Ezekiel 26:9 — Word Study
WLCוּמְחִ֣י קָֽבָלּ֔וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן בְּחֹֽמוֹתָ֑יִךְ וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ יִתֹּ֖ץ בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽיו׃
BSAHe will directnâthan▸ the blowsmᵉchîy△ [strong strikes, battering actions] of his battering ramsqôbel△ [siege engines, war machines] against your wallschôwmâh [protective barriers, city defenses] and tear downnâthats▸ [destroy, demolish] your towersmigdâl [high strongholds, fortified structures] with his axeschereb [cutting instruments, swords]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּמְחִ֣י | and [the] blow of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| קָֽבָלּ֔וֹ | battering-ram his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| יִתֵּ֖ן | he will set | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בְּחֹֽמוֹתָ֑יִךְ | on walls your | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ | and towers your | Conjunction, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| יִתֹּ֖ץ | he will break down | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽיו׃ | with swords his | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes. |
| KJV | And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. |
| ASV | And he shall set his battering engines against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. |
| YLT | And a battering-ram before him he placeth against thy walls, And thy towers he breaketh by his weapons. |
| WEB | He will set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. |
| BBE | He will put up his engines of war against your walls, and your towers will be broken down by his axes. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of מְחִי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction, each detailing actions taken against the city.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 7 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 26:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Prophecy Against Tyregenerated
Ezekiel 26:9 describes the impending siege of Tyre, where the enemy will employ battering rams to breach the city walls and destroy its towers. This prophecy illustrates the might of the attacking force and the inevitable downfall of the city. The surrounding verses depict the thoroughness of the assault, emphasizing the total destruction that will befall Tyre as a consequence of its actions.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Chronicles 26:15 | And in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously so that he became powerful. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מְחִי, meChiygenerated
The word מְחִי (meChiy) refers to a strong blow, particularly the forceful impact associated with a battering ram. It emphasizes the power behind the attack, indicating a significant stroke meant to breach defenses.
This noun is in the construct state, linking it to the following noun, indicating that it is the blow of the battering ram that will be directed against the walls, showcasing the intensity of the assault.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs יִתֵּ֖ן (he will set) and יִתֹּ֖ץ (he will break down) govern the clauses, indicating actions taken against the walls and towers. The structure highlights the sequential nature of the assault.
The sentence is built around these two verbs, with noun phrases and prepositional phrases providing details about the objects of the actions, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the destruction.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מְחִי as καὶ, which serves as a conjunction, indicating a direct correlation with the subsequent actions described. This choice reflects the connection between the blow and the ensuing destruction.
The Greek rendering captures the essence of the attack but does not convey the specific imagery of a battering ram, which may suggest a broader interpretation of the assault.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 26:9 describes how an enemy will attack the city of Tyre using battering rams to strike its walls and destroy its towers with swords. This shows the strength of the attacking force and the total destruction that will come to Tyre.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
A battering ram is a siege engine used in warfare to break down walls or gates, symbolizing the force of an attack.
The imagery highlights the consequences of Tyre's actions and serves as a warning of the inevitable judgment that will come.
This verse is part of a broader prophecy against Tyre, detailing the comprehensive destruction that will occur as a result of its defiance.
The prophecy serves as a reminder of the consequences of pride and opposition to God's will, illustrating the power of divine judgment.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways that I can recognize the consequences of my actions in my own life?
- How can I apply the lessons from Tyre's destruction to my own choices and behaviors?
- In what ways can I prepare myself to stand firm against challenges, similar to the walls of a city?
- What does this prophecy teach me about the nature of God's judgment and His sovereignty over nations?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 26:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he shall set engines of war against thy walls,.... Which some Jewish writers understand of crossbows, out of which stones or arrows were cast; but rather, according to Kimchi and Jarchi, they
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 26 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 26 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEngines of war: these were mighty engines, whatever form made of, and had their description here from the irresistible force wherewith they cast stones, and beat down all before them. Axes; whatever made of iron, and framed to demolish buildings: see .
