And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

EZEKIEL 26:14KJV
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Ezekiel 26:14 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 26:14 mean?

Ezekiel 26:14 describes how the city of Tyre will be destroyed so completely that it will be left like the bare top of a rock, used only as a place for fishermen to spread their nets, and it will never be rebuilt. This is presented as a certain outcome because God Himself has declared it.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to announce judgment against the city of Tyre, a powerful and wealthy port city. The image of being made "like the top of a rock" means Tyre will be scraped clean of buildings and life, reduced to a barren, exposed place. The statement that Tyre will "be built no more" stresses the finality of its downfall, and the repeated mention that the LORD has spoken underscores the certainty and authority behind this prophecy.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 26:14

  • "top" (צּ֫וּר, tsur): This word means "rock" or "cliff," and here it refers to the bare, exposed surface left after destruction. It emphasizes how nothing will remain of the city except a lifeless stone surface.
  • "spread" (מִשְׁטַח, mishtach): This word means to "spread out," especially as fishermen would spread their nets to dry. It highlights that the only use for the ruined city will be a mundane, humble one, not its former glory.
  • "built" (בָּנָה, banah): This word means "to build" or "rebuild." The verse uses it to stress that Tyre will never return to its former state; its destruction is permanent.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָ֣ה, YHWH): The use of God’s personal name here underlines that this is not just a prediction, but a decree from the God of Israel, giving the prophecy weight and certainty.

Why Ezekiel 26:14 matters

  • Ezekiel 26:14 clears up any idea that Tyre’s destruction would be temporary or partial; the language stresses total and lasting ruin.
  • The verse connects to the wider passage where God is judging nations that opposed Israel, showing that even the mightiest cities are not beyond God’s reach.
  • The vivid imagery of fishermen spreading nets on bare rock helps the reader picture just how complete the devastation will be, contrasting Tyre’s former wealth and influence with its future emptiness.

Where else these words appear

“spread” Hebrew H4894 · used in 3 verses

  • Ezekiel 26:5 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 47:10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

“top” Hebrew H6706 · used in 5 verses

  • Nehemiah 4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
  • Ezekiel 24:7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
  • Ezekiel 24:8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

“nets” Hebrew H2764 · used in 31 verses

  • Leviticus 27:21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
  • Joshua 7:12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
  • Ezekiel 26:5 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.

“rock” Hebrew H5553 · used in 54 verses

  • Numbers 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
  • 1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
  • Isaiah 22:16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?