The Meaning of Ezekiel 29:18 Explained

Ezekiel 29:18

KJV: Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:

YLT: Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, Hath caused his force to serve a great service against Tyre, Every head is bald -- every shoulder peeled, And reward he had none, nor his force, out of Tyre, For the service that he served against it.

Darby: Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to do hard service against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he from Tyre no wages, nor his army, for the service that he had served against it.

ASV: Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Son  of man,  Nebuchadrezzar  king  of Babylon  caused  his army  to serve  a great  service  against Tyrus:  every head  [was] made bald,  and every shoulder  [was] peeled:  yet had he no wages,  nor his army,  for Tyrus,  for the service  that he had served  against it: 

What does Ezekiel 29:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord revealed to Ezekiel that Nebuchadnezzar, as Yahweh"s instrument of judgment, had worked hard at defeating Tyre. "Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare" describes the chafing of helmets and the carrying of burdens for the siege-works. The siege of Tyre took13years (ca586-573 B.C.). However, Nebuchadnezzar received little compensation for his labor; the spoil he took was hardly worth all the time and effort he expended.
"In ancient times armies were not paid as they are today. Soldiers might receive a small allowance along with their rations, but it would have been foolish to join an army just for the pittance paid as wage. Instead, a special incentive system made army life attractive and often exciting. Soldiers successful in battle were allowed to take and keep anything they could lay hands on and carry away. Many battles took place at or near large cities or in prosperous lands where wealth was concentrated. Indeed, ancient wars of conquest were launched precisely so that the conquerors could acquire the wealth of other nations. After defeating an enemy, an army would dig into the spoils. Those fortunate enough to find gems, precious metals, or other great valuables among the possessions of their defeated foes might become instantly rich. Almost all could at least supplement their income handsomely." [1]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 29

1  The judgment of Pharaoh for his treachery to Israel
8  The desolation of Egypt
13  The restoration thereof after forty years
17  Egypt the reward of Nebuchadnezzar
21  Israel shall be restored

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 29:18 mean?

Son of man Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused to labor - his army strenuously great against Tyre every head [was] made bald and every shoulder rubbed raw and yet wages neither received he and nor his army from Tyre for the labor which they expended on it -
בֶּן־ אָדָ֗ם נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּ֠בֶל הֶעֱבִ֨יד אֶת־ חֵיל֜וֹ עֲבֹדָ֤ה גְדֹלָה֙ אֶל־ צֹ֔ר כָּל־ רֹ֣אשׁ מֻקְרָ֔ח וְכָל־ כָּתֵ֖ף מְרוּטָ֑ה וְ֠שָׂכָר לֹא־ הָ֨יָה ל֤וֹ וּלְחֵילוֹ֙ מִצֹּ֔ר עַל־ הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־ עָבַ֥ד עָלֶֽיהָ ס

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֗ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר 
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּ֠בֶל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
הֶעֱבִ֨יד  caused  to  labor 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֵיל֜וֹ  his  army 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
עֲבֹדָ֤ה  strenuously 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
גְדֹלָה֙  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
צֹ֔ר  Tyre 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹור 
Sense: the Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
רֹ֣אשׁ  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
מֻקְרָ֔ח  [was]  made  bald 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָרַח  
Sense: to be bald, make bald.
וְכָל־  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
כָּתֵ֖ף  shoulder 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כָּתֵף  
Sense: shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope.
מְרוּטָ֑ה  rubbed  raw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: מָרַט  
Sense: to bare, polish, make smooth or bald or bare.
וְ֠שָׂכָר  and  yet  wages 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂכָר  
Sense: hire, wages.
לֹא־  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָ֨יָה  received 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וּלְחֵילוֹ֙  and  nor  his  army 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
מִצֹּ֔ר  from  Tyre 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹור 
Sense: the Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast.
הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה  the  labor 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
עָבַ֥ד  they  expended 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
עָלֶֽיהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation

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