Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 29:3
Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] mine own, and I have made [it] for myself.
3. the great dragon ] i.e. the crocodile. Conversely the present Arabs with some humour name the crocodile “Pharaoh.”
midst of his rivers ] The Nile arms and canals.
My river is mine ] The Nile. The prophet is well aware what the Nile is to Egypt, and he represents Pharaoh, who, just like the prince of Tyre, is the impersonation of the spirit and disposition of the people of Egypt, as equally well aware. The Nile is the life and the wealth of the land. And Pharaoh in his pride claims to be the creator, the author of it. To the prophet’s profoundly religious mind this is blasphemous arrogance.
made it for myself ] A peculiar construction, but not impossible, cf. Zec 7:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The king is addressed as the embodiment of the state.
Dragon – Here the crocodile, the great monster of the Nile, which was regarded very differently in different parts of Egypt. By some it was worshipped and embalmed after death, and cities were named after it (e. g., in the Arsinoite nome). Others viewed it with the utmost abhorrence. An animal so terrible, so venerated, or so abhorred, was an apt image of the proud Egyptian monarch – the more so, perhaps, because it was in truth less formidable than it appeared, and often became an easy prey to such as assailed it with skill and courage.
Lieth in the midst of his rivers – Sais, the royal city, during the twenty-sixth dynasty was in the Delta, in the very midst of the various branches and canals of the Nile.
My river is mine own … – It was the common boast of Hophra (Apries), that not even a god could dispossess him of power. The river was at all times the source of fertility and wealth to Egypt, but especially so to the Saite kings, who had their royal residence on the river, and encouraged contact with foreigners, by whose commerce the kingdom was greatly enriched.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. The great dragon] hattannim should here be translated crocodile, as that is a real animal, and numerous in the Nile; whereas the dragon is wholly fabulous. The original signifies any large animal.
The midst of his rivers] This refers to the several branches of the Nile, by which this river empties itself into the Mediterranean. The ancients termed them septem ostia Nili, “the seven mouths of the Nile.” The crocodile was the emblem of Egypt.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thus saith the Lord God; that God that drowned one of thy predecessors with his army, horsemen, and horses in the Red Sea, at whose name thou shouldst tremble, who ever fulfilled his word, and is the same, it is he foretells thee by my mouth what is to be. I am against thee: see Eze 28:22. Pharaoh: see Eze 29:2.
Great; it may refer either to the grandeur of this king, as if he had been Pharaoh the Great, or to the largeness of this creature, to which he is by this hieroglyphic compared.
Dragon: some would have it the whale, but that lies not in rivers, as in his own place: it is surely the crocodile, of which Nilus hath many; and Eze 32:2, our prophet doth, and so Isa 51:9, compare the Egyptian king to that devouring serpent, or dragon.
That lieth; not only at rest, but waiting for a prey, which never escapes, if this devourer lay any considerable hold of it.
In the midst of his rivers: Nilus was the chief river of Egypt; but either there were some less rivers that run into Nilus, or some divisions of it, where it made some islands, or the seven mouths of it, where it falls into the sea, which may give the name of rivers to it, or those channels that were cut large and deep, to convey water into the country; in all which these crocodiles bred, and rested, and waited for their prey.
Which hath said; which hath thought, accounted, and boasted; by which it appears the prophet speaks of a dragon in a figurative sense.
My river; kingdom, power, riches, and forces, signified here by a river. All the strength and glory of Egypt are mine, saith this proud king.
Is mine own; at my dispose and will. It is probable that this king of Egypt was an aspiring king, who aimed at absolute power, and thought he had secured it to himself; for the river, the emblem of the kingdom, is mine, saith he. I have made it: this seems to give some credit to the conjecture, that this king had raised the prerogative royal, and done what others before him would, but could not, and therefore assumes it to himself, as his own work, forgetting God, who gives kingdoms, and whose they are.
