Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 27 OVER TYRE Chapter 27 consists of an allegorical dirge song artistically interrupted by a prose section. Tyre is pictured as a beautiful ship superbly equipped and manned by a skilled crew (Ezekiel 27:3-11). In the prose section the ship is said to stop at various ports to collect her cargo (Ezekiel 27:12-25 a). The ship becomes so laden with merchandise that she sinks into the depths of a stormy sea (Ezekiel 27:25-36). This exquisite composition stresses the abiding truth that worldly wealth is transitory and ultimately self-defeating to those who worship it.THE SHIP FOR SAILING Ezekiel 27:1-11 Introduction (Ezekiel 27:1-3 a): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Now as for you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre. (Ezekiel 27:3) Say to Tyre, who dwells beside the entrances of the sea, merchant of the peoples unto many coastlands… The princes of the sea take up a lament over the fall of Tyre. Here Ezekiel is told to join them by lifting up a lament. Two phrases describe Tyre, the object of this lament. Tyre is addressed first as she who dwells beside the entrances of the sea. The plural entrances probably refers to the two sections of the harbor that were known respectively as “ the Sidonian” and “ the Egyptian” because of the directions that they faced.

The second address to Tyre refers to her as the merchant of the people unto many coastlands. The far-flung trading colonies of the Phoenician city-states are one of the marvels of ancient history.Construction of the Ship (Ezekiel 27:3-7) The builders (Ezekiel 27:3-4): Thus says the Lord GOD: O Tyre, you have said, I am perfect in beauty. (4) Your borders are in the heart of the sea. Your builders have perfected your beauty. Tyre was a proud city. She boasted of her perfect beauty (Ezekiel 27:3). The boast was not without foundation. However, such national arrogance was the root of her downfall. Because of her situation on a Mediterranean island, and because of her sea-faring enterpriseszz, Tyre is likened to a ship that roams the seas. Her borders were in the midst of the sea. The builders had spared nothing to make that ship of state a magnificent vessel (Ezekiel 27:4). The building materials (Ezekiel 27:5-7) The finest wood (Ezekiel 27:5-6): With fir trees from Senir, they have constructed all the planks. Cedars from Lebanon they have taken to make the mast for you. (Ezekiel 27:6) With oaks of Bashan they have fashioned your oars. Your deck they made of ivory, inlaid in boxwood, from the coastlands of Cypress. The construction was sound. Planks of fir from Senir (Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 3:9), masts of Lebanon cedar, oars of Bashan oak, the decking material was made of boxwood (from Cyprus) inlaid with ivory.

Exquisite cloth (Ezekiel 27:7): Of exquisitely embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that served as your ensign. Purple and blue from the coastlands of Elishah was your awning. The sails were of the most costly Egyptian linen embroidered with distinctive colors so as to serve as an ensign for the ship. Her deck awning was of two shades of purple from Elishah.Crew of the Ship (Ezekiel 27:8-11) Naval personnel (Ezekiel 27:8-9): The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your skilled men, O Tyre, were on board as pilots. (Ezekiel 27:9) The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were on board as repairmen. All the ships of the sea with their sailors were on board in order to barter for your merchandise. The crew on board the good ship Tyre were the finest in the world. The rowers hailed from Sidon and the island Arvad, a hundred miles north of Sidon. The wisestmen of Tyre were at the helm (Ezekiel 27:8).

Skilled craftsmen from Geba1 served as ship- carpenters (KJV, calkers; lit., repairers of the seams). Furthermore, all the navies of the world assisted her in the transference of her cargo. Military personnel (Ezekiel 27:10-11): Persia, Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. Shield and helmet they hung on you; they enhanced your splendor. (Ezekiel 27:11) The sons of Arvad and your army were upon your walls round about. The Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields upon your walls round about; they perfected your beauty.

The marines on board the ship were mercenaries from distant lands. They were attracted, no doubt, by the handsome wages offered by the wealthy merchants of Tyre. They came from Persia to the east, Lud (Lydia) in Asia Minor, and Put (Punt) on the western coast of the Red Sea, The colorful shields and helmets of these soldiers were hung in awesome array along the sides of the good ship Tyre (Ezekiel 27:10). Add to this the presence of yet other armed personnel— the men of Arvad (see on Ezekiel 27:8), and the Gammadim, a people not elsewhere mentioned in the Bible. These soldiers, as well as the army of Tyre itself, will hang their shields on the ship’ s sides to further enhance the splendor of the vessel. THE SHIP IN HER PORTS OF CALL Ezekiel 27:12-25 a The cities that traded with Tyre are given in geographical order in three groupings. The Western “Ports” (Ezekiel 27:12-15): Tarshish was your client because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth. Silver, iron, tin and lead they traded for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:13) Javan, Tubal and Meshech were your trading partners. Persons of men and vessels of bronze they traded for your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:14) Those from Beth-togarmah traded horses— war horses and mules— for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:15) The children of Dedan were your trading partners. Many coastlands were your market. Horns of ivory and ebony they brought as your gift.

The first group of trading cities consists of those that lie along the Mediterranean trade route. The list begins with Tarshish at the western end of the sea. Tarshish, a mining district in southern Spain, was attracted by the wealth of Tyre to become one of her trading partners. They traded valuable metals for the export products of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:12). Javan is Greece; Tubal and Meshech were tribes in Asia Minor. With these regions Tyre trafficked in slaves (cf.

Joe 3:6) and copper ore (Ezekiel 27:13). From Beth-togarmah (probably Armenia), Tyre secured horses, war horses, and mules (Ezekiel 27:14). Dedan (island of Rhodes) traded with Tyre too. Many other coastlands were part of Tyre’ s commercial network. Vessels of ivory and ebony were paid as tribute to Tyre for the privilege of belonging to this commercial community (Ezekiel 27:15). These products will come from the African interior via the Phoenician traders on the coast of North Africa. The Neighboring “Ports” (Ezekiel 27:16-22): Aram was your client because of the abundance of your works. Emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies they traded for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:17)Judah and the land of Israel were your trading partners. The wheat of Minnith, cakes of honey, oil and balm they have traded for your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:18) Damascus was your client because of the multitude of your works, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, with the wine of Helbon and white wool. (Ezekiel 27:19) Vedan and Javan traded for your wares from Uzal. Iron, cassia and calamus were among your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:20) Dedan was your trading partner in saddle-cloths for riding. (Ezekiel 27:21) Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your clients; in lambs, rams, and goats, for these were they your clients. (Ezekiel 27:22) The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your trading partners. The best of all kind of spices. All kinds of precious stones, and gold they traded for your wares.

Aram (Syria) provided Tyre with precious stones and beautiful fabrics (Ezekiel 27:16). Judah exported agricultural products to Tyre— wheat, cakes, honey, oil and balm (Ezekiel 27:17). Damascus supplied Tyre with the finest wine, the wine of Helbon, and white wool (Ezekiel 27:18). Vedan was probably an Arab city. Javan here in Ezekiel 27:19 may refer to a Greek colony in Arabia. Both cities are said to export the trading merchandise from Uzzal — iron bars, perfume (cassia) and sweet cane (calamus). The entire nineteenth verse is difficult to translate. Opinions differ widely on its meaning. From Arabian Dedan, Tyre received saddle-cloths (Ezekiel 27:20). The nomadic Arabs and the princes of Kedar were famous for their flocks (cf. Isaiah 60:7). They supplied Tyre with livestock (v 20).

Sheba in southwest Arabia and Raamah, thought to be along the Persian Gulf, were famous trading people (cf. Job 6:19). Gold, precious stones and aromatics were among the items these traders bartered with Tyre (Ezekiel 27:22).C. Mesopotamian “Ports” (Ezekiel 27:23-25): Haran, Canneh, Eden and the traders of Sheba, Assyria (and) Chilmad were your trading partners. (Ezekiel 27:24) These were your trading partners in gorgeous fabrics, in cloth of blue and embroidered work and chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and cedar-lined, among your merchandise (Ezekiel 27:25). The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. The next three “ ports” mentioned were located in Mesopotamia.

