TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 27:1–25. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. The prophet is ordered to take up a lamentation for Tyrus, Eze 27:2. It was yet in the height of its prosperity, and there appeared not the least symptom of its decay; yet the prophet must lament it, because its prosperity is its snare, is the cause of its pride and security, which will make its fall the more grievous. Even those that live at ease are to be lamented if they be not preparing for trouble. He must lament it because its ruin is hastening on apace; it is sure, it is near; and though the prophet foretel it, and justify God in it, yet he must lament it. Note, We ought to mourn for the miseries of other nations, as well as for our own, out of an affection for mankind in general; it is a part of the honour we owe to all men to bewail their calamities, even those which they have brought upon themselves by their own folly.
II.He is directed what to say, and to say it in the name of the Lord Jehovah, a name not unknown in Tyre, and which shall be better known, Eze 26:6.
1.He must upbraid Tyre with her pride: O Tyrus! thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty (Eze 27:3), of universal beauty (so the word is), every way accomplished, and therefore every where admired. Zion, that had the beauty of holiness, is called indeed the perfection of beauty (Psa 50:2); that is the beauty of the Lord. But Tyre, because well-built and well-filled with money and trade, will set up for a perfect beauty. Note, It is the folly of the children of this world to value themselves on the pomp and pleasure they live in, to call themselves beauties for the sake of them, and, if in these they excel others, to think themselves perfect. But God takes notice of the vain conceits men have of themselves in their prosperity when the mind is lifted up with the condition, and often, for the humbling of the spirit, finds a way to bring down the estate. Let none reckon themselves beautified any further than they are sanctified, nor say that they are of perfect beauty till they come to heaven.
2.He must upbraid Tyre with her prosperity, which was the matter of her pride. In elegies it is usual to insert encomiums of those whose fall we lament; the prophet, accordingly, praises Tyre for all that she had that was praiseworthy. He has nothing to say of her religion, her piety, her charity, her being a refuge to the distressed or using her interest to do good offices among her neighbours; but she lived great, and had a great trade, and all the trading part of mankind made court to her. The prophet must describe her height and magnificence, that God may be the more glorified in her fall, as the God who looks upon every one that is proud and abases him, hides the proud in the dust together, and binds their faces in secret, Job 40:12.
(1.)The city of Tyre was advantageously situated, at the entry of the sea (Eze 27:3), having many commodious harbours each way, not as cities seated on rivers, which the shipping can come but one way to. It stood at the east end of the Mediterranean, very convenient for trade by land into all the Levant parts; so that she became a merchant of the people for many isles. Lying between Greece and Asia, it became the great emporium, or mart-town, the rendezvous of merchants from all parts: They borders are in the heart of the seas, Eze 27:4. It was surrounded with water, which was a great advantage to its trade; it was the darling of the sea, laid in its bosom, in its heart. Note, It is a great convenience, upon many accounts, to live in an island: seas are the most ancient land-mark, not which our fathers have set, but the God of our fathers, and which cannot be removed as other land-marks may, nor so easily got over. The people so situated may the more easily dwell alone, if they please, as not reckoned among the nations, and yet, if they please, may the more easily traffic abroad and keep a correspondence with the nations. We therefore of this island must own that he who determines the bounds of men's habitations has determined well for us.
(2.)It was curiously built, according as the fashion then was; and, being a city on a hill, it made a glorious show and tempted the ships that sailed by into her ports (Eze 27:4): They builders have perfected thy beauty; they have so improved in architecture that nothing appears in the buildings of Tyre that can be found fault with; and yet it wants that perfection of beauty into which the Lord does and will build up his Jerusalem.
(3.)It had its haven replenished with abundance of gallant ships, Isa 33:21. The ship-carpenters did their part, as well as the house-carpenters theirs. The Tyrians are thought to be the first that invented the art of navigation; at least they improved it, and brought it to as great a perfection perhaps as it could be without the loadstone.
[1.]They made the boards, or planks, for the hulk of the ship, of fir-trees fetched from Senir, a mount in the land of Israel, joined with Hermon, Sol 4:8. Planks of fir were smooth and light, but not so lasting as our English oak.
[2.]They had cedars from Lebanon, another mountain of Israel, for their masts, Eze 27:5.
