Ezekiel 29:18Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.
The setting
Tyre, Lebanon, 585-572 BC. Nebuchadnezzar's massive army has besieged this island fortress for 13 years. Soldiers' heads are bald from wearing heavy helmets, shoulders raw from carrying siege equipment...
The emotion here: observing human futility with divine perspective
The original word
mārats (מָרַט) — to make smooth/bald, describing the physical toll of war
Why it matters
Nebuchadnezzar's 13-year siege of Tyre was the longest in ancient history
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ezekiel 29:18
God notices when people work hard but get nothing - even pagan armies
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about military strategy, but it's about God's justice - He notices when anyone works hard without fair wages.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ezekiel 29:18
Bible Genome reading
Ezekiel 29:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ezekiel 29:18 comes from the book of Ezekiel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include warfare cost, human suffering, labor. Notable phrases: every head was made bald; every shoulder was worn. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Ezekiel 29:18 mean to you, today?
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