jaws

May 30, 2017

The dragon in the Nile River (Ezek 29:3-29:4)

“Speak!

Say!

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I am against you!

Pharaoh!

King of Egypt!

The great dragon

Sprawling In the midst

Of its channels!

Saying!

‘My Nile is my own!

I made it for myself.’

I will put hooks

In your jaws.

I will make the fish

Of your channels

Stick to your scales.

I will draw you up

From your channels,

With all the fish

Of your channels

Sticking to your scales.’”

Ezekiel was told to speak against the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who was described as a great dragon in the midst of the various Nile channels in the Delta area. This great dragon Pharaoh was proclaiming that the Nile River belonged to him. Yahweh said that he was going to put hooks into this dragon’s jaws. The various fish in the Nile channels in the Delta area would have their scales stick to these tributaries. In other words, they would die. These offshoots of the Nile River were an allusion to the various countries that had mercenary troops in Egypt.

August 29, 2015

David is weak (Ps 22:14-22:15)

“I am poured out like water.

All my bones are out of joint.

My heart is like wax.

It is melted within my breast.

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd.

My tongue sticks to my jaws.

You lay me in the dust of death.”

This is a very colorful descriptive explanation of David’s or the psalmist’s situation. He was poured out like water, exhausted. His bones were out of joint in pain. His heart was like wax that melted away in his breast with no energy. His mouth was dried up as his tongue was stuck to his jaws. A potsherd is broken pieces of pottery. He was almost on his death bed of dust. It is apparent why the works of Matthew and Mark used this vivid graphic psalm to describe a dying Jesus on the cross.