Ezekiel 27:15

15 “ ‘The men of Rhodes^[a] traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS Ezekiel 27:14 NEXT Ezekiel 27:16

Ezekiel 27:15 in Other Translations

KJV

15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.

ESV

15 The men of Dedan traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.

NLT

15 Merchants came to you from Dedan. Numerous coastlands were your captive markets; they brought payment in ivory tusks and ebony wood.

MSG

15 "'The people of Rhodes did business with you. Many far-off islands traded with you in ivory and ebony.

CSB

15 Men of Dedanwere also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks and ebony as your payment.

Ezekiel 27:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:15

The men of Dedan were thy merchants
Not Dedan in Idumea or Edom, but in Arabia, from Dedan the son of Raamah, ( Genesis 10:7 ) : many isles were the merchandise of thine hands;
that is, many isles took off their manufactures from them, in lieu of what they brought them, which were as follow: they brought thee for a present;
that they might have the liberty of trading in their fairs and markets; or rather for a reward, or as a price, for the goods they had of them: horns of ivory and ebony;
Kimchi reads them as separate things; and which the Targum confirms, "horns, ivory, and ebony"; elks' horns, or horns of goats, as the Targum; and "ivory", or the teeth of elephants; and "ebony", which is a wood of a very black colour, hard and heavy, and of which many things are made. The Targum takes it for the name of a fowl, and renders it peacocks; so Jarchi; see ( 2 Chronicles 9:21 ) , but Ben Melech much better interprets it of a tree, called in Arabia "ebenus". Solinus makes it peculiar to India ^F4; and so Virgil ^F5.

FOOTNOTES:

F4 Polyhistor. c. 65.
F5 "----Sola India nigrum fert ebenum.----" Virgil. Georgic. 1. 2.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Ezekiel 27:15 In-Context

13 “ ‘Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you; they traded human beings and articles of bronze for your wares.

14 “ ‘Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.

15 “ ‘The men of Rhodes traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

16 “ ‘Aram did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.

17 “ ‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections, honey, olive oil and balm for your wares.

Cross References 3

1. S Genesis 10:7
2. S Jeremiah 25:22
3. 1 Kings 10:22; Revelation 18:12

Footnotes 1

[a]. Septuagint; Hebrew "Dedan"