Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast.

“Teman . . . they of Dedan--rather, "I will make it desolate from Teman (in the south) even to Dedan (in the northwest)" [GROTIUS], (Jer 49:8), that is, the whole country from north to south, stretching from the south of the Dead Sea to the…”

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility,

“The "old hatred" refers to their continual enmity to the covenant-people. They lay along Judea on the seacoast at the opposite side from Ammon and Moab.”

therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant along…

“cut off the Cherethims--There is a play on similar sounds in the Hebrew, hichratti cherethim, "I will slay the slayers." The name may have been given to a section of the Philistines from their warlike disposition (1Sa 30:14;”

In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“The specification of the date, which had been omitted in the case of the four preceding objects of judgment, marks the greater weight attached to the fall of Tyre. eleventh year--namely, after the carrying away of Jehoiachin, the year of the fall of Jerusalem.”

“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken; it has swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I…

“Aha!--exultation over a fallen rival (Ps 35:21, 25). she . . . that was the gates--that is, the single gate composed of two folding doors. Hence the verb is singular.”

His multitude of horses will cover you in their dust. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of…

“Both are included in the prophecies under one name. wheels--FAIRBAIRN thinks that here, and in Eze 23:24, as "the wheels" are distinct from the "chariots," some wheelwork for riding on, or for the operations of the siege, are meant.”

They will plunder your wealth and pillage your merchandise. They will demolish your walls, tear down your beautiful homes, and throw your stones and timber and soil into the water.

“The overthrow of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar was the first link in the long chain of evil--the first deadly blow which prepared for, and was the earnest of, the final doom.”

I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets.

“The insular Tyre recovered partly, after seventy years (Isa 23:17, 18), but again suffered under Alexander, then under Antigonus, then under the Saracens at the beginning of the fourteenth century.”

This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan at the slaughter in your midst?

“Even mighty Carthage used to send a yearly offering to the temple of Hercules at Tyre: and the mother city gave high priests to her colonies.”

Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who…

“So Venice was called "the bride of the sea." strong in the sea--through her insular position. cause their terror to be on all that haunt it--namely, the sea.”

Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’

“GROTIUS explains "departure," that is, "in the day when hostages shall be carried away from thee to Babylon."”

Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders perfected your beauty.

“Tyre, in consonance with her seagirt position, separated by a strait of half a mile from the mainland, is described as a ship built of the best material, and manned with the best mariners and skilful pilots, but at last wrecked in tempestuous seas (Eze…”

Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.

“Rather, as the Hebrew orthography requires, "They have made thy (rowing) benches of ivory inlaid in the daughter of cedars" [MAURER], or, the best boxwood.”

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

“Meshech--the Tibareni and Moschi, in the mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas. persons of men--that is, as slaves. So the Turkish harems are supplied with female slaves from Circassia and Georgia. vessels--all kinds of articles.”

The men of Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.

“Togarmah--Armenia: descended from Gomer (Ge 10:3). Their mountainous region south of the Caucasus was celebrated for horses. horsemen--rather, "riding-horses," as distinct from "horses" for chariots [FAIRBAIRN].”

The men of Dedan were your clients; many coastlands were your market; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

“The Hebrew word for "ivory" means "tooth"; so that they cannot have mistaken ivory as if coming from the horns of certain animals, instead of from the tusks of the elephant.”

Aram was your customer because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.

“"Syria was thy mart for the multitude," &c. For "Syria" the Septuagint reads "Edom." But the Syrians were famed as merchants. occupied--old English for "traded"; so in Lu 19:13. agate--Others translate, "ruby," "chalcedony," or "pearls."”

and casks of wine from Izal for your wares. Wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were exchanged for your merchandise.

“Therefore, FAIRBAIRN translates, "Vedan"; perhaps the modern Aden, near the straits of Bab-el-man-deb. GROTIUS refers it to Dana, mentioned by PTOLEMY. Javan--not the Greeks of Europe or Asia Minor, but of a Greek settlement in Arabia. going to and fro--rather, as Hebrew admits, "from Uzal."”

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers, trading in lambs, rams, and goats.

“Arabia--the nomadic tribes of Arabia, among which Kedar was pre-eminent. occupied with thee--literally, "of thy hand," that is, they traded with thee for wares, the product of thy hand (see on Eze 27:15, 16).”

Haran, Canneh, and Eden traded with you, and so did the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad.

“Canneh--Calneh, an Assyrian city on the Tigris; the Ctesiphon of the Greeks (Ge 10:10). Eden--probably a region in Babylonia (see Ge 2:8). Chilmad--a compound; the place designated by PTOLEMY "Gaala of Media." The Chaldee version interprets it of Media.”

Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea.

“In contrast to her previous greatness, her downfall is here, by a sudden transition, depicted under the image of a vessel foundering at sea. east wind--blowing from Lebanon, the most violent wind in the Mediterranean (Ps 48:7). A Levanter, as it is called.”

“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit…

“The Hebrew for "God" is El, that is, "the Mighty One." yet, &c.--keen irony. set thine heart as . . . heart of God--Thou thinkest of thyself as if thou wert God.”

Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you!

“Ezekiel ironically alludes to Ithbaal's overweening opinion of the wisdom of himself and the Tyrians, as though superior to that of Daniel, whose fame had reached even Tyre as eclipsing the Chaldean sages. "Thou art wiser," namely, in thine own opinion (Zec 9:2).”

You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

“The cherub--an ideal compound of the highest kinds of animal existence and the type of redeemed man in his ultimate state of perfection--is made the image of the king of Tyre, as if the beau ideal of humanity.”

“Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.

“Zidon--famous for its fishery (from a root, Zud, "to fish"); and afterwards for its wide extended commerce; its artistic elegance was proverbial. Founded by Canaan's first-born (Ge 10:15).”