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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Ezekiel 27:1 - 27:11
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Description of the Glory and Might of Tyre
v. 1. The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
v. 2. Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation, a song of mourning or a funeral dirge, for Tyrus,
v. 3. and say unto Tyrus, the direct address intensifying the force of the lament, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, its double harbor giving it ready access to the Mediterranean Sea and to all the waters of the world, which art a merchant of the people for many Isles, her commercial relations bringing her to the shores of many islands and of many countries along the Mediterranean and beyond, Thus saith the Lord God, O Tyrus, thou hast said, in self-satisfied pride, I am of perfect beauty, partly on account of her impregnable location, partly on account of her beautiful building.
v. 4. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, literally, "in the heart of the sea," for it was this which surrounded the island metropolis; thy builders have perfected thy beauty. The picture gradually changes to that describing a beautiful vessel, since the city, surrounded by a sea of masts, had the appearance of a great seagoing vessel.
v. 5. They have made all thy ship-boards, the timber used in its construction, of fir-trees of Senir, the cypress from the Anti-Lebanon being known for its ability to withstand the influence of the elements; they have taken cedars from Lebanon, long, slender, and durable, to make masts for thee.
v. 6. Of the oaks of Bashan, on the eastern side of Jordan, from Jabbok to Hermon, have they made thine oars, for oak-wood is strong and tough; the company of the Ashurites, skilful workmen summoned from Assyria, have made thy benches, those on which the rowers sat, or those on the decks, of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim, literally, "inlaid in larch or boxwood," from the isles of Chittim, that is, from Cyprus, which was famous for its excellent ship-building materials.
v. 7. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt, byssus in various embroidered designs, was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah, those of the Ionian Sea or those off the coast of Greece, was that which covered thee, serving as an awning over the deck, while pennants or emblems floated from the masts.
v. 8. The inhabitants of Zidon, the oldest city and the other large commercial center of Phoenicia, and Arvad, a rocky island north of Tripolis, were thy mariners, the sailors manning the Tyrian vessels; thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, skilled in the lore of the sea, were thy pilots, occupying the responsible positions.
v. 9. The ancients of Gebal, a Phoenician city between Beirut and Tripolis, and the wise men thereof, skilful artisans or mechanics, were in thee thy calkers, the workmen employed to stop the holes and chinks in a vessel; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise, to carry on trade with this foremost maritime metropolis.
v. 10. They of Persia, the great Asiatic empire, and of Lud and of Phut, of two powerful African states, were in thine army, thy men of war, as a mercenary army; they hanged the shield and helmet in thee, exercising all the rights of a native army; they set forth thy comeliness, emphasizing it before all the world.
v. 11. The men of Arvad, also a hired band, with thine army were upon thy walls round about, the greater part of the garrison proper thus consisting of native troops, and the Gammadims were in thy towers, courageous, valiant troops; they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect, completing the beauty of her military array. The entire description of Tyre's might and glory serves to enhance the effect of the threatened downfall.