I have made it for myself; somewhat like the proud boast,
I have built for the glory of my name, Dan 4:30, and like to meet as sad an end.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. dragonHebrew, tanim,any large aquatic animal, here the crocodile, which on Roman coins isthe emblem of Egypt.
liethrestest proudlysecure.
his riversthe mouths,branches, and canals of the Nile, to which Egypt owed its fertility.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Speak, and say, thus saith the Lord God,…. The one only, living, and true God, the almighty, eternal, and unchangeable Jehovah, which the gods of Egypt were not:
behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt; who, though so great a king, was not a match for God, yea, nothing in his hands; nor could he stand before him, or contend with him; or,
I am above thee y; though the king of Egypt was so high above others, and thought so highly of himself, as if he was a god; yet the Lord was higher than he:
the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers; the chief river of Egypt was the Nile, which opened in seven mouths or gates into the sea, and out of which canals were made to water the whole land; and which abounding with rivers and watery places, hence the king of it is compared to a great fish, a dragon or whale, or rather a crocodile, which was a fish very common, and almost peculiar to Egypt; and with which the description here agrees, as Bochart observes; and who also remarks that Pharaoh in the Arabic language signifies a crocodile; and to which he may be compared for his cruel, voracious, and mischievous nature; and is here represented as lying at ease, and rolling himself in the enjoyment of his power, riches, and pleasures:
which hath said, my river is mine own, and I have made it for myself; alluding to the river Nile, which his predecessors had by their wisdom cut out into canals, for the better watering of the land; and which he might have improved, so that it stood in no need of rain, nor of the supplies of other countries, having a sufficiency from its own product; though he chiefly designs his kingdom, which was his own, and he had established it, and made himself great in it; for the last clause may be rendered, either, “I have made it”, as the Syriac version, the river Nile, ascribing that to himself which belonged to God; or, “I have made them”, the rivers among whom he lay, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; or, “I have made myself”, as the Vulgate Latin version; that is, a great king. So the Targum,
“the kingdom is mine, and I have subdued it.”
Herodotus says of this king, that he was so lifted up with pride, and so secure of his happy state, that he said there was no God could deprive him of his kingdom z. This proud tyrannical monarch was an emblem of that beast that received his power from the dragon, and who himself spake like one; of the whore of Babylon that sits upon many waters, and boasts of her sovereignty and power, of her wealth and riches, of her ease, peace, pleasure, prosperity, and settled estate,
Re 13:2.
y “super te”, Montanus. z Herodot. Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 169. & l. 11. c. 163.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) The great dragon.This word is usually translated dragon in the English version, but sometimes whale (Eze. 32:2), and (in a slightly modified form) serpent (Exo. 7:9-10; Exo. 7:12). It unquestionably means crocodile, the characteristic animal of Egypt, in some parts hated and destroyed, in some worshipped as a deity, but in all alike feared, and regarded as the most powerful and destructive creature of their country.
Lieth in the midst of his rivers.Egypt, a creation of the Nile, and dependent entirely upon it for its productiveness, is personified by the crocodile, its characteristic animal, basking upon the sand-banks of its waters. The expression his rivers, used of the branches of the Nile near its mouth, is peculiarly appropriate to the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, to which Pharaoh-Hophra belonged, whose capital was Sais, in the midst of the Delta.
My river is mine own.This is characteristic of the pride of Hophra, who, according to Herodotus, was accustomed to say that not even a god could dispossess him of power. The whole dynasty to which he belonged, beginning with Psammeticus, improved the river and encouraged commerce with foreign nations, thereby acquiring great wealth.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Great dragon In the Chinese Book of Changes the dragon is the symbol of the sage and the king (Edkins, Ancient Symbolism, p. 9). The dragon of the rivers (or, Nile canals, Exo 7:17-24) must be the crocodile, which, even to this day is called Pharaoh by the fellaheen. (Compare Job 41:13; Isa 27:1.)
