I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about God's power, but about how Egypt's pride and perceived invincibility are about to become its downfall. The vivid imagery of "hooks in its jaws" and "fish sticking to its scales" highlights that even its own people and allies will be caught up in its capture and dragged to ruin alongside it.
I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is delivering a judgment against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, whom God compares to a mighty but ultimately vulnerable crocodile. In this passage, God declares His intention to capture and pull Pharaoh out of the Nile River, his element of power and security. This divine capture signifies a coming military defeat and humiliation, where even Egypt's own people and allies will be dragged down with him.
Ezekiel paints a vivid, almost unbelievable picture: God putting hooks into the jaws of a massive creature. How does this dramatic imagery transform our understanding of powerful rulers and God's control?
The prophet uses powerful imagery here, comparing Egypt, and specifically its ruler Pharaoh, to a great crocodile or sea monster dwelling in the Nile.
A Metaphor of Power and Control
It's not just the 'dragon' that gets caught. The verse speaks of 'fish' sticking to its scales. What does this tell us about the fate of those associated with powerful, yet doomed, entities?
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The metaphor extends beyond the ruler to include those who are part of Egypt's power structure or its allies.
A Shared Downfall
Ezekiel's prophecy uses the powerful imagery of a fearsome crocodile (Egypt) being caught and pulled from its river, along with all the smaller fish clinging to it. This vividly pictures the catastrophic military defeat of Pharaoh Apries' forces during his ill-fated expedition against Cyrene, and the subsequent internal revolt and eventual Babylonian conquest that would drag Egypt and its people into ruin.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile many Judeans. This marks a new era of Babylonian dominance in the region.
c. 570 BC— this verse
Pharaoh Apries' expedition against Cyrene
Pharaoh Apries of Egypt leads a massive Egyptian army against Cyrene in North Africa. This ambitious campaign would end in disaster and internal revolt.
c. 570 BC
Defeat of the Egyptian Army
Apries' army suffers a devastating defeat in Libya, with most of the soldiers lost. This crushing blow severely weakens Egypt and angers the surviving populace.
c. 570 BC
Amasis leads revolt against Apries
Following the military disaster, a general named Amasis leads a revolt of the Egyptian army and people against Pharaoh Apries.
c. 567 BC
Babylonian invasion of Egypt
Nebuchadnezzar II likely invades Egypt, possibly in response to Apries' earlier meddling or to capitalize on Egypt's weakened state, leading to Pharaoh Apries' death.
This passage describes the formidable power and armored nature of Leviathan (often associated with a crocodile or sea monster), providing a strong parallel to the imagery of a powerful, scaly creature used in Ezekiel 29:4.
Isaiah 37:29This verse uses the imagery of a hook in the nostril to depict God's sovereign control over a powerful enemy (Sennacherib), mirroring the 'hook in the jaws' used to subdue the pride of Egypt in Ezekiel.
Jeremiah 44:30This prophecy directly states that Pharaoh Hophra (the king likely referenced in Ezekiel 29) will be given into the hand of his enemies, specifically Nebuchadnezzar, fulfilling the judgment implied by the fishing metaphor.
Ezekiel 32:2-3This passage elaborates on the same 'dragon of the Nile' metaphor, explicitly comparing Pharaoh to a mighty sea creature that is captured and brought down, reinforcing the themes of divine judgment and public downfall.
bensonEzekiel 29:4: "But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales."
Ezekiel 29:4-5 . But I will put hooks in thy jaws — The king of Egypt being spoken of as a great fish, or a crocodile, God here, in pursuance of the same metaphor, tells him that he will put hooks in his jaws, or stop his vain-glorious designs and boastings, by rais…
barnesEzekiel 29:4: "But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales."
Hooks in thy jaws - Compare Job 41:2 . The crocodile is thus rendered an easy prey. Fish of thy rivers - i. e., the allies of Egypt shall be involved in her ruin.
This isn't just about God's power, but about how Egypt's pride and perceived invincibility are about to become its downfall. The vivid imagery of "hooks in its jaws" and "fish sticking to its scales" highlights that even its own people and allies will be caught up in its capture and dragged to ruin alongside it.
Ezekiel is delivering a judgment against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, whom God compares to a mighty but ultimately vulnerable crocodile. In this passage, God declares His intention to capture and pull Pharaoh out of the Nile River, his element of power and security. This divine capture signifies a coming military defeat and humiliation, where even Egypt's own people and allies will be dragged down with him.
Ezekiel is delivering a judgment against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, whom God compares to a mighty but ultimately vulnerable crocodile. In this passage, God declares His intention to capture and pull Pharaoh out of the Nile River, his element of power and security. This divine capture signifies a coming military defeat and humiliation, where even Egypt's own people and allies will be dragged down with him.
"I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales; and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams, with all the fish of your streams that stick to your scales." — This isn't just about God's power, but about how Egypt's pride and perceived invincibility are about to become its downfall. The vivid imagery of "hooks in its jaws" and "fish sticking to its scales"…
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Last reviewed October 2026