The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 77

I. THE BIN OF TYRE, "Son of man, because that Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, Aha I she is broken that was the gate of the peoples; she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste." The sin which is here charged against Tyre is extreme and cruel selfishness. There is no evidence in this chapter that the Tyrians were animated by e.ny hostile feelings towards the Jews, as the Ammonites, Edomites, e.nd Philistines were. But Tyre was a great and prosperous commercial city, and the inhabitants thereof rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem because they thought that they should profit thereby. This is made quite clear in the verse before us. The Tyrians are represented as speaking of Jerusalem as " she that was the gate of the peoples." The plural expresses the fact, says the' Speaker's Commentary,'" that many peoples passed through Jerusalem as the central place on the highway of commerce. This was eminently the case in the reign of Solomon, when for the time Jerusalem became the mart to which was gathered the trade of India and of the far East. The fame of its early greatness as the emporium of Eastern commerce still clung to Jerusalem, and this city, even in decadence, kept up enough of its original trade to be viewed with jealousy by Tyre, who owed her greatness to the same cause, and in the true spirit of mercantile competition exulted in the thought that the trade of Jerusalem would now be diverted into her markets." Their greed of gain had rendered them unfeeling and even cruel in their attitude towards their sufferin_g neighbours, with whom in former times they had been in friendly relations. They rejoiced at the calamity of others because they believed it would contribute to their prosperity. They exulted in the downfall of others if it was likely to promote their own rise. This spirit is unbrotherly, selfish, mean, cruel. It is utterly opposed to the Divine will, and awakens the stem displeasure of the Almighty. Here is solemn admonition to persons, companies, societies, and nations, who would secure prosperity without regarding the means which they employ to do so. Are there not many to-day who care not who is impoverished if only they are enriched, who suffers if only they succeed, or who sinks provided that they rise ? However their spirit may..; be tolerated or even ·approved by men, it is abhorrent unto God. II. THE JUDGMENT OF Gon. 1. Its .A:uthor. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, 0 Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up." God himself in his providence brought upon Tyre the punishment of her extreme selfishness and cruel boastings against fallen Jerusalem. Ill fares it with any city which has the Lord against it. 2. Its instru- ments. " I will cause many nations to come up against thee . . . I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon," etc. (ver. 7). NebuchadnezzRr had conquered many kingdoms. He was a "kiag of kings," and the army which he led against Tyre was recruited from "many nations." He was the first instrument employed by God to punish Tyre for her sin. And ages afterwards, Alexander and his forces inflicted terrible sufferings and losses upon the people of the proud city. 3. Its nature. Several features of the punishment of Tyre are exhibited by the prophet. (1) Siege. "They shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers . . . and he shall make forts against thee," etc. (vers. 8-10). Nebuchadnezzar besieged insular Tyre for thirteen years. Very great must have been the miseries of the people during those weary years. (2) Spoliation. " She shall become a spoil of the nations . . . and they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise," etc. (ver. 12). The riches in which they had prided themselves, and in the hope of the increase of which they had exulted in the downfall of Jerusalem, would be seized and possessed by others. The beautifi.tl houses of their merchant-princes would be destroyed and their oity ruined. (3) Slaughter. "Her daughters which are in the field shall be slain with the sword ... he shall slay thy people with the sword." The daughters in the field are the cities on the mainland which were dependent on Tyre, or submitted to her supremacy, with special reference, perhaps, to Palretyrns, or Old Tyre, "the suburb or the insular Tyre, standing on the shore." We are not aware of any record of the extent of the slaughter by Nebuchadnezzar and his army. Probably it was very great. When Alexander besieged Tyre, fearful was the slaughter of the inhabitants thereof, "Besides eight thousand men slain in the attack, two thousand were crucified after the city was taken" (Kitto). (4) Complete and irretrievable overthrow. '' They shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and 80 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH. XXVL I-21.