Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 26:19
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;
19. Tyre shall be overwhelmed in the great waters, and brought down to the pit, with them dead from of old; she shall never, be inhabited nor found any more.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shall make thee a desolate city; have made thee what now I threaten I will make thee.
Like the cities that are not inhabited; in the same state with cities that have not any to dwell in them, whose walls are broken down. and into whose streets all solitary wild beasts may come at pleasure.
The deep; figuratively, Nebuchadnezzars army; literally, when thy walls and ramparts are so broken down by the Chaldeans, that the Sea, at high tides, and in stormy swelling seas, overflows part of thine ancient seat.
Great waters; either literally, as the deep coming up; or metaphorically, great afflictions shall flow over thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. great watersappropriatemetaphor of the Babylonian hosts, which literally, by breaking downinsular Tyre’s ramparts, caused the sea to “cover” part ofher.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thus saith the Lord God,…. Both to the terror of Tyre, and for the comfort of his people:
when I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; whose trade is ruined, whose inhabitants are destroyed, and whose walls are broken down, and become a mere waste and desert; where no person or anything of value are to be seen:
when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and the great waters shall cover thee: the waters of the sea shall rush in and overflow the city, the walls of it being broken down; just as the old world, and the cities of it, were overflowed with the deluge, to which the allusion may be; whether this was literally accomplished on Tyre is not certain; perhaps it is to be taken in a figurative sense, and to be understood of the large army of the Chaldeans that should come up against it, and overpower it. So the Targum,
“when I shall bring up against them an army of people, who are many as the waters of the deep, and many people shall cover thee; see Re 17:15.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thus will Tyre, covered by the waves of the sea, sink into the region of the dead, and vanish for ever from the earth. – Eze 26:19. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, When I make thee a desolate city, like the cities which are no longer inhabited, when I cause the deep to rise over thee, so that the many waters cover thee, Eze 26:20. I cast thee down to those who have gone into the grave, to the people of olden time, and cause thee to dwell in the land of the lower regions, in the ruins from the olden time, with those who have gone into the grave, that thou mayest be no longer inhabited, and I create that which is glorious in the land of the living. Eze 26:21. I make thee a terror, and thou art no more; they will seek thee, and find thee no more for ever, is the saying of the Lord Jehovah. – Not only will ruin and desolation come upon Tyre, but it will sink for ever into the region of the dead. In this concluding thought the whole threat is summed up. The infinitive clauses of Eze 26:19 recapitulate the leading thoughts of the previous strophes, for the purpose of appending the closing thought of banishment to the under-world. By the rising of the deep we are to understand, according to Eze 26:12, that the city in its ruins will be sunk into the depths of the sea. , those who go down into the pit or grave, are the dead. They are described still further as , not “those who are sleeping the long sleep of death,” or the generation of old whom all must join; but the people of the “old world” before the flood (2Pe 2:5), who were buried by the waters of the flood, in accordance with Job 22:15, where denotes the generations of the primeval world, and after the analogy of the use of in Isa 44:7, to describe the human race as existing from time immemorial.
