FocusThe surrounding powers judged
Connection to the wholeThe messages address neighboring peoples and powerful kingdoms, showing that judgment is not confined to Jerusalem.
interpretation Ezekiel 26:2
KJVSon 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:
Read it in context
A Prophecy against Tyre
Start reading at Ezekiel 26:1 (Ezekiel 26:1 to Ezekiel 26:21).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The messages address neighboring peoples and powerful kingdoms, showing that judgment is not confined to Jerusalem.
- 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,
- 26:2 Son 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:
- 26:3 Therefore 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.
- 26:4 And 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.
- 26:5 It 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.
- 26:6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
- 26:7 For 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.
- 26:8 He 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.
- 26:9 And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
- 26:10 By 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.
- 26:11 With 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.
- 26:12 And 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.
- 26:13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.
- 26:14 And 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.
- 26:15 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?
- 26:16 Then 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.
- 26:17 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!
- 26:18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.
- 26:19 For 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;
- 26:20 When 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;
- 26:21 I 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.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest and prophet among the exiles, is the named prophetic voice and traditional author. Biblical references: Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3. stated in the text
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Ezekiel 25:1–32:32): The named foreign peoples and rulers—Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt—are the targets of the oracles heard by Ezekiel's community. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? The house of Israel, with Ezekiel speaking especially among the Judean exiles in Babylonia. Some visions concern people in Jerusalem or other nations rather than people physically present with him. Biblical references: Ezekiel 3:11; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 24:21. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? A Prophecy against Tyre. Read Ezekiel 26:1 through Ezekiel 26:21 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The messages address neighboring peoples and powerful kingdoms, showing that judgment is not confined to Jerusalem. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The book repeatedly dates visions by years of captivity. Events pictured in a vision, the time of receiving it, and the time of later fulfillment should be distinguished. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Ezekiel is among the exiles by the river Chebar. Visions carry him to other scenes, including Jerusalem; visionary location is not automatically ordinary physical travel. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in A Prophecy against Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1 to Ezekiel 26:21). Start reading at Ezekiel 26:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The shepherd promise can be read alongside Jesus' teaching about the good shepherd. The connection should retain Ezekiel's concern for the scattered flock and the failure of Israel's shepherds. See Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:23, John 10:11. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Take warnings about personal responsibility and corrupt leadership seriously. When interpreting symbolic acts or visions, begin with the explanations supplied within the book. interpretation
Cited: Ezekiel 26:1, Ezekiel 26:21, Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:23, John 10:11
Who wrote it, and how we know
Ezekiel the prophet
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book is written in the first person by Ezekiel the priest.
Ezekiel 1:1Ezekiel 1:3
Early traditionTradition names Ezekiel.
What is debatedSome scholars propose later editing.
Related passages
- Tyrus Ezek 27:1-28 Josh 19:29 Ps 83:7 Isa 23:1-18 Jer 25:22 Jer 27:3 Jer 47:4 Joel 3:4
- Aha Ezek 25:2-3,6 Ezek 36:2 Ps 35:21 Ps 40:15 Ps 70:3 Ps 83:2-4
- the gates Lam 1:1 Acts 2:5-10
- she is Ezek 25:10 Jer 49:1
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel 26
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:2 Ezekiel 1:3
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol.
Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:2 Ezekiel 1:3
The vision and commission
Ezekiel 1:1–3:27FocusGlory, the scroll, and responsibility
Connection to the wholeThe opening vision and commission establish Ezekiel's task among the exiles and his responsibility to speak the LORD's words.
interpretation Judgment on Jerusalem
Ezekiel 4:1–24:27FocusSigns, visions, and covenant unfaithfulness
Connection to the wholeA sustained sequence of signs and messages exposes Jerusalem's sin and announces the coming disaster.
interpretation FocusThe surrounding powers judged
Connection to the wholeThe messages address neighboring peoples and powerful kingdoms, showing that judgment is not confined to Jerusalem.
interpretation After the fall: responsibility and restoration
Ezekiel 33:1–39:29FocusShepherding, cleansing, and renewed life
Connection to the wholeThe messages turn toward restoration while preserving individual responsibility and the LORD's judgment against hostile powers.
interpretation The vision of temple and land
Ezekiel 40:1–48:35FocusOrdered worship and the LORD's presence
Connection to the wholeThe final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.