[3.]They had oaks from Bashan (Isa 2:13), to make oars of; for it is probable that their ships were mostly galleys, that go with oars. The people of Israel built few ships for themselves, but they furnished the Tyrians with timber for shipping. Thus one country uses what another produced, and so they are serviceable one to another, and cannot say to each other, I have no need of thee.
[4.]Such magnificence did they affect in building their ships that they made the very benches of ivory, which they fetched from the isles of Chittim, from Italy or Greece, and had workmen from the Ashurites or Assyrians to make them, so rich would they have their state-rooms in their ships to be.
[5.]So very prodigal were they that they made their sails of fine linen fetched from Egypt, and that embroidered too, Eze 27:7. Or it may be meant of their flags (which they hoisted to notify what city they belonged to), which were very costly. 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.
(4.)These gallant ships were well-manned, by men of great ingenuity and industry. The pilots and masters of the ships, that had command in their fleets, were of their own city, such as they could put a confidence in (Eze 27:8): Thy wise men, O Tyrus! that were in thee, were thy pilots. But, for common sailors, they had men from other countries; The inhabitants of Arvad and Zidon were thy mariners. These came from cities hear them; Zidon was sister to Tyre, not two leagues off, to the northward; there they bred able seamen, which it is the interest of the maritime powers to support and give all the countenance they can to. They sent to Gebal in Syria for calkers, or strengtheners of the clefts or chinks, to stop them when the ships come home, after long voyages, to be repaired. To do this they had the ancients and wise men (Eze 27:9); for there is more need of wisdom and prudence to repair what has gone to decay than to build anew. In public matters there is occasion for the ancients and wise men to be the repairers of the breaches and the restorers of paths to dwell in. Nay, all the countries they traded with were at their service, and were willing to send men into their pay, to put their youths apprentice in Tyre, or to put them on board their fleets; so that all the ships in the sea with their mariners were ready to occupy thy merchandise. Those that give good wages shall have hands at command.
(5.)Their city was guarded by a military force that was very considerable, Eze 27:10, Eze 27:11. The Tyrians were themselves wholly given to trade; but it was necessary that they should have a good army on foot, and therefore they took those of other states into their pay, such as were fittest for service, though they had them from afar (which perhaps was their policy), from Persia, Lud, and Phut. These bore their arms when there was occasion, and in time of peace hung up the shield and buckler in the armoury, as it were to proclaim peace, and let the world know that they had at present no need of them, but they were ready to be taken down whenever there was occasion for them. Their walls were guarded by the man of Arvad; their towers were garrisoned by the Gammadim, robust men, that had a great deal of strength in their arms; yet the vulgar Latin renders it pygmies, men no longer than one's arm. They hung their shields upon the walls in their magazines or places of arms; or hung them out upon the walls of the city, that none might dare to approach them, seeing how well provided they were with all things necessary for their own defence. "Thus they set forth thy comeliness (Eze 27:10), and made they beauty perfect," Eze 27:11. It contributed as much as any thing to the glory of Tyre that it had those of all the surrounding nations in its service, except the land of Israel (though it lay next them), which furnished them with timber, but we do not find that it furnished them with men; that would have trenched upon the liberty and dignity of the Jewish nation, Ch2 2:17, Ch2 2:18. It was also the glory of Tyre that it had such a militia, so fit for service, and in constant pay, and such an armoury, like that in the tower of David, where hung the shields of mighty men, Sol 4:4. It is observable that there and here the armouries are said to be furnished with shields and helmets, defensive arms, not with swords and spears, offensive, though it is probable that there were such, to intimate that the military force of a people must be intended only for their own protection and not to invade and annoy their neighbours, to secure their own right, not to encroach upon the rights of others.
(6.)They had a vast trade and a correspondence with all parts of the known world. Some nations they dealt with in one commodity and some in another, according as either its products or its manufactures were, and the fruits of nature or art were, with which it was blessed. This is very much enlarged upon here, as that which was the principal glory of Tyre, and which supported all the rest. We do not find any where in scripture so many nations named together as are here; so that this chapter, some think, gives much light to the first account we have of the settlement of the nations after the flood, Gen. 10. The critics have abundance of work here to find out the several places and nations spoken of. Concerning many of them their conjectures are different and they leave us in the dark and at much uncertainty; it is well that it is not material. Modern surveys come short of explaining the ancient geography. And therefore we will not amuse ourselves here with a particular enquiry either concerning the traders or the goods they traded in. We leave it to the critical expositors, and observe that only which is improvable.
