Egypt, take note, the sword is coming. Why?
Because of your many sins and your utter arrogance. You literally said, “The Nile is mine, I made it” (v. 9). So arrogant that you have set yourself up as god.
Just like the great crocodiles that live in the Nile and think they own the Nile, but they are pulled out of the water by a hook, so the LORD will do to Pharaoh and Egypt. The LORD would have Pharaoh removed and hook put in him, humbling him before his own nation and the nations of the world. Then the inhabitants of the land would know that Yahweh is LORD and God.
Then the land will face a 40 year judgment by God. The land would be desolate but they would return. The Babylonians would destroy it (not all of it) and then plunder it of its wealth.
- Babylon plundered its wealth because it did not successfully and fully conquer Tyre and gain the funds needed for the war effort. This is how war was paid for in the day. So instead they would beat up Egypt and take money from them, which they did.
- The 40 year judgment? We don’t know (yet) of this happening. I do not believe it was a future event but an event in the day and time. That’s how the text reads. Just because we do not yet have the archaeology to prove it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. But when, I’m not sure.