Haran, a stopping point in Abram’ s migration (Genesis 12:4), was an important commercial center on the main trade route from Babylon to Syria. Canneh is probably to be identified as Calneh (Genesis 10:10), otherwise called Calno (Isaiah 10:9), a city in Babylonia. Eden is known on Assyrian inscriptions as Bit-Adini, a city that occupies both sides of the Euphrates river due south of Haran. Through these trading centers, the merchandise of Sheba (see previous verse), Assyria and Chilmad (location unknown) moved toward Tyre (Ezekiel 27:23). The Mesopotamian trading partners brought to Tyre gorgeous fabrics (lit., things perfected), cloaks of blue and richly woven work, and beautiful cedar chests containing other kinds of luxurious wearing apparel (Ezekiel 27:24). The list concludes with a reference to the ships of Tarshish (see Ezekiel 27:12) that brought their dues to Tyre, the queen of the merchant marine (Ezekiel 27:25 a).THE SHIP SINKING Ezekiel 27:25-36 Report of the Calamity (Ezekiel 27:25-27) Dangerous waters (Ezekiel 27:25-26): So you became full and very heavy in the heart of the seas. (Ezekiel 27:26) Into great waters your rowers have brought you. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. Through all this commercial activity, the good ship Tyre became overloaded in the midst of the sea, in the very place where she was thought to be supreme (Ezekiel 27:25). Into the dangerous open sea, the sailors have rowed the vessel. There she will meet disaster. The east wind (cf. Psalms 48:7) stirred up the waves and battered the ship until it broke apart under the pressure (Ezekiel 27:26). Disastrous voyage (Ezekiel 27:27): Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors, your pilots, your repairmen and your merchant men, all your men of war which were on board, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your collapse. All was lost— the merchandise, and all the individuals associated with transporting and protecting it (Ezekiel 27:27). Reaction to the Calamity (Ezekiel 27:29-31): At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the countryside will shake. (Ezekiel 27:29) All who handle the oar, the sailors, all the pilots of the sea will come down from their ships, and stand upon the land. (Ezekiel 27:30) They will cause their voice to be heard over you. They will cry bitterly, cast dust upon their heads, and wallow in ashes. (Ezekiel 27:31) They will make themselves bald because of you. They will gird themselves with sackcloth. They will weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. The countryside (KJV, suburbs) that had supplied so many of the personnel on board will shake at the desperate cries of Tyre’ s crew sinking beneath the waves (Ezekiel 27:28). World-wide shipping will come to a halt as sailors paused on land to express sympathy for the departed Queen of the Seas (Ezekiel 27:29). The lament will be bitter, and accompanied by all the outward signs of mourning that were customary in the ancient world— dust on the head, baldness, and sackcloth (Ezekiel 27:30-31). Lament over the Sunken Ship (Ezekiel 27:32-36) They express shock (Ezekiel 27:32): Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you. They will lament over you: Who is like Tyre, like she that is silent in the midst of the sea? Ezekiel 27:32 introduces a rather unusual lament within a lament (cf. 27:2). What other city could be compared to Tyre that now lies silent in a watery grave? They eulogize Tyre (Ezekiel 27:33): When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. With the multitude of your wealth and your merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. In their lament the sailors emphasize the benefits that Tyre had brought to the kings of the earth. They describe the disaster (Ezekiel 27:34): Now you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters. Your merchandise and all your company have fallen in your midst. Her exports along the shipping lanes had contributed to international wealth. But now the sea had rebelled against her mistress. The good ship Tyre, with crew and cargo, had gone to the bottom (Ezekiel 27:34).They display astonishment (Ezekiel 27:35-36) The kings of the coastlands (Ezekiel 27:35): All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled over you. Their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in their countenance. Other seafaring peoples now feared for their own future. The outward signs of sympathy for Tyre were but a mask to conceal the selfish fears that they too might experience a similar fate. The merchants of the world (Ezekiel 27:36): The merchants among the people whistle in astonishment over you. You have become a terror, and you will be no more. Merchants throughout the world express their astonishment by hissing, i.e., whistling.Ezekiel Chapter Twenty-SevenVerse 1 OF THE SINKING OF THE SHIP; TYREThe prophet Ezekiel suddenly emerges in this chapter as a man of almost unbelievable ability, information, and knowledge of world geography, agricultural and manufacturing products associated with the nations of the whole world, and of the art of ship-building. It is not known just how much of this incredible store of knowledge was due to the divine inspiration of the prophet, and how much of it was derived from his own personal knowledge. We do not pretend to know the full answer to that question. It is evident, as McFadyen noted that, “The dirge over Tyre is a brilliant poem, the central paragraph of which is in prose, containing a gorgeous account of the commercial commodities featured in the commerce of Tyre, together with the various origins of the commodities and the goods for which they were exchanged!."[1]Plumptre called this chapter “without parallel in the history of literature."[2]Cooke labeled it, “One of the finest of Ezekiel’s compositions."[3]Keil divided the chapter into three sections: a presentation of the glory of Tyre under the figure of a majestic Merchant Ship (1-11), an account of the commodities involved in Tyre’s extensive commerce with the nations of the world (12-25), and the dramatic prophecy of her sudden disaster (26-36).[4]THE GLORY OF THE SHIP TYREEze_27:1-11"The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying, And thou, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and say unto Tyre, O thou that dwellest at the entry of the sea, that art the merchant of the peoples unto many isles, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou, O Tyre, hast said, I am perfect in beauty. Thy borders are in the heart of the seas; thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all thy planks of fir trees from Senir; they have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for thee. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; they have made thy benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood, from the isles of Kittim. Of fine linen broidered work from Egypt was thy sail, that it might be to thee for an ensign; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was thine awning. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy rowers: thy wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots.

