After all, they did enslave and oppress the Israelites for upwards of four centuries! (Can you imagine???)
(מ) וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃ (מא) וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(40) The length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years; (41) at the end of the four hundred and thirtieth year, to the very day, all the ranks of YHWH departed from the land of Egypt.
(ח) וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃
...
(יא) וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃
...
(יג) וַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ (יד) וַיְמָרְר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה קָשָׁ֗ה בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙ וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃
(8) A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
...
(11) So they set taskmasters over [the Israelites] to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
...
(13) The Egyptians ruthlessly imposed upon the Israelites (14) the various labors that they made them perform. Ruthlessly they made life bitter for them with harsh labor at mortar and bricks and with all sorts of tasks in the field.
Which is why, out of all of the kindnesses that YHWH would do for his people Israel, redeeming them from Egypt is the one celebrated over, and over, and over again.
And the worse Egypt was, the more understandable this is. This theme would come up in the 10 Commandments, it would come up in prayer-poems, it would come up in prophecies...
And hand-in-hand with this is a genre of prophetic oracles which predict Egypt's ultimate downfall.
(א) מַשָּׂ֖א מִצְרָ֑יִם הִנֵּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה רֹכֵ֨ב עַל־עָ֥ב קַל֙ וּבָ֣א מִצְרַ֔יִם וְנָע֞וּ אֱלִילֵ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו וּלְבַ֥ב מִצְרַ֖יִם יִמַּ֥ס בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃
...
(יד) יְהוָ֛ה מָסַ֥ךְ בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ ר֣וּחַ עִוְעִ֑ים וְהִתְע֤וּ אֶת־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּכָֽל־מַעֲשֵׂ֔הוּ כְּהִתָּע֥וֹת שִׁכּ֖וֹר בְּקִיאֽוֹ׃ (טו) וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם מַֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה רֹ֥אשׁ וְזָנָ֖ב כִּפָּ֥ה וְאַגְמֽוֹן׃ (ס) (טז) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִֽהְיֶ֥ה מִצְרַ֖יִם כַּנָּשִׁ֑ים וְחָרַ֣ד ׀ וּפָחַ֗ד מִפְּנֵי֙ תְּנוּפַת֙ יַד־יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא מֵנִ֥יף עָלָֽיו׃
(1) Mounted on a swift cloud, YHWH will come to Egypt; Egypt’s idols shall tremble before Him, And the heart of the Egyptians shall sink within them.
...
(14) YHWH has mixed within her A spirit of distortion, Which shall lead Egypt astray in all her undertakings As a vomiting drunkard goes astray!
(15) Nothing shall be achieved in Egypt By either head or tail, Palm branch or reed.
(16) In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because YHWH-of-Legions will raise His hand against them!
That doesn't diminish from the unique intensity of Isaiah's fire for Egypt here, however, in which he describes the collapse of Egypt's gods, political stability, physical environment, and finally economy. (Jewish Study Bible commentary).
What's really incredible here, though, is that Isaiah goes on to describe a moment of salvation, after all of these calamities, when Egypt and Assyria will recognize the supremacy of YHWH, joining forces in worshiping him, and meriting Divine Blessings:
(כד) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ שְׁלִ֣ישִׁיָּ֔ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם וּלְאַשּׁ֑וּר בְּרָכָ֖ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כה) אֲשֶׁ֧ר בֵּרֲכ֛וֹ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּר֨וּךְ עַמִּ֜י מִצְרַ֗יִם וּמַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יָדַי֙ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְנַחֲלָתִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)
(24) In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth; (25) for YHWH-of-Legions shall bless them, saying,
"Blessed is my people Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyra, and my estate, Israel."
A time when two empires who, for years, would compete with each other for the ancient near east's Biggest Nuisance Award (until Babylon would enter the scene and win that prize), would cast off their haughtiness and join Israel in recognizing YHWH as the Power deserving of their devotion.
