Ezekiel 26 Study Notes
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26:1-5 The Phoenicians represented the remnants of the original population that occupied Canaan before the Israelites arrived. As the most powerful city on the Phoenician coast, Tyre dominated not only other coastal cities but much of the Phoenician inland areas as well. Tyre’s Hebrew name is tsur, which means “rock.” Built atop an island off the Phoenician coast, Tyre was virtually impregnable by sea or land. The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC) but were forced to withdraw from their siege of Tyre after five years of effort. Relations between Israel and Tyre were often cordial (1Kg 5; 7). Tyre, the preeminent maritime power of the ancient world, joined Judah in revolt against the Babylonian Empire (Jr 27:3). After Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jerusalem, he besieged Tyre for thirteen years (585-572 BC) but was unsuccessful in his campaign to conquer the offshore rock fortress. In the fourth century BC, Alexander built a causeway of stone, timber, and rubble a half mile long and two hundred feet wide from the mainland to the island. By this means Tyre was finally conquered, thus fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy (27:36).
This is the fifth date in Ezekiel (1:1; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1), but there is a textual problem: the month is missing in the MT. The eleventh year would fall between April 587 BC and April 586 BC. But since Jerusalem’s fall did not occur until July 586 BC and the city was not burned until August 586 BC (2Kg 25:3,8), other possibilities have been proposed. One is that Ezekiel is prophesying that Tyre will celebrate Judah’s downfall in the near future. Another proposal is that words have dropped out of the date formula, and it originally read, “In the eleventh month of the twelfth year.”
26:6 It was not until Tyre’s conquest by Alexander the Great that this prophecy (her villages on the mainland will be slaughtered by the sword) was fulfilled. Alexander built a causeway from the mainland to the island and took the city after seven months.
26:7-14 Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for thirteen years. After the siege ended Nebuchadnezzar had political control over Tyre for many years. Note he and they in vv. 7-12, referring to Nebuchadnezzar, changes to I in vv. 13-14. What the Babylonian king was unable to do, the Lord continued to do through Alexander.
haras
| Hebrew pronunciation | [hah RAS] |
| CSB translation | tear down, demolish |
| Uses in Ezekiel | 8 |
| Uses in the OT | 43 |
| Focus passage | Ezekiel 26:4,12 |
The root in other languages denotes “attack,” “tear down,” “destroy,” and “break to pieces.” Haras describes tearing down fortresses (Mc 5:11), altars (Jdg 6:25). Sixteen times it indicates demolishing objects: foundations (Ezk 30:4), towers (Ezk 26:4), walls, idols, cities, and nations. Ten times it is the antonym of banah (“build, build up,” Pr 11:11). Five times it occurs with synonymous natats (“tear down,” Jr 1:10). God overthrows adversaries (Ex 15:7) and knocks out teeth (Ps 58:6). People destroy cities (2Kg 3:25) and demolish mounds (Ezk 16:39). Mountains are demolished (Ezk 38:20). Haras can indicate states rather than actions: granaries are broken down (Jl 1:17), and walls are ruined (Pr 24:31). Haras connotes secondary ideas: someone is ousted from his position (Is 22:19). If Israelites break through to look at God, he will break out against them (Ex 19:21,24). Hariysah (Am 9:11) and hariysut (Is 49:19) denote ruins.
26:15-18 The princes of the sea are the rulers of islands and coastal lands with which Tyre had traded.
26:19 With these words (when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you) the Lord threatened Tyre with a judgment reminiscent of the Genesis flood (Gn 6-8).
26:20-21 The phrase the Pit is a figurative way of expressing death. It is virtually synonymous with the grave (Pr 1:12; Is 14:15; 38:18).