Post by alon on Jan 7, 2016 14:23:47 GMT -8
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21- Haftara to Par’shah Ve’ra
Ezekiel 28:25-26 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
The haftorah begins speaking of the ingathering of the exiles, which echoes the promise of God in the
portion:
Exo 6:7 (KJV) And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
After those nations which treated Israel with contempt are punished, the exiles will then return to their land, Yisroel. They are to rebuild, and thus manifest God’s holiness to the world.
Yehezquel continues speaking of the decimation of Pharaoh Hophra and Egypt, reminiscent of the devastation G‑d brought on Egypt in the par’shah. Egypt had called for the revolt against Babylonia, but had failed to relieve Yerushalayim in 588BCE when Babylon lay siege to it.
Ezekiel 29:2-3 (ESV) “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’
The prophet is instructed to speak to Pharaoh, prophesying against him. Egypt, proud and possessive with their Nile River which forms a natural backbone and source of life for their nation is compared to a dragon, or literally the Great Dragon.
Isaiah 30:7 (ESV) Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”
Rahav, רַהַב is used in the TNK indicative of insolence and pride. It is the emblematic name of Egypt.
Ezekiel 29:6 (ESV) Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord. “Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,”
“Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,” is symbolic of unreliable support.
Ezekiel 29:8-12 (ESV) Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.
Egypt’s judgment is the result of two things: first was their failure to honor their promise to come to the aid of Israel, and second here we see their arrogance and contempt in saying they own all they need. They, not God own the Nile, therefore they do not need God. So God will lay waste to Egypt from Migdol at her northern border to Syene at the south. It will be uninhabited for forty years (40 yrs is a common number representing a lengthy time to complete something- may not be a literal 40 yrs).
Ezekiel 29:13-16 (ESV) “For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”
Egypt is to be restored to its land as a minor kingdom, one to which no one would turn to for help, because they did not help Yisroel in her time of need as had been agreed.
Pathros is in southern, or “upper” Egypt. The southern part of the kingdom in Egypt is said by them to be “up” as you go up the River Nile, against its flow.
Ezekiel 29:18 (ESV) “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.
Nebuchadnezzar had tried and failed to take Egypt in 668 BCE. Now he took Tyre after a long siege, but got little booty. This is the reason he once more campaigns against Egypt. Only this time God will deliver the Egyptians into his hands.
Ezekiel 29:21 (ESV) “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
To “cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel” means God will endow Yisroel with strength. The Davidic monarchy will be restored after the collapse of Egypt.
Dan C
Primary source my JPS Study TNK.
Ezekiel 28:25-26 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
The haftorah begins speaking of the ingathering of the exiles, which echoes the promise of God in the
portion: Exo 6:7 (KJV) And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
After those nations which treated Israel with contempt are punished, the exiles will then return to their land, Yisroel. They are to rebuild, and thus manifest God’s holiness to the world.
Yehezquel continues speaking of the decimation of Pharaoh Hophra and Egypt, reminiscent of the devastation G‑d brought on Egypt in the
par’shah. Egypt had called for the revolt against Babylonia, but had failed to relieve Yerushalayim in 588BCE when Babylon lay siege to it.Ezekiel 29:2-3 (ESV) “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’
The prophet is instructed to speak to Pharaoh, prophesying against him. Egypt, proud and possessive with their Nile River which forms a natural backbone and source of life for their nation is compared to a dragon, or literally the Great Dragon.
Isaiah 30:7 (ESV) Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”
Rahav, רַהַב is used in the TNK indicative of insolence and pride. It is the emblematic name of Egypt.
Ezekiel 29:6 (ESV) Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord. “Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,”
“Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,” is symbolic of unreliable support.
Ezekiel 29:8-12 (ESV) Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.
Egypt’s judgment is the result of two things: first was their failure to honor their promise to come to the aid of Israel, and second here we see their arrogance and contempt in saying they own all they need. They, not God own the Nile, therefore they do not need God. So God will lay waste to Egypt from Migdol at her northern border to Syene at the south. It will be uninhabited for forty years (40 yrs is a common number representing a lengthy time to complete something- may not be a literal 40 yrs).
Ezekiel 29:13-16 (ESV) “For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”
Egypt is to be restored to its land as a minor kingdom, one to which no one would turn to for help, because they did not help Yisroel in her time of need as had been agreed.
Pathros is in southern, or “upper” Egypt. The southern part of the kingdom in Egypt is said by them to be “up” as you go up the River Nile, against its flow.
Ezekiel 29:18 (ESV) “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.
Nebuchadnezzar had tried and failed to take Egypt in 668 BCE. Now he took Tyre after a long siege, but got little booty. This is the reason he once more campaigns against Egypt. Only this time God will deliver the Egyptians into his hands.
Ezekiel 29:21 (ESV) “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
To “cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel” means God will endow Yisroel with strength. The Davidic monarchy will be restored after the collapse of Egypt.
Dan C
Primary source my JPS Study TNK.
