Scripture

Ezekiel's Prophecy Against Tyre

Contrary to the views of some scholars, Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre was completely fulfilled.

According to author Daniel I. Block in The New International Commentary of the Old Testament regarding the book of Ezekiel (p. 148), he gives the views of some scholars that Nebuchadnezzar never conquered Tyre as prophesied by Ezekiel. (1) Van Den Born states that Nebuchadnezzar's campaign against Tyre failed, along with Ezekiel's prophecy against Egypt. Kraetzschmar states "Ezekiel was great enough to admit frankly the failure of his prediction." (2) According to Carroll, "If the first expectation did not measure fully to the prediction, then a further oracle could be produced to incorporate the failure into it." (3) Elayi in her book also states the siege of Tyre had failed and Ezekiel had to make a correction. (4)

In Ezekiel 26:1–6, he gives a general prophecy against Tyre, and then in verses 26:7–21 he gives the specifics of the prophecy. Ezekiel states the reason for the judgment against Tyre was her celebration at the fall of Jerusalem, leading to the loss of a commercial rival 26:2, (5) and her rulers' arrogance and pride in chapter 28. Block gives the date of the prophecy as February 3, 585 B.C. — within a month or two after Ezekiel heard the news of the fall of Jerusalem and just before the siege of Tyre began. (6) The theologian John MacArthur gives the most logical interpretation of the prophecy. (7)

Ezekiel 26:3–6

The General Prophecy — Waves of Invaders

The New American Standard version of the general prophecy reads as follows:

"Therefore, thus says the Lord God, 'Behold I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' declares the LORD GOD, 'and she will become spoil for the nations. Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be slain by the sword, and they will know that I am the LORD.'"Ezekiel 26:3–6

The general prophecy makes it clear there would be waves of invaders over a span of time.

Ezekiel 26:7–14

The Specific Prophecy — Nebuchadnezzar and Those Who Follow

In Ezekiel 26:7–21, the specifics of the prophecy are given:

"For thus says the Lord God, 'Behold I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great army. He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and He will make siege walls against you, cast up a mound against you, and raise up a large shield against you. And the blow of his battering rams He will direct against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of cavalry, and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets, he will slay your people with the sword; and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. Also they — waves of invaders in the future — will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls and destroy your luxurious mansions, and throw your stones, and your timbers, and your debris into the water. I will put an end to the noise of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. And I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the LORD have spoken,' declares the Lord God."Ezekiel 26:7–14

It is clear from verse 26:12 that Nebuchadnezzar was never promised the riches and island city of Tyre. Verse 26:8 states he would lay siege to the city on the coast, breach and destroy the walls and towers on the mainland, and slaughter the population there. Nebuchadnezzar would capture and destroy what Diodorus would call "old Tyre" — the old city on the coast. (8) There must have been a sudden breach in the wall giving the people of old Tyre no time to flee to the ships and the safety of the island.

Nebuchadnezzar would begin a long process that would ultimately end in the total destruction of the city. Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. would throw the stones and timbers of the mainland city into the sea to build his famous land bridge to the island city, and after a seven-month siege take the wealth of Tyre. Later waves of invaders would contribute to the destruction of the island city, breaking down its walls and houses.

The remainder of the prophecy in Ezekiel chapter 26 "highlights the role of Yahweh, who ultimately determines the destiny of the city." Ezekiel 26:19 states: "For thus says the Lord God, 'When I shall make you a desolate city, like the cities which are uninhabited, when I shall bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you.'" Block says first Yahweh will transform the city into a desolate landscape; second, He will submerge the city with a huge tidal wave. (10) This occurred in 551 A.D. when Tyre suffered a devastating earthquake in which part of the island city sank beneath the sea, followed by a tsunami that swept over the coast. (11)

The many nations in verse 26:3 would include the Babylonian army which, according to Jeremiah 35:11, consisted mainly of Chaldeans and Arameans — confirmed by Beaulieu. (12) Alexander's army consisted of Macedonians, Greeks, and ships from Lycia, Aradus, Rhodes, and Sidon in 332 B.C. (13) In 996–998 A.D. the city fell to the Fatimid Caliphate, an Arab dynasty. (14) On July 7, 1124 A.D. the Franks took the city with the help of a Venetian fleet. (15) Crusaders successfully defended Tyre from a siege by the Kurdish Sultan Saladin in 1187 A.D. (16) The city fell to the Mamluks in 1291. By 1610 the English traveler George Sandys stated: "Tyre is a heap of ruins." (17) A fishing village was built next to the ruins of the city, making it a place for the spreading of nets as mentioned in verse 26:3. (18)

Ezekiel 29:18

No Hint of a Failed Prophecy — Ezekiel 29 and the Siege

Ezekiel gave no hint of a failed prophecy in chapter 29:18 as some have said. The only comments were that the siege was long and arduous, and Nebuchadnezzar's army did not take any plunder from the city:

"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor he had performed against her."Ezekiel 29:18

Ezekiel had already stated that the wealth of Tyre would go to waves of invaders in the future. It was difficult to take a city with almost unlimited resources that can be supplied by sea.

Ezekiel mentioned the prophet Daniel three times — in Ezekiel 14:14, 14:20, and 28:3 (19) — showing that he was already famous for his wisdom and was a historical person living in the palace of Babylon at that time, despite the views of many scholars. "The story of Daniel and his three companions being taken to Babylon, given rations from the king's table, and educated in the lore and manner of the Chaldeans, fit remarkably well with the evidence from contemporary documents." (20)

Daniel records that Nebuchadnezzar was incapacitated with an illness for seven years, which likely took place in the latter part of his reign during the siege of Tyre. The Babylonian army probably languished in front of the walls of Tyre until Nebuchadnezzar's recovery. Josephus mentioned a 13-year siege. (21) Nebuchadnezzar probably never occupied the island city of Tyre, but he did control the mainland city as predicted by Ezekiel. The city was giving Nebuchadnezzar tribute in 606 B.C., and after the rebellion and siege towards the end of his reign, he was collecting tribute again. (22) Both sides were worn down by the long siege, but Tyre did eventually capitulate to Babylon.

Elayi said, "The king of Tyre was possibly deported to Babylon and a new king appointed in his place." (23) "Documents from Tyre near the end of Nebuchadnezzar\'s reign show that Babylon stationed troops there, probably in the old coastal city." (24) "Evidence has surfaced of Babylonian colonies in Phoenicia." (25) "Tyre lost much of her manpower and prestige with the loss of the coastal city, along with her colonies in the western Mediterranean to Carthage." (26)

Ezekiel lived to see the fulfillment of the first part of the prophecy of Tyre, and as a prophet of God, he knew the fulfillment of the remainder was certain.

Ezekiel 29:19

Nebuchadnezzar's Conquest of Egypt

Although Ezekiel never promised the wealth and island city of Tyre to Nebuchadnezzar, he did predict he would take the wealth and kingdom of Egypt:

"Therefore says the Lord God, 'Behold, I shall give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he shall carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army.'"Ezekiel 29:19

According to Block, Ezekiel gave this oracle April 26, 571 B.C. (27) "Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion of Egypt failed in 601 B.C., although it did force Pharaoh Necho to give up his ambitions in the Levant." (28) In 570 B.C. a civil war broke out in Egypt, (29) and Nebuchadnezzar most likely chose this moment to launch his second invasion. Two major Hebrew prophets gave details of Nebuchadnezzar's second invasion of Egypt. (30) Ezekiel stated that Nebuchadnezzar's forces would reach as far as Syene (Elephantine) in the south of Egypt (Ezekiel 30:6). Details of the second half of his reign are missing, so we do not know how long he campaigned in Egypt.

"Records are scarce, but a fragmentary Babylonian inscription mentions that in Nebuchadnezzar's 37th year — 568 B.C. — he marched against Egypt again." (31) A second Babylonian literary text, "Nebuchadnezzar King of Justice," may also claim Babylonian control over Egypt. (32) And finally, a careful reading of the Amasis Elephantine stela shows that Amasis swears an oath to the gods and vows to defeat and massacre "those" who ravage the cities and nomes of Egypt. (33) This evidence leads one to conclude that Nebuchadnezzar's second invasion must have had some success in Egypt, and whether his campaign lasted years or months is unknown. Khan states that "It is thus clear that the Babylonians initially succeeded to set a foothold in Egypt." (34)

Nebuchadnezzar died a few years after his second invasion of Egypt in Babylon, 562 B.C. (See "Who Destroyed the Temples and Idols of Egypt.")