August 26, 2025
God's Judgment Is Coming for Tyre
Ezekiel 25-29
Ryan Clark
Big Book Idea
While destruction would come and had come, eventually there would be restoration.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 28:12-14
"Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD:
"You were the signet of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
and crafted in gold were your settings
and your engravings.
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
You were an anointed guardian cherub.
I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked."
Ezekiel 25-29
Chapter 25
Prophecy Against Ammon
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon 1 25:5 Hebrew and the Ammonites a fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 6 For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, 7 therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Prophecy Against Moab and Seir
8 Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab and Seir 2 25:8 Septuagint lacks and Seir said, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ 9 therefore I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I will give it along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations, 11 and I will execute judgments upon Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
Prophecy Against Edom
12 Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, 13 therefore thus says the Lord God, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. 14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.
Prophecy Against Philistia
15 Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity, 16 therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”
Chapter 26
Prophecy Against Tyre
1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ 3 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, 6 and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
7 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar 3 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar; so throughout Ezekiel king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. 8 He will kill with the sword your daughters on the mainland. He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound against you, and raise a roof of shields against you. 9 He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10 His horses will be so many that their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as men enter a city that has been breached. 11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. 12 They will plunder your riches and loot your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. 13 And I will stop the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more. 14 I will make you a bare rock. You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, for I am the LORD; I have spoken, declares the Lord God.
15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you. 17 And they will raise a lamentation over you and say to you,
‘How you have perished,
you who were inhabited from the seas,
O city renowned,
who was mighty on the sea;
she and her inhabitants imposed their terror
on all her inhabitants!
18
Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall,
and the coastlands that are on the sea
are dismayed at your passing.’
19 For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, 20 then I will make you go down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you to dwell in the world below, among ruins from of old, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set beauty in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more. Though you be sought for, you will never be found again, declares the Lord God.”
Chapter 27
A Lament for Tyre
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:
O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.
5
They made all your planks
of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6
Of oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
from the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory.
7
Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was your sail,
serving as your banner;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was your awning.
8
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
they were your pilots.
9
The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
to barter for your wares.
10 Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. 11 Men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made perfect your beauty.
12 Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 From Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares. 15 The men of Dedan 4 27:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Rhodes traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Syria did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and ruby. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, meal, 5 27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and wool of Sahar 19 and casks of wine 6 27:19 Probable reading; Hebrew wool of Sahar 19and Dan and Javan from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. 22 The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure. 25 The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas.
26
Your rowers have brought you out
into the high seas.
The east wind has wrecked you
in the heart of the seas.
27
Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
your mariners and your pilots,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your crew
that is in your midst,
sink into the heart of the seas
on the day of your fall.
28
At the sound of the cry of your pilots
the countryside shakes,
29
and down from their ships
come all who handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
stand on the land
30
and shout aloud over you
and cry out bitterly.
They cast dust on their heads
and wallow in ashes;
31
they make themselves bald for you
and put sackcloth on their waist,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.
32
In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you
and lament over you:
‘Who is like Tyre,
like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33
When your wares came from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34
Now you are wrecked by the seas,
in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew in your midst
have sunk with you.
35
All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you,
and the hair of their kings bristles with horror;
their faces are convulsed.
36
The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.’”
Chapter 28
Prophecy Against the Prince of Tyre
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:
Because your heart is proud,
and you have said, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of the gods,
in the heart of the seas,’
yet you are but a man, and no god,
though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
3
you are indeed wiser than Daniel;
no secret is hidden from you;
4
by your wisdom and your understanding
you have made wealth for yourself,
and have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries;
5
by your great wisdom in your trade
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth—
6
therefore thus says the Lord God:
Because you make your heart
like the heart of a god,
7
therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,
the most ruthless of the nations;
and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom
and defile your splendor.
8
They shall thrust you down into the pit,
and you shall die the death of the slain
in the heart of the seas.
9
Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’
in the presence of those who kill you,
though you are but a man, and no god,
in the hands of those who slay you?
10
You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.”
A Lament over the King of Tyre
11 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:
You were the signet of perfection,
7
28:12
The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire,
8
28:13
Or lapis lazuli
emerald, and carbuncle;
and crafted in gold were your settings
and your engravings.
