Ezekiel 26:21, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to the prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 26 to 28 foretelling the ruin of Tyre, and declares that the great commercial city of Phoenicia would be made a terror and wiped out of existence so completely that though sought for it would never be found again. The occasion was Tyre rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction and hoping to profit from it, for which God would bring Nebuchadnezzar against her to bring down her pride. Old Tyre was taken in Nebuchadnezzar's siege, but its wealth escaped to the new island city, which Alexander the Great later destroyed by casting the stones, timber, rubble and dust of old Tyre into the sea to build a causeway joining the island to the shore. That word spoken nearly twenty-five hundred years ago has been literally fulfilled, for the ancient site was left bare scraped rock without identifiable remains, a place for the spreading of fishermen's nets in the midst of the sea, reduced to a poor fishing village that never regained its importance. Its destruction stands as a divine judgment showing that cities are accountable to God for open, God-defying wickedness and pride, and warns that the same fate awaits every place forgetting and defying Him, including modern proud cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Tyre's Doom Foretold Fulfilled

Ezekiel 26:21 stands in the stirring prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 26 to 28, which give the ruin of Tyre and the lamentation over her destruction. The chapter foretells the destruction of Tyre and Sidon. Tyre was the commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world, the great commercial city of the world. It was the city of Hiram who assisted Solomon in building the temple and of Ethbaal, father of Jezebel wife of Ahab, whose ancient mainland site had been abandoned for a new city built on a small island half a mile from shore.

The occasion was Tyre rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction and hoping to profit from it, for which Nebuchadnezzar was to bring about its fall. God held up the kingdoms around Israel as illustrations that He brings down pride while pleading with Israel for twenty-two years to turn to Him. Though false prophets said Nebuchadnezzar was not coming against Jerusalem, he would capture Tyre and from Tyre would conquer Jerusalem. The verse declares that Tyre would be made a terror and utterly wiped out of existence, brought down from its former greatness to cease to exist as a recognizable city. It would cease so completely that though sought for it would never be found again.

Old Tyre was taken in Nebuchadnezzar's siege and work against Tyre, but its people had moved their wealth to ships and escaped. A new wealthy Tyre was later built on the island, and after destruction and rebuilding was besieged and destroyed again by Alexander the Great. He used the stones, timber, rubble and dust of old Tyre, casting them into the water, to build a causeway and artificial mole joining the island to the shore and reaching the island city. The ancient mainland site was thus scraped bare to build the mole to the island city half a mile from shore.

The prophecy uttered nearly twenty-five hundred years ago concerning Tyre has been literally fulfilled, with fulfillment evident today. The site of ancient Tyre was left bare scraped rock without identifiable remains or fragment to mark it. The very place on which she stood became a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea where fishermen spread their nets. She was reduced to a small poor fishing village among rocks and ruins that never regained its importance. This obliteration and disappearance shows the prophecy was spoken by inspiration.

Divine Judgment Warns Cities

Tyre's ruin stands as a divine judgment proving that cities are accountable to God and may be judged and punished by Him for injustice and wrongdoing. It was a preliminary punishment for open, flaunting, God-defying wickedness, in which the thrifty commercial city was made a terror and wiped out of existence. In this God brings down pride, holding up the kingdoms around Israel as illustrations of that principle while pleading with Israel for twenty-two years to turn to Him. The instrument was Nebuchadnezzar, of whom false prophets said he was not coming against Jerusalem, yet he would capture Tyre and from Tyre would conquer Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 26 belongs to a warning of judgment on a city that defies God, declaring that Tyre would become a terror and cease to exist as a recognizable city, so completely that though sought for it would never be found again. It is presented as a warning and lesson about the judgment awaiting places that forget and defy God.

That fate, leaving the city terrifying and gone beyond recovery or discovery, is applied as a warning that openly wicked, God-defying cities may bring judgment upon themselves. The same fate meets modern proud and beautiful Babylon and modern thrifty Tyre such as San Francisco in earthquake wreck. That wreck is the fruit of awful wickedness and the mercy of God rather than an avenging God, and its lesson is extended to New York, Chicago and every other place forgetting and defying God.