The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 78

ml\ke her s bare rock," eto. (vers. 4, 5, 14, 19-21). This part of the prophecy wae not fully accomplished until centuries had passed away. Nebuchadnezzar, as we have said besieged Tyre for thirteen years. He would be able soon to take Palmtyrus, on th; mainland, which was dismantled, if not entirely destroyed, by him. Whether at the end of the thirteen years he took the island-city is uncertain. The suggestions of the' Speaker's Commentary' on the point seem to us very probably correct: "Nebu- chadnezzar was indeed determined not to leave this city, once tho vassal of the Assyrian independent, and persevered until Tyre gave in. Nebuchadnezzar may then hav~ insisted upon bis right, as a conqueror, of e~tcring the island-city with his army; but the conquei;t was probably barren of the fruits he had expected so far as spoil was con- cerned (cf. eh. :nix. 18), and Nebuchadnezzar, having asserted his majesty by reducing the city to vassalage, may have been content not to push matters further, and have willingly turned his forces in another direction." More than two centuries later, Alex- ander besieged Tyre. At that time the city "was completely surrounded by prodigious walls, the loftiest portion of which, on the side fronting the mainland, reached a height of not less than a hundred and fifty feet." The island on which it was built was nearly half a mile from the mainland. And as Alexander bad no fleet, its situation made his task a difficult one. The difficulty was thus overcome: The harbour of Tyre to the north being " blockaded by the Cyprians, and that to the south by the Phmnicians " afforded Alexander an opportunity for constructing the enormous mole, or breakwate'r, which joined the island to the mainland. This mole was two hundred feet wide, and was composed of the ruins of Palretyrus, the stones and the timber and the dust of which were thus laid in the midst of the waters (ver. 12). Across the mole Alexander marched his forces, and soon made himself master of insular Tyre. Having done so, in addition to the ten thousand who were slain, thirty thousand of the inhabitants, including slaves, free women, and free children, were sold for slaves. But even after the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre "never regained independence, but Wll.S great and wealthy under Persian, Greek, and Roman masters..•• It was never again a world-power, capable of raising itself again in its own might against the kingdom of God. In the present condition of Tyre we note the fulfilment of Ezekiel's predic- tions. In A.D. 638 it formed part of the conquests of Khalif Omar, who, however, dealt leniently with the inhabitants, and tho city for many years enjoyed a moderate degree of prosperity. The ruin of Tyre was due to the Sultan of Egypt, who, in the year A..D. 1291, took possession, the inhabitants (who were Christians) having abandoned it without a struggle. The Saracens thereupon laid it in ruins, and did not allow the former in.habitants to retnrn. In the first half of the fourteenth century it WI\S visited by Sir John Mandeville, who found it in that state of desolation in which it has remained ever since" (' Speaker's Commentary'). Of modem travellers we quote the testimony of M. Renan as to its present state: "No great city which has played so important a part for centuries has left fewer traces than Tyre. Ezekiel was a true prophet when he said of Tyre, 'They shall seek for thee, and thou shalt be no more• (eh. xxvi. 21). A traveller who was not informed of its existence might pass along the whole coast, from La Kasmie to Ras-el-Ain, without being aware that he was close to an ancient city. . . . Tyre is now the ruin of a town built with ruins." III. THE LAMENTATION FOR TYRE. (Vere. 15-18.) 1. The deep and widespread impression made by her destruction. "Thus saith the Lord God to Tyre; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall," etc.? (ver. 15), The coasts end islands of the Mediterranean are represented as shaking at the fall of the proud city, because her fall would denote the instability of all things. When Tyre is overthrown, what place can be deemed secure? 2. The consternation produced by her destruction. "Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones," etc. (ver. 16). By "the princes of the sea," we should probably understand the chief men in "the settlements of the Pbrenicians in the Sidonian and Tyrian period along the various coasts, in Cyprus, Rhodes, Malta; in Spain, Sicily, Sardinia," etc. These are represented as changing their splendid robes for the garb of mourners, as coming down from their exalted and luxurious seats and sitting upon the ground. Persons in great affliction or sorrow are frequently represented as seated or prostrate upon the ground (cf. Job ii. 8, 13; Isa. iii. 26; xlviL 1; Lam. ii. 10). Shakespeare, in 'King John,' makes Oonstance eay- OIi, XXVI. 1-21.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 81