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Ezekiel 27:7

in Ezekiel 27

Of embroidered fine linen from Egypt they made your sail, which served as your banner. Of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah they made your awning.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Of fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was thy sail, that it might be to thee for an ensign; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was thine awning.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Ezekiel 27

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Ezekiel · Written before 420.

(Verse 7.) Fine linen woven from Egypt was made into a veil for you, to be placed in a chest. Hyacinth and purple from the isles of Elisha became your covering. LXX: Fine linen woven with variety from Egypt was made into a bedspread for you, to surround you with glory, and to cover you with hyacinth and purple. Your coverings were made from the isles of Elisha. Because Tyre had said, 'I am perfect in beauty,' she is accused of receiving things from various regions, according to the Scripture: 'What do you have that you did not receive?'

This site's exposition

your builders perfected your beauty

on Ezekiel 27:4-7

The chapter's long central section pictures Tyre itself as a magnificent ship, built from the resources of the whole known world: fir boards from Senir. The sail is fine linen from Egypt. Keil reads the ship figure as deliberate, a trading city pictured as its own finest export.

This site's exposition

embroidered fine linen from Egypt

Egyptian linen was the finest woven in the ancient world, and an embroidered sail doubled as the ship's flag at sea. Elishah is a son of Javan in Genesis 10:4, a people of the Greek coasts or Cyprus. Purple dye was Tyre's own trade.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

The word signifies a banner as well as a sail. [6.] They hung those rooms on ship-board with blue and purple, the richest cloths and richest colours they could get from the isles they traded with. For though Tyre was itself famous for purple, which is therefore called the Tyrian dye, yet they must have that which was far-fetched.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), which is designed to make its ruin the more lamentable. A prediction of its fall and ruin, and the confusion and consternation which all its neighbours shall thereby be put into,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt,.... From whence came the finest and whitest linen; and which they embroidered with needlework, which looked very beautiful.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Or, “Fine linen Gen 41:42 with embroidery from Egypt was” thy sail that it might be to thee for a banner. Sails from Egypt were worked with various figures upon them which served as a device. Their boats had no separate pennons. Blue and purple - Tyrian purple was famous. The Tyrians no doubt imported from the neighboring coasts the mollusks from which they dyed the fine linen of Egypt. Isles of Elishah - See Gen 10:4. Elishah is considered equivalent to the Greek AEolis on the western coast of Asia Minor.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

broidered . . . sail--The ancients embroidered their sails often at great expense, especially the Egyptians, whose linen, still preserved in mummies, is of the finest texture.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Fine linen - שש shesh, cotton cloth. In this sense the word is generally to be understood. To be thy sail - Probably the flag - ensign or pennant, is meant. Blue and purple from the isles of Elishah - Elis, a part of the Peloponnesus.

The words behind it

14 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • שֵׁשׁ־fine linen

    shesh-H8336 →41 times

  • בְּרִקְמָ֤הwith colorful weaving

    berikmahH7553 →12 times

  • מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙from Egypt

    mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • הָיָ֣הit was

    hayahH1961 →3559 times

  • מִפְרָשֵׂ֔ךְsail your

    mifrasekhH4666 →

  • לִהְי֥וֹתto become

    lihyotH1961 →3559 times

  • לָ֖ךְof you

    lakh

  • לְנֵ֑ס<into> a sail

    lenesH5251 →

  • תְּכֵ֧לֶתblue

    tekheletH8504 →49 times

  • וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ןand purple

    veargamanH713 →

  • מֵאִיֵּ֥יfrom [the] islands of

    meiyeiH339 →36 times

  • אֱלִישָׁ֖הElishah

    ʾelishahH473 →

  • הָיָ֥הit was

    hayahH1961 →3559 times

  • מְכַסֵּֽךְ׃covering your

    mekhasekhH4374 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Isaiah 19:9The workers in flax will be dismayed, and the weavers of fine linen will turn pale.5 worksJeremiah 10:9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz—the work of a craftsman from the hands of a goldsmith. Their clothes are blue and purple, all fashioned by skilled workers.4 worksExodus 25:4blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair;4 worksGenesis 10:4And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.3 worksProverbs 7:16I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.3 worksGenesis 41:42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.3 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Luke 16:19Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.3 works1 Chronicles 1:7And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.2 works1 Kings 10:28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.2 worksEzekiel 16:10I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.2 worksJudges 8:26The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels.2 worksGenesis 10:2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Genesis 10:4

    And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 23:12

      He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus—even there you will find no rest.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Daniel 11:30

      Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Numbers 24:24

      Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will perish forever.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 23:1

      This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 10:9

    Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz—the work of a craftsman from the hands of a goldsmith. Their clothes are blue and purple, all fashioned by skilled workers.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 115:4

      Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

    • Daniel 10:5

      I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.

  • Through

    Isaiah 19:9

    The workers in flax will be dismayed, and the weavers of fine linen will turn pale.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 7:16

      I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.

  • Through

    Exodus 25:4

    blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair;

    it leads to

    • Revelation 19:8

      She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

Where this verse is studied

About Ezekiel

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel: the study guide →Read Ezekiel 27 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.

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