Ezekiel 27:28 — Word Study
WLCלְק֖וֹל זַעֲקַ֣ת חֹבְלָ֑יִךְ יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ מִגְרֹשֽׁוֹת׃
BSAThe countrysidemigrâsh [pasture lands, open land, suburbs] will shakerâʻash▸ [to quake, tremble with fear] when your sailorschôbêl [pilots, shipmasters, navigators] cry outzaʻaq [with a loud outcry, in distress, with a shriek]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְק֖וֹל | to [the] sound of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| זַעֲקַ֣ת | [the] outcry of | Noun common, feminine singular construct |
| חֹבְלָ֑יִךְ | sailors your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ | they will quake | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִגְרֹשֽׁוֹת׃ | pasturelands | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The countryside will shake when your sailors cry out. |
| KJV | The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. |
| ASV | At the sound of the cry of thy pilots the suburbs shall shake. |
| YLT | At the voice of the cry of thy pilots shake do the suburbs. |
| WEB | At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the pasture lands will shake. |
| BBE | At the sound of the cry of your ships' guides, the boards of the ship will be shaking. |
The translations agree on the meaning of יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is straightforward, with a single prepositional phrase providing the context for the shaking.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמִגְרְשֹׁות
verbרָעַשׁ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 27:28
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament over Tyregenerated
Ezekiel 27:28 describes the dramatic response of the countryside to the cries of sailors in distress. This verse is part of a broader lamentation over Tyre, emphasizing the impact of its downfall on both land and sea. The preceding verses highlight the wealth and might of Tyre, while the subsequent verses depict the chaos that ensues when disaster strikes, illustrating the interconnectedness of human activity and nature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 27:35 | All the people of the coastlands are appalled over you. Their kings shudder with fear; their faces are contorted. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 26:10–15 | His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 31:16 | I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. |
| 4 | Exodus 15:14 | The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the dwellers of Philistia. |
| 5 | Nahum 2:3 |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ, yir.'a.Shugenerated
The verb יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ (yir'a'shu) is a third person masculine plural imperfect form of the root רָעַשׁ (ra`ash), which means 'to shake' or 'to quake.' This word conveys the idea of trembling, often associated with fear or a significant event. In this context, it describes the physical reaction of the land as the sailors cry out.
The use of this verb suggests a powerful connection between the human response to distress and the natural world, indicating that the cries of the sailors resonate so deeply that they cause the very ground to tremble.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations of this verse are consistent across versions, all conveying the idea that the countryside will shake in response to the sailors' cries.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ (they will quake) governs the main clause, describing the action that will occur. The subject of this verb is מִגְרֹשֽׁוֹת (pasturelands), indicating what will be affected by the sailors' cries.
The structure emphasizes the relationship between the sailors' distress and the reaction of the land, illustrating how their cries lead to a physical response in the environment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ is rendered as φοβηθήσονται (they will be afraid), which shifts the focus slightly from the physical shaking to the emotional response of fear. This choice highlights the psychological impact of the sailors' cries, suggesting that their distress not only affects the land but also invokes fear.
This translation choice indicates a broader interpretation of the scene, emphasizing the fear that accompanies the chaos of the sailors' outcry.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 27:28 tells us that the countryside will shake when the sailors cry out. This verse is part of a lament over the city of Tyre, highlighting how the land responds to the distress of its sailors. The imagery shows a deep connection between human actions and the natural world.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a strong reaction from the land, indicating that the cries of the sailors are so intense that they cause a physical response in the environment.
They are likely in distress due to a disaster at sea, which is causing chaos and fear.
It emphasizes the consequences of Tyre's downfall, showing how it affects not just the city but also the surrounding areas and the natural world.
It illustrates the interconnectedness of human actions and nature, suggesting that significant events have far-reaching effects.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I see the impact of distress in my own life or community?
- In what ways can I be more aware of the connections between human actions and the natural world?
- What are some examples of how my actions can cause a ripple effect in my surroundings?
- How can I respond to distress in a way that acknowledges the interconnectedness of all creation?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Father Jerome comments on this verse, noting the confusion that arises from the sailors' cries and the chaos that follows.
