What is the meaning of Ezekiel 29:17? In the twenty-seventh year “In the twenty-seventh year” (Ezekiel 29:17) fixes the prophecy in real history—about 571/570 BC, roughly sixteen years after the previous oracle against Egypt in verses 1-16. • By dating each vision (Ezekiel 1:2; 8:1; 26:1; 32:1; 40:1), the Spirit shows that every word unfolded in God’s precise timetable. • The long gap underscores that God does not forget unfinished business; He will bring every promise—whether warning or comfort—to completion (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 46:9-11). on the first day of the first month This is the biblical New Year (Exodus 12:2; 40:2), a day of fresh beginnings. • God chooses a moment when His people naturally look ahead, reminding them that He alone controls the future (Psalm 31:15). • The date also anticipates Israel’s eventual deliverance from exile, just as a new calendar page promises a clean slate (Isaiah 43:18-19). the word of the LORD came to me Ezekiel does not share opinions; he relays the infallible word of the covenant-keeping LORD (Jeremiah 1:4-9; 2 Peter 1:21). • Every prophecy—whether to Babylon, Tyre, or Egypt—flows from the same authoritative source (2 Timothy 3:16). • Because Scripture is true in every part, believers today can read these oracles with full confidence that God still speaks and acts (Psalm 119:89-91). saying What follows (verses 18-21) explains why this precise date matters. • Nebuchadnezzar’s long but unrewarded siege of Tyre (29:18) will be balanced by divine compensation: Egypt will be handed to him “as pay for his army” (29:19). • The LORD uses pagan kings as instruments of judgment (Isaiah 10:5-7) yet remains sovereign over their wages and boundaries (Daniel 2:37-38). • For Israel, the promise that “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel” (29:21) assures them that God’s chastening of the nations ultimately serves their restoration (Jeremiah 30:11). summary Ezekiel 29:17 marks a fresh, datable word from God, delivered at the dawn of a new year, guaranteeing that He will settle accounts exactly on schedule. The verse reminds us that: • History moves under God’s precise supervision. • His revelations are literal, dependable, and anchored in time and space. • He rewards service, judges pride, and weaves every nation’s story into His plan to bless His covenant people. |
    |