[1.]We have reason to think that Ezekiel knew little, of his own knowledge, concerning the trade of Tyre. He was a priest, carried away captive far enough from the neighbourhood of Tyre, we may suppose when he was young, and there he had been eleven years. And yet he speaks of the particular merchandises of Tyre as nicely as if he had been comptroller of the custom-house there, by which it appears that he was divinely inspired in what he spoke and wrote. It is God that saith this, Eze 27:3.
[2.]This account of the trade of Tyre intimates to us that God's eye is upon men, and that he takes cognizance of what they do when they are employed in their worldly business, not only when they are at church, praying and hearing, but when they are in their markets and fairs, and upon the exchange, buying and selling, which is a good reason why we should in all our dealings keep a conscience void of offence, and have our eye always upon him whose eye is always upon us.
[3.]We may here observe the wisdom of God, and his goodness, as the common Father of mankind, in making one country to abound in one commodity and another in another, and all more or less serviceable either to the necessity or to the comfort or ornament of human life. Non omis fert omnia tellus - One land does not supply all the varieties of produce. Providence dispenses its gifts variously, some to each, and all to none, that there may be a mutual commerce among those whom God has made of one blood, though they are made to dwell on all the face of the earth, Act 17:26. Let every nations therefore thank God for the productions of its country; though they be not so rich as those of others, yet there is use for them in the public service of the world.
[4.]See what a blessing trade and merchandise are to mankind, especially when followed in the fear of God, and with a regard not only to private advantage, but to a common benefit. The earth is full of God's riches, Psa 104:24. There is a multitude of all kinds of riches in it (as it is here, Eze 27:12), gathered off its surface and dug out of its bowels. The earth is also full of the fruits of men's ingenuity and industry, according as their genius leads them. Now by exchange and barter these are made more extensively useful; thus what can be spared is helped off, and what is wanted is fetched in, in lieu of it, from the most distant countries. Those that are not tradesmen themselves have reason to thank God for tradesmen and merchants, by whom the productions of other countries are brought to our hands, as those of our own are by our husbandmen.
[5.]Besides the necessaries that are here traded in, see what abundance of things are here mentioned that only serve to please fancy, and are made valuable only by men's humour and custom; and yet God allows us to use them, and trade in them, and part with those things for them which we can spare that are of an intrinsic worth much beyond them. Here are horns of ivory and ebony (Eze 27:15), that are brought for a present, exposed to sale, and offered in exchange, or (as some think) presented to the city, or the great men of it, to obtain their favour. Here are emeralds, coral, and agate (Eze 27:16), all precious stones, and gold (Eze 27:22), which the world could better be without than iron and common stones. Here are, to please the taste and smell, the chief of all spices (Eze 27:22), cassia and calamus (Eze 27:19), and, for ornament, purple, broidered work, and fine linen (Eze 27:16), precious clothes for chariots (Eze 27:20), blue clothes (which Tyre was famous for), broidered work, and chests of rich apparel, bound with rich cords, and made of cedar, a sweet wood to perfume the garments kept in them, Eze 27:24. Upon the review of this invoice, or bill of parcels, we may justly say, What a great many things are here that we have no need of, and can live very comfortably without!
[6.]It is observable that Judah and the land of Israel were merchants in Tyre too; in a way of trade they were allowed to converse with the heathen. But they traded mostly in wheat, a substantial commodity, and necessary, wheat of Minnith and Pannag, two countries in Canaan famous for the best wheat, as some think. The whole land indeed was a land of wheat (Deu 8:8); it had the fat of kidneys of wheat, Deu 32:14. Tyre was maintained by corn fetched from the land of Israel. They traded likewise in honey, and oil, and balm, or rosin; all useful things, and not serving to pride or luxury. And the land which these were the staple commodities of was that which was the glory of all lands, which God reserved for his peculiar people, not those that traded in spices and precious stones; and the Israel of God must reckon themselves well provided for if they have food convenient; for those that are acquainted with the delights of the children of God will not set their hearts on the delights of the sons and daughters of men, or the treasures of kings and provinces. We find indeed that the New Testament Babylon trades in such things as Tyre traded in, Rev 18:12, Rev 18:13. For, notwithstanding its pretensions to sanctity, it is a mere worldly interest.
[7.]Though Tyre was a city of great merchandise, and they got abundance by buying and selling, importing commodities from one place and exporting them to another, yet manufacture-trades were not neglected. The wares of their own making, and a multitude of such wares, are here spoken of, Eze 27:16, Eze 27:18. It is the wisdom of a nation to encourage art and industry, and not to bear hard upon the handicraft-tradesmen; for it contributes much to the wealth and honour of a nation to send abroad wares of their own making, which may bring them in the multitude of all riches.
[8.]All this made Tyrus very great and very proud: The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in they market (Eze 27:25); thou wast admired and cried up by all the nations that had dealings with thee; for thou wast replenished in wealth and number of people, wast beautified, and made very glorious, in the midst of the seas. Those that grow very rich are cried up as very glorious; for riches are glorious things in the eyes of carnal people, Gen 31:1.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
(Vers. 15, 16.) Many islands have traded with your merchandise: they have exchanged ivory and ebony for your price. Your merchant, Syrus, because of the multitude of your works, has presented pearls, purple, embroidered garments, fine linen, silk, and scarlet in your market. LXX: They have multiplied your merchandise with islands: you were repaying your wages with elephant tusks and those who were being brought in. Your business has been purchased by many of your customers: They traded in aphec, stacten, and polymita from Tharsis and Ramoth and Chodchod in your market. The Hebrew text differs greatly from the Septuagint edition in this particular passage; therefore, a few things must be said according to each. So that we don't get too caught up in Tyrian merchandise, let's move on to the remaining prophecies. The sons of Dadan, Tyrian merchants, have multiplied their business in many islands, so that they traded elephant tusks with those who came for their commerce, and they had men in the markets because of the multitude of trade. But they had in Aphech what is added in Theodotion's edition to the Seventy: for which Symmachus translates, 'polymita.' Also, Stacte, for which all others interpret 'purple,' which is called Argaman in Hebrew: and varieties from Tharsis, for which in Hebrew it is called Bus, which is translated by all as 'byssus.' However, Tharsis is not found anywhere in this place. And they gave 'ramoth' and 'chodchod' in your markets; which is found thus in Hebrew, except that instead of 'ramoth,' Aquila interprets it as 'silk,' or 'fine.' All the interpreters indeed have accurately translated it in the way it is placed in Hebrew (). Therefore, according to the Septuagint, the sons of the Rhodians, the merchants of Tyre, increased his trade from many islands: according to the Hebrew (text), after the sons of Dadan, his merchants also enlarged their trade with the islands of various nations, bringing ivory from India and precious black lignum vitae, and exchanged (them) with other Tyrian goods. Syrus was also a Tyrian trader: for which reason in Hebrew it is written Aram (), in place of which the Seventy interpreters have rendered it Adam, and Res and Daleth, as above, being deceived by the similarity. However, to this day the innate ardor for trading remains in the Syrians, who with a desire for profit travel throughout the world, and have such a madness for commerce that, now that the Roman world has been conquered, they seek riches among swords and the deaths of the unfortunate, and flee poverty with dangers. There are such types of men in Tyre who trade in multicolored fabrics, purple, and embroidered cloth. They also offer linen and silk, and present precious goods in their market. Regarding purple, which everyone has interpreted, the Septuagint translates it as 'stacten,' which means 'drop.' However, I have not been able to find the meaning of 'chodchod' up until now. The Hebrews say that all precious goods are signified by this name, or that it is a certain type of precious merchandise that the Roman language does not mention, or simply a common term used by sellers. But from many islands, to move on to the mystical sense, which are beaten by the salty and bitter waves of this world, merchants of Dedan bring ivory teeth, promising the whiteness of eloquence; about whom it is written: Out of ivory palaces, from which the daughters of kings have delighted you in your glory (Ps. LIV, 9). But they are not white, nor do they imitate the bride, of whom it is said: Who is this that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved (Cant. VIII, 5)? But the Ethiopians of black color, who cannot change their blackness, as Jeremiah says: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? (Jer. XIII, 21) . And also the Syrian, that is, Aram, which means high, and swells with pride, is a merchant of Tyre, and in the multitude of the works of the Tyrians carries the knowledge of false names, promising many varieties, and the sweet smell of the best ointment, and the purple of royal dignity, and the chequered work of dialectic art, and fine linen, for which the Septuagint have rendered Tharsis, being devoted to the works of the earth: and silk, for which in Hebrew it is written, Ramoth, which means vision of death. For all earthly works hasten towards destruction; and chodchod, whatever that is which is understood, proposing it in the markets of Tyre. But among these goods which are said to be brought by its merchants and islands, either the region of India should be understood, or that of the Idumaeans and vast solitude, as some estimate, and it signifies a connection, so that we may recognize the likeness of divine teachings in heretics.
