What is the meaning of Ezekiel 29:1? In the tenth year • Ezekiel dates this oracle to the tenth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile (Ezekiel 1:2), anchoring it in real history and reminding readers that God rules over specific moments, not vague eras. • The date falls around 587 BC, only a few months before Jerusalem’s final fall (2 Kings 25:1–2). The Lord speaks while His people are under severe pressure, showing His faithfulness in crisis (Psalm 46:1). • Other prophecies are likewise time-stamped—see Ezekiel 24:1 and Haggai 1:1—demonstrating that God’s word can be verified. on the twelfth day of the tenth month • The precision (the “twelfth day”) underscores that God’s revelations are not random impressions but exact, documented events (Exodus 12:2). • This same month is highlighted in Jeremiah 52:4 as the moment Babylon besieged Jerusalem, so Judah is experiencing judgment even as Egypt faces its own (Ezekiel 29:19). • God’s timing weaves together multiple nations’ destinies, proving His sovereignty over the calendar and the map (Daniel 2:21). the word of the LORD came to me • Ezekiel’s authority rests not in personal insight but in “the word of the LORD,” echoing his call in Ezekiel 1:3 and Jeremiah 1:4–9. • Every true prophet speaks when “the word of the LORD” arrives—1 Kings 18:1, Jonah 1:1—affirming verbal, propositional revelation (2 Peter 1:21). • The phrase assures readers that what follows is wholly reliable, inspired, and without error (2 Timothy 3:16). saying • This introduces the exact message about Pharaoh and Egypt that unfolds in verses 2–16. God is about to speak judgment and promise restoration for His own people, illustrating that His words perform what He declares (Isaiah 55:11). • Similar transitions appear in Genesis 1:3 (“Then God said”), highlighting the creative and decisive power of divine speech (Psalm 33:9). summary Ezekiel 29:1 carefully dates and authenticates the coming prophecy against Egypt. The verse affirms that God’s words break into precise historical moments, carry absolute authority, and set the stage for the detailed judgment that follows. By recording the exact year, month, and day, Ezekiel invites us to trust Scripture’s accuracy and to see God’s sovereign hand directing both Israel’s trials and Egypt’s downfall. |
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