Ezekiel26

Ezekiel 26 records the Lord's judgment against Tyrus for rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction. God declares that many nations, specifically Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, will utterly devastate Tyrus. Her walls will be broken, her wealth plundered, and she will be reduced to a bare rock, never to be rebuilt. This serves as a testament to God's sovereign power and justice.
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Prophecy Against Tyre: The Reason for Judgment

1
In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ​
2
“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken; it has swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will be filled,’ ​
3
therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, O Tyre, I am against you, and I will raise up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. ​
4
They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and make her a bare rock. ​
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She will become a place to spread nets in the sea, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. She will become plunder for the nations, ​
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and the villages on her mainland will be slain by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ ​

Nebuchadnezzar's Siege and Destruction

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For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with cavalry and a great company of troops. ​
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He will slaughter the villages of your mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp to your walls, and raise his shields against you. ​
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He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes. ​
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His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots.
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The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.
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They will plunder your wealth and pillage your merchandise. They will demolish your walls, tear down your beautiful homes, and throw your stones and timber and soil into the water. ​
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So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard. ​
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I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.’ ​

The Lament of the Maritime Nations

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This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan at the slaughter in your midst? ​
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All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over you. ​
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Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men— she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples! ​
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Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’

Tyre's Permanent Desolation

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For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I make you a desolate city like other deserted cities, and when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you, ​
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then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living. ​
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I will make you an object of horror, and you will be no more. You will be sought, but will never be found,’ declares the Lord GOD.” ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 26

Verse 1

This prophecy is dated to the eleventh year (c. 587 BC), placing it shortly after the final destruction of Jerusalem. This sets the immediate context for Tyre’s reaction.

Verse 2

Tyre rejoices over Jerusalem’s fall, viewing it not as a tragedy but as a commercial opportunity. Jerusalem, described as 'the gates of the people,' was an important trade hub whose destruction meant Tyre would now capture that regional commerce.

Verse 3

The judgment involves 'many nations,' suggesting a long-term, multi-stage destruction process, which historically included the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks.

Verse 4

The image of scraping her dust and making her like a rock emphasizes utter and permanent desolation. This detail found remarkable fulfillment when Alexander the Great used the debris of the mainland city to build a causeway to the island city in 332 BC.

Verse 5

The contrast is stark: the world’s greatest commercial center will become a barren, exposed rock suitable only for drying fishing nets.

Verse 6

The 'daughters which are in the field' are the smaller satellite towns and villages on the mainland surrounding the main city of Tyre.

Verse 7

Ezekiel now names Nebuchadrezzar (Nebuchadnezzar II) as the specific, immediate instrument of God’s wrath. He besieged Tyre for thirteen years (c. 586–573 BC).

Verse 8

The description details typical siege warfare: building siege ramps ('mount'), fortifications ('fort'), and using shields ('buckler') to protect the attackers.

Verse 9

Engines of war (battering rams and heavy artillery) were necessary to breach the formidable stone walls of the city.

Verse 12

This verse describes the complete dismantling of the city, where even the building materials are cast into the sea. This was fulfilled when Alexander the Great later used the wreckage to build his famous causeway.

Verse 13

The cessation of songs and harps symbolizes the end of Tyre’s luxurious, festive, and prosperous life, replacing joy with silence and ruin.

Verse 14

The prophecy is definitive: Tyre will not be rebuilt to its former glory or power. While a city remained, the ancient Phoenician power was permanently broken.

Verse 15

The 'isles' refers to the coastal regions, islands, and trading partners throughout the Mediterranean who relied on Tyre’s commerce and stability. Her fall causes widespread economic fear.

Verse 16

The 'princes of the sea' (merchant kings and rulers of trading nations) demonstrate deep humiliation and mourning, stripping their royal attire to sit in dust and tremble.

Verse 17

The lamentation acknowledges Tyre's former status as 'the renowned city' and a powerful maritime force whose influence was felt across the trading world.

Verse 19

Bringing up 'the deep upon thee' uses cosmic imagery (like a primordial flood) to emphasize the magnitude and permanence of the destruction, sinking the city into oblivion.

Verse 20

To 'descend into the pit' (Sheol) is a metaphor for complete political and cultural death, reducing Tyre to the status of ancient, forgotten civilizations.

Verse 21

The final statement underscores the completeness of God’s judgment. Tyre’s glory will vanish; its location may be known, but its former influence and power will be utterly irrecoverable.

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