Ezekiel 27:17

17 "'People of Judah and Israel became merchants for you. They traded your goods for wheat from Minnith, and for honey, olive oil, and balm.

Ezekiel 27:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:17

Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants
The inhabitants of Judah and Israel; the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the other ten tribes of Israel, they all merchandised with the Tyrians, being near unto them: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith;
the name of a place, ( Judges 11:33 ) , where probably the best wheat grew; so the Targum renders it; the Tyrians were supplied with wheat from the land of Israel, in the times of Solomon, long before this, ( 1 Kings 5:11 ) as they were in the times of Herod, long after, ( Acts 12:20 ) , it was four miles from Esbus or Heshbon, in the way to Philadelphia, according to Eusebius: and Pannag;
which some take to be the name of a place, where the best wheat also was; which some say was Phoenicia, or the land of Canaan. The Septuagint render it "ointments": and the Latin interpreter of the Targum "balsam"; with which agrees Josephus ben Gorion F11, who says that at Jericho grew the balsam tree, from whence came a precious oil, which oil is "pannag": and Hillerus F12 translates it balsam: it follows, and honey, and oil:
with which the land of Canaan abounded; for it was a land of oil olive and honey, a land that flowed with milk and honey, ( Deuteronomy 8:8 ) so that they had enough for themselves, and to spare for their neighbours, and which they carried to the market of Tyre: and balm;
or balsam, of which there was plenty at Gilead, and near Jericho, however at the latter; we read of the balm of Gilead, ( Jeremiah 8:22 ) ( 46:11 ) . The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it "rosin"; and so the Targum; and this the Tyrians might make use of in their ships F13. The balm, or balsam plant, was peculiar to Judea, as Pliny F14; at least it was the place of it until transplanted into other countries; and so says Solinus F15.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 Hist. 1. 4. c. 22. p. 379.
F12 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 903.
F13 Vid. Scheffer. de Militia Navali, p. 43. 319.
F14 Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 25.
F15 Polyhistor. c. 48.

Ezekiel 27:17 In-Context

15 "'People of Rhodes became merchants for you, selling your goods on many coastlands. They brought back ivory tusks and valuable black wood as your payment.
16 "'People of Aram became traders for you, because you had so many good things to sell. They traded your goods for turquoise, purple cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, fine linen, coral, and rubies.
17 "'People of Judah and Israel became merchants for you. They traded your goods for wheat from Minnith, and for honey, olive oil, and balm.
19 "'People of Damascus became traders for you because you have many good things and great wealth. They traded your goods for wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar, and barrels of wine from Izal. They received wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane in payment for your good things.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.