Ezekiel 27:32
And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?
Original Language Analysis
וְנָשְׂא֨וּ
they shall take up
H5375
וְנָשְׂא֨וּ
they shall take up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
1 of 11
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
קִינָ֔ה
a lamentation
H7015
קִינָ֔ה
a lamentation
Strong's:
H7015
Word #:
4 of 11
a dirge (as accompanied by beating the breasts or on instruments)
וְקוֹנְנ֖וּ
for thee and lament
H6969
וְקוֹנְנ֖וּ
for thee and lament
Strong's:
H6969
Word #:
5 of 11
to strike a musical note, i.e., chant or wail (at a funeral)
עָלָ֑יִךְ
H5921
עָלָ֑יִךְ
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
6 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
מִ֣י
H4310
מִ֣י
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
7 of 11
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
כְצ֔וֹר
over thee saying What city is like Tyrus
H6865
כְצ֔וֹר
over thee saying What city is like Tyrus
Strong's:
H6865
Word #:
8 of 11
tsor, a place in palestine
Cross References
Ezekiel 26:17And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!Revelation 18:18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!Ezekiel 27:2Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
Historical Context
Ancient funeral dirges followed set patterns: invoking the deceased, recalling past glory, describing present ruin, and sometimes ending with hope. Professional mourners were hired for important deaths (Jeremiah 9:17-18). Ezekiel, as a priest, would have been familiar with liturgical lament forms and adapts them for prophetic purposes, showing God's judgment on nations follows similar patterns to human death.
Questions for Reflection
- How do biblical laments help believers process grief while maintaining faith in God?
- What is significant about Tyre's lament ending without hope of restoration?
- How should we 'lament' when God's judgment falls on proud systems or nations?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee—The Hebrew נָשָׂא קִינָה (nāsāʾ qînāh, 'lift up a lament/dirge') refers to formal funeral songs. וְקוֹנְנוּ עָלַיִךְ (wĕqônĕnû ʿālayik, 'and they shall lament over you') uses the verb קוּן (qûn), meaning ritualized mourning.
This introduces the actual funeral dirge for Tyre (verses 32b-36), one of several in Ezekiel (19:1-14, 26:17-18, 27:32-36, 28:12-19, 32:2-16). The form mimics actual ancient funeral laments, with rhetorical questions, past glory recalled, and present devastation mourned. Biblical lament literature (Lamentations, select Psalms) serves theological purposes: acknowledging God's justice, confessing sin, and ultimately hoping in restoration. But Tyre's lament ends without hope—only permanent desolation.