Speak, and say: This sentence is part of God’s command to Ezekiel. It may be rendered “This is what you must say” or “Tell him” (New International Reader’s Version). The repetition of these words for speaking suggests a strong command.

This prophecy against Egypt follows the structure of the other prophecies against the nations (see the introductory comments on 25.1–32.32). It includes the prophetic introduction, Egypt’s sin, its punishment, and the recognition formula about the LORD.

Thus says the Lord GOD is the prophetic introduction. Lord renders the Hebrew word ʾadonai, and GOD renders “Yahweh” (YHWH in Hebrew). New Century Version renders this clause as “This is what the Lord GOD says.”

Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt …: This prophecy changes the normal order of the prophecies against the nations by mentioning the punishment of Egypt before talking about its sins. This judgment on the king and people of Egypt begins in the same emphatic way as the punishment of Tyre (see 26.3) and Sidon (see 28.22). Here Behold adds emphasis to God’s punishment. I am against you is a common expression in Ezekiel when God is about to punish somebody (see the comments on 5.8). It may be rendered “I am your enemy” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version). For Pharaoh king of Egypt, see the previous verse. In many languages it is more natural to have this vocative expression start this sentence, as in “Pharaoh, king of Egypt, look, I am your enemy.”

The great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams: Here the Egyptian king is described as the great dragon. The Hebrew word for dragon does not refer to the fierce fire-breathing creatures of modern fairy tales. Rather, it refers to large sea creatures (see Gen 1.21; Psa 148.7) or to mythological monsters that lived in the depths of the sea and opposed the rule of God (see Job 7.12; Psa 74.13; Isa 27.1). When God uses the term to refer to Egypt, it retains some of the mythological ideas of being opposed to God, but primarily it refers to the crocodile, a large reptile that lived in the Nile River. Some translations render it “crocodile” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), but most use the term “monster” (New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, New King James Version , New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt), which is preferable because it retains a hint of the mythological opponent of God. Those translations that use “dragon” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, English Standard Version) have probably been influenced by the Septuagint. If there is no good word for “monster” in their language, then translators may say “terrifying animal.”

Lies in the midst of his streams continues the picture language of the Egyptian king as a large crocodile or monster. The verb lies carries the idea of an animal sprawling stretched-out on the ground, resting. The Nile River is the major river in Egypt and flows from south to north through the length of the country. It does not have a single mouth where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea, because before it reaches the sea, it divides into many different streams and swampy areas, more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) long and 120 kilometers (75 miles) across. This area is called the Nile Delta. God describes the king as a crocodile lurking in the different streams of the delta or, more likely, as a supernatural monster sprawled over the whole delta. It is a picture of the power of the king and his country. Some translations use the singular word “river” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), but it is better to keep the plural word streams or “rivers.” The Hebrew text says his streams. If this is not natural, translators may drop the pronoun his as in Good News Translation. In many languages it will be more natural for translators to make this description of Pharaoh a separate sentence by saying “You are the great monster lying [or, stretched out] in all your streams.”

That says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it’: The Egyptian king’s sin was pride. The monster, representing the king, made this proud claim of complete power and authority, and in some languages translators may need to make explicit that he was speaking proudly or boastfully. Instead of I made it, the Hebrew text has an unusual expression that is open to a couple of interpretations. Most translations render it “I made it for myself” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, King James Version / New King James Version, English Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Contemporary English Version), but it could also mean “I have made myself” (Revised Standard Version footnote; similarly GNT footnote). Although both meanings are possible (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project), the first alternative is preferable (compare verse 9). Many translators will find it more natural to make this description of the monster a separate sentence by saying “You say, ‘I made the Nile River for myself. It is mine.’ ” Some may prefer indirect discourse for this embedded quotation. A model that does this is “You say the Nile River is yours and that you made it for yourself.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .