Ezekiel 26:20

20 And I shall draw thee down with them that go down into a pit, to the people everlasting; and I shall set thee in the last land, as old wildernesses, with them that be led down into a pit, that thou be not inhabited. Certainly when I shall give glory in the land of livers, (And I shall draw thee down with those who go down into the pit, with the people of all the ages; and I shall put thee in the last land, an eternal wilderness, with them who be led down into the pit, so that thou be not inhabited. Truly when I shall give glory in the land of the living,)

Ezekiel 26:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 26:20

When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the
pit
The grave, and make thee like to them: with the people of old time;
either the people of the old world, or, however, who have been dead long ago: and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth;
where the dead are laid: in places desolate of old:
long ago unfrequented by men; as such places be as are for the burial of the dead: with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited;
all the inhabitants being free among the dead; a heap of words made use of to express the same thing, for the confirmation of it; namely, that the condition of Tyre should be like that of dead men, who have been of old dead, and are remembered no more. Jarchi interprets the "pit", of hell; as if this respected their everlasting perdition, as well as temporal ruin; it may be applied to the beast which goeth into perdition, ( Revelation 17:8 ) : and I shall set glory in the land of the living;
in the land of Israel; so the Targum; and it is interpreted by the Jewish expositors and others the same way; and which may be called "the land of the living"; because the living God was worshipped in it; living men in a spiritual sense dwelt there, who offered up living sacrifices unto God, and who had the promise and pledge of eternal life; and which was the "glory" of all lands, as it is sometimes called, where the same word is used as here, ( Ezekiel 20:6 ) , which had its accomplishment in some respects at the Jews' return from Babylon; but, as Tyre here is a type of antichrist, it may be observed, that, at the time of his fall and destruction, God will put a glory upon his church and people, upon which there shall be a defence; see ( Isaiah 4:5 ) ( 60:1 ) . This is interpreted by the Talmudists F16 of the resurrection of the dead, when they that die in the land of Israel shall live.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Vid. Kimchi in loc. & T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 111. 1.

Ezekiel 26:20 In-Context

18 Now ships shall wonder in the day of thy dread, and isles in the sea shall be troubled, for none goeth out of thee. (Now the people shall wonder on the day of thy downfall, and the islands in the sea shall be troubled, for no one dwelleth within thee any more.)
19 For the Lord God saith these things, When I shall give thee to be a city desolate, as the cities that be not inhabited, and I shall bring on thee the depth of waters, and many waters shall cover thee. (For the Lord God saith these things, I shall make thee to be a desolate city, like the cities that be not inhabited, and I shall bring upon thee the water from the depths, and many waters shall cover thee.)
20 And I shall draw thee down with them that go down into a pit, to the people everlasting; and I shall set thee in the last land, as old wildernesses, with them that be led down into a pit, that thou be not inhabited. Certainly when I shall give glory in the land of livers, (And I shall draw thee down with those who go down into the pit, with the people of all the ages; and I shall put thee in the last land, an eternal wilderness, with them who be led down into the pit, so that thou be not inhabited. Truly when I shall give glory in the land of the living,)
21 I shall drive thee into nought, and thou shalt not be; and thou shalt be sought, and thou shalt no more be found [into] without end, saith the Lord God. (then I shall drive thee down into nothing, and thou shalt not be; and thou shalt be sought, but thou shalt never be found again, saith the Lord God.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.