Ezekiel 26

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 26

1¶ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first [day] of the month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken [that was] the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, [now] she is laid waste:

3Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.

4And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

5It shall be [a place for] the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken [it], saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.

6And her daughters which [are] in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

7For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.

8He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.

9And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.

10By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

11With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.

12And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.

13And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

14And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be [a place] to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken [it], saith the Lord GOD.

15¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

16Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at [every] moment, and be astonished at thee.

17And 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!

18Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that [are] in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.

19For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;

20When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

21I will make thee a terror, and thou [shalt be] no [more]: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel 26 records the Lord's judgment against Tyrus for rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction. God declares that many nations, specifically Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, will utterly devastate Tyrus. Her walls will be broken, her wealth plundered, and she will be reduced to a bare rock, never to be rebuilt. This serves as a testament to God's sovereign power and justice.

Medium Summary

In Ezekiel 26, the prophet receives a divine message concerning the city of Tyrus. The Lord condemns Tyrus for celebrating the downfall of Jerusalem, viewing it as an opportunity for her own enrichment. Consequently, God declares Himself against Tyrus, vowing to bring many nations, like waves of the sea, to destroy her. Specifically, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, is named as the primary instrument of this judgment, arriving with a vast army. Tyrus's walls will be demolished, her towers broken, her people slain, and her riches plundered. The city will be scraped clean, becoming a bare rock for spreading nets, never to be rebuilt, and her very existence will cease to be found.

Long Summary

Ezekiel 26 opens with a pronouncement of judgment against the city of Tyrus, delivered in the eleventh year. The Lord's wrath is kindled because Tyrus rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem, perceiving it as an opportunity to gain commercial advantage. God declares that He is against Tyrus and will cause many nations to assault her, akin to the relentless waves of the sea. These forces will demolish Tyrus's walls, break down her towers, and scrape her very dust from the land, rendering her a bare rock, a mere place for spreading fishing nets. Her surrounding villages, referred to as "daughters," will be put to the sword. The Lord specifically names Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, as the primary agent of this destruction, who will come from the north with a formidable army of horses, chariots, and a multitude of people. He will besiege the city, employing siege engines, and his cavalry will trample her streets, slaying her inhabitants and plundering her vast wealth and merchandise. Tyrus's pleasant houses will be destroyed, and her very stones, timber, and dust will be cast into the midst of the water. The joyous sounds of her songs and harps will cease forever, and she will remain an uninhabited ruin, never to be rebuilt. The chapter concludes with a vivid description of the lamentation of the princes of the sea, who will tremble and mourn at Tyrus's sudden and complete fall, acknowledging her former renown and strength. The Lord reiterates that Tyrus will become a desolate city, covered by the deep, brought down to the pit, and though sought, she shall never be found again, demonstrating the finality of divine judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Divine JudgmentThe Lord declares Himself against Tyrus, initiating a series of destructive events as a consequence of her gloating over the desolation of Jerusalem.
  • Tyrus's Pride and MaliceTyrus expresses satisfaction at Jerusalem's ruin, believing that the collapse of her rival's trade routes would lead to her own replenishment and prosperity.
  • Nebuchadrezzar as God's InstrumentThe Lord explicitly identifies Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon, as the chosen leader who will bring a vast army to besiege and utterly destroy Tyrus.
  • Complete DesolationTyrus is prophesied to be reduced to a bare rock, a place for spreading nets, with her materials cast into the water, signifying her permanent and irreversible ruin.
  • Lamentation of Sea PrincesThe princes of the sea are depicted as descending from their thrones, trembling, and lamenting the destruction of the once-renowned and powerful city of Tyrus.
  • Irreversible RuinThe chapter concludes by emphasizing that Tyrus will become a terror and will cease to exist, searched for but never to be found again, highlighting the absolute nature of God's judgment.