Ezekiel 27
DOYLY— thy builders] Ship-builders chiefly, in which the strength and glory of Tyre consisted; see ver. 5.
— blue and purple from the isles of Elishah] Blue and purple are elsewhere reckoned among those colours which set off the richest attire; see Exod. xxv. 4; Jer. x. 9. They were brought from the islands of the Egean sea, particularly Coos, famed for purple among heathen authors. Elishah denotes the countries upon the coast of Greece; a part of Peloponnesus retains the name of Elis. W. Lowth. Bochart explains “Elishah” of Peloponnesus; and Michaelis remarks the resemblance of the name to Hellenes, who are said by Herodotus to have settled in the Peloponnesus. Abp. Newcome.
— which covered thee.] Perhaps the awning placed over the ship. Harmer. St. Jerome suggests, that it might have been the dress of the pilots and the rowers. Calmet.
— they traded the persons of men] Sellers of men for slaves are branded by St. Paul as highly criminal, I Tim. i. 10. Thessaly abounded with them. Bochart observes, that Pontus, to which the Tibareni extended themselves, was remarkable for slaves; and that the Grecian slaves were the most valuable of any. Abp. Newcome.
— vessels of brass] Mines of copper are worked in Caucasus to this day; and a village called Kubescha, on that mountain, is celebrated for the elegance of its brazen vessels. Michaelis.
— and Pannag,] This word is not elsewhere to be found; some suppose it to be not the name of a place, but of some rich ointment or gum. W. Lowth.
— and Chilmad.] Carmania; according to the Septuagint and Chaldee. Abp. Newcome.
— though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: ] Though thou hast in thy proud thoughts equalled thyself with God. Bp. Hall.
Ezekiel here censures the pride of the king of Tyre, as he had before condemned the people for their insolence. For these and their other vices, more especially for their insults and injuries against the Jews, chap. xxvi. 2, the Prophets prophesied against them; see Isa. xxiii. 9. Bp. Newton.
Ezekiel 27:5
- — thy ship boards] The decks of thy ships. W. Lowth.
— of Senir:] A part of the ridge of mount Hermon, in the eastern half tribe of Manasseh, Deut. iii. 9; 1 Chron. v. 23. Abp. Newcome.
Ezekiel 27:6
- — the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory.] The Assyrians have made the seats of ivory for the rowers in a very costly manner. W. Lowth. Probably they were the seats in the cabins of the royal galleys that were thus ornamented. Abp. Newcome.
— Chittim] The isles of Chittim are the islands and countries lying upon the coast of the Mediterranean sea, Jer. ii. 10. See note at Numb xxiv. 24.
Ezekiel 27:7
- Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt] Michaelis calls this chapter the most ancient monument of mercantile history. Abp. Newcome.
— to be thy sail.] This shews to what an excess of prodigality the Tyrians were come, to use such costly manufactures for sails to their ships. Suetonius, in his Life of Caligula, reckons this among several instances of that emperor’s extravagance, that he furnished his pleasure boats with costly sails, and other expensive ornaments. Bishop Newton compares this luxury in the Tyrian shipping with the elegance and magnificence of Cleopatra’s galley, when she sailed down the river Cydnus to meet Antony. W. Lowth, Abp. Newcome. Maillet says of Egypt, “there is still a considerable quantity of cloth made here, but it is far short of the perfection of that which was formerly brought from Egypt.” Hasselquist is of a different opinion: “By what we can see of the linen wrapped round the mummies, the famous linen of the Egyptians was no better than what is made at present in this country; it is however softer and of a looser texture, for which reason it lasts longer, and does not wear out so soon as ours.” Now as the persons embalmed were of great distinction, it is probable that the linen, in which the mummies were wrapped, was the finest at that time in Egypt: but if it was so coarse, why is it represented in this passage of Ezekiel as such a piece of magnificence for the ships of Tyre to have their sails of the linen of Egypt? Certainly, because though coarse in our eyes, it was thought to be very valuable when used even for clothing; and if masting was then commonly used for sails, as appears from Niebuhr to be the case at present
Ezekiel 27:8
- — Arvad] The island Aradus at the mouth of the river Eleutherus, on the coast of Phenicia, opposite to Tyre. The Arvadite is mentioned, Gen. x. 18. It is also called Arpad or Arphad, 2 Kings xviii. 34; Isa. x. 9; Jer. xlix. 23. W. Lowth. The Tyrians were so opulent, that they employed the inhabitants of other cities in the servile office of rowers and mariners. Calmet.
