CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezekiel 27
Chapter 27 of 48
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezekiel 27
Ezekiel sings a funeral song over Tyre, comparing it to a great and beautiful ship. The song lists the many nations and peoples that traded with Tyre, showing its vast commercial empire. But the ship will sink in the deep waters, and everyone who knew it will mourn.
Scripture
Ezekiel 27
Tyre the Beautiful Ship
Study note
Tyre was compared to a magnificent ship built from the finest materials. Its planks came from cypress trees of Senir, its mast from a cedar of Lebanon, its oars from oaks of Bashan, and its deck from pine inlaid with ivory. Its sails were made of fine Egyptian linen, and its awnings were blue and purple cloth from the coasts of Cyprus. Experienced sailors from Sidon and Arvad manned its oars. Tyre's own skilled workers maintained the ship.
1 The Lord's message came to me once more. The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, compose a funeral song for Tyre." Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
3 "Speak to Tyre. It sits at the gateway to the sea. It trades with peoples on many coasts. The Lord God says -- Tyre, you bragged, 'My beauty is perfect.'" And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.
4 "Your territory extends into the heart of the seas. Your architects perfected your beauty." Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.
5 "They crafted all your ship planks from cypress trees of Senir and took a cedar from Lebanon to build your mast." They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.
6 "They carved your oars from the oaks of Bashan and built your deck from pine imported from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory." Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim.
7 "Your sails were made of the finest embroidered linen from Egypt, serving as your banner. Your canopies were dyed blue and purple, using cloth from the shores of Cyprus." Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.
8 "Sailors from Sidon and Arvad pulled your oars. Your own most experienced people, Tyre, served as your navigators." The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.
9 "Master craftsmen from Gebal served on board to patch your seams. Trading ships from every sea came alongside to do business with you." The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.
Tyre's Military and Trading Partners
Study note
Soldiers from Persia, Lydia, and Libya served as Tyre's military. Men from Arvad and other cities guarded its walls. The passage then lists Tyre's vast trading network, reaching from Tarshish (Spain) to Dedan (Arabia) and from Judah to Damascus. They traded in silver, iron, tin, bronze, slaves, horses, ivory, ebony, precious stones, fine clothes, wine, wool, spices, and much more. Tyre was the commercial hub of the entire ancient world.
10 "Warriors from Persia, Lydia, and Libya filled the ranks of your army. They displayed their shields and helmets on your walls, bringing you great honor." They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.
11 "Soldiers from Arvad and Helech stood guard on your walls all around. Troops from Gammad manned your towers. They lined your walls with their shields, completing your stunning appearance." The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.
12 "Tarshish did business with you because of your enormous wealth, trading silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods." Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
13 "Greece, Tubal, and Meshech were your trading partners, exchanging slaves and bronze items for your merchandise." Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.
14 "The people of Beth-togarmah traded horses, war horses, and mules for your products." They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.
15 "The merchants of Dedan traded with you. Coastal peoples throughout the region were your customers, paying you in ivory tusks and ebony." The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.
16 "Syria traded with you because you had so many products to offer. They exchanged turquoise, purple cloth, embroidered fabric, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your goods." Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
17 "Judah and Israel traded with you. They gave wheat from Minnith, honey, olive oil, and healing balm for your goods." Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.
18 "Damascus traded with you because of your many products and great wealth. They offered wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar." Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and white wool.
19 "Danites and Greeks from Uzal traded wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane for your goods." Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.
20 "Dedan supplied you with saddle blankets used for riding." Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.
21 "Arabia and all the tribal leaders of Kedar were regular customers. They traded lambs, rams, and goats with you." Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
22 "Merchants from Sheba and Raamah did business with you, exchanging the finest spices, precious gems, and gold for your goods." The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
23 "Haran, Canneh, Eden, and the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad all traded with you." Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
24 "In your market they sold fine clothing and blue fabrics. They sold stitched pieces and bright carpets. All were tied with ropes and held tight." These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
25 "Tarshish's huge merchant ships carried your goods. You were loaded down with cargo in the heart of the sea." The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.
The Sinking of the Great Ship
Study note
Despite all its wealth and power, the east wind (representing Babylon) would sink Tyre in the deep waters. Everything and everyone on board would go down: cargo, sailors, soldiers, merchants, and craftsmen. The cry of the drowning sailors would shake the shorelines. Coastal peoples would mourn by shaving their heads, wearing sackcloth, and weeping bitterly. They would sing a funeral song asking, 'Who was ever destroyed like Tyre in the middle of the sea?'
26 "Your rowers took you far out into deep waters, but the scorching east wind shattered you in the open sea." Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.
27 "All your riches, goods, and merchandise will sink. Your sailors, captains, and ship repairers will go down. Your traders, warriors, and every soul aboard will plunge into the heart of the sea on the day you are wrecked." Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
28 "The coastlands will shudder when they hear the desperate cries of your sailors." The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
29 "Every rower will abandon ship. All the sailors and captains will stand on the shore, watching." And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land;
30 "They will scream and cry bitterly over you. They will throw dirt on their heads and roll in ashes." And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
31 "They will shave their heads in grief and put on scratchy burlap clothing. They will weep for you with piercing sorrow and deep mourning." And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
32 "As they cry and mourn, they sing a sad song for you. 'Who was ever hushed like Tyre? It now lies at the bottom of the sea.'" And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 "When your goods sailed across the oceans, you enriched many nations. Your enormous wealth and trade made the kings of the earth rich." When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.
34 "Now the sea has smashed you to pieces in its depths. All your merchandise and every person aboard has gone down with you." In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.
35 "Everyone living along the coast is stunned by what happened to you. Their kings are gripped with terror, their faces twisted in fear." All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.
36 "Merchants around the world hiss at you in contempt. You have met a horrible end and will be gone forever." The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezekiel 27
Wealth and tradeThe fall of a great cityWorldly glory is temporaryLament over lost greatness
Apply This Today
Living Ezekiel 27
Tyre was the commercial superpower of the ancient world, yet it all came to nothing. This funeral song reminds us that economic success and worldly prestige are fragile. Building our lives on things that last — faith, love, character — is far wiser than chasing wealth alone.
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