In the next century, Jeremiah too would have his version of Oracles Against the Nations, with Egypt of course being included. Here we see him goading Egypt to participate in a collaborative effort with Assyria against Babylon:
(ג) עִרְכ֤וּ מָגֵן֙ וְצִנָּ֔ה וּגְשׁ֖וּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ (ד) אִסְר֣וּ הַסּוּסִ֗ים וַֽעֲלוּ֙ הַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּכ֥וֹבָעִ֑ים מִרְקוּ֙ הָֽרְמָחִ֔ים לִבְשׁ֖וּ הַסִּרְיֹנֹֽת׃ (ה) מַדּ֣וּעַ רָאִ֗יתִי הֵ֣מָּה חַתִּים֮ נְסֹגִ֣ים אָחוֹר֒ וְגִבּוֹרֵיהֶ֣ם יֻכַּ֔תּוּ וּמָנ֥וֹס נָ֖סוּ וְלֹ֣א הִפְנ֑וּ מָג֥וֹר מִסָּבִ֖יב נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ (ו) אַל־יָנ֣וּס הַקַּ֔ל וְאַל־יִמָּלֵ֖ט הַגִּבּ֑וֹר צָפ֙וֹנָה֙ עַל־יַ֣ד נְהַר־פְּרָ֔ת כָּשְׁל֖וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃ (ז) מִי־זֶ֖ה כַּיְאֹ֣ר יַֽעֲלֶ֑ה כַּנְּהָר֕וֹת יִֽתְגָּעֲשׁ֖וּ מֵימָֽיו׃ (ח) מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ כַּיְאֹ֣ר יַֽעֲלֶ֔ה וְכַנְּהָר֖וֹת יִתְגֹּ֣עֲשׁוּ מָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַֽעֲלֶה֙ אֲכַסֶּה־אֶ֔רֶץ אֹבִ֥ידָה עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ (ט) עֲל֤וּ הַסּוּסִים֙ וְהִתְהֹלְל֣וּ הָרֶ֔כֶב וְיֵצְא֖וּ הַגִּבּוֹרִ֑ים כּ֤וּשׁ וּפוּט֙ תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י מָגֵ֔ן וְלוּדִ֕ים תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י דֹּ֥רְכֵי קָֽשֶׁת׃ (י) וְֽהַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא לַאדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת י֤וֹם נְקָמָה֙ לְהִנָּקֵ֣ם מִצָּרָ֔יו וְאָכְלָ֥ה חֶ֙רֶב֙ וְשָׂ֣בְעָ֔ה וְרָוְתָ֖ה מִדָּמָ֑ם כִּ֣י זֶ֠בַח לַאדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת בְּאֶ֥רֶץ צָפ֖וֹן אֶל־נְהַר־פְּרָֽת׃ (יא) עֲלִ֤י גִלְעָד֙ וּקְחִ֣י צֳרִ֔י בְּתוּלַ֖ת בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם לַשָּׁוְא֙ הרביתי [הִרְבֵּ֣ית] רְפֻא֔וֹת תְּעָלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין לָֽךְ׃
(3) "Get ready buckler and shield, And move forward to battle! (4) Harness the horses; Mount, you horsemen! Fall in line, helmets on! Burnish the lances, Don your armor! (5) Why do I see them dismayed, Yielding ground? Their fighters are crushed, They flee in haste And do not turn back— Terror all around!" —declares YHWH!
(6) "The swift cannot get away, The warrior cannot escape. In the north, by the river Euphrates, They stagger and fall. (7) Who is this that rises like the Nile, Like streams whose waters surge? (8) It is Egypt that rises like the Nile, Like streams whose waters surge, That said, “I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will wipe out towns And those who dwell in them. (9) Advance, O horses, Dash madly, O chariots! Let the warriors go forth, Cush and Put, that grasp the shield, And the Ludim who grasp and draw the bow!”
(10) But that day shall be for the Lord-YHWH-of-Legions a day when He exacts retribution from His foes. The sword shall devour; it shall be sated and drunk with their blood. For the Lord-YHWH-of-Hosts is preparing a sacrifice in the northland, by the river Euphrates.