9
28:13
The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
14
You were an anointed guardian cherub.
I placed you;
10
28:14
The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15
You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created,
till unrighteousness was found in you.
16
In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
and I destroyed you,
11
28:16
Or banished you
O guardian cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire.
17
Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I exposed you before kings,
to feast their eyes on you.
18
By the multitude of your iniquities,
in the unrighteousness of your trade
you profaned your sanctuaries;
so I brought fire out from your midst;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
in the sight of all who saw you.
19
All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.”
Prophecy Against Sidon
20 The word of the LORD came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the LORD
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
23
for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.
24 And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.
Israel Gathered in Security
25 Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”
Chapter 29
Prophecy Against Egypt
1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great dragon that lies
in the midst of his streams,
that says, ‘My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.’
4
I will put hooks in your jaws,
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;
and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,
with all the fish of your streams
that stick to your scales.
5
And I will cast you out into the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your streams;
you shall fall on the open field,
and not be brought together or gathered.
To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens
I give you as food.
6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD.
Because you 12 29:6 Hebrew they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel, 7 when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake. 13 29:7 Syriac (compare Psalm 69:23); Hebrew to stand 8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, 9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
Because you 14 29:9 Hebrew he said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ 10 therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.
13 For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, 14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth 15 29:19 Or multitude and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.
21 On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
Footnotes
[1] 25:5 Hebrew and the Ammonites[2] 25:8 Septuagint lacks and Seir
[3] 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar; so throughout Ezekiel
[4] 27:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Rhodes
[5] 27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
[6] 27:19 Probable reading; Hebrew wool of Sahar 19and Dan and Javan
[7] 28:12 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
[8] 28:13 Or lapis lazuli
[9] 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
[10] 28:14 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
[11] 28:16 Or banished you
[12] 29:6 Hebrew they
[13] 29:7 Syriac (compare Psalm 69:23); Hebrew to stand
[14] 29:9 Hebrew he
[15] 29:19 Or multitude
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ezekiel
Timeline
Author and Date
The first dated message in Ezekiel is from the summer of 593 B.C., four years after Nebuchadnezzar deported the first group of exiles to Babylon. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in April 571 B.C. If Ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began (1:1), the final vision of the book came when he was about 50.
Theme and Purpose
Ezekiel spoke to a people forced from their home because they had broken faith with their God. As the spokesman for the Lord, Ezekiel spoke oracles that defended his reputation as a holy God (see especially 36:22–23). The primary purpose of Ezekiel’s message was to restore God’s glory before Israel, who had rejected him in front of the watching nations.
Background
Ezekiel prophesied during a time of great confusion following Israel’s exile to Babylon in 597 B.C. A former Judean king was among the exiles (the 18-year-old Jehoiachin), and the Babylonians had appointed a puppet king to the throne in Jerusalem (Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah).
In times of crisis, God sent prophets to bring his message to his people. Judah’s exile was therefore a period of intense prophetic activity. (Jeremiah also served during this time.)
Ezekiel’s fellow exiles were his main audience, but his oracles also communicated to people who remained in Judah.
Key Themes
- As a priest, Ezekiel was deeply concerned with restoring God’s people to holiness. His understanding of the depth of Israel’s sin is clear in his version of Israel’s history (ch. 20). Even the oracles about a restored Israel (chs. 40–48) include a way to deal with the people’s sin so they can survive in the presence of a holy God. Ezekiel’s concern with sin also accounts for the many places where the book echoes the laws given in the Pentateuch, as well as the similarities between Ezekiel’s new temple (chs. 40–42) and the Exodus tabernacle.
- Israel was subject to its national God. However, this God is no tribal deity. He is supreme over all nations. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar, king of mighty Babylon, was simply a tool in God’s hand to accomplish God’s purpose (e.g., 21:19–23; 30:25). God’s absolute supremacy is most clearly demonstrated in the battle against Gog, the final enemy (chs. 38–39), where God alone crushes Gog’s vast hostile forces.
- Ezekiel declares judgment on those clinging to false hope, but offers true hope to those who accept God’s judgment (37:11). He linked God’s judgment with the hope of a new heart and spirit (36:22–32).
