NOTES for Eze 29:1-21

It is entirely natural that, after the denunciation of the pagan kings of Tyre, the prophetic discourse turns to reveal the future fate of Egypt. Pharaoh too is a pagan ruler, and the mere fact that he calls himself, rather than the Creator, the maker of his river reveals his claim to divinity. Thus the Egyptian rulers, by refusing to acknowledge the One Who grants or permits them to be kings, behave as opponents of God and thereby bring calamity upon their country.

As we read closely the prophecies of the punishments awaiting Egypt, we can see that, like the Jews, the Egyptians face a temporary dispersion and a Babylonian invasion. The paths of the two peoples are different and in many respects opposed; it is not without reason that the prophets urge the Jews not to rely on Egypt's apparent might. Yet the paths of these peoples will partly resemble one another in suffering, and after many historical storms Egypt itself will become the country that shelters the Savior born in Judea.