The Meaning of Ezekiel 29:2 Explained

Ezekiel 29:2

KJV: Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

YLT: Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy concerning him, and concerning Egypt -- all of it.

Darby: Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against the whole of Egypt;

ASV: Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Son  of man,  set  thy face  against Pharaoh  king  of Egypt,  and prophesy  against him, and against all Egypt: 

What does Ezekiel 29:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord directed His prophet to turn his attention to the south, to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to all of Egypt, and to announce a message of judgment. As often in such prophecies, the king is a metonym (figure of speech) for his nation.

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 29:2 mean?

Son of man set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against Egypt all
בֶּן־ אָדָ֕ם שִׂ֣ים פָּנֶ֔יךָ עַל־ פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנָּבֵ֣א עָלָ֔יו וְעַל־ מִצְרַ֖יִם כֻּלָּֽהּ

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֕ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שִׂ֣ים  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פָּנֶ֔יךָ  your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
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.
פַּרְעֹ֖ה  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְהִנָּבֵ֣א  and  prophesy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
עָלָ֔יו  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine 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.
וְעַל־  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
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.
מִצְרַ֖יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.