THEOSISJerome of Stridon
In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the Lord spoke to me, saying, "Son of man, because Tyre has spoken against Jerusalem, declaring that the gates of the nations are shattered, that it has turned to me, and that I will be satisfied, it has become desolate. Thus says the Lord God, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will stir up many nations against you, like the waves that roll in from the sea. They will dismantle the walls of Tyre and overthrow its towers, and I will reduce it to a bare rock. It will become a place for drying nets in the midst of the sea, for I have declared it, says the Lord God, and it will be a spoil for the nations. Additionally, the daughters in the fields will fall by the sword, and they will recognize that I am the Lord.
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The prophet's discourse follows a clear sequence. He addressed the sons of Ammon, Moab, Seir—who are also referred to as Idumeans—and the Philistines along the coast, who share the same territories as those from Palestine, leading into the land of the Phoenicians, whose prominent city is Tyre, known in Hebrew as Sor. Because Tyre rejoiced at the capture of Jerusalem, exclaiming that the gates of the nations have been broken and celebrating its fall, it believed it would gain a secure refuge as his once-thriving realm turned desolate. Thus, having rejoiced in Jerusalem's destruction—a judgment of God due to its iniquities, not through messengers, but by my own hand—O Tyre, I will bring against you the Babylonian forces along with many other nations. Your walls and towers will collapse, the ashes of your ruins scattered, leaving you like a desolate rock, stripped of the populous life that once existed, with fishermen casting their nets to dry in the city's ruins.
This assurance comes from me, the Lord, whose promises are unfailing, as I deliver you to the nations for plunder. Your daughters along the coast—the cities, towns, and fortifications—will all perish by the sword. Calling them 'daughters' denotes their destruction, so that the outcome confirms my sovereignty. The Hebrew term 'sor' implies distress, and could metaphorically represent any soul in anguish. Witnessing the fall of Jerusalem, once home to the temple and a place of peace—a destruction ordained by God—gives rise to rejoicing among those who think the strength of that city will now be theirs.
This can be understood as a reflection of contrasting beliefs and individuals who delight in the downfall of a holy person through negligence, mistakenly believing that such a decline signifies their own triumph. Therefore, the Lord warns that He will contend against such people, bringing forth a multitude of nations that will dismantle what they deem strong, leaving their arguments in ruins. He will cause them to abandon their nets, once used to ensnare the deceived, and lay them out on the barren ground of the city, only for others, sent by the Lord, to fish anew.
Moreover, the daughters—previously sheltered and seemingly unreachable due to hidden doctrines—will be exposed and face the sword of the Church, so that they may know I am the Lord, the one who withdrew from Jerusalem progressively due to its sins and obliterated the defenses of Tyre for its arrogance and delight in Jerusalem's downfall.