HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Ezekiel 26

1

And 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,

2

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:

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.

2
4

And 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.

5

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.

6

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

7

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.

8

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.

9

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

10

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.

11

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.

1
12

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.

13

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

14

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.

15

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?

16

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.

17

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!

18

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

19

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;

20

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;

21

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.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Ezekiel 26

God announces Tyre's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar and other enemies, detailing the city's devastation, its reduction to a bare rock, and its loss of commercial supremacy through graphic military and political metaphors. Tyre's pride in its commercial success and island fortification makes it confident in its security, but God establishes that no human defense avails against divine judgment. The shipping metaphor—merchants bewailing the city's destruction—emphasizes the commercial networks disrupted by Tyre's fall. The dust and rock imagery establishes complete reduction: the proud city becomes barren, unable to support commerce or population. The chapter's multiple perspectives—the enemies' attack, merchants' lamentation, surrounding nations' shock—create layered condemnation of Tyre's arrogance. Tyre's historical significance as Israel's neighbor and trading partner explains God's specific attention to its judgment; the commercial center that profited from others' misery receives its just recompense. The formula "they will know that I am the Lord" emphasizes that Tyre's judgment, like Israel's, serves as revelation of divine sovereignty and justice. The details of destruction—walls broken, towers demolished, debris scattered—parallel the siege language applied to Jerusalem. This chapter initiates the extended Tyre oracle (chapters 26-28), establishing that God's judgment against distant, wealthy powers is as certain as judgment against covenant breakers.

Ezekiel 26:15

Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in the midst of you? The question format invites reflection on the cosmic significance of Tyre's destruction, suggesting that the entire maritime world will tremble at the news of the great commercial power's demise. The sensory details—groaning wounded, slaughter—make the destruction visceral and inescapable, conveying that no one can be indifferent to such catastrophe.

Ezekiel 26:16

Then all the princes of the sea shall step down from their thrones and remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments; they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you. The kings and princes of maritime nations will express their shock and fear through ritual gestures of mourning—removing robes, sitting in dust, trembling—indicating that Tyre's fall shocks the entire international order. This universal response demonstrates that Tyre's destruction has cosmic significance, affecting not merely local politics but international power structures. The trembling and appalment suggest existential fear about the precariousness of human power.

Ezekiel 26:17

And they will raise a lamentation over you and say to you, 'How you have vanished from the seas, O city renowned for strength! You and your inhabitants, who imposed your might on all the mainland! The lamentation formula introduces a funeral dirge that will be sung over Tyre, universalizing her fall through international mourning poetry. The description—'city renowned for strength,' 'imposed might'—ironically contrasts Tyre's former reputation with her present devastation, making the fall from greatness to nothing the central point of lamentation. This mourning is not merely emotional but theological, acknowledging that power is ultimately fragile and subject to divine overthrow.

Ezekiel 26:18

Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall; yes, the islands in the sea are dismayed at your departure, extending the scope of mourning to the entire maritime world, suggesting that Tyre's collapse affects commerce, navigation, and the entire network of sea-based civilization. The 'day of fall' suggests an apocalyptic moment when the order that depended on Tyre's commercial and military preeminence collapses. This underscores that God's judgment against individual nations has systemic reverberations affecting the entire international order.

Ezekiel 26:19

For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, the judgment transitions from military destruction to primordial inundation, suggesting that divine judgment can employ cosmological forces. The reference to the 'deep' (Heb. tehom) evokes Genesis 1 imagery of waters that precede creation, suggesting that destruction can undo creation itself. This apocalyptic dimension transforms Tyre's judgment from historical event to cosmic reversal.

Ezekiel 26:20

Then I will bring you down with those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the world below, in the places that are desolate, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you are not inhabited; but I will set beauty in the land of the living, the judgment moves from physical destruction to eschatological judgment, placing Tyre among the dead in Sheol alongside other ancient civilizations that have perished. The contrast between desolation below and 'beauty in the land of the living' suggests that God's restoration of the world will exclude Tyre from participation in renewed creation. This theological vision integrates Tyre's judgment into a comprehensive narrative of cosmos-wide restoration.

Ezekiel 26:21

I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more; though you are sought for, you shall never be found again, declares the Lord God, concluding with finality and emphatic negation that Tyre will cease to exist historically and eschatologically. The phrase 'sought for but never found' suggests that memory of Tyre will persist but the city itself will vanish, indicating spiritual and ontological obliteration rather than merely physical destruction. The closing formula confirms God's absolute determination and the certainty of this judgment.

Ezekiel 26:7

For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots and horsemen and a host of many troops, repeating the introduction with emphasis on the military expedition's composition and scale. The reiteration stresses the certainty and imminence of the threat, with the detailed enumeration of military components (horses, chariots, horsemen, troops) creating an overwhelming sense of invincible force. This repetition serves a rhetorical function, impressing upon the audience the absoluteness of the coming judgment.

Ezekiel 26:8

He shall slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword, and he shall set up a siege wall against you and cast up a siege mound against you and raise a shield against you. The concrete military tactics—siege walls, siege mounds, protective shields—describe how Nebuchadnezzar will methodically destroy Tyre through overwhelming force and military engineering. The progression from open field slaughter to siege operations suggests a campaign that moves from peripheral destruction to the systematic reduction of the central stronghold. This military narrative serves theological purposes, depicting God's purposes working through historical military processes.

