Ezekiel 29:6-7

[6] And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. [7] When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.

What is the context of Ezekiel 29:6-7?

What does Ezekiel 29:6-7 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

When God did this the Egyptians would know that Yahweh is the only true God. He would also do this because Egypt had been unfaithful to follow through on its promises to help the Israelites. They had proved to be as weak a support as one of the reeds that grew along the banks of the Nile (cf. Exodus 2:3). People used a staff as a cane or walking stick for support when they walked on rough terrain (cf. Zechariah 8:4; Mark 6:8; Hebrews 11:21). But when the Judahites had relied on the Egyptians this ally had broken and had even injured God"s people (cf. 2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6; Jeremiah 37:7). As a crutch, Egypt was worse than useless. The Israelites, of course, should not have trusted in Egypt, but this did not excuse the Egyptians for breaking their covenants with Israel.