Ezekiel 26:16, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to the prophecy against Tyre, the great famous Phoenician commercial metropolis of the world, and pictures its princes of the sea brought down from their thrones, laying aside robes and embroidered splendor to sit on the ground clothed with trembling and astonished at its fall. Judgment came because Tyre rejoiced at Jerusalem's destruction hoping to profit from its ruin, in pride forgetting and defying God in open wickedness and injustice, and it would come through Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans. What was spoken nearly twenty-five hundred years ago has been literally fulfilled and is evident today, in destruction by the Chaldeans with restoration after seventy years and in later ruin leaving only bare rock for the spreading of fishermen's nets after Alexander used its stones and rubble to reach and destroy the island city. Tyre stands as God's warning that every proud city forgetting and defying Him is accountable and subject to judgment, as when its preliminary punishments are set beside the earthquake ruin of San Francisco in its open wickedness as a modern proud Babylon and thrifty Tyre. The coming down, trembling and astonished staring of the princes is the stunned, broken helplessness that such awful wickedness invites, calling New York, Chicago, San Francisco and every other place and people not to a momentary impulse to do better but to the principle of doing right.

Context and Meaning

Ezekiel 26:16 stands within the prophecy against Tyre, a foreign nation, in the section of the book devoted to prophecies against seven nations and against the nations. Tyre was a great commercial city, a great and famous ancient Phoenician city and commercial center, once the commercial metropolis of the world. The reading of Ezekiel 26–28 sets forth the peril of pride, and Tyre's pride would be brought down in destruction so complete that its former site would become a place for spreading nets. That downfall and its literal fulfillment are evident today.

The doom was declared after Tyre rejoiced at Jerusalem's destruction and expected to profit from its ruin. It exposes the peril of pride and shows Tyre judged for forgetting and defying God, for open, flaunting, God-defying wickedness, and for human evil and injustice. San Francisco as a modern proud Babylon and modern thrifty Tyre meets that same fate in earthquake ruin, and the same lesson stands for New York, Chicago, and every other place forgetting and defying God. That lesson calls not for a mere impulse to do better but for the principle to do right.

Judgment would come through Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans, and the prophecy particularly describes Nebuchadnezzar's work against Tyre. The chapter predicts destruction by the Chaldeans, the escape of many citizens who would find no rest in refuge, and the city's restoration after seventy years, the lifetime of the king who destroyed it. It also predicts Tyre's later destruction, its loss of former importance, and its eventual reduction to a place where fishermen dry their nets. That later work connects with Alexander's siege, when he used the stones and rubble of old Tyre to build a way to the island city, which he captured and destroyed.

The verse describes the rulers of the sea losing royal status and splendor when Tyre is judged. They come down from their thrones, lay aside robes and embroidered garments, clothe themselves with trembling, sit on the ground, and tremble at every moment in astonishment. They are humbled and terrified when God brings judgment on the city. Tyre is thus an example that a city is accountable to God and subject to His judgment.

Prophecy Literally Fulfilled

The word spoken concerning Tyre nearly twenty-five hundred years ago has been literally fulfilled. It belongs to the prophecy of Tyre's downfall within the prophecy against the nations, and its fulfillment is evident today. Tyre was once the commercial metropolis of the world, but it was destroyed and its former site became a rocky place where fishermen dry their nets. The chapter first predicted destruction by the Chaldeans and the escape of many citizens who would find no rest in refuge. It also predicted the city's restoration after seventy years, the lifetime of the king who destroyed it.

That same prophecy predicted a later destruction, loss of former importance, and eventual reduction to a place where fishermen dry their nets, and these predictions have been fulfilled. Its pride would be brought down and its destruction would be so complete that its former site would become a place for spreading nets. The prophecy particularly describes Nebuchadnezzar's work against Tyre, the great commercial city. Alexander later used the stones and rubble of old Tyre to build a way to the island city, which he captured and destroyed.

Warning to Modern Cities

Tyre's punishment is God's warning of judgment upon a proud city that forgets and defies God, standing together with the warnings to Babylon. Tyre is an example that a city is accountable to God and subject to His judgment, a lesson for other cities and people. Its preliminary punishments are set beside the San Francisco earthquake, which is treated as the consequence of that city's open wickedness. San Francisco, as a modern proud Babylon and modern thrifty Tyre, meets the same fate in earthquake ruin.

The coming down from thrones and the trembling and astonishment of the princes of the sea is the stunned, broken, helpless staring of men before such dynamic force. That condition is fruit invited by awful wickedness and by the mercy of God, and a warning given beforehand to those who would listen. The same lesson stands for New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and every other place and people forgetting and defying God. It calls not for a momentary impulse to do better but for the principle to do right.