THEOSISJerome of Stridon
In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the Lord spoke to me, saying, “Son of man, concerning what Tyre has said about Jerusalem: the gates of the nations are shattered; it has turned to me; I will be satisfied; it lies desolate. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will come upon you, Tyre, and I will stir up many nations against you, just as the restless sea swells. They will demolish the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers, and I will clear it out, leaving it like 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 shall be a spoil for the nations. Moreover, the daughters in the fields shall be struck down by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord.
Read more (465 words)
The prophet’s message unfolds in a clear sequence. He addressed the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Seir, the Idumeans, as well as the Philistines along the coast, who inhabit the coastal territories. Following Palestinia, one finds the lands of the Phoenicians, with Tyre as its principal city, known in Hebrew and Syriac as Sor. After the fall of Jerusalem, Tyre rejoiced, exclaiming, “The gates of the nations are broken; I now have a refuge,” and upon its destruction, the crowds it governed turned to me, believing that the once-filled would become a desert.
Thus, because you have uttered such words and celebrated Jerusalem’s demise, which fell by God’s decree due to its iniquities—not through any messengers, but I myself will stand against you, O Tyre. I will raise up the Babylonians and many nations against you, like the surging waves of the sea. The assault will shatter your walls and towers, bringing them crashing down, scattering their ashes, rendering the site so desolate it will resemble a bare rock. There will be such ruin in what was once a thriving city that fishermen will spread and dry their nets upon its remnants.
I, the Lord, whose words always come to pass, have declared this, and I will hand it over to the nations for plundering. The daughters in the fields—essentially, the cities, towns, villages, and fortresses along the Phoenician coast—will be destroyed by the sword. This metaphor of daughters signifies the calamity they will face, leading to an awareness that I am the Lord, who commanded these events.
The term Sor in Hebrew signifies tightness, which can also translate metaphorically to any soul in distress. Those witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem, the site of the temple and the vision of peace, find joy in its ruin, believing the once-glorious city's power will now pass to them. This perspective extends to those who take delight in the misfortunes of a righteous person, mistakenly assuming that such falls represent their own victories.
Thus, the Lord threatens to combat such individuals directly, raising many nations against them like the surging sea. These nations will dismantle all that they perceive as fortified and robust, reducing their powerful arguments to dust. They will abandon their nets—once used to ensnare the deceived—and instead lay them out to dry on the grounds of the desolate city, to be replaced by other fishermen sent by the Lord to gather them.
In addition, the daughters, previously kept secluded as if in peace and considered beyond reach due to esoteric teachings, will be revealed and exposed before all, meeting their end by the sword of the Church. This will serve to demonstrate that He is the Lord, who gradually withdrew from Jerusalem because of its transgressions while shattering the fortifications of Tyre for its glee.