Chapter 26

1 Tyrus, for insulting against Jerusalem, is threatened. 7 The power of Nebuchadrezzar against her. 15 The mourning and astonishment of the sea at her fall.

1. In the eleventh year. Of Jehoiachin’s captivity (see on ch. 1:2; see p. 572). This is the year (587/586 b.c.) in which Jerusalem fell, if it coincides with the regnal year of Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:2–4, 8, 9). The month is not given. Some think the prophecy was given after the fall of the city (see Eze. 26:2), and it could have been if Ezekiel was using a fall-to-fall year; however, the reference to the capture of the city may have been anticipatory.

The prophecies against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines were comparatively short. That against Tyre occupies three chapters (chs. 26–28); that against Egypt, the most important foreign nation denounced by Ezekiel, four chapters.

2. Tyrus. Tyre was a powerful commercial city composed of Old Tyre, situated on the mainland, and New Tyre, built on a rocky island some 140 acres in area about a half mile from shore. New Tyre had two harbors, one on the north and one on the south. From these the Tyrians sent their fleets of ships as far into the Atlantic as West Africa and possibly Britain. Tyre founded colonies in Spain and North Africa, some of which became famous, like Carthage, Gades, and Abdera. Tyre was also famous for its craftsmen. Its manufactured products, such as works of copper, textiles (especially dyed purple), glassware, and pottery, were famous throughout the world.

The Phoenicians spoke a Semitic language. Their religion played a prominent role in their life. Their chief god was Melkarth (sometimes called Baal Melkarth), the patron god of Tyre. This was evidently the Baal worshiped in Israel under Jezebel’s influence. They also worshiped Ashtoreth and other divinities with orgies of the most corrupt nature (see Vol. II, pp. 38–41).

For the history of ancient Phoenicia see on Gen. 10:6, 15, 17, 18; Vol. II, pp. 67–69.

Aha. See on ch. 25:3. Tyre’s joy at Jerusalem’s downfall seems to have been purely selfish. In the days of Solomon, Jerusalem had been a great inland commercial center through which flowed trade from Arabia and even from India. Jerusalem had doubtless been enriched by trade with the Phoenicians. Even in her decline, because of the importance of her situation, Jerusalem had no doubt been the center of many commercial transactions that Tyre would have been happy to monopolize.

3. Many nations. Perhaps, here, Nebuchadnezzar and “all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion,” that is, his allies (see Jer. 34:1). Or the prophet may be viewing the centuries ahead. Following Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the mainland city, successive conquests further reduced the proud city. Tyre became a part of the Persian Empire, though maintaining a partly independent status. Later it was ruled by the Macedonians, then the Romans.

4. Scrape her dust. A figure of extensive destruction. Later, when Alexander besieged New Tyre, he built a causeway from the mainland to the island and used the stones and rubble from Old Tyre as material for it.

5. The spreading of nets. The site of ancient Tyre is still used by fishermen for drying their nets.

6. Daughters. Probably a poetic figure of the cities allied with Tyre who shared her fate.

7. Nebuchadrezzar. This spelling more nearly resembles the Babylonian original, NabuЖРkudurriРusur, than the spelling Nebuchadnezzar (see on Dan. 1:1).

King of kings. Daniel applies the same title to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:37). Persian kings adopted it (see Ezra 7:12), as can be seen from the inscriptions.

From the north. Indicating the direction of the invasion (see on Jer. 1:14).

With horses. The various divisions of the army named are all land forces. We find no record of any naval force being employed such as would have facilitated the capture of the insular city. The siege lasted 13 years. Nebuchadnezzar completely destroyed the city on the mainland, but was unsuccessful in taking island Tyre. An agreement was reached by which Tyre accepted the overlordship of Babylon.

8. A fort. Verses 8–12 describe the usual methods of attack for a mainland city.

11. Garrisons. Heb. masseboth, “pillars.” There may be a reference here to the two famous columns described by Herodotus (ii. 44), one of gold and one of emerald, in the temple of Melkarth, the Baal of Tyre.

12. The midst of the water. There is no record of Nebuchadnezzar’s attempting to build a mole to the island from the mainland. Such, however, was successfully undertaken by Alexander. Even then it was necessary for him to use his navy in order to bring the island city to surrender in 332 b.c. (Diodorus Siculus xvii. 40–46).

13. Thy songs. Careful readers of the book of Revelation have noted the great similarity between much of its symbolism and the language of certain passages in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. It is apparent that John, guided by Inspiration, borrowed extensively from the imagery of the prophets of old, in order to set forth the great climactic scenes of earth’s history in terms that would be familiar and meaningful to the careful reader of the OT. Thus, the desolation of literal Babylon and Tyre provided John with a pictorial description of the desolation of mystical Babylon (see also on Isa. 13; 14; 23:1; 47:1; Jer. 25:12; 50:1). The symbolism and language of the book of Revelation become more clear and meaningful when studied in the light of what the prophets of old wrote concerning events of their era (see on Deut. 18:15). Various aspects of the punishment of literal Tyre as set forth in Eze. 26 to 28 are of value in a study of the punishment of mystical Babylon, presented in Rev. 17 and 18. Note particularly the following:

Ezekiel 26 to 28

Revelation 17 and 18

1. “I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard” (26:13).

