Ezekiel 27:14

KJV

They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.

KJV (with Strong's)

They of the house {H1004} of Togarmah {H8425} traded {H5414} in thy fairs {H5801} with horses {H5483} and horsemen {H6571} and mules {H6505}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules.

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

They of the house of Togarmah traded for thy wares with horses and war-horses and mules.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 27:14 offers a precise detail within the sweeping prophetic lament concerning the maritime city of Tyre, which is portrayed as a magnificent merchant vessel destined for destruction. This verse specifically identifies Togarmah, a region renowned for its superior equine resources, as a significant trading partner that supplied Tyre's bustling markets with horses, skilled horsemen, and mules. It meticulously illustrates the extensive and intricate commercial network that underpinned Tyre's immense wealth and strategic importance in the ancient world, underscoring the granular detail of God's prophetic word even in economic specifics.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Ezekiel 27 functions as a poignant funeral dirge, a lamentation composed for the once-glorious city of Tyre. Building upon the initial prophecy of Tyre's downfall outlined in [Ezekiel 26](/ezekiel/26 "Ezekiel 26 - Prophecy Against Tyre"), this chapter expands on the city's past splendor and the vast reach of its commercial empire. It vividly personifies Tyre as a grand, meticulously constructed ship, detailing its components, its diverse crew (representing its inhabitants and allied nations), its immense cargo, and its ultimate, catastrophic shipwreck. Verse 14 is integrated into an extensive catalogue (verses 12-25) that enumerates Tyre's numerous trading partners from across the ancient world and the specific commodities each supplied. This detailed list serves to highlight the global scope and economic interdependence that characterized Tyre's prosperity before its divinely ordained collapse.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Togarmah, generally associated with the region of ancient Anatolia, particularly the Armenian highlands, was historically recognized for its excellence in breeding and supplying horses and mules. In the ancient Near East, horses were indispensable for military might, serving as cavalry mounts and powering war chariots, thus representing a strategic asset of immense value. Mules, known for their strength, endurance, and ability to traverse rugged terrain, were crucial for overland transportation and trade. Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city-state situated on the Mediterranean coast, functioned as a pivotal international trade hub. Its "fairs" or markets were vibrant centers where goods from distant lands were exchanged, processed, and redistributed. The trade in such strategically vital animals underscores Tyre's role not only as a commercial powerhouse but also as a facilitator of military resources, reflecting its deep integration into the geopolitical dynamics of the era.
* **Key Themes:** This verse, situated within the broader narrative of Ezekiel 27, contributes significantly to several overarching themes. It powerfully illustrates **Tyre's Extensive Commercial Network**, demonstrating how its prosperity was intricately woven from far-reaching trade relationships and specialized commodities sourced from diverse regions. It also emphasizes the theme of **Economic Interdependence** among ancient nations, where each area contributed unique resources to a complex, interconnected global economy. More profoundly, the meticulous nature of this prophecy highlights **God's Sovereign Knowledge** over all nations and their intricate dealings, revealing His intimate awareness of even the most minute economic transactions. Ultimately, the entire lament serves as a powerful testament to the **Transience of Worldly Power and Wealth**, demonstrating that even the most formidable and prosperous earthly kingdoms, like Tyre, are subject to God's judgment and eventual collapse. This theme resonates with other prophetic warnings against reliance on material riches, such as the lament over commercial Babylon in [Revelation 18:11-19](/revelation/18-11-19 "Revelation 18:11-19 - The Lament Over Babylon's Fall").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **house (Hebrew, _bayith'_):** This term, while primarily meaning "a house," carries a broad semantic range, encompassing "family," "household," or even a "place" or "temple." In the context of "the house of Togarmah," it signifies the people, lineage, or collective entity originating from or associated with the region of Togarmah, emphasizing their corporate identity as a trading partner.
* **traded (Hebrew, _nâthan'_):** A primitive root meaning "to give," this verb possesses an exceptionally wide latitude of application, including "to put," "to make," "to bestow," "to deliver (up)," and pertinently, "to trade." In this commercial setting, it precisely describes the act of exchanging or supplying goods for a price, indicating a transactional relationship where Togarmah provided its commodities to Tyre's markets.
* **fairs (Hebrew, _ʻizzâbôwn'_):** Derived from a root implying "letting go (for a price)," this noun directly refers to "trade," specifically denoting "the place (mart)" where trade occurs or "the payment (revenue)" received. Here, it designates the bustling commercial centers or markets of Tyre, highlighting the city's preeminence as a major international trading hub that attracted merchants and goods from distant lands.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"They of the house of Togarmah":** This opening phrase precisely identifies the specific entity engaged in trade with Tyre. "The house of Togarmah" refers collectively to the people, inhabitants, or a distinct group associated with the geographical region of Togarmah, underscoring their collective identity as a significant trading partner.
* **"traded in thy fairs":** This clause describes the nature and location of the commercial interaction. The people of Togarmah actively engaged in mercantile activity within the "fairs" or established markets of Tyre. This highlights Tyre's central and pivotal role as a commercial nexus, drawing merchants and diverse goods from across the ancient world and facilitating extensive exchange.
* **"with horses and horsemen and mules":** This concluding segment specifies the valuable commodities that Togarmah supplied to Tyre. "Horses" (çûwç) were highly prized for their speed, strength, and utility in both warfare and transportation. "Horsemen" (pârâsh) could refer to cavalry units, indicating not merely the animals but also the skilled riders or the military potential they represented. "Mules" (pered) were esteemed for their hardiness, sure-footedness, and exceptional endurance, making them ideal pack animals for traversing challenging trade routes. This detailed enumeration underscores Togarmah's specialized contribution and the strategic importance of these animals to Tyre's economy and military capabilities.

