Ezekiel 26:13 kjv
And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.
Ezekiel 26:13 nkjv
I will put an end to the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more.
Ezekiel 26:13 niv
I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more.
Ezekiel 26:13 esv
And I will stop the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more.
Ezekiel 26:13 nlt
I will stop the music of your songs. No more will the sound of harps be heard among your people.
Ezekiel 26 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 24:8 | The mirth of the tambourines is stilled; the sound of rejoicing has ended... | Silence of joy due to judgment. |
| Isa 24:9 | No longer do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. | Cessation of revelry. |
| Jer 7:34 | I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness... | God silencing sounds of joy in Judah. |
| Jer 16:9 | For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will make to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness... | God silencing joy as a judgment. |
| Jer 25:10 | Moreover, I will banish from them the sound of mirth and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. | Complete removal of life's sounds. |
| Jer 48:33 | Gladness and joy have been removed from the fruitful land of Moab; I have stopped the wine in the vats... | Judgment silencing joy in Moab. |
| Lam 2:15 | All who pass along the way clap their hands at you... saying, "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty...?" | Desolation of a once proud city. |
| Lam 5:14 | Old men have stopped coming to the city gate; young men have stopped their music. | Cessation of music and gathering due to suffering. |
| Lam 5:15 | The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has turned to mourning. | End of joy and transformation to sorrow. |
| Hos 2:11 | I will make all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts. | God removing all celebrations. |
| Zeph 2:4 | For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. | Prophecy of judgment and desolation against coastal cities. |
| Zech 1:11 | “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and quiet.” | The tranquility preceding future judgment on nations. |
| Rev 18:22 | The sound of harpers and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never again be heard in you, and no craftsman of any craft will ever again be found in you, and no sound of the mill will ever again be heard in you. | Echoing of judgment against Babylon, including the silencing of music. |
| Psa 137:1-3 | By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion... How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? | Difficulty in singing or finding joy in exile/judgment. |
| Isa 5:12 | They have harps and lyres, tambourines and flutes and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. | Worldly enjoyment without recognizing God's work. |
| Amos 8:3 | The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day, declares the Lord GOD; “many are the corpses; in every place they will be cast out in silence.” | Joyful sounds turning into mourning due to judgment. |
| Psa 49:4 | I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will open my riddle to the music of the lyre. | Contrast to how the lyre should be used to meditate on wisdom. |
| Psa 92:1-3 | It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning... with the lute and the harp, with the sound of the lyre. | Proper use of music for praise to God. |
| Isa 23:7 | Is this your exultant city whose origin is from ancient days...? | Irony of Tyre's former glory amidst coming ruin. |
| Ezek 28:13 | You were in Eden, the garden of God... The settings of your stones and your carvings were of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared. | Former glory and beauty of Tyre (via allegory of King of Tyre). |
| Joel 1:12 | The vine dries up... Joy has vanished from the children of man. | General loss of joy due to disaster. |
| Tobit 2:17 (Apocrypha) | Therefore, there was mourning over Tyre and Sidon, all their people and their rulers. | Desolation and mourning over Phoenician cities. |
(Note: Tobit is not part of the Protestant canon but can provide ancient context.)
Ezekiel 26 verses
Ezekiel 26 13 Meaning
This verse declares a comprehensive cessation of Tyre's cultural vibrancy and joyous life. God will personally bring an end to the bustling sounds of its songs and the melodious notes of its harps, signifying the complete removal of celebration, prosperity, and the very atmosphere of revelry that characterized this powerful trading city. It is a pronouncement of utter desolation, indicating that the sources of human happiness and pride will be silenced forever by divine judgment.
Ezekiel 26 13 Context
Ezekiel chapter 26 launches into a series of pronouncements against foreign nations, with a particular focus on Tyre. This prophecy comes immediately after the fall of Jerusalem, and Tyre's crime, stated in Eze 26:2, was gloating over Jerusalem's destruction, seeing it as an opportunity for its own commercial gain: "Ah! She is shattered, who was the gateway of the peoples; now that she is ruined, I shall be filled!" The prophet, speaking for Yahweh, foretells Tyre's complete obliteration, its fortifications razed, its wealth plundered, and its very foundation scraped clean to become a barren rock in the sea. The historical context reveals Tyre as a magnificent, seemingly impregnable island city, renowned for its immense wealth, naval power, and sophisticated culture rooted in its Phoenician maritime trade. Music, feasting, and artistic expression were hallmarks of its prosperous and luxurious existence. Thus, the prophecy of silencing its songs and harps is a direct strike at the heart of Tyre's identity, symbolizing the utter destruction of its joyous and confident way of life and its descent into silent desolation. This judgment also functions as a polemic against Tyre's idolatry and self-reliance, asserting God's ultimate sovereignty over human kingdoms and their perceived security.
