Who is the Pharaoh of Ezekiel?

Question

Numerous times in the Book of Ezekiel a Pharaoh is mentioned. Which Pharaoh(s) is/are Ezekiel talking about?

Here are some examples of what I am talking about:

Ezekiel 29:2-3 - "Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt: Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself." (KJV)

Ezekiel 30:21-22 - "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand." (KJV)

Ezekiel 31:2 - "Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?" (KJV)

Ezekiel 32:2 - "Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers." (KJV)

Answer 1

The pharaoh was Apries, who ruled from 589 to 570 BCE and was known as Pharaoh Hophra in Jeremiah 44:30.

Peter C. Craigie (Ezekiel, page 220) explains that Hophra sent an army to assist King Zedekiah fight off the invading Babylonians. Ezekiel likens the Egyptian defeat to a broken arm. To those among the exiled Jews who thought the Egyptians would risk another military adventure on their behalf, Ezekiel said the other arm would be broken. Ezekiel then asserts the Babylonian successes are the work of God:

Ezekiel 30:21-25: Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man. But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.