“In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 29:1 Mean?
"In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month." Ezekiel dates this oracle against Egypt precisely: January 587 BC, during the siege of Jerusalem. While Babylon's army surrounds Jerusalem, Ezekiel receives a word about Egypt — the nation Judah was hoping would rescue them.
The dating matters because it places this prophecy in historical context: Judah is besieged, and Egypt is the last hope. The people believe Egypt will intervene, break the siege, and save them. Ezekiel's oracle says the opposite: Egypt itself will fall to Babylon. The rescuer can't even rescue itself.
Ezekiel's prophecies are among the most precisely dated in the Old Testament. He records year, month, and day because the timing is part of the message. When God speaks is as significant as what God says. This word arrives during the siege — at the exact moment Egypt's intervention is most desperately hoped for.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What human rescuer are you counting on that God might be about to address?
- 2.Why does the timing of God's word matter as much as its content?
- 3.Have you ever placed hope in an ally who couldn't even save themselves?
- 4.How does precise dating make prophecy more verifiable and more trustworthy?
Devotional
The date is part of the prophecy. January 587 BC. Jerusalem is under siege. Everyone is looking to Egypt for rescue. And God sends a word about Egypt — not a word of hope for Judah's savior, but a word of judgment against it.
The timing is devastating. At the moment of maximum hope in Egypt, God says: Egypt is finished too. Your rescue plan is itself under judgment. The ally you're counting on can't even save itself. You've placed your hope in a nation that God is about to dismantle.
This is what happens when you put your hope in human rescuers instead of God. The rescuer fails. Not eventually — at the exact moment you need them most. The timing isn't accidental. God speaks against Egypt during the siege of Jerusalem because that's when the misplaced hope is most active.
Ezekiel's precise dating is itself a form of prophecy. By recording the exact date, he makes the word verifiable. Anyone can check: when did God say this? During the siege. When everyone was hoping in Egypt. And what happened? Egypt fell. The date proves the word.
What human rescuer are you counting on right now? What ally are you hoping will break your siege? God may have a word about that rescuer that you're not ready to hear.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month,.... In the tenth year Jeconiah's captivity, and…
The tenth year - Jerusalem had been besieged, but not taken. Jeremiah delivered his prophecy against Egypt, about the…
In the tenth year - Of Zedekiah; and tenth of the captivity of Jeconiah.
The ten month, in the twelfth day of the month…
Here is, I. The date of this prophecy against Egypt. It was in the tenth year of the captivity, and yet it is placed…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture