Ezekiel 26:13

Eze 26:13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

Ver. 13. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease.] The Tyrians were much addicted to music. {Isa 23:16 Eze 28:13} Pleasure mongers shall suffer deeply, by pain of loss and pain of sense.

And the sound of thy harp.] Qua tu, O Tyre, mercatrix quasi meretrix mercatores ad te pellicis, wherewith thou gettest custom.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze_26:13

And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease.

Sin silencing song

The classics tell of a lake called Avernus, which means birdless. A poisonous vapour arises from its foul waters. Birds attempting to fly across it fall stupefied into its bosom. The eagles wing becomes powerless, and gradually the proud bird sinks down, until its lifeless body floats upon the dark waters. The nightingale loses by degrees her power of song, and at length the sweet singer falls trembling into the waves of death. This may be a fiction; it is nevertheless a picture of life. There is a lake of sinful pleasure lying along our path. Heedless of it, many spread their wings of strength and beauty upon its outer shore. They think to go a little beyond its margin, and then return. But the spell is on them. Before they are aware the wing has lost its strength and the voice its charm. The momentum gained bears them onward and down until they sink in the dark and fatal flood. (Monday Club Sermons )

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Instead of the joyousness of thy prosperity, a death-like silence shall reign (Isa 24:8; Jer 7:34).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(13) I will cause.—Here God speaks of His own direct action, and declares that all these calamities are ordered by Him; and in this and the following verse the prophecy of Eze_26:4-5, is repeated that Tyre shall be utterly wasted and desolate, and never be rebuilt.

In Eze_26:15-21 the effect of the fall of Tyre upon other maritime people is set forth. It is to be remembered that these people were either her own colonies, or else in close commercial relations with her.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease,.... As this city abounded with riches, so with carnal mirth and pleasure; it was a "joyous city", Isa 23:7, the inhabitants lived merrily and jovially; were much given to music, which was very diverting and amusing to foreigners that traded with them; but now it would be all over with them; there would be no more songs, nor any to sing them:

and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard; neither vocal nor instrumental music; and this will be one day the case of Rome, of which Tyre was a type, Rev 18:22.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A populus, wealthy, ancient, and much frequented city, in the midst of great security, no doubt, had all sorts of music, and loud music on the water especially, and songs to their music; but God will dash it all.

The sound of thy harps: this particular music mentioned as one of the noblest, and most in request, but no more shall be heard in Tyre after it is taken by Nebuchadnezzar.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The noise of thy songs. As in the imagery, of Isa_23:16, Tyre seems to have been famous for its music the operatic city, as it were, of the ancient world eminent no less for its culture than its commerce. (comp. Eze_28:13) The description of the desolation of the captured city is summed up once more in the words of Ver. 5. It shall be a place to "spread nets upon.

Songs silenced.

Songs may be silenced either because they are found to be unworthy to be sung or because the singers are no longer able to sing them. The harp may be broken, or the minstrel may be in no mood to touch its chords. Our old joys may be given up for either of these reasons. We may find them to be unworthy, or, if no fault is discovered in them, sorrow may extinguish them.

I SONGS ARE SILENCED BY THE DISCOVERY OF THEIR UNWORTHINESS. The songs of Tyre were not like those of Zion. Heathen songs are too often degrading to the singers of them, because false religion and immoral conduct are therein celebrated. There are pleasures of sin which it is a shame to permit unchecked. The awakening of conscience necessarily extinguishes such pleasures and stills their accompanying songs. In this way the thoughtless world may be brought to regard religion as a gloomy, repressive influence, inimical to joy, and therefore very unattractive. We should look a little deeper. The wicked song must be stopped at any cost. But it need not be followed by a reign of perpetual silence. A new song may follow, and this may be as joyous as it is innocent. Christianity is not the enemy of gladness, it is only the enemy of wickedness; and when joy is purged from evil, joy is found to be deeper, stronger, and sweeter than ever it was while intoxicated with the old corruption.

II SONGS ARE SILENCED BY SORROW. There is a time for everything, and singing is not always seasonable. Nothing can be more unnatural than a forced song. Now, there are sorrows that quench the most vigorous soul"s delights, as there are storms that beat down the strongest wings. Such were the calamities that accompanied Nebuchadnezzar"s invasion. Such too were the troubles of the Jewish captives when they hung their harps upon the willows, and refused to sing the Lord"s song in a strange land. (Psa_137:2-4) But there will be worse causes of the silence of old songs in God"s future judgments on sin. Pleasure is no refuge from trouble. It tempts to hopes that are delusive. No one is safe just because he feels himself happy. Cheerful people may be in as great danger as despondent ones.

III SONGS ARE SILENCED TO SAVE THE SINGER. Type is made desolate utterly and eternally. The songs of her gay citizens are no more heard. Her very rocks are scraped bare, and the fisherman spreads his nets on her once populous places. Thus cities are doomed to irretrievable ruin. But it is not so with souls. There are restoration and redemption for individual men. At all events, though a dark shadow of mystery hangs over the grave, this is the case on earth. Now, it would be best for the singer to silence his old thoughtless song in the sober reflection of repentance. The silence may be a first step to better things. We are too noisy and too superficial. The hush of demonstrative life gives us an opportunity of hearing the still small voice of God. When our songs are silenced we may listen to the songs of the angels. Then that heavenly music may teach us to tune our harps to its higher melody and inspire our souls with new songs of redemption. (Rev_5:9)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.