Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
1In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken; it has swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will be filled,’
3therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, O Tyre, I am against you, and I will raise up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.
7For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with cavalry and a great company of troops.
8He will slaughter the villages of your mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp to your walls, and raise his shields against you.
10His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots.
11The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.
12They will plunder your wealth and pillage your merchandise. They will demolish your walls, tear down your beautiful homes, and throw your stones and timber and soil into the water.
14I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.’
15This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan at the slaughter in your midst?
16All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over you.
17Then 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!
19For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I make you a desolate city like other deserted cities, and when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you,
20then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 26 records God's judgment against Tyre, the wealthy Phoenician city that had mocked Jerusalem's destruction and sought to profit from her misfortune. This prophecy demonstrates that God will not overlook pride, exploitation, and contempt for His people. Through detailed imagery of military siege and complete desolation, the Lord reveals that earthly power and riches mean nothing against His sovereignty, and that those who oppose His purposes will face inevitable judgment.
Ezekiel receives this word in the eleventh year of his exile, placing it after Jerusalem's fall (586 BC). Tyre had celebrated Jerusalem's downfall, saying "Aha, she is broken" (v. 2)—mocking the holy city and expecting to absorb her trade and wealth. This was not mere schadenfreude; it was contempt for God's people and an affront to God Himself.
The Lord's response is decisive: "I am against thee" (v. 3). God compares the invasion to waves of the sea—relentless, overwhelming, and unstoppable. Verses 4–5 paint a stark picture: Tyre's proud walls will be destroyed, her dust scraped away, and she will become nothing more than a barren rock—a place for fishermen to spread their nets. This is not merely military defeat; it is complete erasure of human grandeur.
Application: God hates pride that mocks His people and His purposes. We must guard our hearts against schadenfreude and rejoicing in others' suffering, especially when it involves God's work.
The Lord names His instrument: Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon (v. 7), described as "a king of kings." This pagan ruler, though unknowingly serving God's purposes, will bring overwhelming military force—horses, chariots, horsemen, and countless soldiers. Verses 8–11 describe siege tactics: siege mounds, battering rams, axes breaking towers, and cavalry trampling streets. The dust from countless horses will cover the city; the noise alone will shake the walls.
The conquest is total and systematic. The Babylonians will plunder Tyre's wealth, take her merchandise, demolish her buildings, and cast her stones and timber into the sea (v. 12). What once was the glory of the merchant world becomes rubble and ruin.
Application: Material wealth and military might provide no security apart from God's favor. No fortress, no army, no treasure can stand against the judgment of the Almighty.
The prophecy concludes with an emphasis on permanent loss. The music and celebration that once filled Tyre will cease forever (v. 13). She will become bare rock, never rebuilt (v. 14). Even the merchant princes of the surrounding islands will mourn her fall, stripping off their robes and sitting in shock and trembling (vv. 15–18). Their lamentation acknowledges Tyre's former glory and the shock of her sudden collapse.
Most poignantly, verses 19–21 describe Tyre being brought down like those who descend into the pit—joining the dead of ancient times in utter obscurity. She will become "a terror" and "no more" (v. 21). Though men may search for her, she will never be found. Yet in her destruction, God will "set glory in the land of the living" (v. 20)—a reminder that His honor is exalted when His judgments are executed.
Application: Ultimate purpose and lasting glory belong only to God and His kingdom, not to earthly empires or achievements.
Application for Today
Ezekiel 26 warns against pride in worldly success and comfort in the misery of others, especially God's people. Whether as individuals or nations, we are called to honor God's purposes and to remember that all earthly power is temporary. The judgment on Tyre reminds us that God's Word will be fulfilled, and that true security rests only in faith and obedience to Him, not in wealth, weapons, or human accomplishment.
Study Notes — Ezekiel 26
4 sectionsEzekiel 26 records God's judgment against Tyre, the wealthy Phoenician city that had mocked Jerusalem's destruction and sought to profit from her misfortune. This prophecy demonstrates that God will not overlook pride, exploitation, and contempt for His people. Through detailed imagery of military siege and complete desolation, the Lord reveals that earthly power and riches mean nothing against His sovereignty, and that those who oppose His purposes will face inevitable judgment.
Ezekiel receives this word in the eleventh year of his exile, placing it after Jerusalem's fall (586 BC). Tyre had celebrated Jerusalem's downfall, saying "Aha, she is broken" (v. 2)—mocking the holy city and expecting to absorb her trade and wealth. This was not mere schadenfreude; it was contempt for God's people and an affront to God Himself.
The Lord's response is decisive: "I am against thee" (v. 3). God compares the invasion to waves of the sea—relentless, overwhelming, and unstoppable. Verses 4–5 paint a stark picture: Tyre's proud walls will be destroyed, her dust scraped away, and she will become nothing more than a barren rock—a place for fishermen to spread their nets. This is not merely military defeat; it is complete erasure of human grandeur.
Application: God hates pride that mocks His people and His purposes. We must guard our hearts against schadenfreude and rejoicing in others' suffering, especially when it involves God's work.
The Lord names His instrument: Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon (v. 7), described as "a king of kings." This pagan ruler, though unknowingly serving God's purposes, will bring overwhelming military force—horses, chariots, horsemen, and countless soldiers. Verses 8–11 describe siege tactics: siege mounds, battering rams, axes breaking towers, and cavalry trampling streets. The dust from countless horses will cover the city; the noise alone will shake the walls.
The conquest is total and systematic. The Babylonians will plunder Tyre's wealth, take her merchandise, demolish her buildings, and cast her stones and timber into the sea (v. 12). What once was the glory of the merchant world becomes rubble and ruin.
Application: Material wealth and military might provide no security apart from God's favor. No fortress, no army, no treasure can stand against the judgment of the Almighty.
The prophecy concludes with an emphasis on permanent loss. The music and celebration that once filled Tyre will cease forever (v. 13). She will become bare rock, never rebuilt (v. 14). Even the merchant princes of the surrounding islands will mourn her fall, stripping off their robes and sitting in shock and trembling (vv. 15–18). Their lamentation acknowledges Tyre's former glory and the shock of her sudden collapse.
Most poignantly, verses 19–21 describe Tyre being brought down like those who descend into the pit—joining the dead of ancient times in utter obscurity. She will become "a terror" and "no more" (v. 21). Though men may search for her, she will never be found. Yet in her destruction, God will "set glory in the land of the living" (v. 20)—a reminder that His honor is exalted when His judgments are executed.
Application: Ultimate purpose and lasting glory belong only to God and His kingdom, not to earthly empires or achievements.
Ezekiel 26 warns against pride in worldly success and comfort in the misery of others, especially God's people. Whether as individuals or nations, we are called to honor God's purposes and to remember that all earthly power is temporary. The judgment on Tyre reminds us that God's Word will be fulfilled, and that true security rests only in faith and obedience to Him, not in wealth, weapons, or human accomplishment.