Ezechiel 29:4
But I will put a bridle in thy jaws: and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick to thy scales: and I will draw thee out of the midst of thy rivers, and all thy fish shall stick to thy scales.
Open Ezechiel 29:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et ponam frenum in maxillis tuis, et agglutinabo pisces fluminum tuorum squamis tuis, et extraham te de medio fluminum tuorum, et universi pisces tui squamis tuis adhærebunt.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐγὼ δώσω παγίδας εἰς τὰς σιαγόνας σου, καὶ προσκολλήσω τοὺς ἰχθῦς τοῦ ποταμοῦ σου πρὸς τὰς πτέρυγάς σου, καὶ ἀνάξω σε ἐκ μέσου τοῦ ποταμοῦ σου,
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְנָתַתִּ֤י חחיים בִּלְחָיֶ֔יךָ וְהִדְבַּקְתִּ֥י דְגַת יְאֹרֶ֖יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֑יךָ וְהַעֲלִיתִ֨יךָ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ וְאֵת֙ כָּל דְּגַ֣ת יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֖יךָ תִּדְבָּֽק
Haydock's commentary
Bridle. The Tentyrians jump upon the crocodile's back, give it a club to bite at, which they seize with both hands, and bring it to the shore. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 25.)
Others throw a hook baited with swine's flesh, and holding the rope on the shore, make a little pig squeak, which draws the attention of the crocodile; and, as it comes for its prey, it swallows the hook, and its eyes being filled with dust is easily slain. (Herodotus ii. 70.)
Apries sent an army against Cyrene, which being defeated as it was thought by the king's fault, many of the Egyptians revolted. He sent Amasis to reduce them, but they gave him the crown. (Herodotus ii. 161. and iv. 159.)
Nabuchodonsor taking advantage of these disturbances, and perhaps invited by Amasis, entered Egypt, drove Apries into Higher Egypt, slew many of the inhabitants, and Jews, &c., and left Amasis to govern the wretched remains of that kingdom. (Usher, the year of the world 3430.) The Scripture, however, seems to say that Pharao was slain; (Jeremias xliii., &c.; Calmet) which Ctesias assures us was done by Amasis, though Herodotus (ii. 169.) says he was killed by the people, and buried with his fathers. This latter circumstance is not very probable: but the historian followed the account of the priests, who would mention what was most honourable for the nation. He seems to have been left unburied, ver. 5. Scales. The people depended on the king and shared his fate. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Origen Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John, Chapter XXIX
But that the Spirit in the inspired Scriptures is not speaking mainly of rivers to be seen with the eyes, may be gathered from Ezekiel’s prophecies against Pharaoh, king of Egypt: “Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great dragon, seated in the midst of rivers, who sayest, Mine are the rivers, and I made them. And I will put traps in thy jaws, and I will make the fishes of the river to stick to thy fins, and I will bring thee up from the midst of thy river, and all the fish of the river, and I will cast thee down quickly and all the fish of the river; thou shalt fall upon the face of thy land, and thou shalt not be gathered together, and thou shalt not be adorned.” For what real bodily dragon has ever been reported as having been seen in the material river of Egypt? But consider if the river of Egypt be not the dwelling of the dragon who is our enemy, who was not even a …
Rufinus A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, Section 16
16. But perhaps some one is alarmed at hearing us discourse of the death of Him of Whom, a short while since, we said that He is everlasting with God the Father, and that He was begotten of the Father’s substance, and is one with God the Father, in dominion, majesty, and eternity. But be not alarmed, O faithful hearer. Presently thou wilt see Him of Whose death thou hearest once more immortal; for the death to which He submits is about to spoil death. …