My river is mine own, and I have made it The canals of Egypt are still called “rivers” by the Egyptians. A great canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea had been projected from ancient times and had been almost completed a generation earlier than this. (See author’s Ancient Egypt, p. 86.) This verse may refer to some such great enterprise of Hophra’s, or it may refer to the whole network of irrigating streams considered as a unit. Herodotus, writing of this same king, says (ii, 169) that he “believed there was not a god who could cast him down from his eminence,” so firmly was he established in his kingdom.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh. Behold I am against you Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great monster (tannin) who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, “My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.” ’ ”
To Yahweh Pharaoh (Hophra – Jeremiah 45:30) is but the king of Egypt, but in his own eyes Pharaoh is much more than that. He is the creator of Egypt and of the River Nile which is itself a god and the life blood of Egypt. And he bestrides it and its tributaries like a monstrous crocodile, challenging all who dare to approach, as the self-begotten sun god of Egypt.
There is here a deliberate play on two views, one that Pharaoh is but earthly, a created creature (compare Gen 1:21), like the crocodile, while in Egypt’s view being godlike and associated with the mythical monsters of the world of the gods and thus undefeatable (compare Job 9:13; Job 26:11-13; Psa 74:13-14; Psa 89:10; Isa 27:1; Isa 51:9; Amo 9:3 and note that they cannot stand against Yahweh. But the monsters are often but synonyms for their countries e.g. Rahab can be seen as representing Egypt). Ezekiel under Yahweh’s instruction is bringing him down to earth.
It should be noted that while commentators rightly draw attention to this multiplicity of gods, Scripture is regularly silent about them. It does not tend to speak in terms of battles against the gods (compare the Exodus account where mention of them is rare although commentarywise they appear everywhere). It degrades them by not mentioning them, generally leaving them as background knowledge in men’s minds. Yahweh is all, and His opponents but earthly and not worthy of mention.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 29:3. I am against thee, &c, This king of Egypt was Pharaoh Hophra, of whom Jeremiah speaks, chap. Eze 44:30 and who is called Apries by Herodotus; who informs us, agreeably to this description of our prophet, that Apries proudly and wickedly boasted of having established his kingdom so securely, that it was not in the power of God himself to dispossess him. Instead of, the great dragon, we should read, the great crocodile. The next verse alludes to the manner of taking the crocodile. See Job 41:1. It is commonly supposed, that Amasis is alluded to in Eze 29:4 who dethroned Apries. See Bishop Newton, vol. 1: and chap. Eze 32:2. Among the ancients, the crocodile was a symbol of Egypt; and appears so on Roman coins. Michaelis. Milton has this sublime passage in view:
Thus with ten wounds The river-dragon tam’d at length submits. PAR. LOST, xii. 190.
See Addison’s Spect. n. 369, D’Herbelot cites an eastern poet, who, celebrating the prowess of a most valiant Persian prince, said, he was dreadful as a lion in the field, and not less terrible in the water than a crocodile. Harmer, ii. 529. See chap. Eze 32:2 where both these comparisons are used.
Rivers The Nile has seven mouths. Rivers also emptied themselves into it, and channels were cut from it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 29:3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] mine own, and I have made [it] for myself.
Ver. 3. The great dragon. ] Or, Whale, or crocodile, the figure of Pharaoh; whose princes also and people are fitly compared to lesser fishes, and Egypt to waters, wherewith it aboundeth. These shall all suffer together, saith the prophet: Principis enim calamitas, populi clades est. a Compare Psa 74:13-14 .
That lieth in the midst of his rivers.
Which hath said, My river is mine own.
“ Nequitias tellus scit dare nulla magis. ”
– Plin., Paneg.
The most poisonous flies are bred in the sweetest fruit trees. See on 1Ti 6:17 .
And I have made it for myself,
“ Sum felix; quis enim neget hoc? felixque manebo;
Hoc quoque quis dubitet? tutum me copia fecit.
