Ezekiel 26 10

Ezekiel 26:10 kjv

By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

Ezekiel 26:10 nkjv

Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached.

Ezekiel 26:10 niv

His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.

Ezekiel 26:10 esv

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.

Ezekiel 26:10 nlt

The hooves of his horses will choke the city with dust, and the noise of the charioteers and chariot wheels will shake your walls as they storm through your broken gates.

Ezekiel 26 verses

Ezekiel 26 10 Meaning

Ezekiel 26:10 vividly portrays the overwhelming military assault on Tyre. It describes Nebuchadnezzar's vast army, specifically its cavalry, raising such immense clouds of dust that they will obscure and seemingly "cover" the city, symbolizing total engulfment and loss of visibility. The profound noise generated by the multitudinous horsemen, wagons, and chariots will be so powerful that Tyre's renowned, fortified walls will physically shake, signifying an intense physical and psychological destabilization. The verse concludes by emphasizing the ease and inevitability of the city's conquest: the invaders will breach Tyre's gates as effortlessly as entering a city whose defenses have already been completely broken, underscoring Tyre's humiliation and ultimate vulnerability despite its formidable defenses.

Ezekiel 26 10 Context

Ezekiel 26:10 is embedded within a significant prophetic denunciation of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre, spanning Ezekiel chapters 26 through 28. This prophecy was delivered after Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC, to which Tyre reacted with self-serving gloating (Ezek 26:2). Tyre, an immensely wealthy maritime power, saw Jerusalem's demise as an opportunity to expand its own commercial empire. This pride and hostility toward God's chosen people incurred divine judgment. Ezekiel 26 details God's use of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, as His instrument to besiege Tyre. Historically, Nebuchadnezzar conducted a 13-year siege (586–573 BC) against mainland Tyre, effectively subjugating it. Verse 10 specifically describes the initial, overwhelming force and terror of this Babylonian assault, vividly setting the stage for Tyre's eventual, more complete destruction and non-rebuilding prophesied in later verses, which found a full culmination centuries later under Alexander the Great in 332 BC.

Ezekiel 26 10 Word analysis

• By reason of the abundance / multitude (Hebrew: merov - מֵרֹב): This emphasizes the sheer overwhelming quantity of the attacking force. It denotes such a great number as to be functionally countless and irresistibly powerful, a key aspect of ancient military intimidation.
• his horses (Hebrew: susav - סוּסָיו): Refers specifically to the cavalry, often the fastest and most impactful unit in ancient warfare. The plural signifies a vast mounted army, denoting both rapid movement and significant destructive capability.
• their dust (Hebrew: ‘ăphārām - עֲפָרָם): From ‘aphār (dust/earth). Dust is often symbolic of vast numbers (Gen 13:16) or humiliation. Here, the literal dust cloud created by innumerable horses indicates a physical obscuring of the city, symbolizing the overshadowing of Tyre’s glory and an encroaching, suffocating doom.
• shall cover thee (Hebrew: yekhassek - יְכַסֵּךְ): From kasah, meaning to cover, conceal, or overwhelm. This active verb highlights total engulfment, signifying not merely a light coating but an overwhelming presence that visually consumes Tyre, eliminating its distinctiveness and visibility.
• thy walls shall shake (Hebrew: chomōtayikh yirpû: lit. "your walls shall tremble"): Tyre was famed for its impregnable fortifications. The verb rāʿash (tremble/shake) describes violent motion, often used for earthquakes. This signifies not just psychological terror but also a deep structural instability caused by the enemy's approach, fundamentally undermining Tyre’s primary defense and source of pride.
• at the noise (Hebrew: miqōl - מִקּוֹל): From qōl, meaning "sound" or "voice." Here, it refers to an overwhelming cacophony, the deafening clamor of a massive advancing army. This noise is so potent that it causes physical vibrations and psychological distress, amplifying the sense of inescapable doom.
• of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots: This phrase describes the combined elements of a formidable ancient military.
  • horsemen (pārāsh - פָּרָשׁ): Cavalry, denoting swift, mobile units critical for harassment and pursuit.
  • wheels (gālgal - גַּלְגַּל): Can refer to general wheeled vehicles, possibly siege engines or logistical transport, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the invading force. (The ESV's "wagons" conveys this broader sense).
  • chariots (merkābāh - מֶרְכָּבָה): War chariots, elite and devastating instruments of ancient battle, symbolizing concentrated power and shock.
  Collectively, these components paint a picture of an advanced, diverse, and all-encompassing war machine capable of both swift assault and sustained siege.
• when he shall enter into thy gates (Hebrew: besha‘ărayikh kəvô‘î bepōrach îr: "when he enters your gates through the breach of a city"): Sha‘ar (gate) represents the vital entry points into a city. The prophetic declaration of entry indicates that even Tyre's initial, outer defenses will be definitively overcome.
• as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach (Hebrew: bepōrach îr - בִּפְרוֹץ עִיר): From peretz (breach), meaning a broken part of a wall or defense. This simile is powerfully humiliating. It signifies that Tyre, despite its reputed invulnerability, will fall as effortlessly as if its walls already lay in ruins. This emphasizes the utter superiority of the invader and God's decree, reducing the conquest to a trivial task.

