Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 26

Verse 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,

In the eleventh year — Of Jechoniah’s captivity, the year wherein Jerusalem was taken.

The month — That month which followed the taking of Jerusalem.

Verse 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:

Because — Probably God revealed this to the prophet as soon as these insulting Tyrians spoke it.

The gates — The great mart of nations, people from all parts.

She is turned — The trading interest will turn to me.

Verse 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.

Scrape — I will leave thee nothing; thou shalt be scraped, and swept, that not so much as dust shall remain in thee.

Like — As bare as was the rock on which thy city is built.

Verse 6

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

Her daughters — The lesser cities.

In the field — On the firm land.

Verse 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.

Garrisons — Bastions, or forts, or triumphal arches.

Verse 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.

Shall lay — It had been a quicker way, to have burnt all; but the greedy soldier might dream of treasures hid in walls, or under the timber, and therefore take the pains to pull all down, and throw it into the sea.

Verse 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.

No more — Tho’ there was a city of that name built, yet it was built on the continent; and in propriety of speech, was another city.

Verse 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?

The isles — Isles which are places freest from danger of invasions, will shake with fear, when they learn that Tyre is fallen.

Verse 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.

The princes — Who were lords of the islands of that sea.

Come down — In token of condolence.

Trembling — They shall be afraid of their own concerns, and astonished in the midst of their fears.

Verse 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.

In the sea — At a great distance, and farther from land.

Departure — Leaving thy ancient dwelling, to go into captivity.

Verse 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;

The deep — Nebuchadnezzar’s army.

Great waters — Great afflictions.

Verse 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;

Bring thee down — When I shall slay thee, and throw thee into the grave.

With the people — Who are long since dead, and gone to eternity.

The low parts — Another description of the grave, from the situation and solitude of it.

Set glory — Then I will restore the beauty, strength, and wealth of Israel, and bring them back to Jerusalem.

In the land — In the land of Judea, called, land of the living, because a land, where God will bless, and give life by his word, ordinances, and spirit: thus different shall Tyre’s captivity and Jerusalem’s be.

Verse 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.

A terror — To all that hear of thee.