(11) Go up to Gilead and get balm, Fair Maiden Egypt. In vain do you seek many remedies, There is no healing for you. (12) Nations have heard your shame; The earth resounds with your screams. For warrior stumbles against warrior; The two fall down together.
Any thoughts on who the sacrifice is meant to be? Here's a hint; It rhymes with He chipped.
(א) אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֧ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא עַל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ (ב) לְמִצְרַ֗יִם עַל־חֵ֨יל פַּרְעֹ֤ה נְכוֹ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה עַל־נְהַר־פְּרָ֖ת בְּכַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכָּ֗ה נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל בִּשְׁנַת֙ הָֽרְבִיעִ֔ית לִיהוֹיָקִ֥ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
(1) The word of YHWH to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the nations, concerning Egypt, about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was at the river Euphrates near Carchemish, and which was defeated by King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah.
Here is a description from the perspective of an elderly Israelite woman living in a town in the Galilee.
Then messengers began arriving from the fields of Carchemish, far to the north on the Euphrates. They ran gasping up the ramps to the gates of Makor and fell exhausted with dust in their mouths and terror in their eyes.
"Great Egypt is destroyed! The chariots of Babylon were like seeds of the cypress tree blowing across the fields in winter. Woe, woe! Egypt is no more!" ...
Other fugitives followed ... "We marched north with overwhelming power," a man said as if he were a ghost reporting to the ancient gods of Phoenicia in some afterworld, "but Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was waiting for us with an army that was ten to our one. At Carchemish he led us cleverly into a trap where his chariots destroyed us as if we were wheat at the harvest. He was so powerful that Egypt had no chance. Her generals were like children and her lieutenants like sucklings."
-----The Source, (no page number given in Kindle).
And yet, once again, the collected works in the TaNaKh do not stop here. For if we continue moving along in history, we then get to Ezekiel's collection of the Oracles Against the Nations. His passage about Egypt is dated to around 587 BCE, about 20 years after their defeat at Carchemish:
(ב) בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שִׂ֣ים פָּנֶ֔יךָ עַל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנָּבֵ֣א עָלָ֔יו וְעַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם כֻּלָּֽהּ׃ (ג) דַּבֵּ֨ר וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנְנִ֤י עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם הַתַּנִּים֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל הָרֹבֵ֖ץ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְאֹרָ֑יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֛ר לִ֥י יְאֹרִ֖י וַאֲנִ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽנִי׃ (ד) וְנָתַתִּ֤י חחיים [חַחִים֙] בִּלְחָיֶ֔יךָ וְהִדְבַּקְתִּ֥י דְגַת־יְאֹרֶ֖יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֑יךָ וְהַעֲלִיתִ֙יךָ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־דְּגַ֣ת יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֖יךָ תִּדְבָּֽק׃ (ה) וּנְטַשְׁתִּ֣יךָ הַמִּדְבָּ֗רָה אוֹתְךָ֙ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־דְּגַ֣ת יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ עַל־פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ תִּפּ֔וֹל לֹ֥א תֵאָסֵ֖ף וְלֹ֣א תִקָּבֵ֑ץ לְחַיַּ֥ת הָאָ֛רֶץ וּלְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם נְתַתִּ֥יךָ לְאָכְלָֽה׃(ו) וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה יַ֧עַן הֱיוֹתָ֛ם מִשְׁעֶ֥נֶת קָנֶ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ז) בְּתָפְשָׂ֨ם בְּךָ֤ בכפך [בַכַּף֙] תֵּר֔וֹץ וּבָקַעְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־כָּתֵ֑ף וּבְהִֽשָּׁעֲנָ֤ם עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ תִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־מָתְנָֽיִם׃
(2) O mortal, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. (3) Speak these words:
Thus said the Lord YHWH:
I am going to deal with you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, Great Dragon, sprawling in your channels, Who said, My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.
(4) I will put hooks in your jaws, And make the fish of your channels Cling to your scales; I will haul you up from your channels, With all the fish of your channels Clinging to your scales. (5) And I will fling you into the desert, With all the fish of your channels. You shall be left lying in the open, Ungathered and unburied: I have given you as food To the beasts of the earth And the birds of the sky.
