Ezekiel 26

The image of the fishing net (verse 5) is striking. It is the same stem חרם as the ban, utter destruction. The stretch comes with the use of the image in Matthew 8:47 as a parable of the kingdom of heaven. I am frankly astonished at the homonym. The passage in my Hebrew NT uses כמר, dragnet, which also has other very different glosses including craving or fever!

I don't think free association, pun, or double entendre should work this way. But here you have some images of the net that are far from positive, and the parable is not entirely positive either. Nevertheless, metaphor is acceptable, sword = word (verse 6) is a non-violent interruption of violence.

This is where we could go when this project is over, the mind of Jesus and the potential associations in the NT based on word relationships with the OT via Hebrew rather than via Greek. This was after all my original intention, to understand the relationship of father and child as depicted in the epistle to the Hebrews. Still some distance to cover.

Their seems little doubt that this extended lament continues the thread evident right through to Revelation of the tension between commerce and community. One can see it in modern politics as people bring out their local national interests at the expense of their own integrity. What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose integrity?  I saw a long thread on Facebook the other day lambasting socialism, while not realizing that our society is based on agreed cooperation in the truth. And the truth is we are mutually interdependent. And we are dependent on all sorts of people we may not like and who are not like us. Time for a greater love. Mind you, there is deception on every street corner. You only have to sit at a garage sale to find this out.

[Just noted this exploration of Ezekiel in current reception history.]

