Ezekiel 27

Lament over Tyre

1 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying,

2 "And you, son of man, ¹take up a lamentation over Tyre;

3 and say to Tyre, ²who dwells at the entrance to the sea, ³merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.'

4 "Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty.

5 "They have made all your planks of fir trees from ⁴Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 "Of ⁵oaks from ⁶Bashan they have made your oars; With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of ⁷Cyprus.

7 "Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your distinguishing mark; Your awning was ⁸blue and purple from the coastlands of ⁹Elishah.

8 "The inhabitants of Sidon and ¹⁰Arvad were your rowers; Your ¹¹wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.

9 "The elders of ¹²Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams; All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise.

10 "¹³Persia and ¹⁴Lud and ¹⁵Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor.

11 "The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls, all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty.

12 "Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares.

13 "¹⁶Javan, ¹⁷Tubal and ¹⁸Meshech, they were your traders; with the ¹⁹lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise.

14 "Those from ²⁰Beth-togarmah * gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares.

15 "The sons of ²¹Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ²²ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.

16 "²³Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with ²⁴emeralds, purple, ²⁵embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies.

17 "Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of ²⁶Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they paid for your merchandise.

18 "²⁷Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool.

19 "Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise.

20 "²⁸Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.

21 "²⁹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for ³⁰lambs, rams and goats; for these they were your customers.

22 "The traders of ³¹Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of ³²spices, and with all kinds of precious stones and gold.

23 "Haran, Canneh, ³³Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you.

24 "They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise.

25 "The ³⁴ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious In the heart of the seas.

26 "Your rowers have brought you Into ³⁵great waters; The ³⁶east wind has broken you In the heart of the seas.

27 "Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow.

28 "At the sound of the cry of your pilots The pasture lands will ³⁷shake.

29 "All who handle the oar, The ³⁸sailors and all the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships; They will stand on the land,

30 And they will ³⁹make their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will ⁴⁰cast dust on their heads, They will ⁴¹wallow in ashes.

31 "Also they will make themselves ⁴²bald * for you And ⁴³gird themselves with sackcloth; And they will ⁴⁴weep for you in bitterness of soul With bitter mourning.

32 "Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a ⁴⁵lamentation for you And lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?

33 'When your wares went out from the seas, You satisfied many peoples; With the ⁴⁶abundance of your wealth and your merchandise You enriched the kings of earth.

34 'Now that you are ⁴⁷broken by the seas In the depths of the waters, Your ⁴⁸merchandise and all your company Have fallen in the midst of you.

35 'All the ⁴⁹inhabitants of the coastlands Are appalled at you, And their kings are horribly afraid; They are troubled in countenance.

36 'The merchants among the peoples ⁵⁰hiss at you; You have become terrified And you ⁵¹will cease to be forever *.' ""'

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.

Cross References

• 1. Jer 9:10, 17-20; Ezekiel 28:12
• 2. Ezekiel 28:2
• 3. Isaiah 23:3
• 4. Deuteronomy 3:9; 1 Chronicles 5:23; Song of Songs 4:8
• 5. Isaiah 2:13; Zechariah 11:2
• 6. Numbers 21:33; Isaiah 2:13; Jeremiah 22:20
• 7. Genesis 10:4; Isaiah 23:1, 12; Jeremiah 2:10
• 8. Exodus 25:4; Jeremiah 10:9
• 9. Genesis 10:4
• 10. Genesis 10:18; 1 Chronicles 1:16; Ezekiel 27:11
• 11. 1 Kings 9:27
• 12. Joshua 13:5; 1 Kings 5:18
• 13. Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5
• 14. Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5
• 15. Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5
• 16. Genesis 10:2; Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27:19
• 17. Genesis 10:2; Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27:19
• 18. Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 38:2; Ezekiel 39:1
• 19. Joel 3:3; Revelation 18:13
• 20. Genesis 10:3; Ezekiel 38:6
• 21. Jeremiah 25:23; Ezekiel 25:13; Ezekiel 27:20
• 22. 1 Kings 10:22; Revelation 18:12
• 23. Judges 10:6; Isaiah 7:1-8; Ezekiel 16:57
• 24. Ezekiel 28:13
• 25. Ezekiel 16:13, 18
• 26. Judges 11:33
• 27. Genesis 14:15; Isaiah 7:8; Jeremiah 49:23; Ezekiel 47:16-18
• 28. Genesis 25:3
• 29. Isaiah 21:13
• 30. Isaiah 60:7
• 31. Genesis 10:7; Isaiah 60:6; Ezekiel 38:13
• 32. Genesis 43:11; 1 Kings 10:2
• 33. 2 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 37:12; Amos 1:5
• 34. Isaiah 2:16
• 35. Ezekiel 26:19
• 36. Psalms 48:7; Jeremiah 18:17; Acts 27:14
• 37. Ezek 26:10, 15, 18
• 38. Revelation 18:17-19
• 39. Isaiah 23:1-6; Ezekiel 26:17
• 40. 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 1:2; Lamentations 2:10; Revelation 18:19
• 41. Jeremiah 6:26; Jonah 3:6
• 42. Isaiah 15:2; Ezekiel 29:18
• 43. Isaiah 22:12; Ezekiel 7:18
• 44. Isaiah 16:9; Isaiah 22:4
• 45. Ezekiel 26:17; Ezekiel 27:2; Ezekiel 28:12
• 46. Ezekiel 27:12, 18; Ezekiel 28:4, 5
• 47. Ezekiel 26:12; Ezekiel 27:26, 27
• 48. Zechariah 9:3, 4
• 49. Isaiah 23:6; Ezekiel 26:16
• 50. Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8; Jeremiah 49:17; Jeremiah 50:13; Zephaniah 2:15
• 51. Psalms 37:10, 36

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "entrances"
• [b]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch
• [c]. Lit "built"
• [d]. Lit "made"
• [e]. Or "standard"
• [f]. Lit "covering"
• [g]. Or "violet"
• [h]. Lit "in you"
• [i]. Or "valorous ones"
• [j]. Lit "the market of your hand"
• [k]. Lit "works"
• [l]. Heb "pannag"
• [m]. Lit "works"
• [n]. Or "with yarn"
• [o]. Or "calamus"
• [p]. Lit "customers of your hand"
• [q]. Or "violet"
• [r]. Lit "your travelers"
• [s]. Lit "honored"
• [t]. Lit "The time"
• [u]. Lit "terrors"

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.