CHAPTER 27 THE SECOND ORACLE AGAINST TYRE. In this oracle Tyre, who is seen as describing herself as ‘perfect in beauty', is likened to a mighty ship which being overloaded will finally become a wreck and will sink beneath the waves at which all will bewail her loss. It is in the form of a poem, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying, “And you, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre. And say to Tyre: “You, O Tyre, have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty. Your borders are in the heart of the seas, Your builders have perfected your beauty. They made all your planks, of fir trees fro... [ Continue Reading ]
TYRE'S MERCENARIES. Tyre was wealthy and could pay for her own defence by hiring mercenaries from distant places. “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war, They hung the shield and helmet in you. They set forth your splendour. The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls... [ Continue Reading ]
TYRE'S TRADING CONTACTS AND COLONIES. Ezekiel then goes on to describe Tyre's ‘worldwide' network of trading contacts in a listing of places and what they traded. It is an extensive list and brings out their remarkable activity. They set up trading colonies in many of these places. They were ‘an em... [ Continue Reading ]
“Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they traded with you, They exchanged the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.” Javan (compare Isaiah 66:19) originally indicated the Ionians (Assyrian Iamanu), but came to refer to the Grecian empire as a whole (Daniel 8:20; Daniel 10:20; Daniel 11:2... [ Continue Reading ]
“They of Beth-Togarmah traded for your wares, With horses and warhorses and mules.” Beth-Togarmah (Ezekiel 38:6) is connected with the Anatolian/Armenian region. It is possibly the Tegarama of old Assyrian and Hittite texts, the Til-garimmu in the annals of Sargon and Sennacherib, the capital of K... [ Continue Reading ]
“The men of Dedan (LXX and some MSS have Rhodes, very similar in Hebrew, and see Ezekiel 27:20) traded with you, many coastlands were your markets (‘the market of your hand'), They brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.” The placing here among northern nations may suggest that we should rea... [ Continue Reading ]
“Syria (Aram) was your merchant by reason of your plentiful handyworks, They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple and embroidered work, and fine linen and coral and rubies. Judah and the land of Israel, they were traders with you, They traded for your merchandise, wheat of minnith, and pan... [ Continue Reading ]
“Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares, Wrought iron, cassia and calamus were among your merchandise.” Vedan and this Javan are both unknown. The latter may have been a Greek conclave in Arabia. They would appear in context to lie between Syria/Israel and Arabia. However alternative ren... [ Continue Reading ]
“Dedan was your trader in saddlecloths for riding, Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your merchants (the merchants of your hand - compare Ezekiel 27:15), In lambs and rams and goats, in these were they your suppliers. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your dealers, They tra... [ Continue Reading ]
“Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad were your traders, These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich apparel (or ‘coloured carpets'), bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise. The list end... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SHIPWRECK. The ship of Tyre is depicted as setting out fully loaded, only to meet a strong east wind and be sunk, with all her merchandise, her crew, her traders, and her guards, with the result that those ashore bewail her passing. “The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandis... [ Continue Reading ]
“So you were loaded (replenished) and heavily laden (made very glorious), in the heart of the seas. Your rowers have brought you out, into great waters, The east wind has broken you up, in the heart of the seas. Your riches and your wares, your merchandise, Your mariners and your rope-pullers,... [ Continue Reading ]
“At the sound of the cry of your rope-pullers, the countryside will shake, And all that handle the oar, the mariners, all the rope-pullers of the sea, Will come down from their ships, they will stand on the land, And will cause their voice to be heard over you, and will cry bitterly, And will ca... [ Continue Reading ]
“When your wares went forth from the seas, you satisfied many peoples, You enriched the kings of the earth, with your abundant wealth and your merchandise, At the time that you were broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters, Your merchandise and all your company, sank in the midst of you.”... [ Continue Reading ]
“All the inhabitants of the coastlands, are appalled at you, And their kings are horribly afraid, their countenance is troubled, The merchants among the people hiss at you, you have become terrors (a dreadful warning to men), And you will be no more for ever.” Their doom will shake the world. Th... [ Continue Reading ]