Ezekiel 27:26

26 "'Your sailors row mightily, taking you into the high seas. Then a storm out of the east shatters your ship in the ocean deep.

Ezekiel 27:26 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:26

Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters
Here the city of Tyre is compared to a vessel at sea, with great propriety, it being built in the sea, and its trade chiefly there; and its rulers and governors, or the inhabitants of it, to rowers; literally the men of Zidon and Arvad were her rowers, ( Ezekiel 27:8 ) , the straits, difficulties, and distresses these brought Tyre into, are compared to great waters; who, by some unadvised step or another, provoked the king of Babylon to come against them with his army, and lay siege unto them: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas;
a wind very fatal to ships and mariners; see ( Psalms 48:7 ) , by it are meant Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean army; so called, because of their great force and fury; and because Babylon, from whence they came, lay somewhat to the east of Tyre. So the Targum,

``a king who is strong as the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.''

Ezekiel 27:26 In-Context

24 bringing elegant clothes, dyed textiles, and elaborate carpets to your bazaars.
25 "'The great Tarshish ships were your freighters, importing and exporting. Oh, it was big business for you, trafficking the seaways!
26 "'Your sailors row mightily, taking you into the high seas. Then a storm out of the east shatters your ship in the ocean deep.
27 Everything sinks - your rich goods and products, sailors and crew, ship's carpenters and soldiers, Sink to the bottom of the sea. Total shipwreck.
28 The cries of your sailors reverberate on shore.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.