With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.

EZEKIEL 26:11KJV
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Ezekiel 26:11 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 26:11 mean?

Ezekiel 26:11 describes a coming conqueror trampling the streets of Tyre with horses, killing its people with the sword, and destroying its strong defenses until they are leveled to the ground. The verse paints a vivid picture of total defeat and ruin for the city.

In this verse, the prophet Ezekiel is relaying a message from God to the people of Tyre, a wealthy and fortified city on the coast. The context is a prophecy of judgment against Tyre for its pride and opposition to Jerusalem. The language emphasizes the thoroughness of the destruction: not only will the people fall, but even the city’s strongholds will be brought down.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 26:11

  • "Hoofs" (פַּרְסָה, parsah): This word refers to the hard part of a horse’s foot. The image of hoofs trampling the streets highlights the overwhelming force and chaos brought by invading cavalry.
  • "Strong garrisons" (מִבְצָר, mibtsar): This word means a fortress or stronghold. Its use here shows that even Tyre’s most secure places will not withstand the attack.
  • "Down to the ground" (יָרַד, yarad; אֶרֶץ, erets): The phrase combines the verb for "going down" with the word for "earth" or "ground," stressing that Tyre’s defenses will be completely flattened, not just damaged.

Why Ezekiel 26:11 matters

  • Ezekiel 26:11 clarifies that the destruction of Tyre is not limited to its people but extends to its physical defenses, showing the totality of the judgment.
  • The verse connects to the broader prophecy in Ezekiel 26, where Tyre’s downfall is described in detail, emphasizing that even the strongest cities are not immune to judgment.
  • The vivid imagery of trampling and destruction helps readers understand the seriousness of the warning and the powerlessness of Tyre against the coming invader.

Where else these words appear

“hoofs” Hebrew H6541 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
  • Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
  • Isaiah 5:28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

“down” Hebrew H7429 · used in 19 verses

  • 2 Kings 7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
  • Psalms 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
  • Isaiah 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

“garrisons” Hebrew H4676 · used in 31 verses

  • Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
  • Exodus 34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
  • 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

“strong” Hebrew H5797 · used in 92 verses

  • Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
  • Psalms 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
  • Psalms 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.