Ezekiel 27
[Ezekiel 27:1] THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME AGAIN UNTO ME, SAYING,

[Ezekiel 27:2] NOW, THOU SON OF MAN, TAKE UP A LAMENTATION FOR TYRUS;

Tyre sits at the entrances to the seas and trades with many isles. Tyre was the major Phoenician city though Sidon was also important. Arvad and Gebal (Byblos) were also Phoenician cities. The Phoenicians were a
mixture of people who in the later stages of their history identified themselves as Canaanites. The Phoenicians established colonies in North Africa, France, Spain, and according to Tacitus also in western and northern Europe. They mined tin on Cornwall. Carthage in North Africa was a Phoenician colony first settled by refugees from Tyre. Carthage was
destined to become mighty empire in its own right and wage several wars with Rome, known as the "Punic" wars. According to Professor Manasheh Harel ("Yechezkiel", Davidson): The four major branches of the Phoenician economy were (a) ship-building; (b) dyes, especially blue and purple dyes, for wool and linen fabrics; (c) fishing; (d) trading.
Trading was the most important activity. International trading activities included the exchange of animals (sheep, goats, horses, mules); agricultural products for food, clothing, and balm; luxury goods such as precious stones, gold and silver products, and ivory carvings; Metals such as iron, copper, tin, and lead; slaves from all over the world. The most important metal in use was bronze which is an alloy of copper and tin. Most of the tin came from Britain and the Phoenician monopoly on trade in tin was important.

[Ezekiel 27:3] AND SAY UNTO TYRUS, O THOU THAT ART SITUATE AT THE ENTRY OF THE SEA, WHICH ART A MERCHANT OF THE PEOPLE FOR MANY ISLES, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; O TYRUS, THOU HAST SAID, I AM OF PERFECT BEAUTY.

[Ezekiel 27:4] THY BORDERS ARE IN THE MIDST OF THE SEAS; THY BUILDERS HAVE PERFECTED THY BEAUTY.

Archaeological finds indicate that Cyprus, eastern Greece, and the northern section of Israel fulfilled important roles in the economy of Tyre.The major part of the city of Tyre was an island 700 meters from the coast. Assyrian illustrations depict the walls of Tyre with high towers intermittently protruding. The topmost section of the wall was covered with shields behind which the defenders would make their stand. The walled city of Tyre from the coast had the appearance of a great majestic ship. The ships of Tyre were quite large and traveled all over the seas. They were the best in the Ancient World. Different parts of the ship were made of different materials: A certain type of wood imported from one place would be used for one section of the boat and another type of wood (brought from somewhere else) would be considered more appropriate for another part. The prophet uses this aspect of the ships of Tyre as symbolic of Tyre itself.

[Ezekiel 27:5] THEY HAVE MADE ALL THY SHIP BOARDS OF FIR TREES OF SENIR: THEY HAVE TAKEN CEDARS FROM LEBANON TO MAKE MASTS FOR THEE.
Ezekiel (ch.27) lists the places with whom Tyre traded and what goods they supplied.27;5: Firtrees (or juniper tree) from Senir and cedars from Lebanon were used for shipbuilding.

[Ezekiel 27:6] OF THE OAKS OF BASHAN HAVE THEY MADE THINE OARS; THE COMPANY OF THE ASHURITES HAVE MADE THY BENCHES OF IVORY, BROUGHT OUT OF THE ISLES OF CHITTIM.
 Oaks from Bashan for oars, benches inlaid with ivory from Asher from the Isles of the Chittim. Bashan and Asher of Israel, Cyprus and Italy: "Bashan" was in the territory of Menasseh east of the Jordan."Asher" (of Israel) was in northern Syria where in ancient times elephants were hunted for their ivory."Isles of the Chittim" meant Cyprus and Islands about Italy which is interesting since it implies that Israelites from the Tribe of Asher had also reached those areas. This verse may contain a hint concerning the Israelite presence on Sardinia which was named after Sered from the Tribe of Zebulon and from which Isle Hebrews appear to have moved to northern Scotland. "COMPANY OF THE ASHURITES": In Hebrew "Bath-Ashurim" which most commentators say was a kind of tree found in Cyprus. This is not how we understood the expression. Ezekiel is describing the trading activities that had made Tyre a great power in recent times though changes had already taken place. The Lost Ten Tribes and several other peoples had been uprooted and exiled by the Assyrians and Babylonians. The Assyrians had first began to replace the Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean with Greek settlers.