#### Literary Devices
Ezekiel 27:14, as an integral part of the broader lament, skillfully employs several literary devices. The most evident is **Catalogue/Enumeration**, as the verse is a single entry within a comprehensive list of Tyre's numerous trading partners and their specific goods. This meticulous detailing serves to underscore the sheer scale, complexity, and global reach of Tyre's commercial empire, building a vivid and exhaustive picture of its immense wealth and influence. The entire chapter also utilizes a powerful **Personification**, portraying Tyre as a magnificent ship, meticulously crafted from the finest materials and manned by a diverse, international crew, only to suffer a catastrophic shipwreck. This extended metaphor imbues the city with a living, almost human, quality, rendering its prophesied downfall profoundly dramatic and poignant. Furthermore, the entire chapter functions as a **Lament/Dirge**, a traditional poetic form of mourning typically reserved for the deceased. By casting the prophecy against Tyre as a funeral song, Ezekiel intensifies the sense of irreversible loss and impending doom, emphasizing the ultimate finality of God's judgment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 27:14, deeply embedded within the mournful dirge for Tyre, powerfully illustrates God's absolute sovereignty over all nations and their intricate economies. It reveals that even the most elaborate and far-reaching commercial networks, built upon human ingenuity and enterprise, are never beyond the scope of divine knowledge and ultimate judgment. The meticulous detail concerning Tyre's trade partners and the specific goods exchanged serves not merely as a historical record but as a profound theological statement: God sees, God knows, and God holds all earthly powers accountable for their actions and their reliance on transient wealth. This passage issues a solemn warning against placing ultimate trust in worldly riches, strategic alliances, or economic prowess, as these are inherently ephemeral and entirely subject to God's sovereign will. It profoundly underscores that true security and lasting prosperity are found not in material accumulation but in humble alignment with the divine purpose and in recognizing God as the ultimate source of all things.

* [Proverbs 11:28](/proverbs/11-28 "Proverbs 11:28 - The Folly of Trusting in Riches") - "He that trusts in his riches shall fall: but he that is righteous shall flourish as a branch."
* [Matthew 6:19-21](/matthew/6-19-21 "Matthew 6:19-21 - Treasures in Heaven") - "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
* [James 4:13-16](/james/4-13-16 "James 4:13-16 - The Arrogance of Presuming on Tomorrow") - "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 27:14, with its laser focus on the intricate economic dealings of a powerful ancient city, offers profound and timeless lessons for contemporary believers. It serves as a stark reminder that God's sovereignty extends to every sphere of human existence, including the complexities of global commerce and national economies. Just as Tyre's vast wealth and intricate trade networks ultimately proved incapable of saving it from divine judgment, so too are modern economic systems and national strengths ultimately transient and subject to God's overarching will. This passage challenges us to engage in honest self-examination: Where do we place our ultimate trust for security, provision, and prosperity in life? Is it in the perceived stability of financial markets, the accumulation of personal wealth, or the boundless capacity of human ingenuity? Or is our trust firmly anchored in the unchanging character and unfailing promises of God? It calls for a radical re-evaluation of our priorities, urging us to invest our time, energy, and resources in eternal values rather than in fleeting temporal gains. It compels us to recognize that true, enduring security and lasting fulfillment are found solely in Christ. Furthermore, the remarkable precision of Ezekiel's prophecy, detailing specific trade goods and partners, powerfully affirms the reliability and divine authority of God's Word, encouraging us to trust implicitly in its timeless truth for guidance in every aspect of our lives.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life do I tend to place my ultimate trust for security and prosperity, and how might these areas compete with my trust in God?**
* **How does the detailed nature of God's prophecy in Ezekiel 27, particularly its economic specifics, challenge or affirm my understanding of His active sovereignty over global affairs and personal finances?**
* **What practical steps can I take to shift my reliance from "earthly treasures" or human systems to a deeper, more consistent dependence on God's provision and divine guidance?**