Maior sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere. ” – Ovid.
a Oecolamp.
b Sueton.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the Lord God. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah. See note on Eze 2:4.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
the great dragon = the great crocodile, to which Egypt was likened on Roman coins. Compare Isa 51:9, where “Rehab” is used of Egypt (Isa 30:7).
My river = the Nile.
I have made it. Referring probably to the artificial system of canals and water-ways.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I am: Eze 29:10, Eze 28:22, Psa 76:7, Jer 44:30, Nah 1:6
the great: Eze 32:2, Psa 74:13, Psa 74:14, Isa 27:1, Isa 51:9, Rev 12:3, Rev 12:4, Rev 12:16, Rev 12:17, Rev 13:2, Rev 13:4, Rev 13:11, Rev 16:13, Rev 20:2
My river: Eze 29:9, Eze 28:2, Deu 8:17, Isa 10:13, Isa 10:14, Dan 4:30, Dan 4:31
Reciprocal: Gen 3:5 – as gods Gen 41:1 – the river Exo 7:9 – a serpent Exo 7:15 – he goeth 2Ki 18:28 – the king of Assyria Job 26:5 – Dead things Job 41:34 – he is Psa 12:3 – tongue Psa 44:19 – in the Isa 14:13 – thou Isa 47:7 – thou saidst Jer 46:8 – riseth Jer 46:17 – Pharaoh Jer 50:31 – I am Eze 11:5 – Thus have Eze 13:8 – behold Eze 16:49 – pride Eze 28:4 – General Eze 30:12 – I will make Eze 30:22 – I am Eze 35:3 – I am Eze 38:3 – I am Dan 4:4 – was Nah 2:13 – I am Hab 1:16 – they Zep 2:15 – I am 1Co 4:7 – why Jam 3:5 – so
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 29:3. The lexicon defines dragon as a sea monster, and of course it is not applied literally to Pharaoh. The River Nile was virtually the life and support of the country by its deposit of silt on the land. This was caused by the annual overflow of the stream bringing the deposit down from the mountains, and also the moisture needed for vegetation was supplied by the flooding of this stream over the farm land. So important was the river to the life of the country that the Egyptians came to rank it among the most beloved of their gods. This called for the figurative phrase lieth in the midst of his rivers. The king even went so far as to claim the river as his own, and to make other vain and absurd statements.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
29:3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great {b} dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] my own, and I have made [it] for myself.
(b) He compares Pharaoh to a dragon which hides himself in the Nile river, as in Isa 51:9 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Like the king of Tyre and his people, Pharaoh and Egypt had also been guilty of pride. He had become like a great river monster (Heb. tannim, probably a crocodile of which there were many in the Nile) because he had taken credit for the Nile River, the lifeblood of the nation. Tannin, a variant spelling of tannim, is translated "serpent," "leviathan," and "sea-monster" (Gen 1:21; Exo 7:9-10; Job 9:13; Job 26:11-13; Psa 89:10; Isa 27:1; Isa 51:9; Amo 9:3). It describes real animals as well as mythological monsters in the Old Testament. In ancient Near Eastern mythology this word referred to the monster of chaos destroyed in Creation. Egyptians believed Pharaoh conquered this chaos-monster, but here God called Pharaoh this monster. Rather than giving God thanks for the Nile as a resource, the king had proudly claimed responsibility for it.
"This was [Pharaoh] Hophra’s ([Gr.] Apries’) arrogant self-image. Herodotus implied that Pharaoh Apries was so strong in his position that he felt no god could dislodge him. [Note: Herodotus, 2:169.] In his reign he sent an expedition against Cyprus, besieged and took Gaza (cf. Jer 47:1) and the city of Sidon, was victorious against Tyre by sea, and considered himself master over Palestine and Phoenicia. . . . This arrogance had also shown itself in an attempt to interrupt Babylonia’s siege of Jerusalem-an attempt thwarted by God." [Note: Alexander, "Ezekiel," p. 891.]