How does Ezekiel 28:20 connect with other prophecies about Sidon in the Bible? Ezekiel 28:20 – A New Word Aimed at Sidon “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,” • Ezekiel turns from Tyre (28:1–19) to a distinct oracle for Sidon (28:21–24). • The verse signals that Sidon stands under the same divine scrutiny as her more famous sister‐city. Isaiah’s Earlier Lament (Isaiah 23) • “Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken” (Isaiah 23:4). • “You will rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon” (Isaiah 23:12). • Isaiah foretells commercial collapse and exile, themes Ezekiel echoes by announcing plague, sword, and bloodshed (Ezekiel 28:22-23). Jeremiah’s Babylonian Warnings (Jeremiah 25; 27; 47) • “All the kings of Tyre and Sidon” are named among those whom the LORD will hand to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 25:22). • The prophet sends yoke‐bars “to the king of Sidon” as a sign of coming servitude (Jeremiah 27:3, 6-7). • “To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every ally who remains” (Jeremiah 47:4). • Ezekiel’s plague language enlarges Jeremiah’s prediction of military defeat under Babylon. Joel 3:4-8 — Retribution for Violence against Judah • “What have you to do with Me, Tyre, Sidon…? I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads” (Joel 3:4). • Joel focuses on Sidon’s slave‐trading of Israelites; Ezekiel underscores the LORD’s holiness being vindicated inside Sidon itself (28:22). Zechariah 9:2-4 — Sidon under the Hellenistic Storm • “Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd… the Lord will impoverish her” (Zechariah 9:2-4). • Zechariah reprises the theme of worldly wisdom collapsing before divine judgment first voiced by Isaiah and developed by Ezekiel. Shared Threads That Tie the Prophecies Together • Divine Opposition: “I am against you, Sidon” (Ezekiel 28:22) is the clearest, yet every oracle presents the LORD as Sidon’s chief adversary. • Purpose Statement: “Then they will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 28:23) mirrors Isaiah 23:17-18; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 9:4-5. • Instruments of Judgment: plague (Ezekiel), sword (Jeremiah), economic ruin (Isaiah), slave reversal (Joel), conquest by world powers (Zechariah). • Maritime Commerce: each prophecy pictures Sidon’s seafaring wealth evaporating. • Link with Tyre: Sidon is consistently yoked to Tyre; Ezekiel’s separate oracle underlines individual accountability despite shared culture and sin. Historical Fulfillment • Babylon besieged Phoenician cities (ca. 585 BC), bringing Sidon under vassal status—Jeremiah’s yoke fulfilled. • Persian king Artaxerxes III crushed Sidon’s revolt (351 BC); the city burned itself, matching bloodshed “in her streets” (Ezekiel 28:23). • Alexander the Great took a submissive Sidon (332 BC), echoing Zechariah 9. • Each wave of conquest visibly “glorified” the LORD over Sidon’s gods, just as Ezekiel foretold. Final Echo in the New Testament • Jesus cites Sidon as an example of cities that would have repented had they seen His miracles (Matthew 11:21-22; Luke 10:13-14). • The reference assumes the historical reality of prior judgments and points to a still‐future reckoning, carrying the prophetic thread into the gospel era. Summary of the Connection Ezekiel 28:20 introduces an oracle that gathers and amplifies every earlier word against Sidon—Isaiah’s lament, Jeremiah’s Babylonian yoke, Joel’s payback, and Zechariah’s coming conquest. All affirm that the LORD will personally confront Sidon’s pride, employ successive empires as His rod, and use her downfall to make His holiness known to the nations and to Israel. |
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