In harmony with this, are the ruins of the primeval world which perished in the flood. As adds emphasis to the idea of , so also does to that of . Tyre shall not only descend to the dead in Sheol, but be thrust down to the people of the dead, who were sunk into the depths of the earth by the waters of the flood, and shall there receive its everlasting dwelling-place among the ruins of the primeval world which was destroyed by the flood, beside that godless race of the olden time. , land of the lowest places (cf. Eze 32:18, Eze 32:24), is a periphrasis for Sheol, the region of the dead (compare Eph 4:9, “the lower parts of the earth”). On ‘ Hitzig has observed with perfect correctness: “If we retain the pointing as the first person, with which the place assigned to the Athnach (-) coincides, we must at any rate not regard the clause as still dependent upon , and the force of the as continued. We should then have to take the clause as independent and affirmative, as the accentuators and the Targum have done.” But as this would give rise to a discrepancy between the two halves of the verse, Hitzig proposes to alter retla ot seso into the second person , so that the clause would still be governed by . But the want of agreement between the two halves of the verse does not warrant an alteration of the text, especially if it lead to nothing better than the forced rendering adopted by Hitzig, “and thou no longer shinest with glory in the land of the living,” which there is nothing in the language to justify. And even the explanation proposed by Hvernick and Kliefoth, “that I no longer produce anything glorious from thee (Tyre) in the land of the living,” is open to this objection, that “from thee” is arbitrarily interpolated into the text; and if this were what Ezekiel meant, he would either have added or written . Moreover, the change of the person is a sufficient objection to our taking as dependent upon , and supplying . is evidently a simple continuation of . And nothing but the weightiest objections should lead us to give up a view which so naturally suggests itself. But no such objections exist. Neither the want of harmony between the two halves of the verse, nor the context, – according to which Tyre and its destruction are referred to both before and immediately after, – forces us to the adoption of explanations at variance with the simple meaning of the words. We therefore adhere to the natural interpretation of the words, “and I set (establish) glory in the land of the living;” and understand by the land of the living, not the theocracy especially, but the earth, in contrast to the region of the dead. The words contain the general thought, that on and after the overthrow of the glory of the ungodly power of the world, He will create that which is glorious on the earth to endure for ever; and this He really does by the establishing of His kingdom. – Tyre, on the contrary, shall become, through its fate, an object of terror, or an example of sudden destruction, and pass away with all its glory, not leaving a trace behind. For Eze 26:21, compare Isa 41:12 and Psa 37:36. , imperf. Pual, has Chateph-patach between the two u, to indicate emphatically that the syllable is only a very loosely closed one (vid., Ewald, 31 b, p. 95).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
D. The Doom of Tyre 26:1921
TRANSLATION
(19) For thus says the Lord GOD: When I shall make you a desolation, like the cities which are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon you, and the great waters shall cover You; (20) then will I bring you down with them that go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the places which are desolate from of old, with those who go down to the pit, in order that you may not be inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living. (21) I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you be sought for, you shall never be found again (oracle of the Lord GOD).
COMMENTS
Tyre would become as desolate as an uninhabited city. The sea would wash over the bare rock that once was covered with the palaces of merchant princes (Eze. 26:19).[390] The prophet apparently thought of the sinking into the depth of the water as leading to the world of the dead that lay beneath them. Tyre would descend into the nether world the pit the abode of the dead.[391] There she would join the people Of old, the dead of former ages, the inhabitants of other cities left desolate. From the time of its destruction the city would not be re-inhabited. But while Tyre with all its pomp and power would exist only in the spirit world beyond, God would manifest His glory in the land of the living, i.e., in this present world. The everlasting kingdom of God in all of its power and glory would be established (Eze. 26:20).
[390] Massive walls about the fortress island kept the water of the sea at bay.
[391] The image may haw been suggested by Isa. 14:9 where it is used of Babylon.
God would use the destruction of Tyre to bring terror to the hearts of other pompous powers (I will make you a terror).[392] The once proud metropolis would leave no trace of her former glory. Tyre would be in the abode of the dead. No one would be able to find her in the land of the living (Eze. 26:21). Two more specific predictions regarding Tyre come to view in the last two verses of chapter 26.
[392] NASB renders, I will bring terrors upon you, which is a possible translation. This translation would raise the question as to whether the terrors referred to what transpired prior to the destruction of Tyre, or after Tyre descended into the pit.
8. Prediction Eight Tyre to be depopulated. You will not be inhabited (Eze. 26:20). Again, the prediction applies to Phoenician Tyre, not subsequent villages which may have had the same name or partially occupied the same site. See comments on pre diction seven.
