Ezekiel 26:5 kjv
It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
Ezekiel 26:5 nkjv
It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; 'it shall become plunder for the nations.
Ezekiel 26:5 niv
Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations,
Ezekiel 26:5 esv
She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. And she shall become plunder for the nations,
Ezekiel 26:5 nlt
It will be just a rock in the sea, a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. Tyre will become the prey of many nations,
Ezekiel 26 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 26:5 | Tyre shall be a place to spread nets upon | Ezekiel 26:14 (echoes the same fate) |
| Isaiah 23:1 | Oracle concerning Tyre: Tyre, that dwelleth by the sea | Isaiah 23:12 (calls to pass over the sea, unavailing) |
| Jeremiah 25:22 | cup of all the kingdoms unto thee; for they shall drink, and be moved | Jeremiah 51:7 (Babylon drinks, becomes desolate) |
| Isaiah 14:23 | I will make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water | Zephaniah 2:6 (is for shepherds and folds) |
| Lamentations 2:9 | Her gates are sunk into the ground | Jeremiah 51:37 (ruined city) |
| Isaiah 13:22 | the palaces thereof shall be wild beasts of the desert | Hosea 10:8 (brambles and thorns) |
| Revelation 18:17 | For in one hour so great riches is come to nought | Revelation 18:19 (weep for the destruction) |
| Ezekiel 28:12 | Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom | Ezekiel 28:13-17 (description of Tyre's pride) |
| Jeremiah 49:27 | I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus | Jeremiah 50:45 (judgment on Babylon) |
| Isaiah 23:4 | Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken | Ezekiel 29:18 (destroying cities, possessions) |
| Ezekiel 3:26 | I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth | Ezekiel 24:27 (shared sign of the survivors) |
| Nahum 3:4 | because of the multitudes of the whoredoms of the well-favoured harlot | Nahum 2:10 (description of Nineveh's fall) |
| Jeremiah 15:2 | sword unto them that are for death | Ezekiel 35:6 (sword is for slaughter) |
| Amos 6:9-10 | And if there remain ten men in one house, shall they die also? | Amos 3:11 (judgments will come upon enemies) |
| Isaiah 47:12 | Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy traffics | Isaiah 23:8 (merchant is a prince) |
| Psalm 37:35-36 | I have seen the wicked in great power, and flourishing like a green tree | Psalm 73:18-19 (turned into desolation) |
| Ezekiel 4:12 | And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and burn it at the coals upon dung | Ezekiel 4:15 (allowed to use dung for fuel) |
| Isaiah 44:27 | That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers | Isaiah 45:1-2 (Cyrus directed to subdue nations) |
| Amos 4:1-3 | The daughters of the Philistines shall be led captive | Amos 4:3 (women led away) |
| Lamentations 1:1 | How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! | Lamentations 4:1 (city is forsaken) |
| Habakkuk 2:6-7 | Shall not all these take up a parable against him... and say, Woe to him | Habakkuk 3:14 (curses on the wicked) |
Ezekiel 26 verses
Ezekiel 26 5 Meaning
This verse declares that Tyre will become a place where nets are spread to dry, signifying its utter desolation and ruin. The imagery conveys the complete loss of its maritime power and commercial vitality, reduced to a barren, unoccupied space unfit for habitation or industry, serving only as a drying ground for fishermen's nets, a stark contrast to its former glory.
Ezekiel 26 5 Context
This prophecy in Ezekiel chapter 26 concerns the judgment against the city of Tyre. Tyre was a prominent Phoenician coastal city renowned for its wealth, trade, and maritime power. Its arrogance and involvement in oppressing God's people led to divine judgment. The surrounding context highlights the inevitability of Tyre's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and later, its ultimate downfall and transformation into a place of desolation, as prophesied here. The prophecy extends to include Alexander the Great's conquest, which effectively fulfilled aspects of this thorough destruction, building a mole to conquer the island city and then destroying it.
