Ezekiel — Chapter 26

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1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son 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:

3Therefore 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.

4And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

5It 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.

6And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

7For 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.

8He 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.

9And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.

10By 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.

11With 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.

12And 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.

13And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

14And 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.

15Thus 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?

16Then 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.

17And 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!

18Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.

19For 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;

20When 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;

21I 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.

1And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first [day] of the month, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, because that Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken [that was] the gate of the peoples; she is turned unto me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste:

3therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth its waves to come up.

4And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock.

5She shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah; and she shall become a spoil to the nations.

6And her daughters that are in the field shall be slain with the sword: and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

7For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and a company, and much people.

8He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field; and he shall make forts against thee, and cast up a mound against thee, and raise up the buckler against thee.

9And he shall set his battering engines against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.

10By 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 wagons, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

11With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people with the sword; and the pillars of thy strength shall go down to the ground.

12And 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 waters.

13And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

14And I will make thee a bare rock; thou shalt be a place for the spreading of nets; thou shalt be built no more: for I Jehovah have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah.

15Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to Tyre: shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

16Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble every moment, and be astonished at thee.

17And they shall take up a lamentation over thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, that was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, that caused their terror to be on all that dwelt there!

18Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be dismayed at thy departure.

19For 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;

20then will I bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make thee to dwell in the nether parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living:

21I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt no more have any being; though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord Jehovah.

1In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the Lord’s message came to me:

2“Son of man, because Tyre has said about Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I will become rich, now that she has been destroyed,’

3therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.

4They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock.

5She will be a place where fishing nets are spread, surrounded by the sea. For I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations,

6and her daughters who are in the field will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

7“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take note that I am about to bring King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north, with horses, chariots, and horsemen, an army and hordes of people.

8He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will build a siege wall against you, erect a siege ramp against you, and raise a great shield against you.

9He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons.

10He will cover you with the dust kicked up by his many horses. Your walls will shake from the noise of the horsemen, wheels, and chariots when he enters your gates like those who invade through a city’s broken walls.

11With his horses’ hooves he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will tumble down to the ground.

12They will steal your wealth and loot your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your luxurious homes. Your stones, your trees, and your soil he will throw into the water.

13I will silence the noise of your songs; the sound of your harps will be heard no more.

14I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place where fishing nets are spread. You will never be built again, for I, the Lord, have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Oh, how the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan at the massive slaughter in your midst!

16All the princes of the sea will vacate their thrones. They will remove their robes and strip off their embroidered clothes; they will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground; they will tremble continually and be shocked at what has happened to you.

17They will sing this lament over you: “‘How you have perished—you have vanished from the seas, O renowned city, once mighty in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror!

18Now the coastlands will tremble on the day of your fall; the coastlands by the sea will be terrified by your passing.’

19“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you desolate like the uninhabited cities, when I bring up the deep over you and the surging waters overwhelm you,

20then I will bring you down to bygone people, to be with those who descend to the Pit. I will make you live in the lower parts of the earth among the primeval ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will not be inhabited or stand in the land of the living.

21I will bring terrors on you, and you will be no more! Though you are sought after, you will never be found again, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

1In the eleventh year, in the first of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken! She who was the gateway of the peoples has been returned to me. I will be replenished, now that she is laid waste;’

3therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.

4They will destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock.

5She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the middle of the sea; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ‘She will become plunder for the nations.

6Her daughters who are in the field will be slain with the sword. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’

7“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will bring on Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen, and an army with many people.

8He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will make forts against you, cast up a mound against you, and raise up the buckler against you.

9He will set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.

10By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, of the wagons, and of the chariots, when he enters into your gates, as men enter into a city which is broken open.

11He will tread down all your streets with the hoofs of his horses. He will kill your people with the sword. The pillars of your strength will go down to the ground.

12They will make a plunder of your riches, and make a prey of your merchandise. They will break down your walls, and destroy your pleasant houses. They will lay your stones, your timber, and your dust in the middle of the waters.

13I will cause the noise of your songs to cease. The sound of your harps won’t be heard any more.