[Ezekiel 27:7] FINE LINEN WITH BROIDERED WORK FROM EGYPT WAS THAT WHICH THOU SPREADEST FORTH TO BE THY SAIL; BLUE AND PURPLE FROM THE ISLES OF ELISHAH WAS THAT WHICH COVERED THEE.
 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt (Mitsrayim) for sails, to be your standard, blue and purple from the Isles of Elishah covered you..."Isles of Elisha" refers presumably to the Islands of Helas, i.e. of Greece. Though the manufacturing of purple is believed to have become a Phoenician monopoly and in the Talmud (Megilla 6.a) is associated with the Israelite Tribe of Zebulon, some say that the process had Minoan (Cretan) origins.

[Ezekiel 27:8] THE INHABITANTS OF ZIDON AND ARVAD WERE THY MARINERS: THY WISE MEN, O TYRUS, THAT WERE IN THEE, WERE THY PILOTS.
Tyre employed sailors from the Phonenician cities of Sidon ("Zidon") and Arvad.

[Ezekiel 27:9] THE ANCIENTS OF GEBAL AND THE WISE MEN THEREOF WERE IN THEE THY CALKERS: ALL THE SHIPS OF THE SEA WITH THEIR MARINERS WERE IN THEE TO OCCUPY THY MERCHANDISE.
<<GEBAL>>: also known as "Byblos". The Greeks purchased Egyptian papyrus from Gebal. They used the papyrus for writing material. This could be were our word "bible" comes from."CALKERS" i.e. caulkers who use tar and other materials to ensure that the boat is water-proof.MARINERS WERE IN THEE TO OCCUPY THY MERCHANDISE: I would translate this from the Hebrew as "sailors who mortgaged themselves to you" or instead of "mortgaged themselves" perhaps "were your guarantors".
The elders and wisemen of Gebal would maintain your ships, all the ships of the sea and their sailors mortgaged themselves to you.

[Ezekiel 27:10] THEY OF PERSIA AND OF LUD AND OF PHUT WERE IN THINE ARMY, THY MEN OF WAR: THEY HANGED THE SHIELD AND HELMET IN THEE; THEY SET FORTH THY COMELINESS.
From Persia and Lydia and Phut came men to serve in your armies. Lydia was inn the western section of mainland Turkey.

[Ezekiel 27:11] THE MEN OF ARVAD WITH THINE ARMY WERE UPON THY WALLS ROUND ABOUT, AND THE GAMMADIMS WERE IN THY TOWERS: THEY HANGED THEIR SHIELDS UPON THY WALLS ROUND ABOUT; THEY HAVE MADE THY BEAUTY PERFECT.
The natives of Arwad and your own soldiers manned your walls round about. Pygmies [Hebrew: "Gamadim"] in your towers hung their shields around your walls. They perfected your beauty. The above verses indicate international connections and great specialization in supply and organization. The use of Pygmies to man very high almost inaccessible towers about the walls probably had military value. Pygmies make small targets. They are agile and they probably could climb up heights difficult of access to larger mortals.

[Ezekiel 27:12] TARSHISH WAS THY MERCHANT BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF ALL KIND OF RICHES; WITH SILVER, IRON, TIN, AND LEAD, THEY TRADED IN THY FAIRS.
 Tarshish was a merchandiser of yours. With great capital, through trade in silver, iron, tin, and lead they laid up surpluses.Tarsis was in Spain possibly centred on the region of Gibraltar. Tarshish served as a trading emporium for goods from Spain, Britain, and Gaul. Tarshish according to D'Arbois de Jubainville once controlled most of Gaul. The Israelites in the time of Solomon and afterwards traded with Tarshish and may have had a base there. Later after the Assyrian exile Israelites and Phoenicians were resettled in the Tarshish area. The Hebrew association with Gibraltar is therefore of long standing and even today Gibraltar remains a British base.

[Ezekiel 27:13] JAVAN, TUBAL, AND MESHECH, THEY WERE THY MERCHANTS: THEY TRADED THE PERSONS OF MEN AND VESSELS OF BRASS IN THY MARKET.
27;13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They traded men and bronzeware in your markets.Javan is Ionia in western Anatolia (the Asian part of modern Turkey) or Greece which was settled by Javan.Tubal and Meshech were then also in Anatolia but today are identified with peoples who settled in Russia, Meshech gave its name to Moscow, Tubal to Tibilis (Tiflis) capital of Georgia in the Caucasus. There are authorities (such as Josephon and Abarbanel) who connect Tubal with Spain. People from Anatolia did settle around the coasts of Spain according to Classical sources.


[Ezekiel 27:14] THEY OF THE HOUSE OF TOGARMAH TRADED IN THY FAIRS WITH HORSES AND HORSEMEN AND MULES.
Togarma son of Gomer son of Japheth is identified with Tilgarimu north of Carcamish (in northwest Syria) and to the west of Armenia. This was to become a Cimmerian region.

[Ezekiel 27:15] 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.

Men of Dedan were your merchants. Many isles traded with you, ivory and ebony.The Phoenicians introduced their alphabet to the Indonesian islands. They probably had contacts with Polynesia. The present day king of Tonga is a student of ancient Phoenician seacraft.<<EBONY>>: Hebrew "Eshcor", meaning uncertain, probably a scent of some kind from the east.

[Ezekiel 27:16] SYRIA WAS THY MERCHANT BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF THE WARES OF THY MAKING: THEY OCCUPIED IN THY FAIRS WITH EMERALDS, PURPLE, AND BROIDERED WORK, AND FINE LINEN, AND CORAL, AND AGATE.
Aram (Syria) was your merchant in precious stones and fabrics.<<FINE LINEN>>: Hebrew "bootz": Professor Chaim Rabin says that this was actually cotton from India that was brought overland via Syria to the Mediterranean coast.

[Ezekiel 27:17] JUDAH, AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL, THEY WERE THY MERCHANTS: THEY TRADED IN THY MARKET WHEAT OF MINNITH, AND PANNAG, AND HONEY, AND OIL, AND BALM.
<<THE LAND OF ISRAEL>>: Ezekiel is speaking of a period prior to the exile of the Ten Tribes. Professor Gershon Brin says that Ezekiel in this prophecy may well have been using an ancient list of names. Such lists would be arranged in poetic form singing the raises of Tyre. The Prophets lived in a culture that was both highly literate while combining characteristics of illiterate societies. The impression is that they would commit much to memory, repeat descriptions of events, heroic stories, and words of wisdom in song in such a way that memory came easy and a good deal
of the general culture was always present in their subconscious. When the Prophets gave forth their prophecy they would dress their messages in form, style, expression, even partial content, that was taken from their own experiences and learning.Judah and the Land of Israel supplied wheat, grains, honey, oil, and agricultural products.
<<WHEAT OF MINNITH>>: Wheat that grew on the hills near Minith in Ammon. This was supplied to the coast via Judah. The trade had already ceased it would seem when Ezekiel prophesied but, as we said, Ezekiel was describing the situation that had led to the greatness of Tyre.

[Ezekiel 27:18] DAMASCUS WAS THY MERCHANT IN THE MULTITUDE OF THE WARES OF THY MAKING, FOR THE MULTITUDE OF ALL RICHES; IN THE WINE OF HELBON, AND WHITE WOOL.

Damascus traded in most of your products, most of its capital was involved with your trade, it gave over Helbon wine and white wool.

[Ezekiel 27:19] DAN ALSO AND JAVAN GOING TO AND FRO OCCUPIED IN THY FAIRS: BRIGHT IRON, CASSIA, AND CALAMUS, WERE IN THY MARKET.

The Israelite Tribe of Dan and Ancient GreeceIn this verse the Israelite Tribe of Dan is linked with Javan meaning Greece and Greek legend recalled the Israelite children of Danaus among the founders of Greek civilization. Modern archaeological studies (see the Cambridge Ancient History) tend to identify the mythical "children of Danaus" with Hyksos settlers who left Egypt and founded early Mycenaean colonies in Greece. Dan and Javan from Uzzal brought you supplies of iron and steel products.The site of Dan in northern Galilee was a metallurgical centre. The Dananu in Cilicia (northwest Syria and southeast Turkey) also belonged to Dan of Israel and here too supplies of iron ore were available.
<<BRIGHT IRON>>: "barzel osoth": "manufactured iron", possibly steel according to Menachem ben Chelbo in the Middle Ages.
<<CASSIA, AND CALAMUS>>: Elsehwere I have translated these words from the Hebrew as referring to forms of metal manufacture.

[Ezekiel 27:20] DEDAN WAS THY MERCHANT IN PRECIOUS CLOTHES FOR CHARIOTS.

[Ezekiel 27:21] ARABIA, AND ALL THE PRINCES OF KEDAR, THEY OCCUPIED WITH THEE IN LAMBS, AND RAMS, AND GOATS: IN THESE WERE THEY THY MERCHANTS.

[Ezekiel 27:22] THE MERCHANTS OF SHEBA AND RAAMAH, THEY WERE THY MERCHANTS: THEY OCCUPIED IN THY FAIRS WITH CHIEF OF ALL SPICES, AND WITH ALL PRECIOUS STONES, AND GOLD.