Ezekiel 26		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיְהִ֛י בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר	1		And it happened in the eleventh year on the first of the month, it happened that Yahweh spoke to me, saying,	3d	4B	15 10
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם יַ֠עַן אֲשֶׁר־אָ֨מְרָה צֹּ֤ר עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ הֶאָ֔ח נִשְׁבְּרָ֛ה דַּלְת֥וֹת הָעַמִּ֖ים נָסֵ֣בָּה אֵלָ֑י אִמָּלְאָ֖ה הָחֳרָֽבָה	2		Child of humanity, in that Tyre has said against Jerusalem, Aha, broken are the gateways of the peoples. She is turned around to me. I will be filled. She is deserted.	3d	4C	30 7
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י עָלַ֖יִךְ צֹ֑ר וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים כְּהַעֲל֥וֹת הַיָּ֖ם לְגַלָּֽיו	3		Therefore thus says my Lord Yahweh, Behold me against you, Tyre. And I will have many nations brought up over you, as the sea causes its waves to be brought up.	3e	4C	16 21
וְשִׁחֲת֞וּ חֹמ֣וֹת צֹ֗ר וְהָֽרְסוּ֙ מִגְדָּלֶ֔יהָ וְסִֽחֵיתִ֥י עֲפָרָ֖הּ מִמֶּ֑נָּה וְנָתַתִּ֥י אוֹתָ֖הּ לִצְחִ֥יחַ סָֽלַע	4		And they will destroy the walls of Tyre, and they will overthrow her towers, and I will file her dust from her, and I will make her into a dazzling cliff.	3e	4B	24 11
מִשְׁטַ֨ח חֲרָמִ֤ים תִּֽהְיֶה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיָּ֔ם כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י דִבַּ֔רְתִּי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וְהָיְתָ֥ה לְבַ֖ז לַגּוֹיִֽם	5		For the unfolding of fishing nets you will be, in the midst of the sea, for I myself have spoken, an oracle of my Lord Yahweh. And it will be for the nations to despoil.	3e	4C	24 8
וּבְנוֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַּחֶ֖רֶב תֵּהָרַ֑גְנָה וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה	6		And her daughters who are in the field, by the sword will be slain, and they will know that I am Yahweh.	3e	4B	16 7
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנְנִ֧י מֵבִ֣יא אֶל־צֹ֗ר נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֧ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל מִצָּפ֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ מְלָכִ֑ים בְּס֛וּס וּבְרֶ֥כֶב וּבְפָרָשִׁ֖ים וְקָהָ֥ל וְעַם־רָֽב	7	B	For thus says my Lord Yahweh, Behold me, I will bring into Tyre, Nebukadretsar king of Babel, from the north, king of sovereigns, with horse and with chariot and with cavalry, and a congregation, and people abundant.	3c	4C	32 15
בְּנוֹתַ֥יִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה בַּחֶ֣רֶב יַהֲרֹ֑ג וְנָתַ֨ן עָלַ֜יִךְ דָּיֵ֗ק וְשָׁפַ֤ךְ עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ סֹֽלְלָ֔ה וְהֵקִ֥ים עָלַ֖יִךְ צִנָּֽה	8		Your daughters in the field by the sword he will slay, and he will position against you a siege-wall, and pour out against you a ramp, and he will raise up against you a grappling hook.	3e	4C	13 24
וּמְחִ֣י קָֽבָלּ֔וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן בְּחֹֽמוֹתָ֑יִךְ וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ יִתֹּ֖ץ בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽיו	9		And engines right in front, he will position against your walls. And your towers, he will break down with daggers.	3e	4B	12 12
מִשִּׁפְעַ֥ת סוּסָ֖יו יְכַסֵּ֣ךְ אֲבָקָ֑ם מִקּוֹל֩ פָּרַ֨שׁ וְגַלְגַּ֜ל וָרֶ֗כֶב תִּרְעַ֙שְׁנָה֙ חֽוֹמוֹתַ֔יִךְ בְּבֹאוֹ֙ בִּשְׁעָרַ֔יִךְ כִּמְבוֹאֵ֖י עִ֥יר מְבֻקָּעָֽה	10		From the profusion of his horses, their powder will cover you. From the rumbling cavalier, and whirlwind, and chariot, your walls will quake, when he enters into your gates, as one would enter into a city split in two.	3e	4B	11 31
בְּפַרְס֣וֹת סוּסָ֔יו יִרְמֹ֖ס אֶת־כָּל־חֽוּצוֹתָ֑יִךְ עַמֵּךְ֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יַהֲרֹ֔ג וּמַצְּב֥וֹת עֻזֵּ֖ךְ לָאָ֥רֶץ תֵּרֵֽד	11		With the hoofs of his horses, he will trample all your streets. Your people by the sword he will slay, and the monuments of your strength, to earth will descend.	3e	4B	13 18
