment on Egypt, using imagery of a fearsome crocodile.
Ezekiel receives this prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, just before its fall, a time when Judah had foolishly sought an alliance with Egypt, which proved to be a "broken reed." This specific message against Egypt is given a precise date, indicating it's tied to current political events, likely after an Egyptian army had temporarily relieved the siege, only to fail. The following chapters will unpack God's judgment on Egypt, using imagery of a fearsome crocodile.
"In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says th…" — This seemingly simple date is actually crucial context. It places Ezekiel's prophecy during the siege of Jerusalem, right when Judah was desperately, and foolishly, relying on Egypt for help—a trus…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
