Ezekiel 26:1
In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse pinpoints a specific date, the "first day of the month," but pointedly doesn't name the month. This omission isn't accidental; it highlights that for Ezekiel and his audience, the timing would have been immediately understood, likely referencing the very recent and devastating fall of Jerusalem that the proud city of Tyre was celebrating.
This prophecy comes in the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile, the same year Jerusalem fell. News of Jerusalem's destruction has reached the wealthy city of Tyre, who are exulting in their neighbor's ruin and their own perceived security. God's word comes to Ezekiel with a message of impending judgment for Tyre's pride and gloating.
The world around Ezekiel is crumbling, yet God's voice cuts through the noise. What does this tell us about His timing?
This verse lands us right in the thick of things. It's the eleventh year – specifically, the year Jerusalem fell. Imagine the news rippling through the world, the shock, the exultation of some, the despair of others. The 'first day of the month' is deliberately vague, adding to the sense of immediacy. It matters little which month it was; what matters is that now, in this moment of intense global upheaval and judgment, the Word of the LORD came to Ezekiel.
This isn't random. God's timing is precise. While Jerusalem is being destroyed and Tyre is likely celebrating its neighbor's downfall (as we'll see!), God speaks. He doesn't wait for a convenient moment. His message is for this moment, to address the pride of nations and to reveal His sovereignty even in judgment.
Tyre, a wealthy island city, rejoiced in Jerusalem's destruction. God’s message to Ezekiel isn't just about Tyre's future, but about His justice against arrogance.
The commentators point out that Tyre ('meaning rock') was a powerful, prosperous city, likely feeling untouchable. They were exulting over Jerusalem's ruin. This wasn't just passive observation; it was active gloating. Their pride was immense, believing themselves secure while others fell.
Ezekiel 26:1, therefore, is the immediate prelude to God's powerful prophecy against Tyre. The Lord is about to bring a devastating judgment upon this proud city. The specific timing of the prophecy, coinciding with Tyre's likely celebration of Jerusalem's fall, highlights a crucial theological point: God sees the arrogance of nations, especially when they mock His people and His judgment. He declares His lordship not only over Israel but over all the earth, including the mighty city of Tyre.
Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre comes in the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem's fall. The Tyrians' cruel exultation over Jerusalem's ruin makes them a target for God's judgment, highlighting how pride and gloating over others' suffering invite divine retribution.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian army, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, finally breaches Jerusalem's walls after a long siege, leading to the destruction of the city and the Temple. This marks a devastating blow to Judah.
c. 586 BC
News of Jerusalem's Fall Reaches Tyre
Word of Jerusalem's destruction arrives in the wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre. The Tyrians, who had opposed Babylon, rejoice at the downfall of Jerusalem and likely felt secure on their island fortress.
c. 585 BC
Siege of Tyre Begins
Nebuchadnezzar II, having conquered Jerusalem, turns his attention to Tyre. He initiates a lengthy siege of the island city, aiming to bring its formidable defenses under Babylonian control.
c. 573 BC
Fall of Tyre to Babylon
After a siege lasting thirteen years, the island city of Tyre finally falls to Nebuchadnezzar II. This marks the end of Tyre's independence for a significant period.
This passage provides the specific date of Jerusalem's fall, which helps contextualize the timing of Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre, as Tyre rejoiced over Jerusalem's downfall.
Ezekiel 25:3This verse immediately precedes the prophecy against Tyre and describes the specific taunts and malicious glee of the Ammonites, setting a pattern for how nations reacted to Jerusalem's suffering.
Isaiah 23:1-14This chapter contains another prophecy against Tyre, showing a consistent message from God over time about the pride and eventual judgment of this powerful city.
Ezekiel 24:1-2This passage gives the date of the beginning of Jerusalem's siege, establishing the chronological framework within which Ezekiel's subsequent prophecies, including the one against Tyre, are delivered.
Ezekiel 29:17-20This prophecy addresses Nebuchadnezzar's long siege of Tyre, which was not fully successful in its initial attempt, and highlights how God uses powerful empires as instruments of His judgment, even if their ultimate motives are personal gain.
barnesEzekiel 26:1: "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"
Prophecies against Tyre. The siege of Tyre lasted thirteen years beginning 585 b.c., about three years after the capture of Jerusalem. While besieging Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar had driven Pharaoh Hophra back to the borders of Egypt. Tyre being thus relieved from a dangerous enemy, was exulting in her own deliverance, and in her neighbor's ruin, when Ezekiel pr…
gillEzekiel 26:1: "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"
And it came to pass in the eleventh year,.... Of Jehoiachin's captivity and Zedekiah's reign, the same year that Jerusalem was taken: in the first day of the month; but what month is not mentioned; some have thought the first month, and so it was the first day of the year; others the fourth, the same in which the city of Jerusalem was taken; but more probably…
This verse pinpoints a specific date, the "first day of the month," but pointedly doesn't name the month. This omission isn't accidental; it highlights that for Ezekiel and his audience, the timing would have been immediately understood, likely referencing the very recent and devastating fall of Jerusalem that the proud city of Tyre was celebrating.
This prophecy comes in the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile, the same year Jerusalem fell. News of Jerusalem's destruction has reached the wealthy city of Tyre, who are exulting in their neighbor's ruin and their own perceived security. God's word comes to Ezekiel with a message of impending judgment for Tyre's pride and gloating.
This prophecy comes in the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile, the same year Jerusalem fell. News of Jerusalem's destruction has reached the wealthy city of Tyre, who are exulting in their neighbor's ruin and their own perceived security. God's word comes to Ezekiel with a message of impending judgment for Tyre's pride and gloating.
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"In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:" — This verse pinpoints a specific date, the "first day of the month," but pointedly doesn't name the month. This omission isn't accidental; it highlights that for Ezekiel and his audience, the timing…
