Ezekiel 26:1-6

Chapter Thirteen

JUDGMENT ON TYRE AND SIDON
26:1-28:26

The Phoenician seaport cities of Tyre and Sidon next come under the purview of the prophet. Tyre, the more important of the two cities, receives far more attention seventy-six verses as compared to but four verses devoted to Sidon. The lengthy Tyre material is itself divided into four distinct messages. The first two speak of the city itself, the last two of the king of that city. H. L. Ellison has offered the interesting suggestion that Ezekiel saw in the fall of the commercial city of Tyre a picture of the fall of Babylon, a similar commercial metropolis.[379]

[379] Ellison, EMM, p. 100.

I. THE DESTRUCTION OF TYRE 26:1-26

The Tyre material is dated to the eleventh year of Jehoiachin's captivity, the same year that Jerusalem fell the final time to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. The month is not stated in the text, but it was likely the sixth month just after the destruction of Jerusalem. In terms of the modern calendar, Jerusalem was captured by the Chaldeans on July 29; the city was destroyed and burned on August 28, 587 B.C.[380] If it was the first day of the sixth month on which the oracles against Tyre were composed, the date would be September 18, 587 B.C.[381]

[380] Finigan, HBC, p. 206,

[381] In the eleventh year of Jehoiachin's captivity. New Year's Day fell on April 23, 587 B.C. See Finigan, Ibid

To appreciate the prophecies regarding Tyre, one needs to be familiar with some of the geography of the place. Tyre is located a mere thirty-five miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee and only a hundred miles or so from Jerusalem. Ancient merchants would traverse this distance by camel in a few days. Tyre was situated in a most advantageous location on the Mediterranean Sea coast. The city possessed two excellent harbors, one on the mainland where a portion of the city was built, and the other on an off-shore island where the main fortress was located. It was this rocky island that gave the city its Hebrew name tsor, rock. The mainland city was connected to the island fortress by a causeway which was built by King Hiram in the tenth century before Christ. The island city helped double the trading capacity of Tyre as well as provide a last refuge for the citizens in time of attack.

The Phoenicians were the merchants of antiquity. Export products included glassware and dyed materials. A beautiful purple dye was made from a shellfish native to the area, Tyre was a prize which conquerors desired above all others. Tyre seems to have suffered less damage than the other states of Syria-Palestine during the Assyrian era, although she had to pay heavy tribute to maintain her commercial freedom.
The prediction of Tyre's destruction can be divided into four paragraphs each introduced by the traditional messenger formula, thus says the Lord GOD.

A. The Reason for and Extent of the Destruction 26:1-6

TRANSLATION

(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, (2) Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem: Aha, she who was the door of peoples is broken; it has turned unto me; I shall be filled with the one who has been laid waste. (3) Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up against you many nations, as the sea causes its waves to come up. (4) And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. (5) She shall become a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it (oracle of the LORD); and she shall be come a spoil for the nations. (6) And her daughters who are in the field shall be slain with the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

COMMENTS

The first paragraph of the Tyre oracle is couched in the because. therefore pattern of the previous chapter. Tyre's offense was that she had gloated over the fall of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been the gate of the peoples, a major trading center at the intersection of a large number of international trade-routes. The caravan tolls which once filled Jerusalem's coffers would come to Tyre now that the capital of Judah was laid waste. A bit of greed and selfishness is evidenced in the joyous exclamation, I shall be filled (Ezekiel 26:2). Because of this greed and arrogant pride the God of Israel declared Himself to be an adversary of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:3 a).

Five specific predictions concerning the future of Tyre are contained in Ezekiel 26:3 b - Ezekiel 26:6.

1. Prediction One: Many nations would come against Tyre. Wave after wave of enemy soldiers would storm that place (Ezekiel 26:3). Commencing with the attack of Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre experienced at least five major assaults: Alexander the Great attacked the place in 332 B.C. and succeeded in conquering the city after a siege of seven months. Antigonus besieged Tyre in 314 B.C. and conquered the city after a siege of fifteen months. The Arabs captured the city in A.D. 636 and it was retaken by the Crusaders in A.D. 1124. Finally, the Arabs retook the city in A.D. 1291.

2. Prediction Two: Tyre would be made a bare rock. The proud walls and towers would be broken down (Ezekiel 26:4). Alexander the Great scraped the old mainland site of Tyre clean. With the debris and rubble he built a peninsula out into the sea by means of which he was able to make a land assault on the island fortress.

3. Prediction Three: Fisherman would spread their nets over the site of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:5). The dry rocky island would be a suitable place for such activity. The presence of fish nets implies fisher men. Hence, the prophet is not suggesting that the site of Tyre would be totally abandoned. A small fishing village exists upon the ancient ruins of Tyre today.[382]

[382] Modern Tyre is not the original city, but was built down the coast from the original site.

4. Prediction Four: Tyre would become spoil for the nations (Ezekiel 26:5 b). History records that each successive wave of attackers enriched itself at the expense of Tyre. See also comments on prediction one above.

5. Prediction Five: Satellite towns and villages (her daughters) on the mainland would be slain by the sword, i.e., destroyed by warfare. Nebuchadnezzar took the mainland city of Tyre and the surrounding towns and villages during his campaign in that region.

All of the five blows mentioned above would befall Tyre for two reasons: (1) God had so decreed it in a solemn oracle, and He cannot lie (Ezekiel 26:5); and (2) the God of Israel would thereby be vindicated in the eyes of the Phoenician peoples (Ezekiel 26:6).