Ezekiel 27

Tyre, the ship of state

1 The LORD's word came to me:

2 You, human one, sing a lament for Tyre.

3 Say this about Tyre, who sits enthroned at the entrance to the sea, the people's agent for trade throughout the coastlands. The LORD God proclaims: Tyre, you say, "I'm perfectly beautiful!"

4 But your territory is in the depths of the sea, and it's your builders who made you beautiful.

5 For you they made your deck of cypress from Senir. To make your mast, they took cedar from Lebanon.

6 For your oars, they used the oaks of Bashan. They made your hull, inlaid with ivory, of boxwood from the coasts of Cyprus.

7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail; it became your emblem. Your awning was made of blue and purple cloth from the coasts of Elishah.

8 The princes of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your own wise men were in you as your helmsmen.

9 The elders and wise men of Gebal were in you, patching up your leaks. Every seagoing ship and its sailors came to do business with you.

10 Paras, Lud, and Put were the warriors in your army. By hanging their shields and helmets on you, they made you radiant.

11 The men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around; the men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their weapons on your walls all around. They were the ones who completed your beauty.

12 Tarshish was your procurer of great wealth. For your wares, they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead.

13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your agents in human trafficking. They gave you bronze vessels for these wares of yours.

14 Beth-togarmah traded horses, warhorses, and mules for your wares.

15 Islanders from Rhodes were your agents. By contract they procured ebony and ivory for you from many coastlands.

16 Aram was your agent for many products. They traded turquoise, purple cloth, colorful brocades, linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.

17 Judah and the land of Israel were your agents, trading the finest wheat, millet, honey, oil, and balm for your wares.

18 For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool.

19 Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares.

20 Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets.

21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you.

22 They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold.

23 Harran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents, and also Assyria and Chilmad.

24 They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions.

25 The ships of Tarshish carried your goods. You were filled to capacity and heavily laden in the middle of the sea.

26 Your oarsmen brought you out onto the high seas; an east wind sank you into the sea's depths.

27 Your goods, your wares, your wealth, your sailors, your helmsmen, those patching your leaks, your merchants, all your warriors in you, and all the company that is with you— they also sank into the sea's depth on the day of your demise.

28 At your helmsmen's cries for help, the troubled waters seethe.

29 Those entrusted with the oars desert their posts. All sailors and helmsmen seek footing on the shore.

30 Loudly they cry, bitterly they wail, and they put dust on their heads and cover themselves with ashes.

31 They cut off all their hair and put on mourning clothes. In despair they weep for you, and bitterly perform the mourning rites.

32 In their lamentation they raise a lament for you; they sing lamentions over you: "Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea?"

33 When your wares came out from the seas, you satisfied many people. Your abundant wealth and merchandise enriched the kings of the earth.

34 Now you are shattered by the seas; your cargoes, as well as everyone in your company, are sunk into the water's depths.

35 Now the inhabitants of the coastlands shudder on account of you. And as for their kings, their hair stands on end; their faces betray their horror.

36 The merchants for the peoples hiss because of you. You have become a terror; from now on you are nothing.

Ezekiel 27 Commentary

Chapter 27

The merchandise of Tyre. (1-25) Its fall and ruin. (26-36)

Verses 1-25 Those who live at ease are to be lamented, if they are not prepared for trouble. Let none reckon themselves beautified, any further than they are sanctified. The account of the trade of Tyre intimates, that God's eye is upon men when employed in worldly business. Not only when at church, praying and hearing, but when in markets and fairs, buying and selling. In all our dealings we should keep a conscience void of offence. God, as the common Father of mankind, makes one country abound in one commodity, and another in another, serviceable to the necessity or to the comfort and ornament of human life. See what a blessing trade and merchandise are to mankind, when followed in the fear of God. Besides necessaries, an abundance of things are made valuable only by custom; yet God allows us to use them. But when riches increase, men are apt to set their hearts upon them, and forget the Lord, who gives power to get wealth.

Verses 26-36 The most mighty and magnificent kingdoms and states, sooner or later, come down. Those who make creatures their confidence, and rest their hopes upon them, will fall with them: happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their Help, and whose hope is in the Lord their God, who lives for ever. Those who engage in trade should learn to conduct their business according to God's word. Those who possess wealth should remember they are the Lord's stewards, and should use his goods in doing good to all. Let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb Dedan
• [b]. Or wheat from Minnith
• [c]. Heb uncertain
• [d]. LXX; MT adds Sheba.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 27

This chapter contains a lamentation on Tyre; setting forth her former grandeur, riches, and commerce; her ruin and destruction; and the concern of others on that account. The prophet is bid to take up his lamentation concerning it, Eze 27:1,2, observing her situation and magnificence, of which she boasted, Eze 27:3,4, describing the excellency of her shipping and naval stores, Eze 27:5-7, declaring who were her mariners, pilots, and caulkers, Eze 27:8,9, her military men, Eze 27:10,11 her several merchants, and the things they traded in with her in her fairs and markets, Eze 27:12-25, then follows an account of her destruction, Eze 27:26,27, the lamentation of pilots and mariners because of it, Eze 27:28-32, and of the kings and inhabitants of the isles, and merchants of the people, Eze 27:33-36.