Ezekiel 29:14 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 29:14 mean?

Ezekiel 29:14 says that God will bring Egypt’s displaced people back to their homeland, but Egypt will return as a kingdom of low status. The return changes the people’s situation without restoring Egypt to its former power.

God is speaking through Ezekiel about Egypt after the period of scattering mentioned in the preceding verse. The destination, Pathros, was a region in southern Egypt. Calling it “the land of their habitation” presents the return as a homecoming.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 29:14

• “captivity” — שְׁבוּת (shevut): The word can refer to captivity or to the condition of people who have been taken away. The phrase “bring again the captivity” describes a reversal of that condition.
• “habitation” — מְכוּרָה (mekhurah): The word can mean a place of origin or a native land. It gives the KJV’s “habitation” a sense of belonging, not merely a place where people once lived.
• “base” — שָׁפָל (shafal): The word means low or brought low. Here it describes Egypt’s reduced standing as a kingdom.

Why Ezekiel 29:14 matters

• Egypt’s return is not a return to dominance. The next verse says Egypt will no longer exalt itself above other nations.
• The destination is specific. “Pathros” places the return in southern Egypt rather than describing an unspecified gathering.
• Egypt remains a kingdom after its people return. The phrase “a base kingdom” combines continued existence with diminished rank.