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Ezekiel 26

Ezekiel 26:17

A Prophecy against Tyre · Ezekiel 26:1–21
Read Ezekiel 26

Translations

Modern
Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples!
Traditional
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!
Literal
And they will take up over you a lamentation, and they will say to you: “How you have perished, one inhabited from the seas, O city renowned, who was strong on the sea—she and those dwelling in her, who gave out their terror to all those dwelling by her!
Latin
…et assumentes super te lamentum, dicent tibi: Quomodo peristi, quæ habitas in mari, urbs inclyta, quæ fuisti fortis in mari cum habitatoribus tuis, quos formidabant universi?

Original

Hebrew
English
Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples!

Notes

Ezekiel 26:17–18

  • A funeral song would be sung for Tyre. This kind of song is called a lament (a song of mourning for the dead). The prophet had used this kind of song earlier (see study note on Ezekiel 19:1–14). People would repeat this funeral song from place to place. Many would mourn the fall of the great city.

  • powerful on the sea … who imposed terror: Tyre had strong naval power (military strength at sea). Her ships traveled widely and controlled important trade routes.

    Because of this power, Tyre spread fear among other nations. Her trading system was not always peaceful. It was often based on conquest (defeating others in war), subjugation (forcing others to submit), and exploitation (using others unfairly for gain). See Ezekiel 28:16, 18.

Ezekiel 26:1–28:19

The message against Tyre, Israel’s northwestern neighbor, is more detailed than the short messages before it. It consists of three similar sections (Ezekiel 26:2–21; 27:1–36; and 28:1–19). Each section conveys the same idea: Tyre would meet a terrible end and cease to exist (Ezekiel 27:36).

Ezekiel 25:1–32:32

  • This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

  • One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.

Theme notes and profiles

Messages Against the Nations

Events

Parallels

Isaiah 23:1–18

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Ezekiel, Book of Lord Phoenicia, Phoenicians Tyre

Topics

Tyre: Called: The Renowned City Tyre: Inhabitants of Sea-Faring Men Tyre: Insular Position of Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: All Nations to be Terrified at Its Destruction Tyre: Strongly Fortified