And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

EZEKIEL 26:4KJV
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Ezekiel 26:4 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 26:4 mean?

Ezekiel 26:4 describes a coming judgment against the city of Tyre, saying its walls and towers will be destroyed, and even its dust will be scraped away, leaving it bare like the top of a rock. This paints a picture of total devastation, where nothing recognizable remains of the city.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to announce what will happen to Tyre, a wealthy and fortified city on the coast. The language is vivid and extreme, showing that Tyre’s defenses and even the ground it stands on will be wiped clean. The image of being scraped like bare rock suggests not just defeat, but erasure from the landscape.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 26:4

  • "destroy" (שָׁחַת, shachat): This word often means to ruin or corrupt completely, emphasizing that Tyre’s walls will not just be damaged but utterly ruined.
  • "scrape" (חָרַב, charab): This verb means to scrape or sweep away, and here it highlights the thoroughness of the destruction—removing even the dust, not just the structures.
  • "dust" (עָפָר, afar): The mention of dust being scraped away stresses that nothing will be left, not even the smallest remnants of the city.
  • "top" (צֳרֹק, tsorok): This word refers to the bare, flat surface of a rock, reinforcing the idea that Tyre will be left completely exposed and empty.

Why Ezekiel 26:4 matters

  • Ezekiel 26:4 clarifies that the judgment against Tyre is not just military defeat but a total removal, leaving the city as bare as a scraped rock.
  • The verse’s vivid imagery helps readers understand the completeness of Tyre’s downfall, which is a key theme in this chapter.
  • This level of detail sets up the rest of Ezekiel 26, where the reasons for Tyre’s judgment and the impact on surrounding nations are explored.

Where else these words appear

“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.

“Tyrus” Hebrew H6865 · used in 39 verses

  • Joshua 19:29 And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
  • Psalms 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.
  • Ezekiel 27:2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;

“down” Hebrew H2040 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
  • Psalms 28:5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
  • Jeremiah 45:4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

“towers” Hebrew H4026 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
  • 2 Chronicles 14:7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
  • Psalms 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.