Ezekiel 27

Tyre immediately disappears; her strong towers shrink down into the earth, and her very dust is buried in the sea. Nothing remains but the bare rock (on which the city stood.) The scene is then varied. The isles and adjacent regions shake, as by a mighty earthquake, with the percussion occasioned by the fall of Tyre. The groans of the dying reach the ears of the people inhabiting those regions. Their princes, alarmed for themselves, and grieved for Tyre, descend from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and clothe themselves—with sackcloth? no, but with trembling! Arrayed in this astonishing attire, the Prophet introduces them as a chorus of mourners, lamenting Tyre, in a funeral song, or dirge, as customary on the death of renowned personages.

“Such is the prophecy concerning Tyre, comprehending both the east on the continent, and that on the island, and punctually fulfilled in regard to both. That on the continent was razed to the ground by Nebuchadnezzar, and that on the island by Alexander. The latter used all the stones, rubbish, and earth of the old city, in making a causeway to join the continent to the island, by which means he became master of the (latter) city, and fulfilled that part of the prediction which says, “her dust shall be scraped together, and her stones, her timber, and her earth, laid in the midst of the waters. At present, and for ages back, this great city, once the emporium of the world, is literally what the Prophet repeatedly foretold—‘a bare rock, a place to spread nets on.’”

Dr. J. Smith. Chap. XVII. Ver. 1—36. Farther prophecies against Tyre, and a lamentation for her.—In this chapter the Prophet pursues his subject in the manner of the ancient laments, or funeral songs, in which the mourning women first recounted whatever was great or praiseworthy in the deceased, and then bewailed his fall. Here, the riches, glory, and extensive commerce of Tyre, are first enlarged upon: her downfall is then described in a beautiful allegory, in which all the maritime and commercial world are represented as grieved and astonished at her fate, and greatly alarmed for their own. “Besides the view which this chapter gives of the conduct of Providence, and of the truth of prophecy; and besides the example it affords the critic, of a very elegant and highly finished piece of composition, it likewise affords the antiquary a very curious and interesting view of the wealth and commerce of ancient times.—And to the mind that looks for a city that hath foundations, what a picture does the whole present of the mutability and inanity of all earthly things!

Almost all the past mentioned, like Tyre, are now no more: they are sunk in the deep waters of oblivion; the east wind hath carried them away.”’—Dr. J. Smith.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXVII. Ver. 3. Entry of the sea—That is, “A sea port.”—[Tyre was situated in the Mediterranean, at the nearest entrance to it from the interior and eastern part of Asia; and every way conveniently placed to unite in commerce, Asia, Africa, and Europe.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. In the midst (Heb. *‘heart’) of the sea.—Newcome thinks this refers to Old Tyre, which stood on a peninsula; others refer it to New Tyre, built on an adjacent island. Ver. 6. Benches of ivory.—[They have made thy hatches of ivory well trodden. Rather, “thy benches have they made of ivory inlaid in box, (batteashurim, in one word, as Bochart, Scheuchzer, and others, read, see Targum,) from the isles of Chittim.” Vulgate, “from the islands of Italy,”

which were always famous for box-trees.]—Bagster. Ver. 7. Elishah.—(Elis, part of the Peloponnesus, extending along the western coast, west of Arcadia, north of Messenia, and south of Achaia.)—Bagster. Ver. 8. Arvad.—(Aradus, now Ruad, a city and island of Phenicia, opposite Antaradus, which is placed in the Antonine Itinerary, 131 miles south of Antioch, and 50 N. of Tripoli.)—Bagster. Ver. 9. Thy calkers.—See margin.—“The strengtheners of thy breaches,” or rather, leaks. Ver. 11. The Gammadims.—Probably a people of Phenicia, inhabitants of Ancon—soldiers placed in the towers of Tyre. Ver. 12. Tarshish.—See (Jonah 1:3). on Ver. 13. Javan—That is, Greece. (Daniel 8:21).—The poor of men—That is, slaves, (Revelation 18:13). Grecian slaves were considered the most valuable; but Tubal and Meshech also brought slaves to Tyre for sale. Slave-dealers are called by St. Paul ‘men-stealers,’ and classed with murderers, whoremongers, and sodomites. 1 Timothy i. 10. Ver. 15. Dedan.—[Probably, as Bochart and Michaelis suppose, Dedan, a town of Arabia on the Persian Gulf, placed by D’Anville rather out of the gulf, and near the Indian Ocean.]—Bagster.—Of thy hand—That is, of thy Ver. 16. Agate.—Newcome, “Carbuncles.” Ver. 18. Wine of Helbon.—[The Chalybon of the Greeks and Romans, now called by the natives Haleb, and by us Aleppo, said to have been so celebrated for its wine, that the Persian kings would drink no other.

