Egypt: The Lower Kingdom

Ezekiel’s oracles against Egypt (Ezek 29-32) account for the largest group of foreign oracles in the Book of Ezekiel. Here the first oracle of judgment (29,1-16) is the earliest dated oracle in the entire book, which contains also an oracle of salvation for Egypt (29,13-16). This is expressed in terms that are similar to those otherwise used exclusively for Israel: namely, to gather, bring back, and settle the captives in their homeland. Ezekiel’s application of this formulation of the oracle of salvation to Egypt, Israel’s arch rival, displays a paradigm of God’s salvation for Israel in His way of dealing with Egypt. The present study addresses this particular aspect of God’s comportment towards Egypt in the first oracle of judgment against her, as He places Egypt next to Israel as standing among God’s people.