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
Continue studying Ezekiel 27:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Ezekiel 27:16 meticulously details the significant commercial ties between the formidable maritime city of Tyre and the region of Syria (Aram), depicting Syria as a crucial trading partner in Tyre's bustling markets. This verse provides a specific inventory of highly valued commodities—including emeralds, luxurious purple fabrics, intricate broidered work, fine linen, coral, and agate—that were exchanged, thereby emphasizing Tyre's immense affluence, its expansive global reach, and its pivotal role as a central emporium for luxury goods in the ancient world. This precise enumeration of traded items contributes to the broader prophetic lament over Tyre, underscoring the very sources of its pride and prosperity that would ultimately precipitate its catastrophic downfall.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 27 is a profound and evocative lamentation, an elegy, over the city of Tyre, which is powerfully personified as a magnificent, richly adorned ship that traverses the seas, accumulating immense wealth from diverse nations. This chapter is an integral part of a larger divine oracle directed against Tyre, commencing in Ezekiel 26, which unequivocally foretells its complete and utter destruction due to its egregious arrogance and commercial exploitation. Verse 16 specifically integrates into an extensive and detailed inventory (spanning Ezekiel 27:12-25) that catalogs Tyre's vast network of trade partners and the precise commodities exchanged. This meticulous cataloging serves to highlight the unparalleled scale of Tyre's prosperity, rendering its prophesied ruin all the more striking and devastating. The lament culminates in the symbolic sinking of this grand ship, representing Tyre's absolute collapse and its disappearance from the stage of global power.
Historical & Cultural Context
Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city-state strategically situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, was celebrated throughout the ancient Near East for its unparalleled maritime prowess, its sophisticated and far-reaching trade networks, and its production of highly coveted goods. Among its most famous exports was its distinctive purple dye, laboriously extracted from murex snails, which symbolized royalty, immense wealth, and elite status, making it a highly sought-after commodity across civilizations. Syria (Aram), a powerful kingdom located to Tyre's northeast, was a significant regional player, recognized for its strategic geographical position and its diverse natural resources. The intricate trade relationship depicted in Ezekiel 27:16 vividly illustrates the complex web of ancient commerce, where raw materials and exquisitely finished luxury goods were exchanged across vast geographical distances. The specific mention of precious stones like emeralds and agate, alongside high-quality textiles such as fine linen and broidered work, points to a highly sophisticated economy catering to an elite market, further solidifying Tyre's reputation as a preeminent center of luxury, craftsmanship, and international trade.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Ezekiel and the broader corpus of prophetic literature. Firstly, it powerfully underscores Tyre's Global Economic Dominance and its unparalleled commercial reach, illustrating how its immense pride was directly fueled by its material success and its extensive network of trade. Secondly, the detailed enumeration of luxury items emphasizes the theme of Earthly Wealth and Opulence, serving as a poignant reminder of the transient and ultimately illusory nature of material prosperity when it becomes the sole object of ultimate trust or a form of idolatry. The phrase "wares of thy making" also highlights Tyre's remarkable Industrial Prowess, indicating that it was not merely a transit point for goods but a significant manufacturing and finishing center, adding substantial value to raw materials. This economic might, however, ultimately fostered an arrogant self-sufficiency, leading inevitably to its divine judgment, a recurring and potent theme in Ezekiel's prophecies against various nations (e.g., Ezekiel 28). The meticulous detail also profoundly reflects God's Sovereignty Over Nations and Economies, demonstrating His intimate knowledge of even the most intricate human affairs and His ultimate control over their rise and fall, as powerfully evidenced by Tyre's eventual and complete destruction, precisely as prophesied in Ezekiel 26:14.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This root word fundamentally conveys the idea of traveling around, specifically in the manner of a peddler or one engaged in trade. In the context of Tyre, its application to Syria signifies a bustling and active commercial engagement, indicating that Syria was not merely a passive supplier but an energetic participant in the exchange of goods, actively buying and selling within Tyre's vibrant markets. This emphasizes the dynamic and reciprocal nature of the trade relationship between the two entities.
