Ezekiel 26 15

Ezekiel 26:15 kjv

Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

Ezekiel 26:15 nkjv

"Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: 'Will the coastlands not shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you?

Ezekiel 26:15 niv

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you?

Ezekiel 26:15 esv

"Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in your midst?

Ezekiel 26:15 nlt

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: The whole coastline will tremble at the sound of your fall, as the screams of the wounded echo in the continuing slaughter.

Ezekiel 26 15 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Isa 23:1b, 6a"Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste... pass over to Tarshish..."Lament for Tyre's destruction
Jer 49:21"At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble..."Nations trembling at judgment of Edom
Hag 2:6-7"Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth..."God shaking creation with His power
Psa 68:8"The earth trembled; the heavens poured down rain before God..."Earthquakes signify divine presence/judgment
Amo 1:9-10"Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Tyre... I will send fire...'"God's judgment specifically on Tyre
Eze 26:2"Because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken...'"Tyre's gloating over Jerusalem's fall
Eze 28:2b"Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god...'"Tyre's hubris and self-deification
Eze 27:3b, 26b"O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.'... great waters have swallowed you."Tyre's beauty, pride, and maritime downfall
Rev 18:9-10"And the kings of the earth... will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke..."Lament over "Babylon's" fall (echoes Tyre's commercial power)
Joe 3:4"What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon...?"God's rhetorical challenge to Tyre's defiance
Zec 9:3-4"Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like dust... the Lord will strike her down."Prophecy of Tyre's destruction
Psa 49:6-7"Those who trust in their wealth and boast... no man can ransom another..."Futility of trusting in earthly wealth/power
Pro 11:28"Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish..."Danger of relying on wealth rather than God
Jas 4:13-16"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go... and get gain'... Boasting is evil."Arrogance of boasting about future plans without God
Oba 1:12"You should not have gloated over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune..."Condemnation for gloating over others' calamity
Jer 9:18"Let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down..."Lamentation and wailing over widespread destruction
Lam 2:10"The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have cast dust..."Profound grief and mourning over national ruin
Isa 14:31"Wail, O gate; cry out, O city! Melt in fear, O Philistia, for a smoke comes..."Nations trembling and wailing at impending judgment
Isa 2:12-17"For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty..."God's judgment against human pride and arrogance
Jer 50:46"At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth will tremble..."Earth trembling at the fall of Babylon
Ezr 9:4b"I sat appalled, for the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness..."Trembling at God's words of judgment
1 Pet 5:6"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time..."Call to humility before God's mighty power
Phil 2:9-11"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name..."All creation will ultimately acknowledge Christ's sovereignty
Psa 9:16"The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment..."God reveals Himself through His just judgments
Hab 3:6"He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations..."God shaking nations through His mighty power
Job 40:8"Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?"God challenging human defiance against His justice

Ezekiel 26 verses

Ezekiel 26 15 Meaning

Ezekiel 26:15 delivers a forceful divine declaration against Tyre. It states that the sheer magnitude of Tyre's catastrophic downfall, marked by immense violence and the cries of the mortally wounded within its walls, will generate such a profound and widely known horror that it will cause all the coastal regions, islands, and maritime trading partners that relied on Tyre to tremble with fear and despair. This verse underscores God's ultimate sovereignty over seemingly insurmountable worldly powers and acts as a direct consequence for Tyre's arrogant self-reliance and its antagonistic stance towards God's people.

Ezekiel 26 15 Context

Ezekiel chapter 26 is dedicated to a severe prophecy against Tyre, a dominant Phoenician city known for its vast wealth, extensive maritime trade, and perceived impregnability. The chapter begins by detailing God's judgment on Tyre for rejoicing over the destruction of Jerusalem (v.2), viewing it as an opportunity to expand its own trade monopoly. God declares that He will bring many nations against Tyre, ultimately leaving it utterly despoiled and reduced to a bare rock where fishermen will spread their nets (v.4-5). Verses 7-14 specifically name Nebuchadnezzar as the first instrument of this divine wrath against mainland Tyre, describing a prolonged and brutal siege. Verse 15 then shifts to describe the wide-ranging reaction to Tyre's devastation—not only its physical destruction but also the terror and lamentation among its dependent trading partners across the "coastlands," revealing the far-reaching impact of divine judgment. This prophecy is part of a larger section (Ezekiel 25-32) where God asserts His universal sovereignty by pronouncing judgment on various foreign nations.

Ezekiel 26 15 Word analysis

  • Thus says the Lord GOD (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, koh amar Adonai YHVH): This is a profound prophetic formula, declaring a direct, undeniable pronouncement from God. "Adonai YHVH" signifies God as the sovereign Master and the covenant-keeping Lord, emphasizing His ultimate authority and the certainty of His spoken word, even when delivering judgment.
  • to Tyre (לְצוֹר, le-Tsor): The direct object of this specific judgment. Tyre, whose name literally means "rock," was famed for its strength and fortification, embodying human confidence in material and military might. The judgment directly targets this symbol of human pride.
  • Shall not (הֲלֹא, halo): A rhetorical interrogative, common in prophetic literature. It poses a question that expects a strong, affirmative answer. It means "Indeed, they will!" It emphasizes the absolute certainty and dramatic impact of the coming event.
  • the coastlands (אִיִּים, iyyim): Refers to islands and coastal regions, denoting the expansive maritime network and trading partners connected to Tyre. This term encompasses all the nations, cities, and colonies whose economies and security were intricately tied to Tyre's immense commercial influence.
  • shake (יִרְעֲשׁוּ, yir'ashu): To tremble, quake, be violently disturbed. This imagery depicts a profound, widespread emotional and psychological reaction of fear, alarm, and distress. It signifies a societal tremor rather than a literal geological event, indicating deep shock to the global economic and political order dependent on Tyre.
  • at the sound of your fall (בְּקוֹל מַפַּלְתֵּךְ, be-qol mappaltekh): Highlights the auditory impact of Tyre's destruction. "Sound" (qol) indicates a loud, resonant catastrophe. "Fall" (mappaleth) denotes a complete collapse, ruin, or downfall. This signifies a massive, irreversible end that is heard far and wide, demonstrating the irreversible breaking of a once mighty power.
  • when the wounded groan in your midst (בְּהֵרוּג חָלָל בְּתוֹכֵךְ, be-herug halal be-tokhekh): Provides graphic details of the horror within Tyre during its fall. "Wounded" (halal) often refers to those pierced or mortally slain in battle, depicting immense carnage and suffering. The "groan" humanizes this suffering, making it visceral. "In your midst" confirms the internal, utterly destructive nature of the siege and its violence.

Words-group analysis:

  • "Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre": This powerful opening frames the entire declaration as an absolute, irrefutable divine decree from the sovereign God to the epitome of human commercial and military power, setting the stage for its inevitable judgment.
  • "Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall": This rhetorical question and its implied affirmative answer proclaim the far-reaching impact of Tyre's judgment. The "sound of your fall" indicates not merely physical destruction, but a widely audible and profoundly unsettling collapse that sends economic, political, and emotional tremors through its entire sphere of influence.
  • "when the wounded groan in your midst": This phrase gives specific, gruesome insight into the reason for the "shaking." It's not just economic disruption but the horror of brutal internal violence, death, and human suffering within Tyre itself that serves as the immediate and vivid catalyst for the widespread fear and trembling.

Ezekiel 26 15 Bonus section

  • The prophetic fulfillment for Tyre occurred in stages, demonstrating God's long-term plan and persistent judgment. While Nebuchadnezzar's lengthy siege of the mainland city (foretold in Eze 26:7-11) historically weakened Tyre, the complete destruction prophesied—including the use of its materials to build a causeway and scraping the site bare as a rock (Eze 26:12)—was famously achieved by Alexander the Great nearly two centuries later (332 BC). This two-phase fulfillment underlines the comprehensiveness of God's decree.
  • The "shaking" of the coastlands symbolizes more than just physical movement; it represents a deep disruption to the established economic order, a loss of confidence in power and prosperity, and the fear that such a fate could befall any nation. It demonstrates the interconnectedness of ancient economies and how the downfall of a major hub had far-reaching consequences beyond its immediate borders.

Ezekiel 26 15 Commentary

Ezekiel 26:15 marks a pivotal point in the divine pronouncements against Tyre, shifting from the specific actions of God's judgment to the international ramifications. The rhetorical question, "Shall not the coastlands shake?", powerfully conveys the certainty and broad reach of the coming panic and lamentation among Tyre's trading partners. These regions, intrinsically linked to Tyre's maritime wealth and stability, would be thrown into profound distress, experiencing economic and existential shockwaves from the loss of such a dominant power. The detailed and gruesome image of "the wounded groan in your midst" highlights the brutal reality of the siege—a violent internal collapse, not merely an economic downturn. This visceral suffering, clearly audible and known throughout its trading empire, is the catalyst for the wider alarm. This verse serves as a stark reminder of divine justice: human arrogance, self-reliance, and ill-will towards God's people (as seen in Tyre's rejoicing over Jerusalem's fall) will ultimately be met with comprehensive judgment that shatters both the perpetrator and its sphere of influence, proving God's sovereignty over all nations.