Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 27:2

Lamentation. Such canticles were usual, and very poetical.

Ezekiel 27:3

Entry, whence merchants may proceed from an excellent harbour to any place.

Ezekiel 27:4

Neighbours of Sidon, Josue xix. 29. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “thy children.” Protestants, “thy builders.” (Haydock) — The description of the Tyrian grandeur, shews their more woeful ruin. (Worthington)

Ezekiel 27:5

Thee. Hebrew, “all thy ship -boards.” (Septuagint) (Protestants) (Haydock) — St. Jerome has divided (Calmet) leuthim, “decks of the sea,” as yam denotes the sea. (Haydock)

Ezekiel 27:6

Benches. Septuagint, “temples.” — Italy. Hebrew Cetim. Macedonia. (Bochart) (Calmet) — All distant places were styled islands, (Haydock) when they went by water to them.

Ezekiel 27:7

Linen. Cotton, (Exodus xxv. 4.) used for standards. Septuagint, “for bed coverlets,” or for sails. — Mast. Cleopatra and Caligula were still more sumptuous in their sails. — Elisa, or Elis, famous for purple: yet Tyre was more so.

Ezekiel 27:8

Aradians. Sidon and Arad were then subject to Tyre, and supplied rowers. — Pilots. They studied no other science.

Ezekiel 27:9

Gebal. Septuagint, “Biblos,” which is the same, 3 Kings v. 18. — Furnished. Hebrew, “were in thee to repair thy breaches.” Septuagint, “strengthened thy designs.”

Ezekiel 27:10

Lybians. Hebrew, “Phut.” They had been expelled by the Cyreneans. Tyre had in her pay the most warlike nations of Persia, &c. Cyrus soon after shook off the yoke of the Medes, and conquered the Lydians. — Hung up, ver. 11. This was very usual, Canticle of Canticles iv. 4., and Isaias xxii. 8. (Calmet)

Ezekiel 27:11

The Pygmeans. That is, strong and valiant men. In Hebrew Gammadim. (Challoner) — He does not speak of those fabulous men hardly a cubit high. Gomed signifying a “cubit,” has caused them to be styled so here. Septuagint, “guards;” or Symmachus, “Medes.” Ezechiel (xxxviii. 6.) speaks of the Gomerim.

Ezekiel 27:12

Carthaginians. Hebrew, “Tharsis,” in Cilicia; (Genesis x. 4.; Calmet) or distant merchants, who came by sea. (Haydock)

Ezekiel 27:13

Slaves. Those from Greece were much esteemed. (Calmet) — Alas! thirty thousand Tyrians were themselves thus sold by Alexander [the Great]! (Haydock)

Ezekiel 27:14

Horses. Those of Sarmatia (Calmet) were in high repute. (Pliny, [Natural History?] viii. 42.

Ezekiel 27:15

Dedan. Septuagint, “Rhodians;” or rather Arabs are meant, ver. 20. They might receive ivory from Ethiopia. — Teeth. Hebrew, “horns or tusks,” which the elephant casts every year. The ivory is less brittle, 3 Kings x. 18. (Calmet) — Ebony; a hard black wood, like horn. (Bochart)

Ezekiel 27:16

Syrian: always much addicted to commerce. (St. Jerome) — Septuagint read Adam for Aram, as if the traffic in men was meant: (Calmet) “ivory, and to those who brought, thou gavest thy rewards. Men of thy traffic,” &c. (Haydock) — Linen. Hebrew buts, “silk” extracted from the pinna fish, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 27. Silk. Hebrew ramoth, may rather denote unicorns, Job xxviii. 18. (Calmet) — Chodchod. It is the Hebrew name for some precious stone, but of what kind in particular, interpreters are not agreed. (Challoner) — Some say the carbuncle, &c. St. Jerome renders it the jasper, Isaias liv. 12. (Worthington) — Here he confesses he knows not the meaning. (Calmet)

Ezekiel 27:17

Rosin. Our version generally renders this, balm. (Haydock) — It was much used to heal, Jeremias viii. 22., and Genesis xxxvii. 25.

Ezekiel 27:18

Rich. Hebrew Chelbon; perhaps the city Chelba, Judges i. 31. The kings of Persia used this wine, and planted vines at Damascus on purpose.

Ezekiel 27:19

Dan: the citizens of Peneas, the tribe of Dan was in captivity. Grotius places these nations in Zeilan, (Calmet) or Ceylon. (Haydock)

Ezekiel 27:20

Seats, such as the Turks still use, or to throw over horses instead of saddles.

Ezekiel 27:21

CHAPTER XXVII.

Ezekiel 27:23

Haran, or Char'e6, famous for the residence of Abraham and the defeat of Crassus. — Eden, the province where Paradise was situated.

Ezekiel 27:24

Cords, in boxes, which had then no locks.

Ezekiel 27:25

Sea. Hebrew Tharsis, in Cilicia; or large, and fit for long voyages. Thine were the best. (Calmet)

Ezekiel 27:26

South. Hebrew kodim, (Haydock) “eastern,” or rather “burning,” here means Nabuchodonosor, who came from the north, (chap. xxvi. 7.; Calmet) or east. The fall of Tyre is described as a shipwreck. (Haydock)

Ezekiel 27:30

Ashes. They followed the same customs as the Jews. (Calmet) — The latter were ordered to avoid cutting the hair, like them; yet did so, Deuteronomy xiv., and Isaias xxii. 22. (Worthington)

Ezekiel 27:36

Hissed, through pity and astonishment. (Calmet)