Derived from a verb meaning "to do" or "to make," this noun refers to a product, an item that has been crafted or wrought. This term is critically important as it reveals that Tyre was far more than just a conduit for goods; it was a significant manufacturing and finishing hub. The commodities that Syria traded for were often the direct result of Tyrian craftsmanship, signifying that Tyre added substantial value to raw materials and possessed advanced industries, particularly in textiles and likely in the cutting and setting of precious gems.
This highly versatile primitive root carries a broad semantic range, meaning "to give," but extending to applications such as "to put," "to make," "to apply," or "to trade." In this specific context, "occupied" conveys that Syria actively gave or supplied these particular goods (emeralds, purple, etc.) in exchange for Tyre's products. It highlights Syria's active contribution of its valuable commodities to Tyre's international fairs, underscoring the reciprocal nature of the trade.
Verse Breakdown
"Syria [was] thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making:"
This initial clause precisely identifies Syria (Aram) as a primary trading partner and defines its role as a "merchant" to Tyre. The subsequent phrase, "by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making," powerfully emphasizes the vast quantity, diverse range, and high quality of goods that Tyre itself produced or processed. This abundance and variety of Tyrian products were the magnetic force that attracted traders like Syria, painting a vivid picture of Tyre as a manufacturing and commercial powerhouse whose abundant and diverse products were in extremely high demand across the ancient world.
"they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate."
This part of the verse meticulously specifies the nature of the goods that Syria brought to the trade. "They occupied in thy fairs" denotes active and consistent participation in Tyre's grand commercial gatherings or bustling markets. The detailed list that follows—emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, coral, and agate—enumerates the luxurious and highly valuable commodities that Syria contributed to the exchange. This precise inventory underscores the high value of the trade and the extraordinary opulence associated with Tyre's commerce, revealing the specific types of immense wealth that flowed into the city from its trading partners.
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 27:16 masterfully employs several literary devices to significantly enhance its descriptive power, thematic impact, and overall prophetic message. The most immediately apparent device is Catalog/Inventory, as the verse provides a meticulous and specific list of high-value commodities (emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, coral, agate). This detailed enumeration serves to vividly emphasize the immense wealth, luxurious nature, and extensive scope of Tyre's trade, making its eventual and prophesied downfall all the more poignant and tragic. The use of Metonymy is also subtly present, where "Syria" functions as a stand-in for the merchants and people from that specific region who actively engaged in commercial exchange with Tyre, rather than strictly referring to the geopolitical entity itself. Furthermore, the overarching chapter's extended Personification of Tyre as a magnificent and richly laden ship, though not explicitly detailed within this single verse, provides the essential metaphorical framework. Within this larger metaphor, the economic activities detailed here are presented as the "cargo" and "crew" that contribute to the ship's glory and prosperity, making the subsequent description of its trade partners and goods an absolutely vital component of this grand literary construct. The specific mention of Symbolism in items like "purple" (which universally represented royalty, immense wealth, and elevated status) and various precious stones (which symbolized enduring value, beauty, and rarity) further enriches the text, highlighting the aspirational and supremely luxurious aspects of Tyre's commercial empire.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 27:16, intricately woven into the broader lament over the city of Tyre, serves as a profound theological statement concerning the inherent transience of earthly wealth and the perilous dangers of pride rooted in material prosperity. The meticulous description of Tyre's unparalleled commercial success and the specific luxury goods exchanged vividly highlight the city's remarkable human achievement and its extraordinary economic prowess. However, this exhaustive inventory ultimately underscores the vanity and futility of placing ultimate trust and security in such fleeting and impermanent possessions. God's exhaustive and intimate knowledge of Tyre's intricate trade networks and its diverse partners powerfully demonstrates His absolute sovereignty over all nations and economies, unequivocally revealing that even the most powerful and meticulously built human enterprises are ultimately subject to His divine will and righteous judgment. The passage implicitly yet potently warns against the insidious idolatry of wealth, a spiritual snare where the creation (material prosperity) becomes more revered and trusted than the Creator, a recurring and vital theme echoed throughout prophetic literature.