(6) Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know That I am YHWH, Because you were a staff of reed To the House of Israel: (7) When they grasped you with the hand, you would splinter, And wound all their shoulders, And when they leaned on you, you would break, And make all their loins unsteady.
Scary.
Jerusalem is under siege, being at the mercy of the Babylonian Empire. The end is nigh.
The Egyptians, however, had not forgotten the embarrassment of Carchemish two decades earlier. And so the then-ruling Egyptian Pharaoh Hophra (589-570), saw the Babylonian-Judahite conflict as an opportunity to strike back, and so he sent military forces to defend Jerusalem, in an ironic turn of events given bitterness that Israel never ceased feeling towards Egypt for the extended enslavement a thousand years earlier.
This is all in the background of Ezekiel's oracle, looking on from Babylonian exile already (he had been in exile since the 590s) as he foretells Egypt's defeat yet again.
Many of Hophra's own soldiers would be less than thrilled at this particular military campaign. In fact, a particular garrison would even resort to mutiny! Civil war would then break out between soldiers of Egyptian background and foreign mercenaries. Unfortunately for Hophra, a general named Amasis would emerge as the dominant figure, declaring himself the new Pharaoh and forcing Hophra to flee for his life. Three years later, in 567, Hophra would return, somehow at the head of a Babylonian army, when it was originally warring against the Babylonians that had started all of this to begin with! (The Babylonian army woudn't do him any good. He would ultimately be captured by Amasis and strangled, with Amasis keeping power for himself.).
----- see here for more details: https://www.bible-history.com/links.php?cat=46&sub=3494&cat_name=People+-+Ancient+Egypt&subcat_name=Apries+
Note, firstly, how Ezekiel refers to the Pharaoh; The Great Dragon, or in Hebrew, the tanim.
Have you seen this term before? I'd bet you have:
(כ) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים יִשְׁרְצ֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם שֶׁ֖רֶץ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֑ה וְעוֹף֙ יְעוֹפֵ֣ף עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ עַל־פְּנֵ֖י רְקִ֥יעַ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (כא) וַיִּבְרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֣ה ׀ הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁרְצ֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃
(20) Elohim said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and birds that fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”
(21) Elohim created the Great Sea-Dragons, and all the living creatures of every kind that creep, which the waters brought forth in swarms, and all the winged birds of every kind. And God saw that this was good.
Additionally, there's yet another place where this same word makes an appearance - one much closer to home:
(ח) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ט) כִּי֩ יְדַבֵּ֨ר אֲלֵכֶ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנ֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם מוֹפֵ֑ת וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֧ח אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֛ וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ לִפְנֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה יְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃ (י) וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ כֵ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הוּ לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹ֛ה וְלִפְנֵ֥י עֲבָדָ֖יו וַיְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃ (יא) וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃ (יב) וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מַטֵּ֔הוּ וַיִּהְי֖וּ לְתַנִּינִ֑ם וַיִּבְלַ֥ע מַטֵּֽה־אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶת־מַטֹּתָֽם׃
(8) YHWH said to Moses and Aaron,
(9) “When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, ‘Produce your marvel,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh.’ It shall turn into a tanin.”
(10) So Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and did just as YHWH had commanded: Aaron cast down his rod in the presence of Pharaoh and his courtiers, and it turned into a tanin. (11) Then Pharaoh, for his part, summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and the Egyptian magicians, in turn, did the same with their spells; (12) each cast down his rod, and they turned into tanin.
But Aaron’s rod swallowed their rods.
We are not entirely sure how to tranlate tanin. Here are some possibilities you'll see in a standard Biblical Hebrew dictionary:
- Dragon
- Serpent
- Sea/river monster
- Venomous snake
Here are some neat old coins where this is the case:
Personally, if we go with the Exodus-connection, I think that it is more ominous, in foreshadowing doom and catastrophe. If we go with the crocodile imagery, maybe it is more sarcastic, or ironic; Egypt, or her Pharaoh, is represented as this imposing Nile-Monster. And yet, she will be so easily and quickly yanked out of the Nile, where it thought it reigned supreme, and flung out into the wilderness to perish.
