Ezekiel 27:18

18 Damascus [was] trading [with] you {because of} the abundance of your products, because of the abundance of all of [your] wealth, [trading] with the wine of Helbon and white wool.

Ezekiel 27:18 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:18

Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of
thy making
Of the many things manufactured at Tyre, the inhabitants of Damascus, once the chief city of Syria, took some: for the multitude of all riches:
in lieu of the vast quantity of rich things there made, they traded with them for them: in the wine of Helbon, and white wool;
Helbon very probably is the same with the Chalybon of Ptolemy F16, which he places in Syria; a place famous for wine, as Strabo F17 reports; the kings of Persia, he says, through riches fell into luxury, so that they would have wheat brought from Assos in Aeolia, and Chalybonian wine out of Syria, and water from Eulaeus (the river Ulai in ( Daniel 8:2 ) ), which was lightest of all; and so Athenaeus F18 says, the kings of the Persians drink only Chalybonian wine; which, says Posidonius, was made at Damascus in Syria, from whence the Persians transplant vines: Helbon is thought to be the same with Aleppo; the grapes there are all white, and make a strong wine, as Monsieur Thevenot F19 relates; and who also observes, that the wines of Damascus are treacherous and strong: and the wool they bought was such as it came off of the backs of the sheep, and the purer and whiter sort of it; which was brought to Tyre, and by them bought, and dyed purple, for which dye the Tyrians were famous.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Geograph. l. 5. c. 15.
F17 Ibid. l. 12. p. 505.
F18 L. 1. c. 22.
F19 Travels, part 2. B. 1. c. 5. p. 25. & c. 7. p. 33.

Ezekiel 27:18 In-Context

16 Edom [was] trading [with] you because of the abundance of your products, [trading] with malachite, purple wool yarn and colorful weaving, and fine white fabric and black corals and rubies; [all these] they exchange for your merchandise.
17 Judah and the land of Israel [were] trading [with] you with wheat from Minnith and millet and honey and olive oil and balm; [all these] they gave [for] your wares.
18 Damascus [was] trading [with] you {because of} the abundance of your products, because of the abundance of all of [your] wealth, [trading] with the wine of Helbon and white wool.
19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal, they exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and reed spice for your merchandise; [all this] was for your wares.
20 Dedan [was] trading [with] you, with garments of woven material for riding.

Footnotes 1

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.