The old men of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee, thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to deal in thy merchandise. Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about; they have perfected thy beauty.““O thou that dwellest at the entry of the sea …” (Ezekiel 27:3). Here we have another example of scholarly fiddling with the Biblical text in which they perverted the Word of God, changing what the sacred text says into what the translators thought the Holy Spirit should have said! This passage reads entrances into the sea, not entry.[5] Tyre had two great harbors, the Sidonian on the north, and the Egyptian harbor on the south. Thus “entrances of the sea” is correct. Another example of the same type of error by translators appears in Acts 27:40 (KJV), where translators changed “rudders” to “rudder,” erroneously believing that ancient ships had only a single rudder. (See a full comment on this in our New Testament Series, Vol. 5 (Acts), pp. 503,504.) Please do not misunderstand this comment as downgrading the efforts of scholars to aid us in the understanding of the Bible. Their work is absolutely indispensable. It is true that errors like the ones cited here occur, but the scholars are confronted with a nearly impossible task. The sacred text of this very chapter, in its transmission to us through many centuries has been severely damaged and obscured in some places, leaving part of it unintelligible until emendations and corrections of it have been studied in order to arrive at the meaning. “This very chapter is remarkable for its textual difficulties."[6]Also, it should be remembered that, in those cases where the scholars have added words, those additions appear in the versions as italics; and in instances where a presumably better term is substituted for a word in the original, the original word is generally given as an alternate reading in the margin, or in a footnote. Then, also, there are many cases in which former errors are corrected in subsequent versions, as in the case ofActs 27:40. Nevertheless, a word of warning should be issued with regard to many “corrupt translations,” especially of the New Testament, which are, in many passages, intentional perversions of the truth, slanted to favor the theological bias of certain groups. “I am perfect in beauty …” (Ezekiel 27:3). “Simply put, her pride and self-adulation knew no bounds, and she was inordinately arrogant."[7]“Fir-trees from Senir …” (Ezekiel 27:5). “Senir was the Amorite” name for Mount Hermon (as inDeuteronomy 3:9)."[8]“Of the oaks of Bashan… thine oars …” (Ezekiel 27:6). Special varieties of trees were sought for every part of the magnificent ship. We are reminded that the hulk of The Mayflower was made of the “Oaks of Devonshire.” “Benches of boxwood inlaid with ivory …” (Ezekiel 27:6). The word which is here translated as “benches” is also rendered as “deck,"[9] or “boards,"[10] or “cabin.” That the wood was precious is seen in the fact that it was used in the framing of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:15-16; and Numbers 3:36; Numbers 4:31). The exact kind of wood here called “boxwood” is not certainly known. Skinner thought that it was probably, “A variety of cedar imported from Cyprus."[11] Kittim in this verse is the same as Cyprus. “The isles of Elishah …” (Ezekiel 27:7). “This is the equivalent of the Greek Aeolis on the western coast of Asia Minor."[12] Tyre, having somewhat depleted the supply of the murex mollusk in the waters of Phoenicia, found an additional, abundant supply of these in the Greek isles. They were important in the making of purple dye. “Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy rowers …” (Ezekiel 27:8). “‘Arvad’ was an island off the coast of Sidon, now called Ruad (Genesis 10:18)."[13]Some radical critics would like to delete the prose section which immediately follows Ezekiel 27:11, as some kind of a later addition to the prophecy; but as Beasley-Murray said, “That is not sufficient reason for denying its authenticity."[14]“Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and buckler in thee …” (Ezekiel 27:10). “We should seek Lud in Africa (Jeremiah 46:9; Genesis 10:13; Isaiah 66:19); and Put is on the African coast of the Red Sea."[15]The great riches of Tyre enabled her to employ mercenary soldiers from as far away as Persia. FromJeremiah 46:9, it appears that Egypt also employed mercenaries from these same sources. “Thus Tyre had become a magnificent world-wide empire, which was able to procure the commerce and cooperation of the nations all over the world of that era."[16]“Thine army upon thy walls …” (Ezekiel 27:11). Keil called attention to the fact that, “A distinction is made between the mercenaries from Lud, Put, etc., called men of war' in 5:10, and the other soldiers who 'manned the walls" of the city. These from the local Arvad would have been considered more loyal to Tyre. The more distant mercenaries were entrusted with battles more removed from the city itself."[17]Verse 12 "Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded for thy wares. Javan, Tubal, and Mesheck, they were thy traffickers; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for thy merchandise. They of the house of Togarmah traded for thy wares with horses and war-horses and mules. The men of Dedan were thy traffickers; many isles were the mart of thy land: they brought thee in exchange horns of ivory and ebony," AND TRADED IN BY TYRE (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/12" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:12-25</a>) "Tarshish ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/12" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:12</a>). This is the same city to which Jonah intended to flee "from the presence of Jehovah." It is thought to have been located upon the southern coast of Spain. "Javan, Tubal, and Mesheck ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/13" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:13</a>). "'Javan' refers to the Ionian Greeks; Tubal and Mesheck’ are the names used by the Assyrians and Greeks for the nations dwelling in Cappadocia between the Black Sea and the Taurus mountains."[18]This verse is important as the confirmation of the charge by Amos against Tyre (Amos 1:9) that these heartless old slave-traders had even sold Israelites to Edom; and also as the confirmation of the fact of the Greeks themselves having been involved in this contemptible “trading in the persons of men,” as Joel charged in Joe 3:6. The extent of the Tyrian commercial empire should be noted. From Tarshish on the south coast of Spain to the area eastward from the Black Sea and beyond just about covers the entire Mediterranean world of that era. “The house of Togarmah …” (Ezekiel 27:14). “This is the same as Armenia."[19] Work animals (horses and mules), saddle-horses, and war-horses were extremely valuable commodities in the ancient world; and it continued to be so for many centuries. “The men of Dedan …” (Ezekiel 27:15). “This is the same as the men of Rhodes'; they were the merchants who traded in ivory and ebony with the North African tribes,"[20] much of which merchandise would also have passed through the hands of Tyrian merchants. Verse 16 "Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of thy handiworks: they traded for thy wares with emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, and coral, and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy traffickers: they traded for thy merchandise wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. Damascus was thy merchant for the multitude of thy handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool. Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for thy wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus were among thy merchandise. Dedan was thy trafficker in precious cloths for riding."All commentators speak of the difficulty of the text in these verses; and some of the renditions are based, at least, partially upon emendations and conjecture. The over-all truth of the immensity of Tyre's commerce is clear enough. "Syria ... Damascus ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/16" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:16</a>; <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/18" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:18</a>). Damascus, of course, was the capital of Syria; and Helbon, the district just north of Damascus was famous for the production of wine, "Which was one of the chief exports of Damascus."[21]Several of the place-names in <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/19" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:19</a> are disputed; but Plumptre believed they were references probably to little-known Arabian cities. "Bright iron, cassia, calamus ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/19" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:19</a>). "The bright iron was alloyed steel’ used in the making of swords; the cassia, and calamus' both belonged to the class of perfumes for which Arabia was famous (Exodus 24, 23)."[22] One remembers the lament of Lady Macbeth that, "All the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this little hand!" "Precious cloths for riding ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/19" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:19</a>). This is a reference to saddle blankets, not blankets to go under saddles, but to be used as saddles. <a href="/bible/parallel/JDG/5/10" class="green-link">Judges 5:10</a> has a reference to these: "Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets." from The Song of Deborah. "Dedan ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/20" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:20</a>). "Unlike the Dedan’ identified above as Rhodes, this one appears to have been located in NW Arabia."[23] “It was a caravan city."[24]Verse 21 “Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of thy hand; in lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they thy merchants. The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy traffickers; they traded for thy wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traffickers of Sheba, were thy traffickers, Asshur and Chilmad, were thy traffickers. These were thy traffickers in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar, among thy merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were thy caravans for thy merchandise: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.““Traffickers …” (Ezekiel 27:22-24). This word is used seven times in this brief paragraph; and the connotations of the term are not at all complimentary. On the contrary, the term means “crooked trader,” using false balances and other tricks of the trade.' Like the ancient term "Corinth," which gave the ancient world the term "Corinthianize," meaning to corrupt morally, the term trafficker’ came to mean a crooked Canaanite dealer. (See a full documentation of this in Vol. 2 of my Minor Prophets Series (Hosea), pp. 198,199.) The skillful organization of the ancient evil world appears in this passage. There was a single, sprawling, net-work of traders under the leadership of Tyre and her navy of “the ships of Tarshish.” Her comparison with a majestic ship was certainly appropriate, because her wealth and glory were derived from and continually dependent upon the ships. Just as Britannia once ruled the waves in modern times, Tyre ruled them of old. Here is terminated the catalogue of merchandise and products; and in the following verse, the metaphor of the ship is again resumed. “If one traces the location of the place-names in this section on a map, it will appear that Tyre traded with practically every known nation in the western world from Spain to Armenia, the Black Sea and beyond. Each area, taking advantage, of the available shipping, brought the products of its land to trade with Tyre. The commercial operations of that city were truly vast!"[25]Verse 26 “Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the heart of the seas. Thy riches, and thy wares, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the dealers in thy merchandise, and all the men of war that are in thee, with all thy company that is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of thy ruin. At the sound of the cry of thy pilots the suburbs shall shake, And all that handle the oar, their mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land, and shall cause their voice to be heard over thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: and they shall make themselves bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee in bitterness of soul and with bitter mourning.“THE SINKING OF THE SHIP; TYRE (Ezekiel 27:26-36) “The east wind hath broken thee …” (Ezekiel 27:26). The destruction of Tyre is here spoken of as something already done; but the future tense of verbs in the following verse (Ezekiel 27:27) shows that we are dealing with a prophecy of what will happen, not with a summary of what has already happened. The event indicated by this, of course, is the 13-year siege of Tyre about to be initiated by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. “(They) shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land …” (Ezekiel 27:29). The “ships” here are the smaller ships that accompanied the great ship Tyre and were dependent upon her. “The dependent cities and states are represented by these smaller ships. They were terrified by the great storm, called here the East Wind,' namely the approach of the Babylonians. The weeping, making themselves bald, wallowing in the ashes, and clothing them in sackcloth were all actions commonly associated with funerals. Verse 32 "And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, Who is there like Tyre, like her that is brought to silence in the midst of the seas? When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many peoples; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. In the time when thou wast broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company did fall in the midst of thee. All the inhabitants of the isles are astonished at thee, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the peoples hiss at thee; thou art become a terror, and thou shalt never more have any being."All lamentation and weeping eventually give way to the spoken word; and "What city is like Tyre? What parallel in history can be found, either for her magnificence or her dramatic fall."[26]The fall of every great wicked city in the history of mankind always came at the very height of the city's power and glory; all such events were usually considered to be impossible, and they all came suddenly and dramatically. "The record of Tyre has a peculiar relevance for our day. The areas in which Tyre excelled were the very areas where all the nations of our own times are striving for superiority. The message of Tyre for us is: that riches without God are unable to satisfy the heart."[27]The type of material prosperity that Tyre achieved led them to develop an arrogant and conceited pride, of which God Himself has said, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (<a href="/bible/parallel/PRO/16/18" class="green-link">Proverbs 16:18</a>). Pride also interferes with men's depending upon and trusting in God. "Has not this spirit invaded the church, and does it not appear in the lives of many Christians?"[28]Speaking of the shock which the fall of Tyre brought to the ancient world, Howie said that, "The psychological shock was almost too much for the ancient world to bear."[29]"The merchants of the peoples hiss at thee ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/27/36" class="green-link">Ezekiel 27:36</a>). How fickle are the people of mankind! The same mob that shouted Hosannas for Jesus on Sunday, also shouted Let him be crucified’ on Friday!

Tyre was the most popular nation on earth; but the very merchants who were delighted to be “her traffickers” are here revealed as “hissing at their former leader.” “They totally disowned her; they hissed at her in a derogatory manner, perhaps thinking thereby to gain favor with the Babylonians."[30]Some have misunderstood the prophecy as claiming that the fall of Tyre would come in the near future from the times of Ezekiel, pointing out that Tyre was still an important city centuries later during the times of Alexander the Great. See our discussion of this earlier in the chapter. We wish to observe here that, as regards that world-wide network of commercial subordinates, the 13-year siege of Nebuchadnezzar ended that in the matter of only a few weeks after these lines were written by Ezekiel. No world commerce whatever went on with Tyre during the siege! The glory of that indeed “nevermore returned.”

Ezekiel 27:1-2

Ezekiel 27:1-2. The first verses are almost identically alike in many of the chapters of this book, hence I have combined it with the second verse after a comment in one or two places. And it will be well to make occasional reference to its significance, notwithstanding the general grouping just stated. The thought should be observed that Ezekiel received his instructions from the Lord and so his writings are inspired. On the phrase son of man see the comments at chapter 2: 1. Lamentation for Tyrus does not signify the personal sentiments of the prophet, although he may have felt some of them because of his humane temperament. The thought is that lie was to predict a lamentable condition to come upon that city.

Ezekiel 27:3

Ezekiel 27:3. Entry of the sea. Tyrus was on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and that gave the city a great advantage in commerce. She could trade with foreign ports without any land transportation, then send her land conveyances inland with the wares obtained oversea and exchange them for manufactured products. This fact is meant by the phrase merchant of the people, and the situation filled her with pride and caused her to say boastfully, I am of perfect beauty.

Ezekiel 27:4

Ezekiel 27:4. Borders means boundaries and the main thought in the verse is that Tyrus had full use of the sea for her traffic. Her builders or workmen and men in the service of the city used the advantages of the sea to bring their beloved metropolis to the highest possible perfection.

Ezekiel 27:5

Ezekiel 27:5. Having the “range1’ of the sea at her command, that encouraged these builders to make vessels for that purpose. And here we can see another advantage in being situated on the seacoast. It was near the famous forests of the Lebanon district and hence in easy access to some of the best materials for shipbuilding.

Ezekiel 27:6

Ezekiel 27:6. The oak timber was another good material connected with the building and propelling of ships in the special item of oars, for those parts would require strength to resist the strain of pulling. Cedar and fir are not so strong, but that quality was not important for the body of a ship; it was lighter in weight and hence better adapted to a vessel that was to float on water. The benches refers to the decks which were made of ivory, and this is another indication of the city’ s luxurious condition.

Ezekiel 27:7

Ezekiel 27:7. No ordinary material was used for sails although it might have served the purpose very well. But this city with such a “high standard” in her ambitions obtained linen that was produced in Egypt, which was of especially high quality. Smith’ s Bible Dictionary has the following to say of this product. “Egypt was the great center of the linen trade. Some linen, made from the Egyptian byssus, a flax that grew on the banks of the Nile, was exceedingly soft and of dazzling whiteness.” (See 1 Kings 10:28). Blue and purple are colors hut the expression has reference to the fabrics that were so colored.

Elishah was a place supposed to have been inhabited by the descendants of a son of Javan who had that name (Genesis 10:4). These fine goods and dies were obtained from this territory because they were of exceptional quality. Covered is from , and a part of Strong’s definition is, “ an awning from the sun,”

Ezekiel 27:8

Ezekiel 27:9. Calkers were those who looked after leaks in a vessel and also supplied any extra girders that might appear to be necessary for the support of the ship. The ancients of Oebal were men selected for this important work because their age and experience made them more reliable.

Ezekiel 27:10

Ezekiel 27:10. The significance of naming these places in the several verses is to show the extensive resources of man power which Tyrus possessed. These men referred to in this verse took personal interest in the security and also the attractiveness of the chief city of Phoenicia.

Ezekiel 27:11

Ezekiel 27:11. The men of Arvad are mentioned in verse 8 who were used in the service of handling the work on board the ships. The same place furnished other men to guard the walls of the city. Towers were structures erected in important spots for the purpose of defense. The men who would be assigned to such a post would need to be brave and able in repelling a foe. Qammadims is from the Hebrew word gammad which Strong defines, “ A warrior (as grasp- jng weapons),” A shield is a protective armor and these warriors were provided with such articles so well that they had them to hang round on the walls, indicating the completeness of their equipment.

Ezekiel 27:12

Ezekiel 27:12. Tarshish was a town on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This seaport produced the metals named in the verse, then transported them over the sea to Tyrus and exchanged them for the goods on sale in her markets.

Ezekiel 27:13

Ezekiel 27:13. Javan, Tubal and Meshech were originally the names of men. but at the time of our verse the names stand for the groups of descendants coming down from them. Those groups supplied Tyrus with slaves, and material or inanimate articles.

Ezekiel 27:14

Ezekiel 27:14. Togarmah, like the names in the preceding verse, was the name of a specific man. but who had a host of descendants who formed a group that retained the name of their ancestor. In conjunction with the statements of this verse, I shall cite the statement of Smith’s Bible Dictionary. “ His [Togarmah’ s] descendants became a people engaged in agriculture, breeding horses and Mules to be sold in Tyre.”

Ezekiel 27:15

Ezekiel 27:15. Men of Dedan means the group of people who descended from that man, who traded in the markets of Tyrus. Isles is defined in t.he lexicon as “ a habitable spot.” A great many places or groups have been and still will be specified as those dealing in the markets of Tyrus. The prophet interrupts that line to make a general statement concerning the extensive commerce of the city in the words. inany isles were the merchandise of thine hand. Present is used in the sense of a return payment for value received. Horns is said of the ivory because the shape of the elephant’s tusk resembles a horn, and the article was evidently transported in its natural form.

Ezekiel 27:16

Ezekiel 27:16. This verse is along the same line as the others of the chapter. Syria brought the products of her country to the city of Tyrus and exchanged them for the manufactured wares of that great seaport.

Ezekiel 27:17

Ezekiel 27:17. Among the many peoples and countries who traded with Tyrus was that of God’ s nation. There is not much difference between Judah and land of Israel; the first is a division of the second. Minnith is a place east of the Jordan that produced wheat which was taken to the market in Tyrus. Other products of Palestine are named among the ones carried to the Phoenician city. Pannag is said to be of uncertain meaning, but the nearest suggestion is in Strong’s lexicon where he says it is “probably pastry.” The other products are called by their usual names.

Ezekiel 27:18

Verse 18. Damascus was the chief city of Syria which was an important country on the east border of Phoenicia. Helbon was a city near Damascus and Smith’s Bible Dictionary says it was “ celebrated as producing the finest grapes in the country.” This product as well as a fine quality of wool was taken to Tyrus and exchanged for her wares.

Ezekiel 27:19

Ezekiel 27:19. was a son of Jacob and Javan was a descendant of Noah, but both words came to be names of towns. The people of those places traveled to and from between their communities and Tyrus to deal in the markets of that Phoenician city. Bright iron is rendered “ wrought iron” in the Revised Version, which indicates it was iron that had been refined to some extent. Cassia was the bark of some kind of tree that had an aromatic odor. Calamus was a plant of the reed family and one of its uses was that of making paper for writing and other purposes.

Ezekiel 27:20

Ezekiel 27:20. Dedan has already been mentioned (verse 15) as one of the traders with Tyrus, but that verse is not very specific as to its products. The present verse tells us that the article it took to Tyrus was precious clothes for chariots. The last, word has a very indefinite meaning in the lexicon, including men who ride in chariots and those who ride on horses as cavalrymen. The phrase means some fine covering for the bodies of these men.

Ezekiel 27:21

Ezekiel 27:21. Arabia was on open country and its people worked in the production of sheep and goats. It is not strange, therefore, that such things were taken by them to be offered in exchange for the wares of Tyrus.

