For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;

EZEKIEL 26:19KJV
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Ezekiel 26:19 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 26:19 mean?

Ezekiel 26:19 describes God’s warning that the city of Tyre will become completely deserted, like other ruined cities, and that it will be overwhelmed and covered by the sea. The verse uses the image of deep waters to show how total and unstoppable this destruction will be.

In this verse, God (called "the Lord GOD") is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to announce judgment against Tyre, a powerful port city. The situation is one of warning: Tyre’s pride and sense of security will not protect it from devastation. The language about “the deep” and “great waters” is symbolic, painting a picture of Tyre being swallowed up and erased, not just conquered but made empty and lifeless.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 26:19

  • "Desolate" (חָרֵב, charev): This word means laid waste or ruined. It emphasizes that Tyre will not just be damaged but left empty and uninhabited.
  • "Deep" (תְּהוֹם, tehom): This word often refers to the primeval ocean or depths. Here, it suggests overwhelming forces, as if the city will be swallowed by chaos or the sea itself.
  • "Cover" (כָּסָה, kasah): This means to cover or conceal. The idea is that the destruction will be so complete that Tyre will disappear beneath the waters, hidden from view.

Why Ezekiel 26:19 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Tyre’s downfall is not just military defeat but a total erasure, using the image of the sea to show how complete the judgment will be.
  • The language ties Tyre’s fate to earlier biblical themes of chaos and judgment, like the flood, making the warning even more serious.
  • Understanding the imagery helps readers see that the prophecy is about more than physical destruction; it is about the end of Tyre’s pride and influence in the world.

Where else these words appear

“deep” Hebrew H8415 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
  • Job 41:32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
  • Psalms 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

“desolate” Hebrew H2717 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
  • Isaiah 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
  • Jeremiah 50:27 Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

“cover” Hebrew H3680 · used in 149 verses

  • Genesis 7:19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
  • Judges 4:19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
  • Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.