### FAQ

**What was the significance of Togarmah's trade with Tyre?**

Answer: Togarmah, a region historically associated with ancient Anatolia and the Armenian highlands, was renowned for its high-quality horses and mules. This trade was immensely significant for Tyre because these animals were crucial for both military and commercial purposes in the ancient world. Horses were indispensable for cavalry and chariots, forming the backbone of ancient armies, while mules were invaluable for their strength, endurance, and ability to navigate difficult terrain, making them excellent pack animals for long-distance trade routes. By supplying these strategically vital commodities, Togarmah played a crucial role in bolstering Tyre's economic prosperity and its capacity to exert influence, both commercially and militarily, across the Near East. The detail highlights the extensive, specialized, and interconnected nature of Tyre's global trade network, which brought resources from distant lands to its bustling markets, as described in [Ezekiel 27:14](/ezekiel/27-14 "Ezekiel 27:14 - Togarmah's Trade with Tyre").

**Why does Ezekiel's prophecy include such specific details about Tyre's trade?**

Answer: The inclusion of such specific details about Tyre's trade, down to its precise partners and the goods exchanged (as vividly portrayed in [Ezekiel 27:14](/ezekiel/27-14 "Ezekiel 27:14 - Togarmah's Trade with Tyre") and the surrounding verses), serves multiple profound purposes. Theologically, it powerfully demonstrates God's omniscience and His meticulous oversight of all human affairs, including the most intricate and far-reaching economic systems. It underscores that no nation, no matter how powerful, wealthy, or seemingly autonomous, operates outside of His sovereign knowledge and ultimate control. Prophetically, these details enhance the credibility and precision of the prophecy, providing verifiable information that would have resonated deeply with contemporary audiences and served as undeniable proof of divine foresight for later generations. Spiritually, this level of detail highlights the transient nature of worldly wealth and power, showing that even a city built on such extensive and sophisticated commerce can ultimately fall. This serves as a potent warning against placing ultimate trust in material possessions, human enterprise, or fleeting earthly systems, a timeless theme echoed in the New Testament's warnings against the deceptive allure and dangers of the love of money, as seen in passages like [1 Timothy 6:10](/1_timothy/6-10 "1 Timothy 6:10 - The Root of All Evil").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The lament over Tyre, with its detailed depiction of a worldly kingdom built upon vast commercial networks and material wealth, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the profound contrast between the transient nature of all earthly kingdoms and the eternal, unshakable kingdom of God established by Jesus Christ. Tyre's reliance on "horses and horsemen and mules" for its power and prosperity, which ultimately proved futile against divine judgment, foreshadows the inherent futility of all human efforts to build lasting security, significance, or dominion apart from God. In Christ, we encounter the true "King of kings and Lord of lords" ([Revelation 19:16](/revelation/19-16 "Revelation 19:16 - King of Kings and Lord of Lords")), whose kingdom is definitively "not of this world" ([John 18:36](/john/18-36 "John 18:36 - My Kingdom Is Not of This World")) and whose sovereign power transcends all earthly might and economic prowess. The meticulous enumeration of Tyre's immense wealth, which ultimately perishes in the face of divine judgment, points to the infinitely superior and enduring riches found in knowing Christ, for whom the Apostle Paul counted all earthly gains as mere loss ([Philippians 3:7-9](/philippians/3-7-9 "Philippians 3:7-9 - The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ")). The precise prophecy against Tyre, demonstrating God's meticulous sovereign control over all nations and their economies, ultimately points to Christ, "for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth... and by him all things consist" ([Colossians 1:16-17](/colossians/1-16-17 "Colossians 1:16-17 - Christ, Creator and Sustainer of All Things")). He is the true and eternal source of all lasting security, genuine prosperity, and ultimate glory, and His righteous reign will never end, unlike the ephemeral empires and commercial enterprises of this fallen world.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Ezekiel 38:6

Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: [and] many people with thee.

Genesis 10:3

And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

1 Chronicles 1:6

And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.