וְשָׁלְל֣וּ חֵילֵ֗ךְ וּבָֽזְזוּ֙ רְכֻלָּתֵ֔ךְ וְהָֽרְסוּ֙ חוֹמוֹתַ֔יִךְ וּבָתֵּ֥י חֶמְדָּתֵ֖ךְ יִתֹּ֑צוּ וַאֲבָנַ֤יִךְ וְעֵצַ֙יִךְ֙ וַֽעֲפָרֵ֔ךְ בְּת֥וֹךְ מַ֖יִם יָשִֽׂימוּ	12		And they will spoil your wealth, and loot your merchants, and they will overthrow your walls, and your attractive houses they will break down. And they will put your stones, and your timber, and your dust, in the midst of the water.	3e	4C	28 19
וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֖י הֲמ֣וֹן שִׁירָ֑יִךְ וְק֣וֹל כִּנּוֹרַ֔יִךְ לֹ֥א יִשָּׁמַ֖ע עֽוֹד	13		And I will eradicate the tumult of your songs, and the voice of your harps will be heard no more.	3e	4B	9 11
וּנְתַתִּ֞יךְ לִצְחִ֣יחַ סֶ֗לַע מִשְׁטַ֤ח חֲרָמִים֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה לֹ֥א תִבָּנֶ֖ה ע֑וֹד כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה	14		And I will make you into a dazzling cliff. For the unfolding of fishing nets, you will be. You will not be built any more, For I am Yahweh. I have spoken. An oracle of my Lord Yahweh.	3e	4C	20 15
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה לְצ֑וֹר הֲלֹ֣א ׀ מִקּ֣וֹל מַפַּלְתֵּ֗ךְ בֶּאֱנֹ֨ק חָלָ֜ל בֵּהָ֤רֵֽג הֶ֙רֶג֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔ךְ יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ הָאִיִּֽים	15	f	Thus says my Lord Yahweh for Tyre, From the rumbling of your fall, in the groaning of profanity, when the slain are slain in your midst, will the islands not quake?	3d	4C	10 26
וְֽיָרְד֞וּ מֵעַ֣ל כִּסְאוֹתָ֗ם כֹּ֚ל נְשִׂיאֵ֣י הַיָּ֔ם וְהֵסִ֙ירוּ֙ אֶת־מְעִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֶת־בִּגְדֵ֥י רִקְמָתָ֖ם יִפְשֹׁ֑טוּ חֲרָד֤וֹת ׀ יִלְבָּ֙שׁוּ֙ עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ יֵשֵׁ֔בוּ וְחָֽרְדוּ֙ לִרְגָעִ֔ים וְשָׁמְמ֖וּ עָלָֽיִךְ	16		And all the principals of the sea will come down from their thrones, and they will put aside their exterior cloak, and their embroidered garments they will strip. Apprehension, they will be clothed in. On the earth they will sit, and they will be apprehensive at every moment, and will be appalled over you.	3e	4C	33 25
וְנָשְׂא֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ קִינָה֙ וְאָ֣מְרוּ לָ֔ךְ אֵ֣יךְ אָבַ֔דְתְּ נוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת מִיַּמִּ֑ים הָעִ֣יר הַהֻלָּ֗לָה אֲשֶׁר֩ הָיְתָ֨ה חֲזָקָ֤ה בַיָּם֙ הִ֣יא וְיֹשְׁבֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁר־נָתְנ֥וּ חִתִּיתָ֖ם לְכָל־יוֹשְׁבֶֽיהָ	17		And they will lift up over you a dirge, and will say to you, How you are perished that was inhabited by sailors, the city so praised, that was courageous by sea, she and her inhabitants, that gave their dismay to all its inhabitants.	3e	4C	22 32
עַתָּה֙ יֶחְרְד֣וּ הָֽאִיִּ֔ן י֖וֹם מַפַּלְתֵּ֑ךְ וְנִבְהֲל֛וּ הָאִיִּ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־בַּיָּ֖ם מִצֵּאתֵֽךְ	18		Now the islands are apprehensive the day of your fall, and the islands will be vexed that are in the sea at your going out.	3d	4B	12 14
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה בְּתִתִּ֤י אֹתָךְ֙ עִ֣יר נֶחֱרֶ֔בֶת כֶּעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־נוֹשָׁ֑בוּ בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ אֶת־תְּה֔וֹם וְכִסּ֖וּךְ הַמַּ֥יִם הָרַבִּֽים	19	B	For thus says my Lord Yahweh, when I consign you as a deserted city, as the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up over you an abyss, and cover you with many waters,	3e	4C	27 18
וְהוֹרַדְתִּיךְ֩ אֶת־י֨וֹרְדֵי ב֜וֹר אֶל־עַ֣ם עוֹלָ֗ם וְ֠הוֹשַׁבְתִּיךְ בְּאֶ֨רֶץ תַּחְתִּיּ֜וֹת כָּחֳרָב֤וֹת מֵֽעוֹלָם֙ אֶת־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֔וֹר לְמַ֖עַן לֹ֣א תֵשֵׁ֑בִי וְנָתַתִּ֥י צְבִ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ חַיִּֽים	20		When I bring you down with those going down into a pit, to a people of eras past, and settle you in the land of the low, as the deserts from eras past, with those going down into a pit, so that not you are inhabited, then I will give status in the land of the living.	3e	4C	40 11
בַּלָּה֥וֹת אֶתְּנֵ֖ךְ וְאֵינֵ֑ךְ וּֽתְבֻקְשִׁ֗י וְלֹֽא־תִמָּצְאִ֥י עוֹד֙ לְעוֹלָ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה	21		I will make you fade, and you will not be. Though you are sought, yet you will not be found any more forever, an oracle of my Lord Yahweh.	3e	4A	8 19

