וַיְהִי בְּעַשְׁתֵּי־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

It was in the eleventh year of the exile of Yehoyakhin and the reign of Tzidkiyahu, the year in which Jerusalem was destroyed, on the first of the month in which the Temple was destroyed, Av or the following month. Alternatively, the lack of specification in the verse indicates that this is referring to the first day of the year, Rosh HaShana. The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם יַעַן אֲשֶׁר־אָמְרָה צֹּר עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם הֶאָח נִשְׁבְּרָה דַּלְתוֹת הָעַמִּים נָסֵבָּה אֵלָי אִמָּלְאָה הָחֳרָבָה

Son of man, because Tyre said of the destroyed Jerusalem: Hurrah, it is ruined, the former gateway of the peoples, an important stop on trade routes and a politically and militarily powerful city; it, Jerusalem, has turned to me, Tyre, as Jerusalem’s power and influence, and perhaps her spoil will now come my way as I am the only metropolis left in the region. I, Tyre, will be filled from its, Jerusalem’s, ruins;

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הִנְנִי עָלַיִךְ צֹר וְהַעֲלֵיתִי עָלַיִךְ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים כְּהַעֲלוֹת הַיָּם לְגַלָּיו

therefore, so said the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring up many nations to wage war against you as the sea brings up its waves.

וְשִׁחֲתוּ חֹמוֹת צֹר וְהָרְסוּ מִגְדָּלֶיהָ וְסִחֵיתִי עֲפָרָהּ מִמֶּנָּה וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָהּ לִצְחִיחַ סָלַע

They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish its towers; I will sweep up its soil from it, and I will render it a bare, smooth rock.

מִשְׁטַח חֲרָמִים תִּהְיֶה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם כִּי אֲנִי דִבַּרְתִּי נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים וְהָיְתָה לְבַז לַגּוֹיִם

It, Tyre, will be a place for the spreading of fishermen’s nets in the midst of the sea. Since part of ancient Tyre was an island near the mainland, upon the city’s destruction its location would be used by fishermen for their work, for I have spoken – the utterance of the Lord God – and it, this well-fortified city, will be for loot for the nations.

וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה בַּחֶרֶב תֵּהָרַגְנָה וְיָדְעוּ כִּי־אֲנִי ה'

Even before Tyre’s destruction, the inhabitants of its environs, who are in the field, will be killed by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶל־צֹר נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל מִצָּפוֹן מֶלֶךְ מְלָכִים בְּסוּס וּבְרֶכֶב וּבְפָרָשִׁים וְקָהָל וְעַם־רָב

For so said the Lord God: Behold, I am bringing upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon from the North, a king who is a ruler of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an assembly and numerous people.

בְּנוֹתַיִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה בַּחֶרֶב יַהֲרֹג וְנָתַן עָלַיִךְ דָּיֵק וְשָׁפַךְ עָלַיִךְ סֹלְלָה וְהֵקִים עָלַיִךְ צִנָּה

He will kill the inhabitants of your environs, who are in the field, put up a rampart, defensive walls erected by those besieging a fortified city, against you, erect a ramp of earth against you alongside the wall of the city to allow attackers to breach the city, and set large shields that protect those who breach the wall against you.

ומְחִי קָבָלּוֹ יִתֵּן בְּחֹמוֹתָיִךְ ומִגְדְּלֹתַיִךְ יִתֹּץ בְּחַרְבוֹתָיו

He will set the blows of his catapult against your walls and smash your towers with his battering rams or hammers.

מִשִּׁפְעַת סוּסָיו יְכַסֵּךְ אֲבָקָם מִקּוֹל פָּרַשׁ וְגַלְגַּל וָרֶכֶב תִּרְעַשְׁנָה חוֹמוֹתַיִךְ בְּבוֹאוֹ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ כִּמְבוֹאֵי עִיר מְבֻקָּעָה

From the multitude of his horses, their dust will cover you. Nebuchadrezzar’s numerous horses will raise up thick dust that will cover the city. From the noise of horsemen, wheels, and chariots your walls will quake, when he enters your gates as those who enter a breached city. Alternatively, the phrase can be understood as meaning: He shall enter through Tyre’s gates, which will become like alleyways of a breached city.

בְּפַרְסוֹת סוּסָיו יִרְמֹס אֶת־כָּל־חוּצוֹתָיִךְ עַמֵּךְ בַּחֶרֶב יַהֲרֹג וּמַצְּבוֹת עֻזֵּךְ לָאָרֶץ תֵּרֵד

With his horses’ hooves, he, Nebuchadrezzar, will trample all your streets; he will kill your people by the sword, and the monuments of your might, including your idols, will fall to the ground.

וְשָׁלְלוּ חֵילֵךְ וּבָזְזוּ רְכֻלָּתֵךְ וְהָרְסוּ חוֹמוֹתַיִךְ ובָתֵּי חֶמְדָּתֵךְ יִתֹּצוּ וַאֲבָנַיִךְ וְעֵצַיִךְ וַעֲפָרֵךְ בְּתוֹךְ מַיִם יָשִׂימוּ

They will take your riches as spoils and loot your abundant and varied merchandise; they will demolish your walls and smash your cherished houses, your valuable homes, and your stones, your wood, and your dust they will put into the water. After the destruction of the walls and the valuable structures, the enemy will ensure that all the stones, wood, and other materials will be swept away into the sea so that the inhabitants of Tyre will be unable to reconstruct their city.

וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי הֲמוֹן שִׁירָיִךְ וְקוֹל כִּנּוֹרַיִךְ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד

I will eliminate the multitude of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no longer. The residents of Tyre did not suffer from poverty and were generally happy, and they developed a rich culture of music. This will also cease upon the destruction of the city.

וּנְתַתִּיךְ לִצְחִיחַ סֶלַע מִשְׁטַח חֲרָמִים תִּהְיֶה לֹא תִבָּנֶה עוֹד כִּי אֲנִי ה' דִּבַּרְתִּי נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

I will render you, Tyre, a bare, smooth rock; you will be for the spreading of fishermen’s nets, you will not be rebuilt again, as I, the Lord, have spoken – the utterance of the Lord God.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים לְצוֹר הֲלֹא מִקּוֹל מַפַּלְתֵּךְ בֶּאֱנֹק חָלָל בֵּהָרֵג הֶרֶג בְּתוֹכֵךְ יִרְעֲשׁוּ הָאִיִּים

Ezekiel issues the same prophecy from a different perspective. So said the Lord God to Tyre: Will it not be that from the sound of your downfall, when the slain groan, when slaughter is performed in your midst, the distant lands of the sea will quake? The fall of Tyre will have international repercussions. Various nations will mourn heavily and tremble in fear when they hear of the conquest of Tyre and the slaughter of its inhabitants.

וְיָרְדוּ מֵעַל כִּסְאוֹתָם כֹּל נְשִׂיאֵי הַיָּם וְהֵסִירוּ אֶת־מְעִילֵיהֶם וְאֶת־בִּגְדֵי רִקְמָתָם יִפְשֹׁטוּ חֲרָדוֹת יִלְבָּשׁוּ עַל־הָאָרֶץ יֵשֵׁבוּ וְחָרְדוּ לִרְגָעִים וְשָׁמְמוּ עָלָיִךְ

All the princes of the countries of the sea will descend from their thrones as a sign of mourning. And they will remove their splendid robes and strip off their embroidered garments. Reports of the fall of Tyre will spread around the entire world, and even residents of distant countries will be shocked, especially their kings, who once traded with Tyre. They will don trembling in fear and panic. They will sit upon the ground like mourners, and they will tremble every moment, and they will be astonished over what has befallen you.

וְנָשְׂאוּ עָלַיִךְ קִינָה וְאָמְרוּ לָךְ אֵיךְ אָבַדְתְּ נוֹשֶׁבֶת מִיַּמִּים הָעִיר הַהֻלָּלָה אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה חֲזָקָה בַיָּם הִיא וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר נָתְנוּ חִתִּיתָם לְכָל־יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ

While they are sitting on the ground mourning, they will raise a lament for you and say about you: How did you perish, you who were settled from the seas, whose wealth was accumulated by means of the sea or whose settlement is next to the sea, the lauded city that was powerful in the sea; it and its inhabitants who imposed their terror on all its, the sea’s, or the earth’s, inhabitants?

עַתָּה יֶחְרְדוּ הָאִיִּן יוֹם מַפַּלְתֵּךְ וְנִבְהֲלוּ הָאִיִּים אֲשֶׁר־בַּיָּם מִצֵּאתֵךְ

Now the lands of the sea will tremble on the day of your fall, and the isles that are in the sea will be alarmed at your departure, your fall. The world will be as if it has collapsed.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים בְּתִתִּי אֹתָךְ עִיר נֶחֱרֶבֶת כֶּעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נוֹשָׁבוּ בְּהַעֲלוֹת עָלַיִךְ אֶת־תְּהוֹם וְכִסּוּךְ הַמַּיִם הָרַבִּים

For so said the Lord God to Tyre: When I render you a destroyed city, like cities that were not inhabited, when I raise the depths over you, and the many waters cover you. Tyre’s absolute destruction will include waters washing over it, such that its enemies will cause it to be flooded, it will be flooded by unexpected divine intervention, or it will no longer be inhabited. Alternatively, as Tyre will no longer be inhabited, no one will mend the cracks in its dams; therefore, the rising water will eventually cover it.

וְהוֹרַדְתִּיךְ אֶת יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר אֶל־עַם עוֹלָם וְהוֹשַׁבְתִּיךְ בְּאֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּיּוֹת כָּחֳרָבוֹת מֵעוֹלָם אֶת יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר לְמַעַן לֹא תֵשֵׁבִי וְנָתַתִּי צְבִי בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים

I will take you down with those who descend into the pit, the grave, to the people of ancient times who are buried forever, and thus I will settle you in the netherworld, the land of the dead, like the ruins of ancient times, cities that were destroyed long ago, with those who descend into the pit, so that you will not be inhabited, but when I annihilate you, I will not destroy the rest of the world with you, as I will place magnificence, or stability, in the land of the living, the settled world. Elsewhere, people will still be able to raise their heads. Many commentaries explain that “the land of the living” here is the Land of Israel.

בַּלָּהוֹת אֶתְּנֵךְ וְאֵינֵךְ וּתְבֻקְשִׁי וְלֹא־תִמָּצְאִי עוֹד לְעוֹלָם נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

I will render you a horror, and then you will be no more, as you shall vanish from the face of the earth. You will be sought, but you will not be found ever again – the utterance of the Lord God. Tyre will vanish from the world, although it will be remembered for its greatness. Nebuchadrezzar’s siege of Tyre lasted more than ten years, and during this long period of time the city’s treasuries were depleted. The conqueror expressed his resulting frustration and hatred through his unusually harsh treatment of the city (see 29:18). Therefore, it took many years for the region to recover.