Ezekiel27chapter 27

Ezekiel 27:12

“Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches,.... Some understand this of the sea, which is sometimes called Tarshish; so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it here: and the Targum, "from the sea, or they of the sea bring merchandise into the midst of thee:'' that is, those who lived upon the coasts, or on the isles, of the Mediterranean sea.”

Ezekiel 27:12

“Tarshish was thy merchant - After having given an account of the naval and military equipment of this city, he now speaks of the various places and peoples with whom the Tyrians traded, and the different kinds of merchandise imported from those places. By Tarshish some understand the Carthaginians; some think Tartessus, near the straits of Gibraltar, is meant; others, Tharsis in Cilicia. The place was famous for all the useful metals, silver, iron, tin, and lead. All these they might have had from Britain.”

Ezekiel 27:13

“Javan designs Greece, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it; especially that part of it called Ionia, from Javan the son of Japheth, Gen 10:2 and Tubal, and Meshech, were also sons of Japheth; the former are the Iberi and Albanians, as Jerom and others, among whom were a city called Thabilaca, by Ptolemy (w); and the latter the Cappadocians, with whom is a city called Mazaca (x).”

Ezekiel 27:13

“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech - The Ionians, the Tybarenians, and the Cappadocians, or Muscovites. They traded the persons of men - That is, they trafficked in slaves. The bodies and souls of men were bought and sold in those days, as in our degenerate age. With these also they traded in brazen vessels.”

Ezekiel 27:13

“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. Superior weapons are still manufactured in the Caucasus region.”

Ezekiel 27:14

“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].”

Ezekiel 27:14

“Of the house - Of the country. Togarmah - Armenia the lesser, Phrygia, Galatia, or Cappadocia. Horsemen - It is likely they might sell grooms, as best able to manage, and keep those horses.”

Ezekiel 27:15

“The men of Dedan - Dedan was one of the descendants of Abraham by Keturah, and dwelt in Arabia, Gen 25:3. Ivory and ebony might come from that quarter. By way of distinction ivory is called both in Hebrew ש shen, and in Arabic shen, the Tooth, as that beautiful substance is the tooth of the elephant.”

Ezekiel 27:15

“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.”

Ezekiel 27:15

“Isles - In the Indian seas, and in the Red-sea traded with thee. Horns - Elk's horns, or wild goats. Ebony - Is a very solid, heavy, shining, black wood, fit for many choice works.”

Ezekiel 27:16

“Syria - These were always a mercantile people. For the precious stones mentioned here see the notes on Exo 28:17 (note).”

Ezekiel 27:16

"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."

Ezekiel 27:17

“Judah, and the land of Israel - traded in thy market wheat - The words have been understood as articles of merchandise, not names of places. So the Jews traded with the Tyrians in wheat, stacte, balsam, honey, oil, and resin.”

Ezekiel 27:18

“Damascus wine of Helbon - Now called by the Turks Haleb, and by us Aleppo. White wool - Very fine wool: wool of a fine quality. Some think Milesian wool is meant.”

Ezekiel 27:19

“Dan also and Javan - It is probable that both these words mean some of the Grecian islands. Going to and fro - They both took and brought - imported and exported: but מאוזל meuzal, from uzal, may be a proper name. What place is signified I cannot tell, unless it be Azal, a name, according to Kamoos, of the capital of Arabia Felix.”

Ezekiel 27:19

“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." This is added to "Javan," to mark which Javan is meant (Ge 10:27).”

Ezekiel 27:20

“Dedan was thy merchant in precious cloths for chariots. Or, "cloths of freedom" (u); such as freemen and even nobles wore; and yet so extravagant were the Tyrians, that they bought these to line or cover their chariots with; this is different from the Dedan in Eze 27:15, and is either Dedan in Edom or Idumea, Jer 49:8, or in Arabia, the inhabitants of which descended from Dedan, a grandson of Abraham, Gen 25:3, which agrees with the following. (u) בבגדי חפש "pannis libertatis", Vatablus, Piscator; "ingenuorem", Junius & Tremellius. So Ben Melech, and R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol.”

Ezekiel 27:20

“Dedan - Possibly the descendants of Dedan, son of Raamah, see Gen 10:7. In precious clothes for chariots - Either fine carpets, or rich housings for horses, camels, etc., used for riding.”

Ezekiel 27:21

“Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar,.... Arabia was a large country, divided into three parts, Arabia Deserts, or the desert; Arabia Petraea, or the rocky; and Arabia Felix, or the happy. Kedar was in Arabia Petrea; its inhabitants were called Kedarenes, descended from Kedar, a son of Ishmael, Gen 25:13, they were chiefly shepherds, and dwelt in tents, to which the allusion is in Son 1:5, these princes were the rich and wealthy among them, who bought up the cattle of the meaner sort, and brought them to Tyre. In Jerom's time Kedar was the country of the Saracens.”