9. Prediction Nine: Tyre would never be found again (Eze. 26:21). Does the prophet mean to say that the city would be so destroyed that its very location would be lost? It is difficult to believe that the actual location of the city could be lost when it formerly occupied completely an island. Probably the meaning is that Phoenician Tyre once destroyed would never be found. The glorious and glamorous city would disappear forever.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(19) Bring up the deep upon thee.With Eze. 26:19 begins the closing section of this prophecy, and in it the other parts are summed up and emphasised. The figurative language by which the overwhelming of Tyre is here described is again appropriate to her natural situation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. When I shall bring up the deep upon thee The ruins of the best parts of ancient Tyre are now under water.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh, “When I make you a desolate city like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep on you, and the great waters cover you, then will I bring you down with those who descend to the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you to dwell in the nether parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be not inhabited or be given beauty by me in the land of the living. I will make you terrors (a dreadful warning to men), and you will be no more Though you are sought for, you will never be found again, says the Lord Yahweh.” ’
Tyre’s final end is portrayed. She will become a city of the dead, at the hands of those who invade her, who will sweep in like the sea and cover her with their great waves. Her people will become like those who have died long ago, sharing their grave with them, desolate like they are desolate. She will be without living inhabitants, and can expect to be given no beauty by God as would be if she were inhabited by living men. Rather she will be a dreadful portent and warning because she is no more, gone to the land from which no one returns. And though men seek her she will be a lost city, never to be found again as a living city, hidden beneath the waves. The picture given is of the shadowy underworld where all that has ceased to be has gone.
Thus will this pearl of the sea, this mighty shipping nation, finally cease to exist, as a punishment for how she has behaved towards Israel. And it did inexorably happen, bit by bit over many centuries, until through time the island city was no more.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 26:19. I shall bring up the deep upon thee I will raise against thee a mole of waters. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 26:19 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;
Ver. 19. When I shall bring up the deep upon thee. ] As Eze 26:3 ; great forces.
And great waters shall cover thee.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 26:19-21
19For thus says the Lord GOD, When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, 20then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. 21I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again, declares the Lord GOD.
Eze 26:19 the deep over you and the great waters This refers to the chaotic waters of creation (cf. Gen 1:2; Gen 1:6-7; Gen 1:9-10), which became known as Sheol or the holding place of the dead (i.e., the pit, Eze 26:20; Eze 31:16; Psa 28:1; Psa 30:3; Psa 40:2; Psa 88:4; Psa 143:7; Pro 1:12; Isa 14:15; Isa 38:18). See Special Topic at Eze 3:18.
The deep is the Hebrew term tehom (BDB 1062 #3, KB 1690-91). A similar, but different, Hebrew root is personified as Tiamat in the Sumerian and Babylonian creation myths as the monster of chaos and the mother of the gods, wife of Apsu. She tried to kill all lesser gods that came forth from her. Marduk killed her. Out of her body Marduk fashioned heaven and earth in the Babylonian Genesis account called Enuma Elish. The Hebrews believed that water was the beginning element of creation (cf. Psa 24:1; Psa 104:6; 2Pe 3:5). It is never said to have been created. However, the Hebrew term is masculine, not feminine and it is unrelated etymologically to Tiamat. See Special Topic: Ancient Near East Creation and Flood Myths
There are passages in the OT which describe YHWH in conflict with personified watery chaos (cf. Psa 74:13-14; Psa 89:9-10; Psa 104:6-7; Isa 51:9-10). However, these are always in poetical, metaphorical passages. Water is a crucial aspect of creation (cf. Eze 1:2 b,6-7), but its creation is never mentioned.
Eze 26:20 I shall bring you down with those who go down to the pit This refers to Sheol, the holding place of the dead until judgment day. The rabbis speculated that it was divided into two sectionsthe righteous dead and the wicked dead. See Special Topic: The Dead, Where Are They? (Sheol/Hades, Gehenna, Tartarus) .
This three-level worldview (earth for the living, below the earth for the dead, and heaven above, e.g., Psa 139:8; Amo 9:2) was based on the burial practice of the Jews. The dead were buried, so they were in the ground (cf. Eze 31:14; Eze 31:16; Eze 31:18; Eze 32:18; Eze 32:24). Smoke from the sacrifices and incense altars rose to God so heaven was up. This is metaphorical, not literal (e.g., Isa 14:9-10). In reality Scripture reveals very little about the afterlife (heaven or hell), but focuses on choices, actions, and consequences of current reality!
NASB, NKJVI shall set glory in the land of the living
NRSVor have a place in the land of the living
TEVand take your place in the land of the living
NJBor be restored to the land of the land of the living
LXXnor rise (or stand) upon a land of life
PESHITTAand I will not cause your resurrection in the land of the living
REBor take your place in the land of the living
The MT has and I will give beauty (BDB 840) in the land of the living, which does not make sense in this context, unless it is a statement of pride, like Eze 28:2; Eze 28:12. So, most modern English translations follow the Septuagint. The Syrian (Aramaic) text relates the phrase to Judah’s restoration.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Eze 26:19-21
Eze 26:19-21
“Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: 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 the great waters shall cover thee; then will I bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make thee to dwell in the nether part of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, that thou be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living. I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt no more have any being; though thou be sought for, yet shall thou never be found again, saith the Lord Jehovah.”
In a passage like this, we can understand why the New Testament declares that, “Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2Ti 1:10) Certainly, the glorious hope of eternal life and the restored fellowship of lost Mankind with the Creator is nowhere visible in a passage such as this. “This passage gives the impression that the pit is identical with Sheol, the realm of the dead, which appears here as a place of no return and of utter lostness. The resurrection does not appear here, but simply a murky, shadowy, existence alongside the peoples of old and the ruins of the past.” Of course, there are other passages, here and there, throughout the Old Testament which indeed give glimpses of the resurrection from the dead; and for these we humbly thank God and praise his holy name; but the tragic passage here is not one of those passages.
In the practical sense, “Tyre is here compared to the dead who are placed in their tombs and then are heard no more in the land of the living.
“To the people of old time …” (Eze 26:20). Keil saw in this, “A reference to the people of the `old world,’ that is the generation of the Ante-Diluvians. This suggests an obvious analogy. That godless world that lived prior to the Great Deluge was covered with the “great waters,” even as the rains of Tyre were scraped into the sea and the “great waters” covered them, thus providing for Tyre, “Its everlasting dwelling-place, among the rains of that primeval world which was destroyed by the flood, and beside that godless race of the Ante-Diluvians.
“Yet thou shalt never be found again …” (Eze 26:21). This prophecy of the total disappearance of Tyre was literally fulfilled in the disappearance of the continental city of Tyre. “It is true that the insular Tyre afterward attained some distinction, but the ancient continental city never recovered from her ruin.
Prophecies against the Nations – Eze 25:1 to Eze 26:21
Open It
1. When have you experienced a setback and known that someone who disliked you was glad to see it?
2. What violent people of whom youre aware have met a violent end in recent years?
Explore It
3. What was the first foreign nation against which Ezekiel was instructed to prophesy? (Eze 25:1-2)
4. What attitude did God hold against the people of Ammon? (Eze 25:3)
5. To what group did Ezekiel prophesy that Ammon would fall victim? (Eze 25:4-5)
6. How did Ezekiel describe the reaction of the Ammonites to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple of God? (Eze 25:6)