Could Ezekiel somehow have both of the above two ideas in mind?
(ו) וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה יַ֧עַן הֱיוֹתָ֛ם מִשְׁעֶ֥נֶת קָנֶ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ז) בְּתָפְשָׂ֨ם בְּךָ֤ בכפך [בַכַּף֙] תֵּר֔וֹץ וּבָקַעְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־כָּתֵ֑ף וּבְהִֽשָּׁעֲנָ֤ם עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ תִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־מָתְנָֽיִם׃ (ס)
(6) Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know That I am YHWH! Because you were a staff of reed To the House of Israel: (7) When they grasped you with the hand, you would splinter, And wound all their shoulders, And when they leaned on you, you would break, And make all their loins unsteady.
And in fact, in his language, he is echoing something very specific.
Remember that right now, Jeruslam is under siege by the Babylonians. Well, over a hundred years earlier, there was another siege. Same place, different agressor.
The story is told in the book Kings, of the moment in the late 8th century when an Assyrian delgation was on the doorstep of Jerusalem, waging psychological warfare in trying to frighten the Judahites into turning against their King, Hezekiah, when he stubbornly and courageously refused to let the Assyrians push him around.
Here is part of that exchange:
(יט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה אִמְרוּ־נָ֖א אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר מָ֧ה הַבִּטָּח֛וֹן הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃ (כ) אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ אַךְ־דְּבַר־שְׂפָתַ֔יִם עֵצָ֥ה וּגְבוּרָ֖ה לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה עַתָּה֙ עַל־מִ֣י בָטַ֔חְתָּ כִּ֥י מָרַ֖דְתָּ בִּֽי׃ (כא) עַתָּ֡ה הִנֵּ֣ה בָטַ֣חְתָּ לְּךָ֡ עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ הַקָּנֶ֨ה הָרָצ֤וּץ הַזֶּה֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ אִישׁ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבָ֥א בְכַפּ֖וֹ וּנְקָבָ֑הּ כֵּ֚ן פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְכָֽל־הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים עָלָֽיו׃
(19) The [Assyrian representative] said to them,
“You tell Hezekiah:
Thus said the Great King, the King of Assyria!:
What makes you so confident? (20) You must think that mere talk is counsel and valor for war! Look, on whom are you relying, that you have rebelled against me? (21) You rely, of all things, on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which enters and punctures the palm of anyone who leans on it! That’s what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like to all who rely on him.
Yet again, we see someone comparing Egypt to reeds, in that it is an unreliable support which is less than unhelpful to those who depend on her. And in this case, we have a fascinating historical relic to provide some background.
Here is a passage of relevance:
Yes! They most definitely should be! Which makes me wonder; Who is Ezekiel's intended audience? Sure, he is told to address the Pharaoh and criticize him for his arrogance; But does it really make sense that Ezekiel is addressing Pharaoh all the way from his exile in Babylon? (Don't forget, we are talking pre-ZOOM era!)
Therefore, I wonder if Ezekiel's real intent here is for Israel to get the message. The point is therefore not to insult Egypt, but to hammer the point home to his Judahite brothers and sisters that relying on an Egyptian savior is futile.
Take a deeper look into some of the examples above; If it is indeed true that in the case of the Egyptians, Ezekiel really wanted Israel to hear... Can we say the same for the other moments in which a prophet brings the word of YHWH to a foreign nation? And would the way we answer this question impact, in any way, the way that we read these ancient oracles and relate to them?
(יט) שֵׁ֣ן רֹ֭עָה וְרֶ֣גֶל מוּעָ֑דֶת מִבְטָ֥ח בּ֝וֹגֵ֗ד בְּי֣וֹם צָרָֽה׃
(19) Like a loose tooth and an unsteady leg, Is a treacherous support in time of trouble.