Ezekiel 26:9

He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers, emphasizing the technological and methodical assault on Tyre's fortifications. The detailed description of siege warfare technology—battering rams and axes—demonstrates the comprehensive preparation for destruction, with each defensive element vulnerable to carefully deployed military instruments. The specificity suggests that no human fortification can withstand the overwhelming force that God directs against those who oppose Him.

Ezekiel 26:10

Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust shall cover you; your walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. The sensory description—dust, sound, trembling walls—creates visceral imagery of the terror and trauma of military invasion and siege. The comparison to entering a breached city suggests that Tyre's walls will be penetrated, forcing defenders into the nightmare scenario of urban warfare and house-to-house combat. This naturalistic detail makes the abstract judgment concrete and immediate.

Ezekiel 26:11

With the hooves of his horses he shall trample all your streets; he shall slay your people with the sword, and your strong pillars shall fall to the ground, extending the conquest into urban space, where even streets become killing fields and monuments of pride (pillars) are overthrown. The destruction moves from external fortifications to internal urban fabric, suggesting total conquest and the erasure of Tyre's distinctive character. The 'strong pillars' symbolize architectural and civic pride, now reduced to rubble by military conquest.

Ezekiel 26:12

And they will plunder your riches and loot your merchandise; they shall break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and your stones and timber and soil they shall cast into the midst of the sea. The plundering and destruction is so complete that Tyre's very materials (stones, timber, soil) will be removed and dispersed into the sea, suggesting not merely conquest but the erasure of the city itself from the landscape. This total destruction—economic spoliation, architectural demolition, and material dispersal—indicates that nothing will remain of Tyre's former glory. The casting of materials into the sea inverts the maritime commerce that once enriched Tyre.

Ezekiel 26:13

And I will silence the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more, using auditory imagery to represent the cessation of joy and cultural vitality that characterized Tyre's existence. The silencing of music—a universal symbol of human flourishing and celebration—suggests a kind of death-in-life where the city persists but stripped of everything that made it worth living in. This metaphorical death of culture anticipates the physical destruction to come.

Ezekiel 26:14

And I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Lord God, returning to the image introduced earlier and now confirming it with absolute finality. The emphatic assurance—'never be rebuilt' and 'I the Lord have spoken'—removes any possibility of recovery or restoration, establishing perpetual desolation as Tyre's fate. This permanence of judgment distinguishes Tyre's fate from temporary military setbacks, making it a divine judgment of absolute character.

Ezekiel 26:1

In the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, because Tyre said, "Aha!" against Jerusalem when the gate of the peoples was broken, and it turned to me, dating the oracle and specifying Tyre's sin as malicious gloating over Jerusalem's downfall and territorial opportunity. The oracle against Tyre marks a significant expansion in scope, moving from smaller neighboring nations to a major international commercial power, suggesting that economic and political preeminence do not exempt nations from divine accountability. Tyre's specific sin—commercial and territorial opportunism masked as satisfaction—reveals how economic behavior expresses theological allegiance or rebellion.

Ezekiel 26:2

I will be against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves, establishing God as Tyre's adversary and describing the mode of judgment through military invasion likened to waves. The simile compares enemy nations to sea waves, suggesting overwhelming, successive, and inevitable force that cannot be resisted or negotiated with. This metaphorical language evokes both the destructive power of nature and the inexorability of divine judgment, making resistance futile.

Ezekiel 26:3

And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. The specific destruction—walls broken, towers demolished, soil scraped away—details the systematic obliteration of Tyre's built environment and defensive capacity. The image of the city reduced to bare rock symbolizes total desolation and the erasure of human civilization, returning the site to its natural state. This architectural destruction reflects theological judgment: cities built on pride and commercial exploitation will be dismantled by God's hand.

Ezekiel 26:4

She shall become a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God, and she shall become a spoil to the nations. Tyre's former glory as a commercial hub will be inverted: instead of a center of maritime commerce, it will become a place where fishermen spread nets. This humiliation—from urban sophistication to utilitarian maritime labor—demonstrates the complete reversal of status that divine judgment accomplishes. The phrase 'I have spoken' underscores the certainty and finality of the judgment.

Ezekiel 26:5

For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots and horsemen and a host of many troops. The specificity of historical detail—naming Nebuchadnezzar and describing his military might—grounds the prophecy in concrete historical reality while maintaining theological interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar is called 'king of kings,' elevating him as God's chosen instrument of judgment. This fusion of historical military action with theological narrative demonstrates that prophecy interprets human history as the arena of God's purposes.

Ezekiel 26:6

And his daughters on the mainland shall be slain by the sword, and then they shall know that I am the Lord. The mention of Tyre's satellite cities ('daughters') being destroyed emphasizes that judgment will extend beyond the principal city to encompass its entire political and economic system. Once again, the recognition formula concludes the passage, indicating that knowledge of God emerges through the destruction of those who oppose Him and his purposes.