1. “The voice of harp-ers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee” (18:22).

2. “The princes of the sea” (26:16). “Inhabited of seafaring men” (26:17). “Thy mariners, and thy pilots” (27:27). “All that had handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea” (27:29).

2. “Every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea” (18:17). “All that had ships in the sea” (18:19). “Thy merchants were the great men of the earth” (18:23).

3. “They shall take up a lamentation for thee” (26:17). “Cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly” (27:30). “They shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing. And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee” (27:31, 32). “The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee” (27:36).

3. “The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her” (18:11). “The kings of the earth . . . shall bewail her, and lament for her” (18:9; cf. vs. 10, 15-19).

4. “How art thou destroyed” (26:17).

4. “In one hour is she made desolate” (18:19; cf. v. 10).

5. “The renowned city” (26:17).

5. “That great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (17:18).

6. “I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee” (26:19). “Thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters” (27:34; cf. vs. 26, 27).

6. “A great millstone . . . cast . . . into the sea, . . . Thus . . . shall that great city of Babylon be thrown down” (18:21).

7. “Thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again” (26:21; cf. 27:36).

7. “Found no more at all” (18:21).

8. “A merchant of the people” (27:3). “The merchants among the people” (27:36).

8. “The merchants . . . were made rich by her” (18:15). “Thy merchants were” the great men of the earth (18:23).

9. “Thy merchandise” (27:27).

9. “The merchandise” (18:12).

10. “Cast up dust upon their heads . . . wallow themselves in the ashes” (27:30).

10. “They cast dust on their heads” (18:19).

11. “What city is like Tyrus?” (27:32).

11. “What city is like unto this great city!” (18:18; cf. vs. 10, 19).

12. “Thou didst enrich the kings” (27:33). “Kings shall be sore afraid” (27:35).

12. “The kings of the earth” (18:9). “The merchants . . . which were made rich by her” (18:15).

13. “Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches” (28:5).

13. “She hath glorified herself and lived deliciously” (18:7). “So great riches” (18:17; cf. vs. 14, 15, 19).

14. “I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations” (28:7).

14. “He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (16:16). “In righteousness he doth judge and make war” (19:11; cf. 17:14; 19:15, 19).

15. “Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth” (28:18).

15. “Burn her with fire” (17:16). “She shall be utterly burned with fire” (18:8). “The smoke of her burn

14. Built no more. Some have found difficulty with this prediction in view of the fact that there is a city of some 14,000 inhabitants (1974 estimate) on the present peninsula that was formerly the island and the causeway. Some believe that the prophecy applies only to the continental city. They point to the state of desolation there—a desolation so complete that the site of the ancient city cannot even be positively identified—as evidence of the fulfillment of the prophet’s words. On the other hand it must be realized that even if a city were erected on the ancient mainland site, Ezekiel’s prophecy would not be broken. Ezekiel’s prophecy was against the Tyre of his day as it stood in its ancient glory and culture. That civilization and its accompanying city were to be destroyed. Any modern building on the site would not be a revival of the ancient culture and hence not a breaking of the prophet’s word.

Furthermore, the expression “no more” (Heb. loХ … Фod) simply means “duration,” the length of time undefined but to be derived from the context. Thus Joseph wept on the neck of his father Фod (Gen. 46:29), there translated, “a great while.” The idea of indefinite perpetuity, though not necessarily in the word Фod, may be inferred from further references to Tyre’s fate (see on v. 21). See also on Isa. 13:20.

15. Isles. Heb. Хiyyim, meaning coastlands as well as islands.

16. Princes of the sea. That is, “merchant princes,” those who had obtained wealth and power by commerce, not actual sovereigns (see Isa. 23:8). Their surprise and grief are described under the figure of Oriental mourning.

17. Inhabited of seafaring men. Literally, “inhabited from the seas.” The LXX reads simply “from the sea.”

18. Troubled. Doubtless because Tyre’s trade had contributed to their prosperity.

19. Bring up the deep. Verses 19–21 represent Tyre as descending into the pit. All who have passed from this life are represented as congregated there. Sometimes, poetically, as in Isa. 14, when a newcomer arrives, the inhabitants of the pit are represented as rousing themselves to address or to welcome him (see on Isa 14:9, 10). All of this, of course, is in figure. Ezekiel uses the same figure of Egypt (Eze. 32:18–32).

20. Set glory. The LXX seems to have preserved a better reading: “thou shalt not stand.” The Hebrew has been understood to mean that when proud Tyre, now rejoicing in the calamity of Judah, should be numbered with the dead, God would establish His people.

21. Thou shalt be no more. Literally, “nothingness of thee.”

Never be found again. Here the Heb. Фod (see on v. 14) is connected to the word leФolam, meaning, literally, “for an age.” The length of Фolam must also be determined by its context (see on Ex. 21:6). The combination of Фod and leФolam seems to emphasize duration. Ezekiel’s words may thus be construed as signifying that the ancient culture and civilization of Tyre would disappear and be no more. Never would the ancient empire be revived.

Ellen G. White comments

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