Ezekiel 26 13 Word analysis
- I will stop (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ – Vehishbati): This is the Hiphil perfect 1st person singular form of the Hebrew root שָׁבַת (shabat), meaning "to cease, to rest." In the Hiphil stem, it actively means "to cause to cease, to bring to an end, to abolish, to silence." The use of the 1st person "I" unequivocally highlights God as the active, intentional agent in bringing about this judgment. It signifies a decisive, divine intervention that will irreversibly halt Tyre's activities.
- the music of your songs (הֲמ֣וֹן שִׁירַ֔יִךְ – hamon shirayikh):
- music of (הֲמ֣וֹן – hamon): This term means "multitude, noise, sound, uproar, abundance, great quantity." It suggests not merely an individual song but a pervasive, vibrant, and continuous atmosphere of singing and sound. It captures the general din and joyous revelry characteristic of a bustling, prosperous city known for its festivals and celebrations.
- your songs (שִׁירַ֔יִךְ – shirayikh): The plural form of שִׁיר (shir), meaning "song, singing," combined with the 2nd person feminine singular possessive suffix ("your," referring to Tyre). This signifies vocal music, celebratory odes, or chants—integral to their social, religious, and festive gatherings. The abundance implied by hamon applied to shirayikh portrays a city filled with the sound of joyful human voices.
- and the sound (וְק֥וֹל – veqol): This is a common Hebrew word (קול, qol) meaning "voice, sound, noise." Here, it specifically refers to the audible emanation from the musical instruments, paralleling the "music" (sound) of the songs.
- of your harps (כִּנּוֹרַ֖יִךְ – kinnorayikh): This refers to כִּנּוֹר (kinnor), a type of lyre or harp, one of the primary stringed instruments in the ancient Near East, often associated with joy, festivity, prophecy, and sometimes worship (e.g., King David). Its sound was likely delicate yet pervasive in Tyrian society, indicating sophistication and cultural flourishing. The "your" suffix again directly attributes these instruments to Tyre, emphasizing their connection to the city's identity. The cessation of the kinnor symbolizes the silencing of cultured celebration and deep-seated joy.
- will be heard no more (לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמַֽע עֽוֹד׃ – lo yishma od):
- will be heard (יִשָּׁמַֽע – yishma): This is the Niphal imperfect of שָׁמַע (shama), meaning "to hear." In the Niphal stem, it signifies "to be heard, to be listened to." The imperfect tense points to a future, ongoing state of not being heard.
- no more (לֹ֣א ... עֽוֹד׃ – lo... od): לֹא (lo) is the negation "not," and עוֹד (od) means "anymore, no longer, yet." Combined, these two words form a strong, emphatic, and permanent declaration of cessation. The sounds are not merely temporarily subdued but will utterly vanish and never resurface.
- "I will stop the music of your songs" (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ הֲמ֣וֹן שִׁירַ֔יִךְ): This phrase collectively targets the vocal, communal aspect of Tyre's joy and celebration. It suggests God is directly and powerfully cutting off the entire sonic landscape of joyful singing, eliminating the vibrant atmosphere rather than just individual instances of song. The divine agency emphasizes absolute control over Tyre's fate.
- "and the sound of your harps will be heard no more" (וְק֥וֹל כִּנּוֹרַ֖יִךְ לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמַֽע עֽוֹד): This extends the judgment to instrumental music, particularly the cultivated sound of the harp, which symbolized Tyre's cultural richness and perhaps its leisure. The use of "no more" ensures the complete and irreversible disappearance of these sounds, painting a picture of absolute desolation where no echoes of former happiness remain. Both phrases together underscore the comprehensive and permanent obliteration of Tyre's joyous identity.
Ezekiel 26 13 Bonus section
The concept of silencing joy and music as a sign of divine judgment or ultimate destruction is a recurring theme in prophetic literature, underlining that true and lasting joy can only be found in relationship with God. The harps (kinnorot) mentioned here are the same type of instrument David played to soothe Saul (1 Sam 16:23), symbolizing an inherent power over mood and spirit; their silence thus implies a profound spiritual and emotional void. The active verb "I will stop" used by God emphasizes His direct, sovereign hand in reversing Tyre's fortune and status. This specific detail targets not just the physical structures but the very "spirit" or essence of the city's social life, highlighting the completeness of its downfall.
Ezekiel 26 13 Commentary
Ezekiel 26:13 vividly encapsulates God's judgment against Tyre, targeting the city's very identity rooted in its material wealth and joyful cultural expressions. The cessation of "the music of your songs" and "the sound of your harps" goes beyond merely silencing literal sound; it symbolizes the complete collapse of Tyre's prosperity, its boisterous self-confidence, and its idolatrous reliance on worldly success. Music was a powerful indicator of a thriving city, signaling celebration, worship, and social activity. By promising to remove it, God declares an end to Tyre's economic and cultural life, turning its vibrant streets into mournful silence. This acts as a divine indictment of human pride and self-sufficiency, reiterating that God's sovereignty extends even to the most powerful and seemingly unassailable earthly kingdoms. It foretells a desolate future where the absence of these joyful sounds signifies total ruin, contrasting starkly with the joyous music that is fitting only for the praise of God (Psa 92:1-3).