Ezekiel 26:1
“In the eleventh year, in the first of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,”
What does Ezekiel 26:1 mean?
Ezekiel is marking a specific moment when God spoke to him, placing it in the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile (around 585 BC). This opening formula, which appears throughout Ezekiel's prophecies, signals that what follows carries God's authority and deserves attention. The precision of the date reminds us that God's word wasn't vague or mystical, but came with clarity at particular times. What comes next in this passage is Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre, a wealthy city that had celebrated Jerusalem's downfall, and God is about to address that through His messenger.