Ezekiel 26 5 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (wə·hā·yāh): And it shall be. This connective particle introduces the consequence or outcome of the preceding judgments.
- צֹר (ṣōr): Tyre. The proper noun for the ancient Phoenician city.
- מִשְׁכַּן (miš·kan): A place; dwelling place. Here, it signifies a location.
- לְפַרְשֵׂי־ (lə·p̄ar·śê-): For spreading. From the root pāras (פָּרַשׂ), meaning to spread out, to stretch out.
- חֵרֶם (ḥê·reṁ): Nets. Specifically referring to fishing nets.
- וּפִיּוֹ (ū·pî·yōw): And its (Tyre's) open space or mouth. The possessive pronoun refers to Tyre.
- הַיָּם (hay·yām): The sea. Emphasizes the city's maritime connection and its future relationship with the sea.
- לְשִׁמְמָה (lə·šim·māh): To be desolate. A state of utter emptiness and ruin.
- וְהָיָה (wə·hā·yāh): And it shall be. Reiterates the certainty of the outcome.
- אֵינֶנָּה (ʾê·nen·nāh): She shall not be. A strong negation, indicating complete absence or destruction.
- מוֹלֶדֶת (mō·w·le·deṯ): A place of origin or birth. Implying it will no longer be a place from which nations emerge or are controlled.
- מֶמְשֶׁלֶת (mem·še·leṯ): Dominion; government. Its rule and authority will cease.
- נְאֻם (nə·ʾum): Thus saith. A prophetic formula, indicating divine authority.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾă·dō·nāy): The Lord GOD. The LORD (YHWH) is God.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- " Tyre shall be a place to spread nets upon ": This entire phrase vividly describes Tyre's future state. The transition from a powerful, inhabited city to a mere surface for drying fishing nets signifies a radical and total reduction of its former significance. It implies a lack of any human inhabitants or purposes for the city that would preclude such use.
- " and its open space to the sea shall be to be desolate ": This emphasizes that not even its port areas, its connection to the sea which was the source of its prosperity, will be spared. The "open space" suggests all its former access and activities related to the sea will be replaced by emptiness.
- " Tyre shall not be inhabited ": This is a direct and unequivocal statement of absolute depopulation and destruction, removing all life and activity from the city.
- " even a place for the spreading of nets ": This clause further clarifies and intensifies the description of desolation, emphasizing the base and rudimentary nature of its future purpose, highlighting the utter loss of its former status and function.
Ezekiel 26 5 Bonus Section
The prophecy against Tyre in Ezekiel 26 is remarkably detailed and spans several verses, offering a comprehensive view of its destruction and its future state. Scholars note that the destruction prophesied, while primarily attributed to Nebuchadnezzar, was fulfilled more completely by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Alexander's tactic of building a massive causeway to the island city, thus making it accessible, and then razing it, aligns with the prophetic descriptions. The imagery of nets being spread to dry on the ruins speaks to the utter desolation, where the sea, which once brought Tyre wealth, would then bear witness to its emptiness. Some interpretations see the reference to "nets" as symbolic of a fishing village that might arise in the desolate ruins, a shadow of its former trading empire. The extensive prophecies in Ezekiel, like those against Tyre, highlight the prophet's role as a messenger of God's judgment and vindication for His people, Israel.
Ezekiel 26 5 Commentary
The judgment on Tyre is multifaceted. Primarily, it signifies economic ruin and total abandonment. Tyre, known for its maritime trade and impregnable island fortress, was reduced to rubble and then built over as a causeway for Alexander the Great's siege. Its ultimate fate was to be a desolate area. This verse focuses on the physical consequence: the loss of human inhabitation and its conversion into a site for the most basic of uses, fishing net drying. This demonstrates that God's judgment extends to the complete reversal of a nation's source of pride and power. It serves as a potent reminder that human endeavors, however grand, are subject to divine will. The prophecy echoes warnings against pride and exploitation, linking Tyre's downfall to its actions against God's people and its own self-aggrandizement.