It was a celebrated city of Syria, situated about 90 miles from the Mediterranean by way of Antioch, and 100 from the Euphrates, in lat. 36° 11’ 25" N. long. 37° 9’ E.; and previous to its destruction by an earthquake in 1822, occupied, including its suburbs, 8 small hills, with the intermediate valleys, comprehending 2 circuit of about seven miles: and its inhabitants were variously estimated at from 100,000 to 258,000 souls.]—Bagster. Ver. 26. Thy rowers.—Newcome and others understand this of their statesmen, or political pilots, which had brought them into great difficulty and danger. Compare this chapter with (Revelation 18)throughout. Ver. 27. Thy riches, &c.—[In these beautiful and expressive figures, Tyre is represented as a ship at sea, wrecked through the mistakes of her pilots and rowers; that is, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Alexander, in consequence of her rulers having pertinaciously resolved to ‘withstand those haughty conquerors.’

This vast ship, laden with all kinds of valuable wares, being wrecked, all her valuables, sailors, officers, &c. went to the bottom.]—B. Ver. 29. Thy suburbs.—[When the ship was dashed against the rocks, and all hope of life was taken away, then a universal cry was set up by all on board.]—Bagster. Ver. 30. Their voice to be heard.—[All that were on land, seeing this gallant ship perishing with all her men and goods, are here represented as setting up a dismal cry at the heart-rending sight.]—Bagster. (Ezekiel 28)The Prince of Tyrus.—(Josephus states, on the authority of Menander, who translated the Phenician annals into Greek, and Philostratus, that this prince was Ithobal, in whose reign Nebuchadnezzar besieged and took Tyre.)—Bagster.—Set thy heart as the heart of God.—The heart is the seat of understanding: to set

his heart as the heart of God, was to magnify his own wisdom, as divine and unsearchable; see ver. 3 and 6. Ver. 3. Thou art wiser than Daniel.—This is said ironically, but serves to show that the prophet Daniel had, by this time, established a character for extraordinary and inspired wisdom. Ver. 9. Wilt thou yet (or indeed) say, &c. Ver. 10. The death of the uncircumcised—That is, remained unburied. See (Ezekiel 31:18); xxxii. 19, &c. Ver. 12. Thou sealest up the sum.—Newcome, Thou (art like) a signet of curious engraving.” So the ancient versions. Dr. Boothroyd confidently says, “No sense (whatever) can be made of the present text.” Bishop Lowth, however, thought otherwise, and rendered the first clause, “Thou art the confirmed exemplar of measures,”

which we understand as parallel to “thou art the model of perfection.” It must be confessed, that these various readings differ but in the corner of a letter, or in the difference between Caph and Beth. This and the two following verses are evidently ironical. Ver. 13. Thou hast been in Eden—And hast brought thence all the precious productions of Paradise! Ver. 14. The anointed cherub that covereth—The ark of God. See (Exodus 25:19, 21); xxx. 26.—The stones of fire—are supposed to be the precious glittering stones in the high priest’s breastplate, deposited in the most holy and note. ain: but we should rather refer to the sapphire pavement. (Exodus 24:10). Ver. 15. Perfect till iniquity was found in thee.—(The irony is still continued.

‘Thou hast been like the angels,—like Moses,—like the Cherubs,—like Adam,—like God,—till thine iniquity was found out.’)—Bagster. Ver. 21. Zidon.—[Tyre was a colony of the Zidonians, (see on (Isaiah 33:12);) and consequently Zidon was a more ancient, though a less considerable city than Tyre; and it is probable that it was taken by the Chaldeans soon after the destruction of the latter. It was afterwards burnt to the ground by the inhabitants to prevent it falling into the hands of Ochus. See Prideaux.]—B.