Ezekiel 27:9
- — of Gebal] Probably Biblos on the coast of Phenicia.
Ezekiel 27:10
- — Lud] Probably an Egyptian colony. Abp. Newcome.
— Phut] The African shepherds. Bochart. These people, though Africans, are joined with the Persians, chap. xxxviii. 5. W. Lowth.
— they hanged the shield and helmet in thee;] In their garrisons which they kept in time of peace. W. Lowth. Sandys speaks of one of the gates of the seraglio at Constantinople being “hung with shields and scimitars.” Parkhurst.
Ezekiel 27:11
- The men of Arvad] See ver. 8.
— The Gammadims] These were, as many think, a people in Phenicia. W. Lowth.
Ezekiel 27:12
- Tarshish] See note at 1 Kings x. 22.
Ezekiel 27:13
- Javan,] Greece, Dan. viii. 21. It was so called from Javan the son of Japhet, Gen. x. 2: from whom the Greeks are called Jones in their own tongue. Michaelis. All Greece, except Peloponnesus, was anciently called Ionia. W. Lowth.
— Tubal, and Meshech,] Sons of Japhet, Gen. x. 2. Before CHRIST 588. Or, stoppers of chinks. strengtheners. The riches and large commerce of Tyrus Before CHRIST 538. Or. merchandise.
they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy || market.
Ezekiel 27:14
- — Togarmah] By “Togarmah” Bochart understands Cappadocia. The Septuagint reads “Thorgama,” Gen. x. 3; which comes near in sound to Trogma or Trocma, a part of Cappadocia. W. Lowth.
Ezekiel 27:15
- — Dedan] A city in the Persian gulph, now called Dadan. Bochart, Michaelis. To this place the inhabitants of the Eastern isles or sea-coasts brought their wares. Abp. Newcome.
The Dedan here spoken of was derived from that Dedan mentioned Gen. x. 7, the son of Raamah or Regina. W. Lowth.
— many isles were the merchandise of thine hand.] They exported thy manufactures, “the wares of thy making,” as they are called in the following verse; and by way of return brought thee in ivory and other rarities from India. W. Lowth.
Ezekiel 27:16
- Syria was thy merchant] Although it be certain that some of the wares mentioned in this verse were not the natural product of Syria, yet they might all have formed articles of the Syrian trade. The ingenious author of the Ruins of Palmyra supposes, that it was the East India trade which so enriched that city, and he imagines that this was at least as ancient as the time of Solomon; Tyre therefore might have had these commodities conveyed to it in the time of Ezekiel, through Palmyra, and Syria might have been its merchant for them. E.
Ezekiel 27:17
- — wheat of Minnith,] These were the commodities which the Jews imported to Tyre, chiefly the necessary provisions for food; the Tyrians having none of their
Ezekiel 27:18
- — wine of Helbon,] Helbon is supposed the same part of Syria which is called Chalybontis by Ptolemy; now Aleppo: Strabo and Hesychius mention Chalybonian wine as the produce of Syria. Athenæus says, “It was so excellent, that the Persian king drank no other;” and Posidonius says, “that it grew in Damascus of Syria.” W. Lowth.
— and white wool.] The wool was dyed purple at Tyre. W. Lowth.
Ezekiel 27:19
- Dan—and Javan] By “Dan” St. Jerome understands the town afterwards called Cesarea Philippi, in the tribe of Dan. The Javan here mentioned is thought by Bochart to mean the southern part of Arabia. W. Lowth.
— bright iron.] Steel or wrought iron. Abp. Newcome.
— cassia, and calamus,] These articles being aromatick gums, confirm Bochart’s interpretation in the note above; they are known not to grow in Greece but in Arabia. W. Lowth.
Ezekiel 27:20
- Dedan] This is probably to be understood of the posterity of that Dedan, who was Abraham’s grandson; see chap. xxv. 13. W. Lowth.
— in precious clothes] In the margin, “clothes of freedom:” literally, “clothes of stripping off for riding:” it seems to mean such clothes as were used in riding, and occasionally stripped off the horse or other beast; that is, a kind of horsecloths, on which the ancients used to ride, before the invention of saddles with stirrups, which were not known till long after: in one word, housings. Parkhurst.
Ezekiel 27:22
- — Raamah,] Raamah was son of Cush, and father of Sheba. According to Bochart, Raamah is a city of Arabia on the Persian gulph.
Ezekiel 27:23
- Haran,] See Gen. xi. 31.
— Canneh, and Eden,] Supposed by some to be ports in Arabia Felix. W. Lowth.
Before CHRIST 538. of freedom. were the merchants of thy hand. The great and unrecoverable fall thereof. Before CHRIST 588. [ Or, excellent things. foldings. a Rev. 18. 9, &c. with all. § Or, wares. the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
Ezekiel 27:24
- — bound with cords, and made of cedar.] Carefully packed up in chests of cedar, to give these clothes a fine scent, and to preserve them from decay. W. Louth.
Ezekiel 27:25
- The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee] Ships of Tarshish signify sometimes in Scripture any trading or merchant ships; see Isa. ii. 16. W. Louth, Calmet. The Prophet, having reckoned up the principal countries which trailed with Tyre, now adds, in comprehensive terms, that all merchant adventurers sung or spake great things of her riches; or as the word may be rendered, “they ruled or governed in thy markets.” W. Louth.
Ezekiel 27:26
- — into great waters:] Under these beautiful and expressive figures Tyre is represented as brought into danger by her statesmen, and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar; see the like comparison Isa. xxxiii. 23. Abp. Newcome, W. Louth. The Prophet is here speaking of Tyre under the image of a ship. Bp. Warburton.
Ezekiel 27:29
- — upon the land:] The shore of the adjoining island, from which they viewed the conflagration of their city. Abp. Newcome. for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
Ezekiel 27:30
- — against thee.] Over thee; as persons mourn over the dead or the unfortunate; Septuagint and Vulgate. W. Louth. — and shall cast up dust &c.] See 1 Sam. iv. 12; Job ii. 12.
Ezekiel 27:31
- — utterly bald] Another expression of publick sorrow, Jer. xlvii. 5; Micah i. 16.
Ezekiel 27:34
- In the time when thou shalt be broken] In the time when thou shalt be destroyed by the Babylonian forces, which like a raging sea shall come in upon thee; thy trade, and all the commerce that thou hadst with other nations, shall utterly fail. Bp. Hall.
Ezekiel 27:36
- — shall hiss at thee:] By way of insult and decision; see 1 Kings ix. 8; as men are apt to despise those in adversity, whom they courted and respected in prosperity. The Chaldee Paraphrase renders it, “they shall be astonished;” and this sense agrees better with the lamentations of the seafaring men, mentioned in the foregoing verses. W. Louth. Chap. XXVIII. ver. 2. — the prince of Tyrus.] His name was Ithobal; as appears from the Phenician annals extracted from Josephus. Calmet, Abp. Newcome. God’s judgment upon the prince of Tyrus. Before CHRIST 388. a Isa. 31. 3.
the seat of God, in the † midst of the seas; a yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: