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 26:5KJV
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Ezekiel 26:5 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 26:5 mean?

Ezekiel 26:5 says that the city of Tyre will be destroyed so completely that it will become a bare place in the sea, used only for spreading fishing nets, and that other nations will take its remains as plunder. This is presented as a certain outcome because God Himself has declared it.

The prophet Ezekiel is speaking God’s message to the people about the fate of Tyre, a powerful and wealthy city on the coast. The verse uses the image of fishermen spreading their nets on the ruins to show how total the destruction will be—what was once a bustling city will become just a flat, empty spot by the water, useful only for simple daily tasks. The verse also stresses that this is not just a prediction, but a decree from God.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 26:5

  • "spreading" (מִשְׁטַח, mishtach): This word refers to a place that is spread out or laid flat, emphasizing that Tyre will be leveled and exposed, not rebuilt or inhabited.
  • "nets" (חֶרֶם, cherem): While often meaning something devoted to destruction, here it refers to fishing nets, highlighting the ordinary use that will replace the city’s former glory.
  • "midst" (תּוֹךְ, tokh): This word means "in the middle of," pointing to Tyre’s location surrounded by the sea, and that its ruins will be isolated and exposed.
  • "spoil" (בַּז, baz): This word means plunder or loot, showing that Tyre’s wealth will be taken by other nations, not left for its own people.

Why Ezekiel 26:5 matters

  • This verse clears up that the prophecy is not just about defeat in battle, but about a complete transformation of Tyre from a proud city to a place of no significance.
  • The emphasis on God’s authority ("for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD") underlines that this is not just a human prediction, but a divine judgment.
  • The image of fishermen using the site for their nets connects to the wider passage, where Tyre’s destruction is described in vivid, practical terms, making the prophecy concrete and memorable.

Where else these words appear

“spreading” Hebrew H4894 · used in 3 verses

  • Ezekiel 26:14 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 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.

“spoil” Hebrew H957 · used in 25 verses

  • Numbers 14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
  • Jeremiah 2:14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
  • Ezekiel 29:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

“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 26:14 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.