Ezekiel 27:5

5 You were like a great ship built of the finest cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

Ezekiel 27:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 27:5

They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir
The same with Sion and Hermon, which the Sidonians called Sirion, and the Amorites Shenir, ( Deuteronomy 3:9 ) ( 4:48 ) here, it seems, grew the best of fir trees, of which the Tyrians made boards and planks for shipping; of these the two sides of the ship, as the word ^F18 here used in the dual number is thought to signify, or the fore and hind decks, were made. The Targum is,

``with fir trees of Senir they built for thee all thy bridges;''

the planks from which they went from one ship to another; but these are of too small consequence to be mentioned; rather the main of the ship is intended, which was built of fir planks; but ours made of oak are much preferable: they have taken cedars from Lebanon, to make masts for thee;
large poles for the yards and sails to be fastened to, for receiving the wind necessary in navigation; called the main mast, the foremast, the mizzenmast, and the boltsprit; all these are only in large vessels; whether the Tyrians had all of these is not certain; some they had, and which were made of the cedars of Lebanon; which, being large tall trees, were fit for this purpose. The Tyrians ^F19 are said to be the first inventors of navigation.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Mytwxl) "tabulata duplicia", Munster; "duas tabulas", Vatablus.
F19 "Prima ratem ventis credere docta Tyros." Catullus.

Ezekiel 27:5 In-Context

3 that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign LORD : “You boasted, O Tyre, ‘My beauty is perfect!’

4 You extended your boundaries into the sea. Your builders made your beauty perfect.

5 You were like a great ship built of the finest cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 They carved your oars from the oaks of Bashan. Your deck of pine from the coasts of Cyprus was inlaid with ivory.

7 Your sails were made of Egypt’s finest linen, and they flew as a banner above you. You stood beneath blue and purple awnings made bright with dyes from the coasts of Elishah.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or Hermon.