Sheba and Rama brought spices, precious stones and gold.Sheba and Rama refer to India. Rama is still an ancestral figure in Hindu mythology (B.Sieger).

[Ezekiel 27:23] HARAN, AND CANNEH, AND EDEN, THE MERCHANTS OF SHEBA, ASSHUR, AND CHILMAD, WERE THY MERCHANTS.
<<ASSHUR>>: i.e. Assyria.<<CHILMAD>>: probably Media (cf. Targum).

[Ezekiel 27:24] THESE WERE THY MERCHANTS IN ALL SORTS OF THINGS, IN BLUE CLOTHES, AND BROIDERED WORK, AND IN CHESTS OF RICH APPAREL, BOUND WITH CORDS, AND MADE OF CEDAR, AMONG THY MERCHANDISE.
Harran and Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad traded with you. These were your merchants in finished products and raw materials ...

[Ezekiel 27:25] THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH DID SING OF THEE IN THY MARKET: AND THOU WAST REPLENISHED, AND MADE VERY GLORIOUS IN THE MIDST OF THE SEAS.

<<SHIPS OF TARSHISH>>: The list of traders with Tyre of Phoenicia rounds off by recalling "the ships of Tarshish" as the means through which Tyre traded."The ships of Tarshish" were the caravans for your markets; and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

[Ezekiel 27:26] THY ROWERS HAVE BROUGHT THEE INTO GREAT WATERS: THE EAST WIND HATH BROKEN THEE IN THE MIDST OF THE SEAS.

[Ezekiel 27:27] THY RICHES, AND THY FAIRS, THY MERCHANDISE, THY MARINERS, AND THY PILOTS, THY CALKERS, AND THE OCCUPIERS OF THY MERCHANDISE, AND ALL THY MEN OF WAR, THAT ARE IN THEE, AND IN ALL THY COMPANY WHICH IS IN THE
MIDST OF THEE, SHALL FALL INTO THE MIDST OF THE SEAS IN THE DAY OF THY RUIN.

[Ezekiel 27:28] THE SUBURBS SHALL SHAKE AT THE SOUND OF THE CRY OF THY PILOTS.

[Ezekiel 27:29] AND ALL THAT HANDLE THE OAR, THE MARINERS, AND ALL THE PILOTS OF THE SEA, SHALL COME DOWN FROM THEIR SHIPS, THEY SHALL STAND UPON THE LAND;

[Ezekiel 27:30] AND SHALL CAUSE THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD AGAINST THEE, AND SHALL CRY BITTERLY, AND SHALL CAST UP DUST UPON THEIR HEADS, THEY SHALL WALLOW THEMSELVES IN THE ASHES:

[Ezekiel 27:31] AND THEY SHALL MAKE THEMSELVES UTTERLY BALD FOR THEE, AND GIRD THEM WITH SACKCLOTH, AND THEY SHALL WEEP FOR THEE WITH BITTERNESS OF HEART AND BITTER WAILING.

[Ezekiel 27:32] AND IN THEIR WAILING THEY SHALL TAKE UP A LAMENTATION FOR THEE, AND LAMENT OVER THEE, SAYING, WHAT CITY IS LIKE TYRUS, LIKE THE DESTROYED IN THE MIDST OF THE SEA?


[Ezekiel 27:33] WHEN THY WARES WENT FORTH OUT OF THE SEAS, THOU FILLEDST MANY PEOPLE; THOU DIDST ENRICH THE KINGS OF THE EARTH WITH THE MULTITUDE OF THY RICHES AND OF THY MERCHANDISE.

[Ezekiel 27:34] IN THE TIME WHEN THOU SHALT BE BROKEN BY THE SEAS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE WATERS THY MERCHANDISE AND ALL THY COMPANY IN THE MIDST OF THEE SHALL FALL.

[Ezekiel 27:35] ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLES SHALL BE ASTONISHED AT THEE, AND THEIR KINGS SHALL BE SORE AFRAID, THEY SHALL BE TROUBLED IN THEIR COUNTENANCE.

<<ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLES>>: Of Britain? The Phoenicians also settled in West Africa and from there they apparently founded the Olmec civilization in Mexico. Some West African tribes have traditions that indicate Phoenician-connected ancestry.The original physical type of the Phoenicians is uncertain. They are often depicted by the Egyptians as darkish but sometimes as blonde or red-haired and blue-eyed. Mesopotamian depictions indicate that Africans were present amongst them from the beginning.

[Ezekiel 27:36] THE MERCHANTS AMONG THE PEOPLE SHALL HISS AT THEE; THOU SHALT BE A TERROR, AND NEVER SHALT BE ANY MORE.

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