This great, glorious, beautiful seaport, sort of the center of the commercial world, which trades and does commerce with the nations of the world, is going to be destroyed, it’s going to die. So the funeral dirge, the lamentation for Tyrus.
Thus saith the Lord God; And again the claim, “God is speaking”. O thou that are situated at the entry of the sea (Ezekiel 27:3), This is a reference to the harbor of Tyrus, and there was two entries from the harbor, one from the north, and one from the south, so that it made it easier to enter the port, because of the direction that the wind might be blowing. You could enter the port from the south, or the port from the north.
You are a merchant of the people for many coast lands, Thus saith the Lord God; O Tyrus, you have said, I am of perfect beauty (27:3). That was the claim.
Your borders are in the midst of the seas, It was, it’s a, it’s directing the attention to this island city of Tyrus, a half mile off shore. your builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all of your ship boards of fir trees from Senir: Which is mount Herman, the beautiful fir trees on mount Herman.] they have taken the cedars from Lebanon to make the masts for the ships. Because they’re tall and straight, and of course they’re strong, they resist dry rot. The oaks of Bashan Which was famous for its oaks, it was on the other side of the Jordan river. that use them for the oars of these ships; and the company of the Ashurites have made your benches of ivory that have been brought out of the islands of Chittim. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt Comprised the sales of these ships. they were blue, and purple from the coast of Elishah which covered thee (Ezekiel 27:4- 7).
So there were beautiful ships of the Phoenician merchant marine. With their beautiful blue, and purple sails as they plied the waters of the Mediterranean, were the main merchants of those days.
The inhabitants of Zidon A neighbor city, twelve miles, fifteen miles away from Tyre. and Arvad were your mariners: The sailors your wise men, O Tyrus, that were in you, were your pilots. The men who learned to navigate by the stars and all, pilots of the ships. The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee as thy calkers: and your ships of the sea with their sailors were in thee to occupy your merchandise. So it speaks of the very prosperous commercial enterprise by the people of Tyrus, their ships, the description of the ships, but then, Those of Persia and Lud and Phut were your army, your men of war: and they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; and they set forth your beauty. The men of Arvad with your army were upon your walls round about, and the Gammadims were in your towers: and they hanged their shields on the walls round about; that you might be made perfect, or in beauty. Tarshish An area of Spain was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; They brought from Tarshish silver, iron, tin, lead, and they traded in your fairs. Which were the trademarks. Javan, Tubal, Meshech, There around the Black sea in Russia. they were your merchants: they traded in slaves They used in those days slave trading from those tribes, and at that time they were just tribal people, and they were slaves actually, and trading in slaves. vessels of brass in your market. The house of Togarmah Which was Armenia] traded in your fairs with your horses and their mules. And the men of Dedan Now this is not Dedan of Arabia, but this is Dedan that is further north. were your merchants; many coasts were the merchandise of your hand: they brought you for presents these horns or tusks of ivory and ebony. Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of your making: and they occupied in thy fairs with their emeralds, and their broidered work, and the fine linen, the coral, and the agate. Judah, the land of Israel, they were your merchants: they traded in your market the wheat of Minnith, and pannag, A couple of areas in Israel that were noted for the wheat and the honey, Of which the land of Israel was known, as the land of milk and honey. and oil, and balm. Damascus Syria, the capital was your merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all the riches; in the wine of Helbon, An area just north of Beirut, where they grew the grapes for wine and it was a famous wine in those days. the white wool. Dan also Javan going to and fro occupied your fairs: they brought the bright iron, the cassia, the calamus, and they were in your market. More into spices. And Dedan This is the Dedan of Arabia. was there with the precious clothes for the chariots. Arabia, and all of the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in the lambs, and the rams, and the goats: in these were thy merchants (Ezekiel 27:8-21).
I think you’re getting the idea, and the feel of a vast commerce in all of these goods. It would be more or less, like going over to the port of Los Angeles, and watching these ships come in from the far east with all of the goods from the far east, the various kinds of merchandise. More on this tomorrow.
