“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.
The timing matters greatly: sixteen years pass between the first word against Egypt and this one, while Nebuchadnezzar wears himself out thirteen years at Tyre. God uses that delay to ripen Egypt's weakness through their own wars, then rewards the king's costly labor with a land that falls easily into his hands as spoil.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 29:17-21
Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon,.... The same with Nebuchadnezzar; he goes by both names in Scripture, nor is the difference very great: caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus; in besieging it thirteen years (c) before he was able to take it; during which time his army suffered much hardship, was greatly fatigued and wearied, by the various military works...
every head . . . bald, . . . shoulder . . . peeled--with carrying baskets of earth and stones for the siege works. no wages . . . for the service--that is, in proportion to it and the time and labor which he expended on the siege of Tyre.