Yechezkel 26

1 6 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,
2 Ben adam, because that Tzor (Tyre) hath said against Yerushalayim, Aha, she is broken that was the daletot (gates) of the nations; she is turned over to me; I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste;
3 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Tzor (Tyre), and will cause Goyim rabbim to come up against thee, like the yam (sea) causeth its waves to come up.
4 And they shall destroy the chomot (walls) of Tzor (Tyre), and break down her migdalim (towers); I will also scrape her aphar from her, and make her into a barren rock.
5 It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the yam; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem; and it shall become a plunder to the Goyim.
6 And her banot which are in the sadeh shall be slain by the cherev; and they shall know that I am Hashem.
7 For thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I will bring upon Tzor (Tyre) Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, a melech melachim, from the tzafon (north), with sus, and with chariots, and with parashim, and a kahal with much people.
8 He shall slay with the cherev thy banot in the sadeh; and he shall heap up a siege mound against thee, and build a ramp against thee, and lift up the shield against thee.
9 And he shall set battering rams against thy chomot (walls), and with his weapons he shall break down thy migdalim (towers).
10 By reason of the abundance of his susim their dust shall cover thee; thy chomot (walls) shall shake at the noise of the parash (warhorse), and of the galgal (wheel), and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy she’arim, as invaders swarm into a breached ir.
11 With the hooves of his susim shall he trample down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people by the cherev, and thy strong pillars shall fall to the eretz.
12 And they shall plunder thy riches, and pillage thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy chomot, and destroy thy batim (houses) of chemdah (desire, i.e., thy finest dwellings); and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy aphar in the midst of the mayim.
13 And I will cause the sound of thy shirim (songs) to cease; and the sound of thy kinnorot shall be no more heard.
14 And I will make thee like the top of a barren rock; thou shalt be for spreading nets upon; thou shalt be rebuilt no more; for I Hashem have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.
15 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem to Tzor (Tyre): Shall not the coastlands tremble fearfully at the sound of thy fall, when the chalal (wounded) cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?
16 Then all the nasi’im of the yam shall come down from their kisse’ot (thrones), and lay aside their robes, and put off their embroidered garments; they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon ha’aretz, and shall tremble at every moment, and be horrified at thee.
17 And they shall take up a kinah (lament, funeral dirge) for thee, and say to thee, How thou hast perished, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned ir (city), which wast chazakah on the yam, she and her inhabitants, which spread their terror—all who live there [in Tyre].
18 Now shall the coastlands tremble in the day of thy fall; indeed, the coastlands that are in the yam shall be traumatized at thy exile.
19 For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: When I shall make thee a desolate ir, like the towns that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the tehom upon thee, and the mayim harabbim (great waters) shall cover thee;
20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the bor (pit), with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of ha’aretz, in places desolate from of old, with them that go down to the bor (pit), so that thou be not inhabited; but I shall bestow splendor on Eretz Chayyim;
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 Adonoi Hashem.

Yechezkel 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

A prophecy against Tyre.

Verses 1-14 To be secretly pleased with the death or decay of others, when we are likely to get by it; or with their fall, when we may thrive upon it, is a sin that easily besets us, yet is not thought so bad as really it is. But it comes from a selfish, covetous principle, and from that love of the world as our happiness, which the love of God expressly forbids. He often blasts the projects of those who would raise themselves on the ruin of others. The maxims most current in the trading world, are directly opposed to the law of God. But he will show himself against the money-loving, selfish traders, whose hearts, like those of Tyre, are hardened by the love of riches. Men have little cause to glory in things which stir up the envy and rapacity of others, and which are continually shifting from one to another; and in getting, keeping, and spending which, men provoke that God whose wrath turns joyous cities into ruinous heaps.

Verses 15-21 See how high, how great Tyre had been. See how low Tyre is made. The fall of others should awaken us out of security. Every discovery of the fulfilment of a Scripture prophecy, is like a miracle to confirm our faith. All that is earthly is vanity and vexation. Those who now have the most established prosperity, will soon be out of sight and forgotten.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 26

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Tyre. The time of the prophecy, Eze 26:1, the cause of the destruction of it, rejoicing at the ruin of Jerusalem, Eze 26:2, the instruments of it, many nations, particularly the king of Babylon, Eze 26:3-7, the manner in which it shall be done, Eze 26:8-14, the lamentation of other isles, and the princes of them, on account of it, Eze 26:15-18, the utter destruction of it, so as never to be found any more, Eze 26:19-21.

Yechezkel 26 Commentaries

The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.