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.
Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste:
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.
It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.
By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.
With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.
And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.
And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?
Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.
And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!
For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;
When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;
I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith 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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