Ezekiel 27:21

“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).”

Ezekiel 27:22

“Sheba and Raamah - Inhabitants of Arabia Felix, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, who were famous for their riches and spices.”

Ezekiel 27:23

“Haran, and Canneh, and Eden,.... Haran was a city of Mesopotamia, the same with Haran, where Abraham dwelt awhile, Act 7:2, the Charrae of the Parthians, famous for the defeat of Crassus. Canneh is thought to be the same with Calneh, Gen 10:10, afterwards called Ctesiphon; and here, by the Targum, Netzibin, a place not far from Tigris; and Eden also was between Tigris and Euphrates. All three places seem to be in Mesopotamia, and not far from each other; the latter is thought by some to be the place where the garden of Eden was.”

Ezekiel 27:23

“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.”

Ezekiel 27:24

“These were thy merchants in all sorts of things - The above people traded with the Tyrians in a great variety of the most valuable merchandise: blue or purple cloth, boxes of cedar, covered with skins, and bound with silken cords, and sealed with an engraved seal, finely cut, etc. See the Chaldee.”

Ezekiel 27:25

“Did sing of thee - Or, were thy bulwarks, i. e., bulwarks of thy traffic. Others render it: “were thy caravans,” thy merchandise.”

Ezekiel 27:26

“Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters - Tyre is still considered under the allegory of a ship; and all the vessels of different nations trading with her are represented as towing her into deep waters - bringing her into great affluence. But while in this state, a stormy east wind, or a destructive wind, meaning the Chaldeans, arises, and dashes her to pieces! See the ode from Horace, already quoted on Eze 27:4 (note).”

Ezekiel 27:26

“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. The "sea" is the war with him which the "rowers," or rulers of the state vessel, had "brought" it into, to its ruin.”

Ezekiel 27:26

“She is as a great ship richly laden, that is split or sunk by the indiscretion of her steersmen: Thy rowers have themselves brought thee into great and dangerous waters; the governors of the city, and those that had the management of their public affairs, by some mismanagement or other involved them in that war with the Chaldeans which was the ruin of their state.”

Ezekiel 27:27

“All who have been enumerated as sharing in, and constituting, the glory of Tyre are now recounted as partakers in her wreck.”

Ezekiel 27:28

“The cry of thy pilots - When the ship was dashed against the rocks by the violence of the winds and the waves, and all hope of life was taken away, then a universal cry was set up by all on board. I have heard this cry, and nothing more dismal can be imagined, when the ship by a violent tempest is driving among rocks on a lee shore. Then “All lost! cut away the boat!” is more dreadful than the cry of fire at midnight.”

Ezekiel 27:29

“As Tyre is figured by a large vessel, so are the subject-states by smaller boats which accompany the great ship. These terrified by the storm approach the land. Tyre is hopelessly swallowed up, crew and all, in the midst of the sea. The small crafts escape to shore.”

Ezekiel 27:30

“Shall cry bitterly - All that were on the land, seeing this dreadful sight, a gallant ship perishing with all her men and goods, are represented as setting up a dismal cry at this heart-rending sight. But what must they have felt who were on board? Reader, wert thou ever shipwrecked? Wert thou ever in a hurricane on a lee rocky shore, where the helm had lost its power, and the sails were rendered useless? Dost thou remember that apparently last moment, when the ship drove up to the tremendous rocks, riding on the back of a mountainous surge?”

Ezekiel 27:32

“And in their wailing they shall takes up a lamentation for thee,.... A mournful song, such as was used at funerals, or in times of calamity; and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it: and lament over thee; saying the following ditty; what city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? as there was none like it a few years ago for riches, splendour, and glory, so now there is none like it for misery and ruin; see Rev 18:”

Ezekiel 27:36

“The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee,.... As Tyre had done at Jerusalem, Eze 26:2 as she hoped to make better markets upon the fall of Jerusalem, and therefore rejoiced at it; so these merchants upon her fall will hope that her trade will come into their hands, and therefore despise her, hiss, and laugh at her in her abject state.”

Ezekiel 27:36

“Shall hiss at thee - שרקו shareku, shall shriek for thee. This powerfully expresses the sensation made on the feelings of the spectators on the shore when they saw the vessel swallowed up.”

Ezekiel 27:36

“She triumphed in Jerusalem's fall, and there are those that will triumph in hers. When God casts his judgments on the sinner men also shall clap their hands at him and shall hiss him out of his place, Job xxvii. Is this the city which men called the perfection of beauty?”