יחזקאל, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י״ט

After an exhausting military campaign against the city of Tyre, God ensures that the Babylonian army receives full payment for their hard work. This reflects a fundamental principle that God never withholds the rightful reward of any creature [אברבנאל, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה].

This compensation is clearly divided between the king and his troops. God gives the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, as the control and victory are the king's true reward. A king does not go to war simply to gather wealth, but rather for the honor of victory, expanded royalty, and governance over a conquered nation. Therefore, the physical riches of Egypt are designated exclusively as the wages for his soldiers [אברבנאל].

The payment for the army takes two main forms: human captives and material wealth. The soldiers will capture the vast majority of the Egyptian population, leading them away to serve as slaves and maidservants [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. Furthermore, there is a careful distinction in how the material riches are gathered. The army will claim the general spoils, which consist of the national wealth and resources left behind in the country once the war concludes. At the same time, they will engage in individual looting, where each soldier personally plunders items to keep for himself [מלבי ם באור המילות]. All of this captured wealth and human labor is granted to the soldiers as a direct gift, serving as complete compensation for their labor [מלבי״ם].