14I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more; for I Yahweh have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh.

15“Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Tyre: ‘Won’t the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made within you?

16Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground, and will tremble every moment, and be astonished at you.

17They will take up a lamentation over you, and tell you, “How you are destroyed, who were inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, who was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror to be on all who lived there!”

18Now the islands will tremble in the day of your fall. Yes, the islands that are in the sea will be dismayed at your departure.’

19“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I bring up the deep on you, and the great waters cover you;

20then I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living.

21I will make you a terror, and you will no more have any being. Though you are sought for, yet you will never be found again,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

The oracle against Tyre begins — one of the most detailed and dramatically fulfilled prophecies in Scripture. Tyre rejoiced over Jerusalem's fall, hoping to absorb her trade routes. God responds with terrifying specificity: many nations will come against Tyre like waves of the sea, Nebuchadnezzar will besiege the mainland city, the stones and timber will be cast into the sea, and Tyre will become a bare rock where fishermen spread nets. The once-great city will sink into oblivion.

Authorship & Background

Author: Ezekiel son of Buzi (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Oracle Against the Nations (Extended Judgment) Key Themes: Tyre's commercial pride, rejoicing over Jerusalem's fall, waves of nations as judgment, Nebuchadnezzar's siege, stones cast into the sea, the great city silenced, fulfilled prophecy and divine sovereignty
Historical Context: Tyre was the greatest commercial city of the ancient Mediterranean — a Phoenician port with two parts: a mainland settlement and an island fortress half a mile offshore. Its wealth came from maritime trade, purple dye production, and its position as the commercial hub connecting East and West.
Tyre's sin (v.2): rejoicing over Jerusalem's destruction because it eliminated a trade competitor. "She is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste." Tyre saw Jerusalem's fall as a business opportunity. God saw it as an abomination.
The prophecy was fulfilled in stages: Nebuchadnezzar besieged mainland Tyre for 13 years (585-572 BC), devastating it but unable to reach the island. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great fulfilled the remarkable detail of v.12 — he literally scraped the mainland ruins and THREW THEM INTO THE SEA to build a causeway to the island fortress. The stones, timber, and dust were cast into the water exactly as prophesied. The site of ancient mainland Tyre became literally a bare rock used by fishermen to spread their nets.
Structure:
  • Tyre's Sin: Rejoicing Over Jerusalem (vv.1-2)
  • The Wave Metaphor: Nations Coming in Succession (vv.3-6)
  • Nebuchadnezzar's Siege of the Mainland (vv.7-14)
  • The Reaction of Coastal Nations (vv.15-18)
  • Tyre's Descent to the Pit (vv.19-21)

Map & Geography

  • Jerusalem (v.2): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
  • Babylon (v.7): Capital of the Babylonian empire; place of Judah's exile (modern Iraq).

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Charles Spurgeon: "Tyre trusted in her commerce and her waves — God sent waves of armies to flatten her commerce. She who ruled the seas was ruled BY the sea when her rubble was cast into the deep. Let every man of trade remember: profit built on others' misery will find itself in the ocean before long."

Reflection

  • 1. Don't profit from others' pain (v.2). Tyre's sin was seeing Jerusalem's devastation as a business opportunity. When others fall, do you calculate your advantage — or do you weep? The impulse to benefit from someone else's collapse invites God's attention.
  • 2. "Many nations... as the sea bringeth up his waves" (v.3). Judgment sometimes comes in waves — not one decisive blow but erosion over time. If you're resisting God, each wave gets bigger. Don't wait for the final one.
  • 3. God's prophecies are fulfilled with shocking precision (v.12). Stones, timber, dust — in the water. Written 250 years before Alexander carried it out. The God who predicts with this accuracy can be trusted with your future.
  • 4. No human empire is too great to fall (v.21). Tyre was the commercial capital of the world. Now it's a bare rock. Your career, your empire, your legacy — all sandcastles if built without God.
  • 5. "Sought for, yet never found" (v.21). Some losses are permanent. Some opportunities don't return. Some doors close forever. Respond to God NOW while He can still be found (Isaiah 55:6).