The extended statement in verses 19-20 should be a translation exercise. What a mouthful! JB reverts to prose from their poetic indentation. (If one sings the music, does the text become poetry?) Music follows with my choices of possible glosses for verses 20-21 below. But use your own discretion. I am attempting to use my domain-subdomain filters and they are a very loose imposition on the data at the moment. Or take your favorite translation and map it to the stems. See what the committees did. And what does this mean? Who are the islands? Is Ezekiel anti-trade as if he were in favour of economic nationalism? (Not a chance.) Is Tyre an image of something more?




ארץ land (1,438) earth (755) earthward (46) through land (5) earthbound (1) part earth (1)
בור pit (43) cistern (3) bore (1) pits (1)
חיה live (350) life (212) animal (39) alive (23) keep alive (15) living creature (15) give life (13) revive (9) living thing (7) kept alive (5) raw (4) outlive (3) gives life (2) left alive (2) allowed live (1) compared life (1) continue live (1) even life (1) gave life (1) given life (1) keep live (1) keeps alive (1) lifetime (1) stay alive (1)
חרב desert (83)
ירד descend (119) come down (26) came down (23) go down (16) bring down (14) brought down (14) went down (14) going down (11) gone down (6) coming down (4) run down (4) running down (4) descent (3) brings down (2) take down (2) taken down (2) bringing down (1) descending down (1) down (1) down descent (1) goes down (1) hanging down (1)
ישׁב settle (263) inhabitant (173) sit (172) inhabit (106) sat (77) seat (46) sits (35) immigrant (9) persist (7) sat down (5) situate (4) emigrant (2) settler (2) sitting here (2) already settle (1) bid sit (1) habitable shape (1) house-gu (1) inhabitable (1) resettle (1) seat governance (1) situation (1) yonder seat (1)
כסה cover (156) blindfold (3) frill (2) take cove (1)
מים water (511) through water (2) water reflect (1) watery (1)
נתן give (705) gave (342) given (234) assign (73) position (73) consign (49) permit (49) yield (32) daub (23) grant (8) connect (7) put forth (7) demonstrate (6) donation (3) prevent (3) chant (2) give up (2) take (2) tighten (2) untranslated (2) gave permission (1) give here (1) giving due (1) let (1) net (1) play (1) refrain give (1) responsible (1) though permit (1)
עיר city (883)
עלה ascend (183) go up (91) brought up (76) went up (67) came up (63) come up (50) bring up (41) ascendant (10) going up (10) brings up (9) gone up (7) comes up (6) conduit (6) ascent (5) goes up (5) ascendancy (4) coming up (4) offered up (4) ascendance (3) bringing up (3) climb (3) get up (3) offer up (2) got up (1) offer (1) untranslated (1)
עלם forever (201) evermore (75) everlasting (66) eras past (18) never (10) old (8) era (7) everlastingly (4) adolescence (2) dissemble (2) youthful vigour (2) another era (1) eras (1) eras come (1) even everlasting (1) even old (1) untranslated (1) verily forever (1) whenever (1)
עם people (1,681)
צבי estate (5) status (5)
רבה increase (112) many (25) excess (18) much (13) exceed (12) thoroughly (7) excessive (6) frequent (3) increas (2) extent (1) give increase (1) gives increase (1) many time (1) multiple (1)
תהום abyss (36)
תחת lower part (9) low (5) nether part (5) lower (2) lower deck (2) lowest part (2) nethermost part (1) underpart (1)