Ezekiel 27:15

15 Men of Dedan^[a][b]were 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Ezekiel 27:15 In-Context

13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged slaves and bronze utensils for your goods.

14 Those from Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise.

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.

16 Aramwas your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise, purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise.

17 Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm for your goods.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX reads Rhodes
• [b]. Ezk 38:13