- The condemnation of Israel’s “princes” (e.g., ch. 19) finds its hopeful counterpart in the promise of a future “prince” who would rule with justice (34:23–24) and connect the people to God (46:1–18).
Outline
- Inaugural Vision (1:1–3:27)
- Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (4:1–24:27)
- Oracles against Foreign Nations (25:1–32:32)
- After the Fall of Jerusalem (33:1–39:29)
- Vision of Restoration (40:1–48:35)
The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
c. 593 B.C.
Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living near Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had conquered almost all of the area along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It would eventually conquer even the land of Egypt, where many other Judeans had fled.
Fact: A prophecy fulfilled
A prophecy fulfilled. The city of Tyre was on an island about a half mile from the coast, with some of its people living in villages on the mainland. Alexander the Great conquered Tyre by first destroying those villages and then using the rubble to build a causeway to the island fortress. This fulfilled Ezekiel’s prophecy that Tyre’s stones, timber, and soil would be cast into the midst of the water (26:12).
Fact: Tyre’s wealth
Tyre’s wealth came through its port, where it received goods from all around the Mediterranean—often items other nations did not have access to (28:1–10). Their pride in their wealth would lead to their destruction.
Fact: Hooks in your jaws
Hooks in your jaws (29:4) is a reference to crocodile hunting. Large hooks were baited with pork and cast into the river. When a crocodile bit the baited hook, it was quickly hauled to shore.
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets
| Isaiah | Jeremiah | Ezekiel | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Nahum | Zephaniah | Zechariah* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammon | 49:1–6 | 25:1–7 | 1:13–15 | |||||||
| Arabia | 21:13–17 | |||||||||
| Assyria (Nineveh) | 10:5–19; 14:24–27 | (Nineveh) | (Nineveh) | |||||||
| Babylon | 13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15 | 50:1–51:64 | 2:9–12? | |||||||
| Damascus | 17:1–6? | 49:23–27 | 1:3–5 | 9:1 | ||||||
| Edom | 21:11–12 | 49:7–22 | 25:12–14 | 1:11–12 | 1–14? | |||||
| Egypt | 18:1–20:6 | 46:2–26 | 29:1–32:32 | |||||||
| Elam | 49:34–39 | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 2:12–15 | |||||||||
| Gaza | 1:6–8 | 9:5 | ||||||||
| Kedar and Hazor | 49:28–33 | |||||||||
| Lebanon | 11:1–3? | |||||||||
| Moab | 15:1–16:14 | 48:1–47 | 25:8–11 | 2:1–3 | 2:8–11 | |||||
| Philistia | 14:28–32 | 47:1–7 | 25:15–17 | 3:4–8 | 2:5–7 | 9:6 | ||||
| Tyre Sidon | 23:1–18 | 26:1–28:19; 28:20–23 | 3:4–8 | 1:9–10 | 9:2–3 |
*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)
Ezek. 25:3 The leading reason for judgment against Ammon is the insult they gave to my sanctuary. God’s reputation is the primary concern.
Ezek. 25:4 To punish Ammon, God uses the people of the East, that is, desert nomads. The people that even mighty Babylon could not conquer will fall to mere nomads.
Ezek. 25:12–14 The Lord assigned my people Israel to be the agent of his wrath against Edom, their long-time foe.
Ezek. 25:1–17 Apart from the old northern kingdom of Israel, Judah had four immediate neighbors. They were Ammon on the northeast (vv. 1–7), Moab to the east across the Dead Sea (vv. 8–11), Edom to the south (vv. 12–14), and Philistia to the west (vv. 15–17). Excluding Philistia, but including Tyre and Sidon (chs. 26–28), these nations joined with Judah against Babylon early in Zedekiah’s reign (see Jer. 27:3). Each of these oracles has a similar structure, as well as similar content: condemnation for arrogant cruelty toward Judah.