• "By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee": This phrase instantly communicates the overwhelming scale of the attack, moving beyond mere numerical strength to its visible, almost suffocating impact. The dust covering Tyre is a potent metaphor for the obliteration of its grandeur and the onset of total submission and obscurity.
• "thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots": This segment shifts focus from a visual threat to a visceral, sensory one. It vividly depicts the terrifying cacophony of an invading army, so powerful that it causes the very symbols of Tyre’s security – its mighty walls – to tremble. This underscores both the physical destructive capacity of the enemy and the profound terror inflicted upon the city. The comprehensive listing of military components signifies a full-scale, highly equipped invasion.
• "when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach": This concluding declaration leaves no doubt about the outcome. It strips Tyre of any illusion of heroic resistance, portraying its fall not as a hard-won victory but as a casual entry through already-shattered defenses. This emphasizes the ease of its conquest, sealing Tyre's fate as completely overcome and thoroughly humiliated.

Ezekiel 26 10 Bonus section

The imagery in Ezekiel 26:10, particularly the "dust shall cover thee" and "walls shall shake," prefigures not only the immediate terror of Nebuchadnezzar's siege but also hints at the more complete, subsequent destructions of Tyre. While Nebuchadnezzar achieved a lengthy siege and brought the mainland city into subjection, the full physical leveling described in later verses (like 26:12 "scrape her dust from her") was a much later event. This thorough obliteration was performed by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, who literally scraped the ruins of old mainland Tyre into the sea to build a causeway to the island city, which he then completely destroyed. Thus, the prophecy holds both an initial, partial fulfillment focusing on the overwhelming force of attack described in verse 10, and a deeper, complete fulfillment over centuries, demonstrating the profound accuracy and comprehensive nature of God's prophetic word.

Ezekiel 26 10 Commentary

Ezekiel 26:10 provides a grimly detailed picture of the impending, overwhelming judgment upon Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces. It vividly conveys God's determined destruction through three impactful images: the suffocating dust, the trembling walls, and the effortless entry. The "multitude of horses" bringing a cloud of dust signals an invasion of such scale that it figuratively chokes and blinds the city, overshadowing its former splendor with the shadow of impending doom. The image of Tyre's famously impregnable "walls shall shake" underscores the raw, terrifying power of the Babylonian war machine, implying both structural collapse and deep psychological terror that shatters the city's confidence. Finally, the stark comparison of entering Tyre's "gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach" speaks to the utter inevitability and profound humiliation of its fall. It asserts that despite its formidable defenses, Tyre's resistance will be rendered utterly futile, making its conquest appear no more challenging than walking into an already vanquished city. This serves as a stark warning against pride and self-sufficiency, showing that no human strength or fortification can withstand the sovereign will and instruments of God's judgment.