Ezekiel 27:22

22 The merchants of Sheba[a] and Raamah traded with you. They exchanged gold, the best of all spices, and all kinds of precious stones for your merchandise.[b]

Ezekiel 27:22 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:22

The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants,
&c.] This Sheba was the son of Raamah, ( Genesis 10:7 ) who settled in Arabia Felix; where, according to Ptolemy F24, is a city called Rhegma; and so Raamah is pronounced in the Septuagint version of ( Genesis 10:7 ) : they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices;
as with myrrh and frankincense, with which they abounded: Pliny F25 says that the Arabians paid annually to the kings of Persia a thousand talents of frankincense; and that the Sabaeans F26 boiled their food, some with wood of frankincense, and others with wood of myrrh: and with all precious stones, and gold;
as jaspers, emeralds, carbuncles, and others, which Pliny F1 says are found in Arabia; and mention is made of the gold of Sheba, ( Psalms 72:15 ) and Bochart thinks that Ophir, from whence the famous gold of that name was fetched, was in Arabia Felix; and it may be observed, that the queen of Sheba gave great quantities of gold, of spices, and of precious stones, to Solomon; and that he had much of these kinds yearly from the spice merchants, and kings of Arabia, ( 1 Kings 10:10 1 Kings 10:14 1 Kings 10:15 ) , (See Gill on Isaiah 60:6).


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Geograph. l. 6. c. 7.
F25 Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 17.
F26 "----Solis est thurea virga Sabaeis". Virgil. Georgic. l. 2.
F1 Nat. Hist. l. 37.

Ezekiel 27:22 In-Context

20 Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.
21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats.
22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They exchanged gold, the best of all spices, and all kinds of precious stones for your merchandise.
23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.
24 They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets, which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace.

Footnotes 2

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