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 26 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 26:9 And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.Ver. 9. He shall set engines of war.] Helepoles inieciet. A graphic description of a siege. And with his axes.] Or, Battering rams, or slings. Heb., With his swords; Gr., With his lances, ferramentis mueronatis helepoleos. Vide Am. Marcell, lib. xxiii.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 26 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9) Engines of war.—This is now generally understood to mean battering-rams, although the word is a different one from that used in Ezekiel 4:2; Ezekiel 21:22. There are two words here which may form one compound word. Axes in the original is swords. It may either be used, the specific for the general, swords for all instruments of war; or it may be a poetic hyperbole, to express the power of the swords of Nebuchadnezzar’s army—they shall even break down the towers.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 26 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9. engines of war] or, engines of assault, i.e. battering engines. “Axes” is lit. swords, i.e. irons. 10 seq. The assault and capture and sack of the city. The description is graphic in the extreme. When the conqueror enters the dust following the march of his cavalry shall cover the city; the walls shall shake at the rushing of his chariots in the streets; and the city shall be given up to slaughter and plunder.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 26 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8-14. The description is startingly vivid, the outlying villages (“daughters”)suffer first, then the well-known “fort” and “mount” are erected, and under cover of “the buckler” (a barricade of
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 26 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes.
He will set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.
He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his axes.
He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons.
Tyndale line
And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
And he shall set his battering engines against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
And he shall set his battering engines against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
He shall set engins of warre before him against thy walles, and with his weapons breake downe thy towres.
Strictly literal
and he shall set his engines of attack against thy walls, and with his spikes he shall break down thy towers.
And a battering-ram before him he placeth against thy walls, And thy towers he breaketh by his weapons.
And he places a battering-ram before him against your walls, || And he breaks your towers with his weapons.
And his catapults shall he set against thy walls, and thy towers shall he break down with his axes.
He will place his battering rams to hit against your walls, and his tools will tear down your towers.
From the Latin
And he shall set engines of mar and battering rams against thy walls, and shall destroy thy towers with his arms.
Simplified
He will have his battering rams smash your walls and use his tools to demolish your towers.
He will put up his engines of war against your walls, and your towers will be broken down by his axes.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their wording for this verse, with the Septuagint providing a word-for-word correspondence to the Hebrew. This indicates a consistent understanding of the prophecy across these ancient texts.
וּמְחִ֣י קָֽבָלּ֔וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן בְּחֹֽמוֹתָ֑יִךְ וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ יִתֹּ֖ץ בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽיו׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 26:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מְחִי (mchiy) refers to a stroke or blow, specifically associated with a battering ram. It appears only in Ezekiel 26:9, where it describes the impact of such an engine.
מְחִי n.[m.] only in Ez 26:9 the stroke of his battering ram
ref
H4239 מְחִי
4239 mchiy mekh-ee'
from 4229; a stroke, i.e. battering-ram:--engines.
see HEBREW for 04229
מְחִי (me.chi) — blow.
stroke (of a battering ram)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
קְבֹל (qobel) refers to a battering-ram or siege-engine, derived from the root meaning to confront or stand opposite. The term is used in contexts related to warfare, indicating an attacking engine designed for breaching defenses.
[קְבֹל] n.[m.]
something in front, spec. an attacking-engine
cstr., explained formerly as before the people
base
H6904 קְבֹל, קָבָל, קֹבֶל
6904 qobel ko'-bel
from 6901 in the sense of confronting (as standing opposite
in order to receive); a battering-ram:--war.
see HEBREW for 06901
קְבֹל (qo.vel) — battering-ram.
something in front, attacking engine, siege-engine, battering-ram
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
Few words in the English language have such a rich variety of meaning and are used in so rich a variety of idiomatic expression as the word "set." A glance at any of the great dictionaries will convince anyone of the truth of this statement. The Standard Dictionary devotes three and a half columns to the word. In its primary meaning it there denotes 22 distinct things, in its secondary meaning 17 more, while 18 distinct phrases are given in which it is used, in some cases again in a variety of meanings. It is indeed a word calculated to drive a foreigner to despair. Some 70 Hebrew and about 30 Greek words in the original tongues of the Holy Scriptures have been rendered by the word "set," in the King James Version and also in the Revised Version (British and American). A careful comparative study of the original and of translations in other tongues will at once indicate that a lack of…
חוֹמָה (chowmah) refers to a wall, typically understood as a protective barrier. It is derived from a root meaning to join, and is often used to describe city walls or the walls of buildings. The term can also be applied figuratively, such as in reference to the waters of the Red Sea.
חוֹמָה 133 n.f. wall (as protection)
usu. term for wall of city
wall of a building
fig. of waters of Red Sea
base
H2346 חוֹמָה wall (as protection)
2346 chowmah kho-maw'
feminine active participle of an unused root apparently
meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — wall.
wall
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — (Broad) Wall.
wall
Combined with ra.chav (רָחָב "Broad" H7342)
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp2fs
מִגְדָּל (migdal) primarily means 'tower,' indicating a structure that is tall or elevated. It can also refer to an elevated stage or pulpit and, in a figurative sense, to a raised bed of flowers. The word is derived from a root meaning height, and its usage spans various contexts in the Old Testament.
מִגְדָּל n.m. tower
tower
elevated stage, pulpit of wood
raised bed
base
H4026 מִגְדָּל tower . tower
. elevated stage, pulpit of wood
. raised bed
4026 migdal mig-dawl'
also (in plural) feminine migdalah {mig-daw- law'}; from
1431; a tower (from its size or height); by analogy, a
rostrum; figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers:--castle,
flower, tower. Compare the names following.
see HEBREW for 01431
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — (Hananel) Tower.
Combined with cha.nan.el (חֲנַנְאֵל " of Hananel" H2606)
This name means tower
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — Tower (of the Hundred).
Combined with me.ah (מֵאָה "hundred" H3968)
This name means tower
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — Tower (Of the Ovens).
This name means tower, elevated stage
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — tower.
1) tower
1a) tower
1b) elevated stage, pulpit
1c) raised bed
Conj | N-cp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncfpc/Sp2fs
The Hebrew word נָתַץ (nathats) is a primitive root meaning to tear down or break down. It encompasses various forms, including pulling down, destroying, and overthrowing, with different grammatical aspects indicating active and passive forms. The entries describe its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but do not reference specific verses.
נָתַץ vb. pull down, break down
Qal
lit. pull down a structure
fig.
Niph. be pulled, broken, down
Pi. tear down (chiefly late)
Pu. be torn down
Hoph. be broken down, broken
base
H5422 נָתַץ pull down, break down
5422 nathats naw-thats'
a primitive root; to tear down:--beat down, break down
(out), cast down, destroy, overthrow, pull down, throw down.
נָתַץ (na.tats) — to tear.
1) to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth)
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pull down
1a2) to break down, break off
1b) (Niphal) to be pulled or broken down
1c) (Piel) to tear down
1d) (Pual) to be torn down
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be broken down
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
חֶ֫רֶב (chereb) means 'sword' and can also refer to other cutting instruments like knives and tools. It is derived from a root meaning 'drought,' highlighting its destructive nature. The term is used in various contexts in the Old Testament, primarily to denote weapons.
חֶ֫רֶב 411 n.f. sword (as weapon)
base
H2719 חֶ֫רֶב sword (as weapon)
2719 chereb kheh'-reb
from 2717; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its
destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp
implement:--axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.
see HEBREW for 02717
חֶ֫רֶב (che.rev) — sword.
1) sword, knife
1a) sword
1b) knife
1c) tools for cutting stone
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms