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;
For thus saith {H559} the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}; When I shall make {H5414} thee a desolate {H2717} city {H5892}, like the cities {H5892} that are not inhabited {H3427}; when I shall bring up {H5927} the deep {H8415} upon thee, and great {H7227} waters {H4325} shall cover {H3680} thee;
"For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'When I make you a ruined city, like other uninhabited cities; when I bring the deep sea over you, and its mighty waters cover you;
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,
For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: 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 the great waters shall cover thee;
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Isaiah 8:7
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: -
Isaiah 8:8
And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach [even] to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. -
Ezekiel 26:3
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. -
Daniel 9:26
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. -
Revelation 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. -
Daniel 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Ezekiel 26:19 delivers a powerful and vivid prophecy of judgment against the ancient city of Tyre, emphasizing the absolute and overwhelming nature of its impending destruction. This verse, spoken by "the Lord GOD," underscores divine authority and the certainty of His word.
Context
Chapters 26-28 of Ezekiel contain a series of pronouncements against Tyre, a wealthy and influential Phoenician city-state renowned for its maritime trade and formidable fortifications. Tyre's immense pride, its commercial prowess, and its callous rejoicing over the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 26:2) drew the Lord's wrath. This specific verse paints a picture of complete annihilation, likening Tyre's future state to cities utterly devoid of inhabitants. Historically, Tyre faced prolonged sieges, notably by Nebuchadnezzar and later by Alexander the Great, which eventually led to its decline and eventual desolation, fulfilling these prophecies.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "the deep" comes from the Hebrew word tehom (תְּהוֹם), which often refers to the primeval ocean or a vast, unfathomable abyss. In this context, it is used metaphorically to describe an overwhelming, inescapable force of destruction that will completely submerge Tyre. It signifies not necessarily literal water, but a catastrophic engulfment, leaving the city in a state of utter ruin, as if drowned by the very forces it once mastered in its maritime trade. The idea of "great waters shall cover thee" reinforces this imagery of complete submersion and annihilation, reflecting the totality of God's judgment.
Practical Application
Ezekiel 26:19 serves as a sober reminder of several timeless truths: