Ezekiel Chapter 26 · Verse 12
And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.
Original Language Analysis
וְשָׁלְל֣וּ
And they shall make a spoil
H7997
וְשָׁלְל֣וּ
And they shall make a spoil
Strong's:
H7997
Word #:
1 of 15
to drop or strip; by implication, to plunder
חֵילֵ֗ךְ
of thy riches
H2428
חֵילֵ֗ךְ
of thy riches
Strong's:
H2428
Word #:
2 of 15
probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength
וְהָֽרְסוּ֙
and they shall break down
H2040
וְהָֽרְסוּ֙
and they shall break down
Strong's:
H2040
Word #:
5 of 15
to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy
וּבָתֵּ֥י
houses
H1004
וּבָתֵּ֥י
houses
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
7 of 15
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
וְעֵצַ֙יִךְ֙
and thy timber
H6086
וְעֵצַ֙יִךְ֙
and thy timber
Strong's:
H6086
Word #:
11 of 15
a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)
וַֽעֲפָרֵ֔ךְ
and thy dust
H6083
וַֽעֲפָרֵ֔ךְ
and thy dust
Strong's:
H6083
Word #:
12 of 15
dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud
בְּת֥וֹךְ
in the midst
H8432
בְּת֥וֹךְ
in the midst
Strong's:
H8432
Word #:
13 of 15
a bisection, i.e., (by implication) the center
Cross References
Isaiah 23:8Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?Amos 5:11Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.2 Chronicles 32:27And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;
Historical Context
Alexander the Great's siege (332 BC) required building a causeway from mainland to island Tyre. His engineers dismantled the ruins of mainland Tyre (destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar 250+ years earlier) and cast the material into the sea, building a half-mile causeway. This unprecedented engineering feat precisely fulfilled Ezekiel's seemingly impossible prophecy about Tyre's stones and timber ending up in the water.
Questions for Reflection
- How does precise fulfillment of seemingly impossible prophecies demonstrate God's sovereignty?
- What does it mean that even building materials will be cast into the sea?
- How should specific fulfilled prophecy strengthen our faith in general biblical promises?
Analysis & Commentary
And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise predicts plunder of Tyre's legendary wealth. And they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses continues the demolition. And they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water describes the remarkable detail that Tyre's rubble will end up in the sea. This was literally fulfilled when Alexander used mainland Tyre's ruins to build his causeway to the island (332 BC), dumping stones, timber, and dust into the water. Prophetic precision 250+ years before fulfillment could only come from God.