7. What point did God desire to make by the destruction of Ammon? (Eze 25:7)
8. What blasphemy was uttered by Moab and Seir? (Eze 25:8)
9. Who was Gods instrument to punish Moab? (Eze 25:9-11)
10. What was the source of Edoms guilt before God? (Eze 25:12)
11. What people did God intend to use to express His vengeance against Edom? (Eze 25:14)
12. How did God feel about the long-standing hostility of the Philistines against Judah? (Eze 25:15-17)
13. What bad news about Jerusalem did the people of Tyre assume to be good news for them? (Eze 26:1-2)
14. What sorts of destruction did God decree for Tyre? (Eze 26:3-6)
15. What king is named as the final destroyer of Tyre? (Eze 26:7-11)
16. What specific components of the wealth of Tyre were slated for destruction? (Eze 26:12-13)
17. How lasting was the judgment against Tyre? (Eze 26:14)
18. What reaction of foreign princes would underline the extent of the destruction in Tyre? (Eze 26:15-18)
19. In what way was the end of the kingdom of Tyre going to be the worst of those described? (Eze 26:19-21)
Get It
20. How did God defend His name and the distinctiveness of His people even as He punished Israel?
21. Ultimately, which of the peoples of the earth are uniquely accountable to the Lord?
22. Why are violent people more likely than peace-loving people to meet a violent end?
23. How would you describe the ways in which God is expressing His wrath toward His enemies in modern society?
24. Why does it matter to God what conclusions unbelievers draw about His nature from His interactions with His people?
25. What do you think is Gods opinion of human arrogance?
26. Why do you suppose we can be “horrified” by extreme human misfortune, even if the sufferers deserve punishment?
27. What would be a godly reaction to the downfall of a wicked person?
Apply It
28. How can you ask God to prepare your heart for the next time you hear of the downfall of a fellow Christian?
29. What can be your response if you feel that the name of God is being maligned?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
bring: Eze 26:3, Isa 8:7, Isa 8:8, Dan 9:26, Dan 11:40, Rev 17:15
Reciprocal: Gen 7:11 – all Eze 26:5 – the spreading Eze 27:26 – great Eze 27:34 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 26:19. Great waters shall cover thee is both literal and figurative. The enemy army would be so overwhelming that it would be like a flood. And by destroying the walls and other structures of the city, the waters of the sea would actually flow over it.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 26:19-21. Thus saith the Lord, When I shall make thee a desolate city When I shall fulfil these predictions, and make thee what I now threaten to make thee; like the cities that are not inhabited Whose walls are broken down, and whose streets are all solitary. When I shall bring up the deep upon thee This may be understood either figuratively of Nebuchadnezzars army, or literally of the sea overflowing and covering a great part of the ancient seat of the city, in consequence of the walls and outworks thereof being demolished. And great waters shall cover thee Either, literally, the waters of the sea, or, metaphorically, great afflictions. When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit When thou shalt be brought to utter desolation, like the cities which have been long buried in ruin and oblivion. The phrase of going down into the pit, (by which term is often signified the grave,) is frequently made use of in Scripture, to express the destruction of a person or place. Thus our Saviour says of Capernaum, (Luk 10:15,) Thou shall be thrust down to hell, or, rather, as it ought to be translated, into the state of the dead, that is, thou shall become desolate, or be no longer a city. With the people of old time With those who are now in entire oblivion, as those who lived in the first ages of the world now are. And shall set thee in the low parts of the earth Another description of the grave, from the situation and solitude of it; in places desolate of old Desolate from the beginning. And I shall set glory in the land of the living That is, when I shall reinstate Judea in glory again. Judea is called the land of the living, (which signifies, according to the genius of the Hebrew language, the land of happy men,) because that the inhabitants were assured of all blessings so long as they served God faithfully. The prophet here foretels that the city of Jerusalem, at whose destruction the inhabitants of Tyre had so greatly exulted, should be again rebuilt in the same place, and even attain to a height of reputation and glory, while the city of Tyre should remain a desolation. I will make thee a terror, and thou shall be no more Thou shall be left in the ruins of desolation, a terrible example of my vengeance. Though thou be sought for, yet shall thou never be found again A mode of expression this, which denotes an entire destruction: see notes on Eze 26:4-5; Eze 26:14.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The demise of Tyre illustrated 26:19-21
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The Lord further promised that after He destroyed the city by deluging it with great waves of invaders (cf. Eze 26:3), it would die like a person placed in a grave (cf. 31:16; 32:18, 23-25, 29-30). It would go down into Sheol, as it were, and so lose its glory. He pictured the island fortress as submerged beneath a sea of invaders that would bury it (cf. 31:14-18; 32:13-32; Isa 14:4-21).
"The most fearful prospect facing ancient mariners was to be caught in a storm and be ’lost at sea.’" [Note: Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1279.]
Ezekiel mixed two metaphors for destruction in these verses: waves overwhelming a rocky seaside town, and a person going into the grave (pit, Sheol).