Ezek. 26:3 The agents of destruction here are many nations. They are described as the crashing of the sea and its waves. The description that follows continues this figurative language. This threat was fulfilled partially by Nebuchadnezzar’s siege, and then more fully by Alexander the Great’s conquest in 332 B.C. Both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander led military forces from “many nations,” whom they had conquered. Nebuchadnezzar’s title “king of kings” (v. 7) is confirmed in historical records from Assyria. When he attacked Tyre, Alexander the Great had the help of 80 ships from Persia and 120 from Cyprus, plus soldiers from other nations.
Ezek. 26:4–5 Tyre’s location in the midst of the sea, often seen in extrabiblical sources as a sign of its security, is now described in mocking language (see also v. 17). Tyre was indeed destroyed and made like a bare rock by Alexander’s conquest.
Ezek. 26:6 Her daughters on the mainland are the villages on the mainland near the island city of Tyre. They were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and again by Alexander.
Ezek. 26:12 That Tyre’s wealth should be subject to plunder is poetic justice, given the city’s greed (v. 2). However, by the time Nebuchadnezzar conquered Tyre, much of value had already been removed. Apparently little wealth remained after 13 years of siege (see 29:18). Later, Alexander the Great conquered Tyre by building a 2,600-foot (800-m) land bridge from the mainland out to the island fortress, thus fulfilling the prophecy of this verse, your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. These materials came from the destruction of the city’s settlements on the mainland (26:6, 8.)
Fact: A prophecy fulfilled
A prophecy fulfilled. The city of Tyre was on an island about a half mile from the coast, with some of its people living in villages on the mainland. Alexander the Great conquered Tyre by first destroying those villages and then using the rubble to build a causeway to the island fortress. This fulfilled Ezekiel’s prophecy that Tyre’s stones, timber, and soil would be cast into the midst of the water (26:12).
Ezek. 26:14 You shall never be rebuilt. Tyre was rebuilt and reconquered several times after Alexander the Great, so the complete fulfillment of this prophecy did not come immediately. The modern city of Tyre is of modest size and is near the ancient site, though not identical to it. Archaeological photographs of the ancient site show ruins scattered over many acres. No city has been rebuilt over these ruins, thus fulfilling this prophecy.
Ezek. 26:1–21 The destruction of Tyre by the Babylonians is described in four oracles grouped into two pairs: Verses 1–6 and 7–14 look toward Tyre’s destruction; vv. 15–18 and 19–21 look back after the destruction, describing reactions to Tyre’s defeat. The prophecy combines predictions that would be fulfilled in the attack by Nebuchadnezzar, who besieged Tyre for 13 years, from 585–572 B.C. (vv. 7–11). It also describes the conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 (the complete destruction predicted in vv. 3–6 and vv. 12–14). Some parts of ch. 26 were not even fulfilled until after the time of Alexander (see note on v. 14). Old Testament prophecies often combine elements fulfilled in the near future with some that are not fulfilled till a more distant time.
Ezek. 26:19–21 These verses are a preview of the close of the entire foreign-nation oracle collection, which mourns the arrival of the nations in the underworld place of the dead (32:17–32). The repeated phrase those who go down to the pit (twice, 26:20; compare 32:18) refers to those whom death has separated from communion with God.
Ezek. 27:8–9 The mariners came from various Phoenician coastal cities.
Ezek. 27:10 Persia (modern Iran), Lud (probably in Asia Minor), and Put (Libya) mark a vast geographical triangle from which foreign mercenaries were recruited.
Ezek. 27:11 The identities of the final group of place names are uncertain. They complete the beauty boasted of in vv. 3–4.
Ezek. 27:13 The names Javan, Tubal, and Meshech first occur as sons of Japheth in Gen. 10:2 (repeated in 1 Chron. 1:5). By Ezekiel’s time the names signified geographical regions, perhaps peopled by descendants of those men. The primary importance of the names here is to signify the far-off places where Tyre did business.
Ezek. 27:12–25 The impressive range of merchant connections begins and ends with Tarshish, probably in southern Spain. Tyre’s trade stretched along the whole extent of the Mediterranean.
Ezek. 27:1–36 This second installment of the prophecy against Tyre is both simple and complex. It follows a simple story line, in the form of a lament, but the language and technical details are complex. In spite of these obscure details and uncertain place names, however, the force of the lament is clear enough: for all its splendor and in spite of its wealth, Tyre is doomed.