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 27:16, deeply embedded within the compelling narrative of Tyre's spectacular rise and precipitous fall, offers profoundly relevant and enduring lessons for contemporary believers. It compels us to critically examine the true foundations of our security, identity, and ultimate purpose. While the pursuit of excellence, diligent industry, and even the accumulation of wealth are not inherently sinful, this passage issues a stark warning against the subtle yet pervasive danger of allowing material prosperity to become the ultimate source of our pride, our trust, or the defining purpose of our lives. Tyre's detailed inventory of luxury goods serves as a poignant and sobering reminder that all earthly achievements, no matter how grand, meticulously built, or seemingly enduring, are ultimately transient and subject to decay. True and lasting fulfillment, genuine security, and eternal significance are not found in the relentless accumulation of possessions or the expansive growth of our worldly influence, but rather in a humble, dependent, and worshipful relationship with the Creator who is the ultimate source of all blessings and the giver of true life. This passage powerfully calls us to cultivate a posture of profound gratitude, recognizing God's absolute sovereignty over all aspects of life, including our economic endeavors, and to align our pursuits and investments with His eternal kingdom, rather than with the fleeting and perishable kingdoms of this world.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Ezekiel provide such a detailed list of Tyre's trade goods and partners?
Ezekiel's meticulous detailing of Tyre's trade goods and partners, as vividly seen in Ezekiel 27:16 and the surrounding verses (Ezekiel 27:12-25), serves several crucial and interconnected purposes. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the immense scale, global reach, and unparalleled sophistication of Tyre's commercial empire, thereby emphasizing the city's extraordinary wealth and pervasive influence in the ancient world. This detailed inventory underscores the very sources of Tyre's profound pride and arrogant self-sufficiency, which ultimately precipitated its divine judgment. Secondly, it highlights God's omniscience and absolute sovereignty, demonstrating with striking clarity that He is intimately aware of every aspect of human affairs, including the most intricate and far-reaching economic transactions of even the most powerful nations. This level of meticulous detail makes the prophesied downfall all the more impactful and terrifying, as it shows that even a city built upon such a vast and sophisticated network of wealth and power is not beyond God's reach or righteous judgment. Finally, it serves as an invaluable historical record, providing profound insights into the complex trade routes, diverse commodities, and intricate economic structures that characterized the ancient Near East.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The detailed account of Tyre's commercial splendor in Ezekiel 27:16 and the subsequent prophecy of its dramatic downfall find profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Testament's teachings concerning the true nature of enduring wealth, the permanence of God's kingdom, and the ultimate, divine merchant. Tyre's reliance on its vast material possessions and its extensive global trade, which ultimately led to its arrogant pride and catastrophic destruction, stands in stark and illuminating contrast to the kingdom of God. This kingdom is not built upon fleeting earthly commodities or transient human achievements, but upon eternal spiritual realities. Jesus Himself profoundly taught against the accumulation of earthly treasures, which are inherently perishable, stating that "moth and rust destroy" and "thieves break in and steal," urging His followers instead to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20). The transient nature of Tyre's immense wealth thus powerfully foreshadows the impermanence of all worldly kingdoms and the ultimate, triumphant reign of Christ's eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:44). Moreover, while Tyre was a merchant of earthly goods, Christ is presented as the ultimate "merchant" who seeks "fine pearls" (metaphorically representing those who truly seek Him and His kingdom) and willingly gives everything to acquire them (Matthew 13:45-46). He offers true, enduring riches—salvation, righteousness, and eternal life—which are not bought with perishable silver or gold, but are freely given through His incomparable atoning sacrifice on the cross (1 Peter 1:18-19). Thus, Ezekiel's lament over Tyre's material fall powerfully directs our gaze to the spiritual and eternal kingdom established by Christ, where true value, lasting security, and ultimate fulfillment are found not in what we possess, but in who possesses us through faith.