Ezekiel 29:15-21

29:15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. 29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. ¹  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”

29:17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, ²  the word of the Lord came to me: 29:18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar ³  of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. ⁴  Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it. 29:19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages. 29:20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre ⁵ , because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord. 29:21 On that day I will make Israel powerful, ⁶  and I will give you the right to be heard ⁷  among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

[29:16]  ¹ tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”

[29:17]  ² sn April 26, 571 b.c.

[29:18]  ³ tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more correct spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-usur has an “r” rather than an “n” (so also in v. 19).

[29:18]  ⁴ sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571 b.c.

[29:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).

[29:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.” The horn is used as a figure for military power in the OT (Ps 92:10). A similar expression is made about the Davidic dynasty in Ps 132:17.

[29:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “I will grant you an open mouth.”