Ezek. 28:2 Tyre’s king is called a prince. This is probably a synonym for “king” (compare Ps. 76:12, where it is a poetic parallel to “kings”).
Ezek. 28:7–8 Here the agents of divine punishment are unnamed foreigners. Elsewhere they are identified as the Babylonians (26:7; 29:18; compare 30:10–11).
Ezek. 28:1–10 Although in lament form, this new oracle against Tyre has the familiar pattern of indictment (vv. 2b–6) and outcome (vv. 7–10). Pride is at the center of the charge. The word heart occurs eight times in vv. 2–8.
Fact: Tyre’s wealth
Tyre’s wealth came through its port, where it received goods from all around the Mediterranean—often items other nations did not have access to (28:1–10). Their pride in their wealth would lead to their destruction.
Ezek. 26:1–28:19 In terms of length, Ezekiel’s oracles against Tyre are second only to his oracles against Egypt (29:1–32:32). This is probably because, of the nations addressed by Ezekiel, only Tyre and Egypt had the power to withstand Babylon: Egypt’s power was military, Tyre’s was economic.
Ezek. 28:11–19 These verses describe Tyre’s extravagant pretensions (compare vv. 4–5) leading to its utter devastation (vv. 18–19). Tyre is likened to a second Adam, clearly a created being (vv. 13, 15) and yet a cherub (v. 14). The cherub is in the garden of God (v. 13) and on the mountain of God (vv. 14, 16). Some believe that v. 17 compares the downfall of the proud king of Tyre to the arraignment of and curse on Satan in Gen. 3:1–15.
Ezek. 28:20–23 Sidon is often mentioned alongside Tyre (e.g., Jer. 47:4; Joel 3:4; Zech. 9:2). This association survived into NT times (e.g., Matt. 11:21–22; Luke 10:13–14). This brief oracle contains no accusation against Sidon but simply announces God’s opposition to it.
Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets
| Isaiah | Jeremiah | Ezekiel | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Nahum | Zephaniah | Zechariah* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammon | 49:1–6 | 25:1–7 | 1:13–15 | |||||||
| Arabia | 21:13–17 | |||||||||
| Assyria (Nineveh) | 10:5–19; 14:24–27 | (Nineveh) | (Nineveh) | |||||||
| Babylon | 13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15 | 50:1–51:64 | 2:9–12? | |||||||
| Damascus | 17:1–6? | 49:23–27 | 1:3–5 | 9:1 | ||||||
| Edom | 21:11–12 | 49:7–22 | 25:12–14 | 1:11–12 | 1–14? | |||||
| Egypt | 18:1–20:6 | 46:2–26 | 29:1–32:32 | |||||||
| Elam | 49:34–39 | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 2:12–15 | |||||||||
| Gaza | 1:6–8 | 9:5 | ||||||||
| Kedar and Hazor | 49:28–33 | |||||||||
| Lebanon | 11:1–3? | |||||||||
| Moab | 15:1–16:14 | 48:1–47 | 25:8–11 | 2:1–3 | 2:8–11 | |||||
| Philistia | 14:28–32 | 47:1–7 | 25:15–17 | 3:4–8 | 2:5–7 | 9:6 | ||||
| Tyre Sidon | 23:1–18 | 26:1–28:19; 28:20–23 | 3:4–8 | 1:9–10 | 9:2–3 |
*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)
Ezek. 28:24–26 This hopeful note occurs precisely at the halfway point in Ezekiel’s oracles against other nations (chs. 25–32). The defeat of God’s enemies will result in the well-being of God’s own people. Since “scattering” is one of the primary judgments on Israel (e.g., Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64), “gathering” (Ezek. 28:25) is one of God’s distinctive saving responses (compare Deut. 30:3). This theme will be repeated throughout the latter part of Ezekiel.
Ezek. 29:3 The phrase Behold, I am against you also appears in 28:22. There it is addressed to Sidon. The figure of the dragon has both natural and supernatural elements. At one level, it is a symbolic name for the Nile crocodile (also 32:2). At another level it represents a cosmic creature opposed to the rule of God and defeated by him (e.g., Isa. 27:1; 51:9). The claim to be the maker of the Nile amounts to claiming to be God (compare Tyre; Ezek. 28:2).
