Ezekiel 29:18 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 29:18 mean?

Ezekiel 29:18 says that Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, led his army in a hard and exhausting campaign against the city of Tyre, but after all their effort, neither he nor his soldiers received any reward or profit from their siege. The verse highlights the cost and fruitlessness of their struggle against Tyre.

In this verse, God is speaking to Ezekiel, who is then relaying the message to the people. The setting is after Babylon’s long siege of Tyre, a wealthy and fortified city, which ended without Babylon gaining its expected spoils. The language paints a vivid picture of the soldiers’ hardship—heads rubbed bald and shoulders scraped raw from their armor and labor—emphasizing just how much they endured without any material benefit.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 29:18

• עָבַד (ʿāvad, "caused to serve" / "served"): This word appears several times in the verse, stressing the idea of hard, servile labor. It underlines that Nebuchadrezzar’s campaign was not just a military action but a grueling, almost slave-like effort.
• שֵׂכָר (śekar, "wages"): This word refers to payment or reward for work. Its use here makes clear that the army expected compensation for their service, but received none, highlighting the sense of injustice or futility.
• קֵרֵחַ (qēreach, "bald") and מָרוּט (marut, "peeled"): These words give a concrete image of the soldiers’ physical suffering, showing the toll the siege took on them—bald heads from helmets and raw shoulders from carrying burdens.

Why Ezekiel 29:18 matters

• Ezekiel 29:18 clarifies that even powerful empires like Babylon can labor in vain, showing that success is not guaranteed by effort alone.
• The verse sets up the following verses, where God promises Egypt as compensation to Babylon, connecting the historical event to God’s larger plan and justice.
• This verse helps readers understand the real human cost of ancient warfare, moving beyond abstract battles to the lived experience of soldiers.