Ezekiel 26:17

17 And they shall raise a lamentation over you, and say to you: How you have vanished from the seas, O city renowned, once mighty on the sea, you and your inhabitants, who imposed your terror on all the mainland!

Ezekiel 26:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 26:17

And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say unto
thee
The following mournful song: how art thou destroyed that wast inhabited of seafaring men;
or, "of the seas": by men who used the seas, and traded by sea to different parts of the world; and was frequented by persons that came by sea thither, by the great ocean, by the Red sea, the Mediterranean sea, and others; or, which was surrounded by the sea. So the Targum,

``that dwellest in the midst of the sea:''

"the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea"; fortified by the sea, and against it; strong in shipping and naval stores; so as to be formidable to others, and mistress of the sea. The Targum is,

``which dwell in the strength of the sea;''

and had the strength and riches of it brought unto it; and so was famous all the world over for its commerce, wealth, and power; but now ruined and undone: she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that
haunt it!
the sea; on all that used the seas; or on all the inhabitants of the islands of the sea; who all stood in fear of Tyre and her inhabitants, and were obliged to strike their sails to their ships.

Ezekiel 26:17 In-Context

15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter goes on within you?

16 Then all the princes of the sea shall step down from their thrones; they shall remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They shall clothe themselves with trembling, and shall sit on the ground; they shall tremble every moment, and be appalled at you.

17 And they shall raise a lamentation over you, and say to you: How you have vanished from the seas, O city renowned, once mighty on the sea, you and your inhabitants, who imposed your terror on all the mainland!

18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall; the coastlands by the sea are dismayed at your passing.

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,

Footnotes

• [a]. Gk OL Aquila: Heb [have vanished, O inhabited one,]
• [b]. Heb [it and its inhabitants]
• [c]. Heb [their]
• [d]. Cn: Heb [its inhabitants]