Fact: Hooks in your jaws
Hooks in your jaws (29:4) is a reference to crocodile hunting. Large hooks were baited with pork and cast into the river. When a crocodile bit the baited hook, it was quickly hauled to shore.
Ezek. 29:6b–9a The second accusation against Egypt is given in the because . . . therefore form seen often in Ezekiel. A river-related metaphor appears again. This time, however, Egypt is the staff of reed (that is, a useless staff made from a flimsy reed) that fails to give support.
Ezek. 29:10–11 The desolation of Egypt, which lasts forty years, reminds Egypt that God rules their future (see v. 9b). This “forty years” is probably a symbolic number that parallels Israel’s wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Ezek. 29:1–16 The two main charges against Egypt come out clearly in the first three oracles. Verses 1–6a portray Egypt’s pride in putting itself in God’s place. Verses 6b–9a condemn Egypt for its part in the destruction of Judah. The third section returns to the charge of pride and subjects Egypt more fully to God’s judgment. The date of these prophecies noted in v. 1 is January 587 B.C., just after Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, and after Hophra came to power in Egypt.
Ezek. 29:9b–16 A brief because section (v. 9b) repeats the accusation against Egypt from v. 3. A much longer and literal judgment speech (vv. 10–16) follows. The judgment has elements (vv. 10–12) that match those pronounced against Israel and Judah. That Egypt should also be restored (vv. 13–16) is more surprising, but not unparalleled (see Jer. 46:26; compare Jer. 48:47; 49:6, 39). Restored Egypt will, however, be cured of its pride (Ezek. 29:14–15).
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Ezek. 29:19 I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This prophecy was given in 571 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt in 568 (Jeremiah 43–44).
Ezek. 29:17–21 This is the latest-dated oracle in the book, coming in April 571 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Tyre had ended with Tyre still in existence but subject to the Babylonians (see 26:1–28:19).
Ezek. 29:21 The final promise appears to be for Ezekiel himself. The phrase open your lips confirms that, after all those years, Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry was to be proven correct.
S4:204 Ezekiel 25-29
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ezekiel 25-29
Ezekiel 25-29 consists of prophecies against seven different countries surrounding Jerusalem that faced the Lord's judgment. These nations were filled with pride and looked down on God's people, which is why this phrase is repeated many times after God describes his vengeance: "Then they will know that I am the Lord."
Tyre, the main focus of the passage, saw Israel's discipline as an opportunity for its own gain. It was full of violence, sin, profanity, and pride, and found security in its wealth. The Lord even recognizes the beauty of the nation and its riches, but more so, how these led to immense pride and to the King of Tyre seeing himself as a god. Both the nation of Tyre and its ruler would soon know what we know today: Yahweh is God.
These nations placed their trust in someone or something, but they failed to realize that above every earthly ruler is one King of all. We have only one safe refuge, and that is the Lord (Psalm 23:1-6, Psalm 46:1; 2 Samuel 22:3). Nobody can compare to God because he has no equal (Isaiah 40:22-25). His actions in these chapters exemplify God keeping his promises to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) This passage reminds us that we are not God, and we have no control. And it shows our great need for a savior.
The passage in chapter 28 ends with the reminder that the Lord will provide security and refuge for the people of Israel for the same reason that the surrounding nations faced judgment: "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God." (Ezekiel 28:26c)
Israel had confidence that their nation would be restored, and we can have even greater confidence knowing that the Lord has brought everlasting restoration through Christ. "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10)
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. The surrounding nations suffered for trying to be God or taking vengeance on God's people. In what ways do you try to put yourself into the role of God?
2. How have you been built up by pride? What does it look like to respond in a God-honoring way in moments when we can be filled with pride?
3. Tyre placed its hope and identity in its wealth, only to lose everything upon its destruction. What are some things in your life, other than the Lord, that you find yourself placing your hope in?
4. What area(s) of your life do you struggle to believe God can restore?
5. What are some ways you can continue to remind yourself of the Lord's faithfulness and provision? How can we be reminded of the security found in a relationship with God?