Ezekiel 27:22

Ezekiel 27:22, Sheba and Raamah, like some other words, were originally names of certain men, but finally were applied to groups of people who descended from them. They were among the ones who traded in the market of Tyrus.

Ezekiel 27:23

Ezekiel 27:23. Some of the names in this verse were once those of men, but at the time of this writing all of them referred to towns or countries. Were thy merchants means they traded with Tyrus, exchanging with each other their respective products.

Ezekiel 27:24

Ezekiel 27:24. The gist of this verse is that the places mentioned in the preceding verse made cedar chests, filled them with fine clothes, bound them shut with cords, and then took them to Tyrus to exchange for her manu-factured merchandise.

Ezekiel 27:25

Ezekiel 27:25. Sing is defined in the lexicon, “To turn, i.e. travel about (as a harlot or a merchant).” Considering the general subject, and the correct rendering of the original for sing, the clause means the ships of Tarshish “ travel for thee because of thy market.” The result is that Tyrus la replenished or made richer, and is able to make a glorious appearance In the midBt of the sea. However, the various success of the merchandising of Tyrus filled her with pride and a feeling of independence which caused the Lord to decree her downfall.

Ezekiel 27:26

Ezekiel 27:26, Up to the present time the subject matter has been the prosperous state of Tyrus. The Lord was sorely displeased with the city and decreed to humble her by a series of defeats at the hands of other nations. But as a partial reason for the chastisement of this enemy of His people, he had the prophet present to her a long list of the resources from which she had obtained her wealth and other advantages. After presenting to the proud city this picture, He changes the subject and begins to portray to her some of the calamities that are to befall her. In some of the verses the terms and imagery are those that belong to the sea and the business and activities of it. In some there is a mixture of the two kinds of illustrations.

The comparisons cannot always be meant literally, for no history shows Tyrus ever to have suffered the ruin at sea that is herein set forth. The selection of terms, however, is appropriate, since the whole history of the city is one of the sea and of the traffic by Tyrus thereon. Let the reader bear in mind that while the language will be that of a sea and a ship and the men managing it, the real subject usually is the “ ship of state,” and the sea is the world of business and politics, and the mariners are the men in high places in the city. Hence in the present verse the rowers (rulers) have brought the city into great waters (in contact with others nations). The east wind (nations from the east) hath broken thee (defeated the city) in the midst of the sea (in the power of the besiegers).

Ezekiel 27:27

Ezekiel 27:27. This is one of the verses with a mixture of literal and figurative terms. Fall into the midst of the seas is figurative and refers to the defeat of Tyrus at the hands of attacking nations. The calkers are the men supposed to manage the affairs of the city, while the other terms are literal.

Ezekiel 27:28

Ezekiel 27:28. This short verse is an interesting combination of the literal and figurative. Suburbs is from migeask and Strong defines it, “ A suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven for pasture); hence area around a building, or the margin of the sea.” The literal territory surrounding Tyrus was to be taken over by the enemy and that would cause the men of the city to cry out in despair. Such an event will be like a ship that has been attacked and defeated, which would cause the pilots to raise a wail that could be heard all around the shore of the sea.

Ezekiel 27:29

Ezekiel 27:29, This verse describes (fig-uratively) the utter dejection the men of Tyrus will manifest when their beloved city is overthrown by the enemy.

Ezekiel 27:30

Ezekiel 27:30, This describes in literal terms the actual behaviour the men of Tyrus will show at the defeat of their city. The use of dust and ashes and sackcloth was an ancient custom resorted to in times of great distress or anxiety.

Ezekiel 27:31

Ezekiel 27:31. This verse describes some more of the customs of old times to express grief. They actually shaved off the hair of the head to produce artificial baldness.

Ezekiel 27:32

Ezekiel 27:32, This verse is all literal, even the reference to the sea, since the city of Tyrus was finally situated on an Island half a mile out into the sea.

Ezekiel 27:33

Ezekiel 27:33. This refers to the extensive trade that Tyrus once had with other cities. The business was conducted by vessels that went forth out of the sens.

Ezekiel 27:34

Ezekiel 27:34. The first part of this verse is figurative and refers to the “seas*’ of enemy nations. This circumstance will literally cause the downfall of the commercial success of Tyrus, which will mean the loss of her main support.

Ezekiel 27:35

Ezekiel 27:35. Isles means “habitable spots,” and the people in those places will be overwhelmed at the downfall of so great a city as Tyrus, They shall be troubled will be natural, for if so powerful a city as Tyrus can be thus brought to ruin, what might be the fate of other cities less strong?

Ezekiel 27:36

Ezekiel 27:36. Never shall be any mare, is comparative, for Tyrus does exist even at the present time (1949). But it never regained its independence or commercial power, and was always a subject under other nations.