The verse paints a vivid picture of grueling labor, but the most striking detail is that Nebuchadnezzar, despite conquering the mainland city, received no "wages" or spoils from Tyre. This highlights that even immense human effort and apparent success can be divested of earthly reward when God's purposes are at play, showing that true fulfillment isn't always found in material gain.
“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, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes the immense hardship Nebuchadnezzar's army endured during their thirteen-year siege of Tyre, a famously difficult and well-defended island city. Despite the extreme toil that left soldiers' heads bald and shoulders raw from carrying heavy loads for siege works, they received no significant spoil or reward from Tyre itself. This highlights a key point: while Nebuchadnezzar was an instrument of God's judgment, the ultimate prize he sought—booty—was largely lost as the Tyrians managed to evacuate their wealth before the city's fall.
Nebuchadnezzar poured immense resources and effort into conquering Tyre for thirteen grueling years. Yet, this verse reveals a stark outcome: 'neither he nor his army got anything.' What does this tell us about human ambition and God's ultimate sovereignty?
This verse paints a vivid picture of Nebuchadnezzar's relentless campaign against Tyre.
The Brutal Effort
The Disappointing Result
Ask a follow-up
While the focus is on Nebuchadnezzar's fruitless labor, this verse also implies something remarkable about Tyre's survival. How did a city under such brutal siege manage to escape the conqueror's grasp, and what does that reveal about God's interaction with His people?
This verse doesn't just highlight Nebuchadnezzar's failure; it points to Tyre's successful, albeit costly, evasion.
Strategic Evacuation
God's Economy of Judgment
Understand the original words
ben adam · Hebrew Noun phrase
A prophetic title for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity in contrast to the divine majesty of God. It highlights the prophet's role as a humble messenger receiving divine revelation.
abodah · Hebrew Noun
The act of working, striving, or enduring hardship. Biblically, it can refer to physical toil, military service, or the dedicated effort invested in fulfilling a task.
This verse highlights a significant historical moment where Nebuchadnezzar's immense military effort against Tyre yielded little material reward. It underscores the prophetic perspective that even powerful earthly rulers and their endeavors are subject to God's ultimate purposes and judgments, often failing to achieve the spoils they so brutally pursue.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar becomes King of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II ascends to the throne and begins his reign, marked by military campaigns and extensive building projects. He would later become a significant figure in biblical prophecy.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation of Judah
Nebuchadnezzar deports thousands of Judeans, including King Jehoiachin, to Babylon. This event is a major step in Babylon's subjugation of Judah and a precursor to Jerusalem's destruction.
587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its temple, exiling many more Judeans. This catastrophic event marks the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and profoundly impacts Jewish identity.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Siege of Tyre Begins
Nebuchadnezzar begins a massive and protracted siege of the island city of Tyre. The siege lasts for an astonishing thirteen years, a testament to Tyre's formidable defenses and the grueling efforts of the Babylonian army.
c. 573 BC
Siege of Tyre Ends
The thirteen-year siege of Tyre concludes. While the city may have eventually fallen or negotiated terms, Nebuchadnezzar and his army gain little in terms of plunder, as the Tyrians managed to evacuate much of their wealth.
This passage speaks of Nebuchadnezzar being summoned by God to judge and conquer the nations, framing his hard labor against Tyre as part of a larger divine plan, even if he was unaware of it.
Isaiah 45:1-4This shows God raising up and empowering specific rulers, like Cyrus, for His purposes, just as He used Nebuchadnezzar and his arduous siege of Tyre as an instrument of judgment.
2 Chronicles 20:15-17This passage highlights that God can bring victory and spoil through means that don't require human fighting, mirroring how Nebuchadnezzar's immense labor on Tyre didn't yield the expected material reward because the true 'treasure' had already been moved.
Matthew 6:19-20This verse contrasts the impermanence of earthly treasures with the enduring value of heavenly ones, resonating with Nebuchadnezzar's failure to gain spoils from Tyre, a stark reminder that earthly gains are often fleeting.
barnesEzekiel 29:18: "Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:"
Yet had he no wages - It is not improbable that the Tyrians before they surrendered their island-citadel managed to remove much of their treasure; but others exlplain the verse; that the siege and capture of Tyre is to be regarded as…
pulpitEzekiel 29:18: "Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:"
Verse 18. - Nebuchadnezzar, etc. The words carry us to the close of the thirteen years' siege of Tyre referred to in the notes on Ezekiel 28, and enable us to refer the commencement of that siege to the fourteenth year of Jehoiachin'…
The verse paints a vivid picture of grueling labor, but the most striking detail is that Nebuchadnezzar, despite conquering the mainland city, received no "wages" or spoils from Tyre. This highlights that even immense human effort and apparent success can be divested of earthly reward when God's purposes are at play, showing that true fulfillment isn't always found in material gain.
This passage describes the immense hardship Nebuchadnezzar's army endured during their thirteen-year siege of Tyre, a famously difficult and well-defended island city. Despite the extreme toil that left soldiers' heads bald and shoulders raw from carrying heavy loads for siege works, they received no significant spoil or reward from Tyre itself. This highlights a key point: while Nebuchadnezzar was an instrument of God's judgment, the ultimate prize he sought—booty—was largely lost as the Tyrians managed to evacuate their wealth before the city's fall.
This passage describes the immense hardship Nebuchadnezzar's army endured during their thirteen-year siege of Tyre, a famously difficult and well-defended island city. Despite the extreme toil that left soldiers' heads bald and shoulders raw from carrying heavy loads for siege works, they received no significant spoil or reward from Tyre itself. This highlights a key point: while Nebuchadnezzar was an instrument of God's judgment, the ultimate prize he sought—booty—was largely lost as the Tyrians managed to evacuate their wealth before the city's fall.
"“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, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed…" — The verse paints a vivid picture of grueling labor, but the most striking detail is that Nebuchadnezzar, despite conquering the mainland city, received no "wages" or spoils from Tyre. This highlights…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
