Dirge over the Downfall of Tyre The lament represents Tyre under the figure of a gallant, richly-laden ship, steered by her pilots into dangerous waters and suffering shipwreck. The passage has three main divisions: (1) Ezekiel 27:1. The ship, her timbers, furnishings and manning. (2) Ezekiel 27:... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 27:1. Tyre as a gallant ship 2. For the phrase "take up a lamentation" cf. Ezekiel 19:1; Ezekiel 26:17; Ezekiel 28:12; Ezekiel 32:2. The word is technical for the dirge.... [ Continue Reading ]
_entry of the sea_ lit. _entries_, reference possibly being to the two harbours of Tyre, one of which was to the N.-E. of the island, called the Sidonian harbour, because looking towards Sidon; and the other on the S. or S.-E. of the island, the exact position of which is uncertain owing to the silt... [ Continue Reading ]
_borders … midst of the seas_ lit. _heart_of the seas, a phrase which appears to mean not "far out at sea," but, in the deep waters of the sea, ch. Ezekiel 28:2; Ezekiel 28:8; Exodus 15:8; Jonah 2:3; Psalms 46:2. The term "borders" seems to mean station, moorings (Ezekiel 27:25). The proud ship was... [ Continue Reading ]
The oars of the great ship were made of oaks of Bashan; cf. Isaiah 2:13; Zechariah 11:2. The term "oars" occurs in another form, Ezekiel 27:27, but probably with no difference of meaning. The rest of Ezekiel 27:6 should read: THY DECK THEY MADE OF IVORY (inlaid) IN SHERBIN WOOD FROM THE ISLES OF CHI... [ Continue Reading ]
The rigging and furnishing of the ship. Her sail (ancient ships usually had but one) was embroidered byssus, fine linen, out of Egypt (Ezekiel 16:10). Render: BROIDERED BYSSUS OF EGYPT WAS THY SAIL, TO SERVE TO THEE FOR A PENNON. The flag proper seems not to have been used in ancient navigation, its... [ Continue Reading ]
_ancients of Gebal_ The ELDERS, a title of honour or office, the magistrates. Probably also the "wise men thereof" is a semi-official title (cf. Ezekiel 27:8). The power of Tyre was exerted over all her dependencies (Ezekiel 26:17), in which men of the highest position entered all ranks of her servi... [ Continue Reading ]
Her men of war. Her mercenaries were drawn from all quarters of the world. The people called here "they of Persia" appears along with Cush and Phut, African peoples, in the army of Gog, ch. Ezekiel 38:5, in which, however, northern nations as Gomer and Togarmah are also mustered. The host of Gog in... [ Continue Reading ]
_with thine army_ It is scarcely possible to render: _men of Arvad, they were_thine army. Some proper name seems required: the men of Arvad and of … Cornill conjectures Hethlon (Ezekiel 47:15; Ezekiel 48:1), others, Cilicia. _the Gammadims_ A proper name is certainly to be expected, but no place, G... [ Continue Reading ]
The name Tarshish (Tartessus) was given to the district of country lying outside the Straits of Gibraltar on the lower Baetis, the Guadalquiver (Wadi el Kebîr, great river). _with silver … in thy fairs_ Rather apparently: SILVER … THEY BROUGHT AS THY WARES. There is no evidence that the word means ... [ Continue Reading ]
The market of Tyre Several things are to be observed in this passage: 1. The representation is not that Tyre is traded with by the nations, though this is the fact lying under the figures employed. The nations are not customers of Tyre. Tyre neither buys nor sells, nor does she exchange one article... [ Continue Reading ]
These three countries, Javan, Tubal and Meshech are usually named together, Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 32:26; Ezekiel 38:2; Ezekiel 39:1; Isaiah 66:19. The first is the Ionians, the Greeks of Asia Minor, and the two last have usually been identified with the Moschi and Tibareni, lying to the S. and S.E.... [ Continue Reading ]
_house of Togarmah_ Usually supposed to be Armenia or part of it. Togarmah lay in the extreme N. of the world known to the prophet, and the people appears in the army of Gog with other nations from the ends of the earth (ch. Ezekiel 38:6; cf. Genesis 10:2). Others think of Phrygia or Cappadocia. All... [ Continue Reading ]
_men of Dedan_ lit. sons of Dedan; LXX. sons of _the Rhodians_(_r_being read for _d_, as often). Dedan occurs again Ezekiel 27:20, in connexion with Arabian tribes, and in Ezekiel 25:13 it appears to be placed S. of Edom, being either part of that country or bordering on it (cf. Jeremiah 49:8; Jerem... [ Continue Reading ]
For Syria (Aram) the Syr. reads Edom, and so in effect LXX. (interchange of _d_and _r_as Ezekiel 27:15). If Edom be read the line pursued would be from S. to N., Edom, Ezekiel 27:16, Judah, Ezekiel 27:17, Damascus, Ezekiel 27:18. The verse is otherwise peculiar in beginning with a precious stone, th... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah and the land of Israel furnished Tyre with wheat, honey, oil and balsam. _traded in thy market wheat_ THEY BROUGHT AS THY WARES WHEAT. Minnith is supposed to be the Ammonitish place of that name (Judges 11:33). There is something unnatural, however, in Judah and Israel bringing an Ammonitish p... [ Continue Reading ]
_wares of thy making_ THE MULTITUDE OF THY WORKS, i.e. the works done for Tyre, all of which are hers. _multitude of all riches_ or, BECAUSE OF EVERY KIND OF RICHES. _wine of Helbon_ This is repeatedly mentioned as a choice wine in the Assyrian inscriptions (Schrad. _KAT_. p. 425). The Persian kin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Dan also and Javan_ This is certainly incorrect; none of the verses begins with _and_or also, and any reference to Dan is out of the question. The word rendered "going to and fro" was translated by Ges. "spun," i.e. _yarn_(and so R.V.): _Wedan and Javan brought as thy wares yarn_. The word is more... [ Continue Reading ]
On Dedan cf. Ezekiel 27:15; Genesis 25:3; Ezekiel 25:13. _precious clothes for chariots_ Or, SADDLE CLOTHS FOR RIDING.... [ Continue Reading ]
_occupied with thee_ Lit. _were the merchants of thy hand_, i.e. serving thee. Cf. Isaiah 60:7, "all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee." The Arab nomads were rich in flocks. Kedar (Genesis 25:13, second son of Ishmael) was an important people toward the N. of Arabia. In Isaiah 60:7 the... [ Continue Reading ]
_merchants of Sheba_ The abode of this people was in the S.W. of Arabia, the ruins of their capital Marib still remain, six days" journey E. of San-âa, the capital of Yemen. Their caravans (Job 6:19) traded to Syria and other countries with gold, precious stones and aromatics (1 Kings 10:2; 1 Kings... [ Continue Reading ]
The places named may be regarded as an extension of the line from S. to N. in Ezekiel 27:19, though the names are given rather in the order W. to E. Harran in Mesopotamia, two days" journey S.E. of Edessa, on a branch of the Euphrates, was a sacred city and place of pilgrimage, and also an emporium... [ Continue Reading ]
The first half of the verse may read: THESE WERE THY MERCHANTS WITH SPLENDID APPAREL, CLOAKS OF PURPLE AND BROIDERED WORK. The second half is obscure owing to the occurrence of some words not found elsewhere. _in chests of rich apparel_ The term rendered "chests" occurs Esther 3:9; Esther 4:7 in the... [ Continue Reading ]
The "ships of Tarshish" here are deep-sea ships, great ships trading to the most distant coasts, Isaiah 2:16; Psalms 48:7. _did sing of thee_ For this Ges. suggested "were thy caravans" from a verb signifying to travel (Isaiah 57:9). The camel has been called the ship of the desert, but conversely t... [ Continue Reading ]
The vessel steered by her pilots into dangerous waters, is shipwrecked and her cargo and crew cast into the sea (Ezekiel 27:26). Dismay and lamentation of all seafaring men (Ezekiel 27:28) 26. The allegory does not need interpretation. How far her statesmen precipitated the fall of Tyre is unknown;... [ Continue Reading ]
_and thy fairs_ thy WARES. The verse is interesting for the enumeration which it gives both of the crew and cargo. The cargo is described in three words: riches, wares and merchandise the last two words meaning the same thing virtually, though differing in shade of idea. The verse shews that any suc... [ Continue Reading ]
_the suburbs_ According to tradition (Baer, _Ezek_.) the term here is differently pointed from that rendered "suburbs," e.g. ch. Ezekiel 45:2. The latter term means the free space surrounding a city or building. If the sense of the present word were the same reference would be to the lands or coasts... [ Continue Reading ]
All seafaring men raise a lamentation over the shipwreck of the gallant vessel.... [ Continue Reading ]
_heard against thee_ OVER thee. On first sign of sorrow cf. Job 2:12, and on second Jeremiah 6:26; Micah 1:10; Esther 4:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
> No pillar speaking of the gate of heaven, No Teraphim with strange mysterious gleam Shall give their signs oracular. (_Lazarus_, p. 90.) It follows from this passage of Hosea that the worship of Jehovah in northern Israel presented features altogether alien to the orthodox worship of Jehovah a... [ Continue Reading ]