Yechezkel Chapter 26: Prophecy Against Tyre
- Tyre’s Arrogant Rejoicing Over Jerusalem (Verses 1–2)
In the eleventh year, G‑d speaks to Yechezkel, condemning Tyre for rejoicing at Jerusalem’s fall. Tyre boasted that with Jerusalem destroyed, the “gateway of the peoples” had opened for her gain, and she expected to profit from Israel’s ruin.
- G‑d Declares Judgment Through Many Nations (Verses 3–6)
G‑d announces that He is against Tyre and will bring many nations against her, like the relentless waves of the sea. These nations will destroy her walls, demolish her towers, and scrape her soil until she becomes a bare rock. Her surrounding towns (“daughters in the field”) will fall by the sword. Through this devastation, Tyre will know that He is the Lord.
- Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege and Destruction (Verses 7–11)
G‑d proclaims that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, will come from the north with a massive army, horses, chariots, and horsemen. He will kill Tyre’s daughters, erect siege works, build ramps, and attack the city with battering rams. The dust raised by his horses will cover Tyre, and the noise of chariots and wheels will shake her walls. He will trample the streets, kill her inhabitants, and bring down her strong fortresses.
- Total Plunder and Desolation (Verses 12–14)
Invaders will plunder Tyre’s wealth, destroy her luxurious homes, and throw her stones, timber, and rubble into the sea. Her joyous songs and harps will cease forever. G‑d will make her a bare rock used as a place for spreading fishing nets, never to be rebuilt, for He has spoken.
- The Reaction of the Coastal Nations (Verses 15–18)
When Tyre collapses, the surrounding islands and coastal rulers will tremble. The “princes of the sea” will leave their thrones, remove their royal robes, and sit on the ground in terror. They will lament Tyre, once strong in the sea, admired and feared by all who dwelt upon the waters. Her downfall will cause nations across the sea to tremble.
- Tyre’s Descent to the Pit and Its Final End (Verses 19–21)
G‑d will make Tyre desolate like cities long abandoned. The deep waters will cover her, and she will descend into the Pit alongside the peoples of ancient times. She will no longer be inhabited. Though G‑d will restore beauty to “the land of the living,” Tyre will become a nonentity. She will vanish and never again be found.
Key Message
Tyre’s pride and rejoicing over Jerusalem’s destruction brought about her own downfall. G‑d demonstrates His sovereignty over nations, showing that no power—even one as wealthy and fortified as Tyre—can stand against His justice.
