Ezekiel 27:7

Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt,.... From whence came the finest and whitest linen; and which they embroidered with needlework, which looked very beautiful.

Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

Fine linen; whereas thrift teaches us to use the coarse linen for like purposes, these prodigal Tyrians used the finest silken sails, as we may render the words. With broidered work; divers figures, curiously drawn with the needle in this fine linen, which made exceeding costly sails; yet pride and wantonness in some of them went to the charges of it. From Egypt; where was much of this fine linen, and many of these neat embroiderers. Blue, or violet colour, and purple; both rich and noble colours: the garments of great men and princes were made hereof, ; see . From the isles of Elishah; either from the sea-coast of Æolis in the Lesser Asia, the inhabitants whereof were excellent in the skill of dying wool; or from Peloponnesus, in which is one country called Elis, famous for fine linen, and about the mouth of the river Eurotas. The fishing for the purple fish was fatuously known, so that it might be this place beside the isles of the Ægean and Cretian seas, as Cos, Nysirus, (called from its purples Porphyris,) Cythera, and the Cyclades, which are many; some twelve of better note we might name, as now called Andro, Parlo, Zea, Sdilli, Micoli, &c. That which covered thee: he speaks not here of garments, but of the coverings they used in their ships or galleys. Their tilts, as our boatmen call them, the clothes they spread over their heads on ship-board, to keep them from sun and weather, were such as be fitted kings and princes for costliness and beauty.

Ezekiel 27:7 Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.Ver. 7. Fine linen.] When coarse canvas might have served the turn as well. From Egypt.] Which is held to be the finest, whitest, and costliest. Oh this unnecessary bravery! Luxus est anteambulo ruinae: Luxury portends your ruin, how many hath it utterly undone! When a man shall see a cloak embroidered over with woods and parks and lordships, and lined with obligations and bonds and statutes, will not the beggar soon catch such a prodigal by the back? From the isles of Elishah,] i.e., Of Italy, saith the Chaldee paraphrast; of Greece, say others; the Fortunate islands, say some, which are called the Elysian islands for their pleasure and plenty. Was that which covered thee.] The poop deck of thy ships. Of Cleopatra’ s sumptuous ship or barge, the poop deck whereof was of gold, the oars silver, the sails purple, &c., see Plutarch in Anton.

(7) Fine linen with broidered work.—To a modern sailor “fine linen “may seem both an extravagant and an insufficient material for a ship’s sails, but the State ships of antiquity were often fitted out in this way, and the sails embroidered in colours in place of a pennon. The clause literally is, Linen with embroidery from Egypt was for thy spreading out (sail), to be to thee for a sign.Isles of Elishah.—In Genesis 10:4, 1 Chronicles 1:7, Elishah is mentioned among the sons of Javan, or Ionia. The regions here referred to are the coasts of Asia Minor, where an abundant supply of the murex (from which came the famous purple dye) was obtained, when the quantity on the Tyrian coast was insufficient for its manufactures. “That which covered thee” is the awning spread over the ship’s deck.

Verse 7. Fine linen] שש shesh, cotton cloth. In this sense the word is generally to be understood. To be thy sail] Probably the flag - ensign or pennant, is meant. Blue and purple from the isles of Elishah] Elis, a part of the Peloponnesus.

7. The rigging and furnishing of the ship. Her sail (ancient ships usually had but one) was embroidered byssus, fine linen, out of Egypt (Ezekiel 16:10). Render: broidered byssus of Egypt was thy sail, to serve to thee for a pennon. The flag proper seems not to have been used in ancient navigation, its purpose was served by the sail, as for example at the battle of Actium the ship of Antony was distinguished by its purple sail. The word seems to mean sail, Isaiah 33:23. On “broidered” cf. ch. Ezekiel 16:10; Ezekiel 16:13; Ezekiel 16:18. that which covered thee] lit. thy covering (in Isaiah 14:11 a coverlet, cf. Isaiah 23:18), either an awning, or more probably a cabin, the sides and roof of which were of the fine stuffs named. the isles of Elishah] In Genesis 10:4 Elishah is one of the sons of Javan, i.e. Ionia or Grecian Asia. The Targ. renders “country of Italy.” Ges. combines the name with Elis, and understands the Peloponnesus in general, which was certainly noted for the dyes referred to in the verse. 8 seq. The manning of the ship. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were her rowers, and her own wise men her steersmen. thy mariners] rowers. Sidon lay to the N. of Tyre, about half way between it and Beirut, and was probably the oldest Phœnician town, Tyre being a colony. Sidon is the firstborn of Canaan (Genesis 10:15), and is called Great Sidon in Joshua 19:28. It is frequently referred to in Homer (e.g. Il. 7. 290), who does not mention Tyre. At a later time Tyre eclipsed her mother in power and wealth. Arvad (Aradus) lay greatly more to the N. It was built on a small island, over two miles from the mainland, and, being without natural harbours, piers were laboriously constructed of huge blocks of stone, 16 feet long by 7 broad, quarried on the island. It was dependent for water upon the mainland, but when its supply was cut off recourse was had to a powerful spring of fresh water which was known to rise under the sea in the channel between the town and the mainland. This spring was isolated and the water brought by a tube to the surface. The spring is said still to exist. Arvad, now Ruwâd, or, Ruweideh, is often mentioned in the Assyrian Annals. Tiglath-pileser I. (c. 1100) embarked on ships of Arvad and sailed out into “the great sea,” Del., Parad. p. 281 (the same expression is used by another king of himself, Schrader, KAT. p. 184, on 1 Kings 5:13, cf. p. 104). See chart of Arvad, Rawl., Phœn. p. 74.

Or, “Fine linen Genesis 41:42 with embroidery from Egypt was” thy sail that it might be to thee for a banner. Sails from Egypt were worked with various figures upon them which served as a device.

7. Fine linen — R.V., “Of fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was thy sail, that it might be to thee for an ensign” (or, “cabin,” Davidson).