From the sound of the shouting of your helmsmen, the fleets will be thrown into confusion, and all who held the oar will come down from their ships.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 27 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 27:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 27 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots - the buildings of Tyre on the adjoining continent.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 27 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe lesser cities on terra firma shall be alarmed with summons of their governors to put themselves in a posture of defence. Or, the waves, an elegant hyperbole, thus read; The very waves, which roar and terrify, shall hear and tremble at a stranger and more doleful cry than their own. Or, as our version, The suburbs, which are nearest the sea, shall first hear the outcries of pilots and mariners despairing of escape, when, their ship broken to pieces, all at once shriek out. So shall thy citizens cry and fall.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 27 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 27:28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.Ver. 28. The suburbs shall shake.] Or, The waves, or the boats which they throw out of the ship. See on Ezekiel 26:10. Of the cry of thy pilots.] At their Conclamatum est: but why, did they then steer no better? Here we see - all covet, all loose.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 27 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(28) Suburbs.—This word means an open place around a building or city. There was no land around Tyre, and it is here used, therefore, in a general sense—all thy surroundings.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 27 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 28. The cry of thy pilots.] When the ship was dashed against the rocks by the violence of the winds and the waves, and all hope of life was taken away, then a universal cry was set up by all on board. I have heard this cry, and nothing more dismal can be imagined, when the ship by a violent tempest is driving among rocks on a lee shore. Then "All lost! cut away the boat!" is more dreadful than the cry of fire at midnight.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 27 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges28. the suburbs] According to tradition (Baer, Ezek.) the term here is differently pointed from that rendered “suburbs,” e.g. ch. Ezekiel 45:2. The latter term means the free space surrounding a city or building. If the sense of the present word were the same reference would be to the lands or coasts in the vicinity of Tyre, a sense far from natural. Jerome conjectured “fleets” (Ew.). In Isaiah 57:20 the verb describes the violent action of the waters of the sea (Amos 8:8), and A. V. marg. suggests waves here—the waves shall quake at the cry of thy pilots.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 27 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe suburbs - Or, “precincts.” Tyre rose from the midst of the sea; her “precincts” were the surrounding waters and the adjoining coasts.
Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 27 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The countryside will shake when your sailors cry out.
At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the pasture lands will shake.
The countryside will shake when your sailors cry out.
At the sound of your captains’ cry the waves will surge;
Tyndale line
The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
At the sound of the cry of thy pilots the suburbs shall shake.
At the sound of the cry of thy pilots the suburbs shall shake.
The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
The suburbes shall shake at the sound of the crie of thy pilotes.
Strictly literal
The open places shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
At the voice of the cry of thy pilots shake do the suburbs.
At the voice of the cry of your pilots the outskirts shake.
At the sound of the painful cry of thy pilots quake [thy] rural districts.
Cities at the sea will tremble at the sound of your pilots' cry;
From the Latin
Thy fleets shall be troubled at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
Simplified
The land around shakes when your sailors scream.
At the sound of the cry of your ships' guides, the boards of the ship will be shaking.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of Ezekiel 27:28. Both texts convey the same essential meaning, with the Septuagint providing a different perspective on the emotional implications of the sailors' cries.
לְק֖וֹל זַעֲקַ֣ת חֹבְלָ֑יִךְ יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ מִגְרֹשֽׁוֹת׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 27:28
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
זְעָקָה (ze'aqah) refers to a cry or outcry, often associated with distress or clamour. It is derived from the root word meaning to cry out, and its usage encompasses various forms of vocal expression, particularly in moments of urgency or need.
זְעָקָה n.f. cry, outcry
outcry, against
cry of distress
outcry, clamour
base
H2201 זְעָקָה cry, outcry
2201 za`aq zah'-ak
and (feminine) zoaqah {zeh-aw-kaw'}; from 2199; a shriek or
outcry:--cry(-ing).
see HEBREW for 02199
זְעָקָה (ze.a.qah) — outcry.
1) cry, outcry
1a) outcry
1b) cry of distress
1c) outcry, clamour
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular constructHNcfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חֹבֵל (chobel) refers to a sailor or shipmaster, derived from the root meaning related to handling ropes. The term emphasizes the role of a person who manages or pilots a ship, highlighting their connection to maritime activities.
חֹבֵל n.m. sailor (i.e. rope-puller)
base
H2259 חֹבֵל
2259 chobel kho-bale'
active participle from 2254 (in the sense of handling ropes);
a sailor:--pilot, shipmaster.
see HEBREW for 02254
חֹבֵל (cho.vel) — pilot.
sailor, seaman
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2fs
רָעַשׁ (ra`ash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to quake or shake. It describes actions such as trembling or moving, often due to fear, and can also refer to the springing of a horse. The verb appears in different forms, including Qal (to shake), Niphal (to be made to quake), and Hiphil (to cause to quake or leap).
[רָעַשׁ] vb. quake, shake
Qal quake, shake
Niph. is made to quake
Hiph.
cause to quake
cause (horse) to spring, leap (like locust)
base
H7493 [רָעַשׁ] quake, shake
7493 ra`ash raw-ash
a primitive root; to undulate (as the earth, the sky, etc.;
also a field of grain), partic. through fear; specifically, to
spring (as a locust):--make afraid, (re-)move, quake, (make
to) shake, (make to) tremble.
רָעַשׁ (ra.ash) — to shake.
1) to quake, shake
1a) (Qal) to quake, shake
1b) (Niphal) to be made to quake
1c)(Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to quake
1c2) to cause to spring or leap (of horse)
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
N-mp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa