For thus says the Lord GOD: As in verse 7, the Hebrew word ki rendered For is an emphatic particle here, so it is better rendered “Indeed” (Anchor Bible) or “Surely.” If anyone had any doubt before this, this prophecy makes it absolutely clear that God is the one who will punish Tyre. For thus says the Lord GOD, see Ezek 26.3.

When I make you a city laid waste: God will destroy the buildings of Tyre and kill all its people. For the Hebrew verb rendered laid waste, see 12.20. New Century Version renders this clause as “I will make you an empty city,” and Osty has “When I make you a city of ruins.”

Like the cities that are not inhabited: Tyre will be like those cities that do not have people living in them, because they are falling down and in ruins. Translators may say “like other abandoned cities” or “like other deserted cities.”

When I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you: The deep does not to refer to a tidal wave from the Mediterranean Sea (so New Century Version), nor does it refer to another flood like that in Noah’s day. New Living Translation takes it metaphorically to refer to “the terrible waves of enemy attack,” but it actually refers to the primeval sea of Gen 1.2 when the world came into being. In ancient Near East mythology the deep is the raging, chaotic ocean that is the stuff from which the world was made from, but in the Bible it is something that God created and controls. To be covered by the great waters of the deep suggests total and complete destruction.

This prophecy begins with the conjunction When, and continues with the conjunction “then” in verse 20. This results in a long sentence, and in many languages it is more natural to state first what God will do, and then begin verse 20 with “When I do that, then….”

A model for this verse is:

• Indeed, the Lord Yahweh says, “I will destroy the city of Tyre, [breaking down its buildings and killing its people]. Then it will be like those [ruined] cities where no one lives. I will cause the deep sea to come up over Tyre, and much water will flow over it and cover it.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .