Ezekiel Chapter 27
Thursday, 02/05/26 at 09:17
Solitary Man
solitaryman.substack.com
20251204
Eze 27:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
A second prophecy is forthcoming for this center of the trading world. It may be of interest to know that at this time, Tyre may have been considered the center of trade between east and west. Once it was toppled, the city of Alexandria was said to have taken its place.
This second of three chapters will recount all of Tyre’s trading partners. Why God chooses to devote a rather long chapter on the enumeration of all these nations is not readily apparent. This is one of the longest lists of nations to be found in scripture. What I perceive is that the entire planet shall be engulfed in this worldly system of commerce that the king of Tyre, satan himself, instituted. As satan is said to have engaged in trafficking in heaven, so he has come down to earth and implemented this system by which all men in one way or another become tied to. Those who amass gold become enslaved to the love of gold, and those without become enslaved, period. It is the perfect means to control everyone on the planet.
We need to understand that having lots of money makes you more of a slave than not having enough. The poor becomes beholden to his employer, his banker, and his neighbor. He must work for his daily bread, and often he must borrow to stay alive. The rich man, on the other hand, rarely finds the freedom he is looking for. Much gold often leads to a lust for more. Paranoia sets in, as he is always looking over his shoulder for whomever will try to either rob him, or cheat him out of it. He loses his own soul, as he invents greater and greater reasons for oppressing his workers, all in the name of increasing his hoard.
Do we not notice how all of our societal interactions are intertwined with this system? The first thing we ask someone is not what sort of man he is, but what he does. The implication is, how much do you earn? Are you someone whom we need to admire and give extra respect, or are you someone who is of no stature whatsoever, and we can safely ignore?
James speaks of this worldly attitude in the church:
Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Falling into the trap of favoring the rich is the springboard James uses to teach us to put away all self righteousness. Sin in one area, and in a sense you have sinned in all. That is, he is not teaching that all sins are the same. He is teaching that even little sins count in your ledger. You cannot ‘sin a little’, and think that you are blameless before God. We all have sinned, and we all need the mercy of Christ.
So with that understanding of the danger of worldly commerce in our back pocket, let us now examine the text.
Eze 27:2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation (kee-naw – dirge, beat the breasts) for Tyrus (a rock);
God is telling Ezekiel to pronounce a word over Tyre, as if you were summoning a bunch of wailing women to shriek and moan and beat their breasts during a middle eastern funeral service. In effect, God is pronouncing the eulogy over this nation. A nation that stands for so much more. A nation that stands for the world order. An order of commerce, that manipulates, robs, cheats, and draws men’s souls into perdition.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Eze 27:3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry (meb-o-aw – haven, only time in OT) of the sea, which art a merchant (raw-kal – to travel for trade) of the people (am – tribe, nation) for many isles (ee – coastland), Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect (kaw-leel – complete) beauty.
Tyre was in a very strategic location. Sometimes geography grants a nation certain advantages. Because these coastlands of the Mediterranean were originally settled by the Phoenicians, they had the advantage of being populated by perhaps the world’s best seamen. No one knows today exactly how advanced these people were. Some have speculated that they visited unknown lands millennia before anyone else.
Because of its location and dominance regarding maritime ventures, it became one of the main hubs of world trade. Sea travel would have been the quickest way to travel in those days, as so much trade was done by water. Tyre was known as the place to go if you wanted to buy and sell. All the islands and coastlands would have done business with it. Because of this strategic advantage, wealth flowed like water onto its shores. And where there is great wealth, there is great pride.
The idea of Tyre saying it is perfect has the connotation of its believing that it was totally self sufficient. And that is one of the main snares of money. You don’t think you need anyone else. But more critically, you don’t think you need God anymore in your life. Why did the pagan make sacrifices and prayers to their gods? Why do we often do so? Is it not so that the gods render us aid? If one has all the material wealth that they would ever need, then that takes away a big reason to turn to God, does it not? Sure, you may have a medical or security issue, but chances are you will turn to your bank vault first and attempt to purchase whatever it is that you lack at the moment. Those without wealth are much more likely to turn to the only one who can possibly help them – their god.
Eze 27:4 Thy borders are in the midst (labe – heart) of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.
Tyre had this great geographical advantage of being surrounded by waters. Their great wealth would enable them to construct edifices of the finest quality in all of the lands about. People with great wealth spare no expense in lavishing luxuries upon themselves. It seems the more one has, the more one wastes in completely unnecessary and frivolous things. But there is also this pride that drives everything. The rich want everyone to know that their wealth, their taste, and their imagination cannot be matched by any other. Thus they continually try to outdo each other in creating and acquiring things that no one else can replicate.
Eze 27:5 They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir (pointed): they have taken cedars from Lebanon (white mountain) to make masts for thee.
Only the best materials will be used to build their ships. We see alternate names in the bible for Senir:
Deu 3:8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
Deu 3:9 (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)
So we see that these planks were from an area around mount Hermon. The fir tree was the same as Hiram king of Tyre had provided to Solomon:
1Ki 6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
1Ki 6:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
Fir could also be translated as spruce or cypress. Various species of tree in the bible are not well defined. Lebanon provided the stout timber that the masts of ships needed.
Eze 27:6 Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company (bath – daughter) of the Ashurites (ash-oor – cedar or some other light wood, only time in OT) have made (inlaid) thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles (ee) of Chittim (Cyprus, islander).
This is a very difficult verse to translate. The first part is easy. Bashan was noted for its oak, as Lebanon was for its cedars. Ashurites is almost certainly not a people group. In context, it would be better understood as some other sort of tree that was known as the daughter of the cedar, or some such similar sort of wood. This ash-oor wood, was inlaid with ivory, as a decorative feature.
Now I have heard more than one teacher who made his living by writing prophecy books claim that Chittim meant Rome. However, no reputable scholar agrees with this. Chittim was Cyprus, which was the origin of these Mediterranean coast dwellers. These modern prophecy types tried to make Chittim mean Rome in order to fit their pet theories of the Roman empire in prophecy. While a secondary, metaphorical meaning of Rome may apply, even as I claim that the British empire may be seen in these verses, that would not be the primary meaning of this location. Rome is not a set of islands though as Chittim is said to be, so the analogy kind of falls flat, unless you view the word isles to mean coastlands. But the biblical context first and foremost always seems to indicate Cyprus.
Jer 2:10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
I make a bit of an issue out of this so that one does not swallow every theory of allegorical interpretation out there. The allegory must make sense. For Tyre, it is said to be a definite island. So is Great Britain. To try and make it mean, say, America, does not work as well. All my life I have witnessed countless preachers line up one or two verses of something that matches the new thing or place they try to make you believe the original passages refer to. But they conveniently ignore the other verses that contradict. For example, we will eventually come to the chapters on the battle of Gog and Magog. So many teachers claim that Russia and the muslim world perfectly fit the scenario, and that the attack could happen any day. They conveniently forget to tell you that at the time of the attack, Israel is living totally at peace, with nothing but unwalled villages in her midst.
Uh, is there even one village in Israel that is unwalled today? Do they not all have security fences, because of the countless hordes of muslims that are plotting night and day to kill them all? How can anyone say that this scripture is about to be fulfilled at any moment?
Eze 27:7 Fine linen with broidered work (diverse colors) from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles (ee) of Elishah was that which covered thee.
Now we are going to undertake to list what seems like a comprehensive and exhaustive list of every nation state that trades with Tyre, as well as the items that they deal in. As I asked the Lord as to why he would include such a thing in the scripture, my mind did come up with at least one theory.
Could this not be a pattern for us in the end times? That this global system of commerce, instituted by satan himself, with Tyre being the poster child, will encompass the entire earth at the end of days? The fact that all nations and all goods seem to be listed may represent the global surveillance state, where everything will be trackable and traceable. Digital ID, digital currency, bitcoin and blockchain technology, cameras everywhere. All these things are here not for our benefit, but for total control. So Yahweh will take a section of scripture, and present us with a list of nations of the known, civilized world at the time. It is to show how pivotal a role Tyre played in the world economy. It also shows us that although Yahweh focuses on Israel throughout his word, he is well aware of what goes on everywhere else.
Of course Egypt would kick off the list. Egypt has played such a central role in the history of Israel. Egypt represents the flesh, the old man, the man of sin, before one comes to Christ. Egypt would be known for its fine linen. While later sails would never have been made with linen, apparently at that time it was common. The variegated colors would represent the showing off of a man of wealth, as there was no practical benefit of using multi colored sails, except that it cost more. But it would be a way of distinguishing oneself from the crowd. And isn’t that what those who pursue wealth are always striving to do?
And one does not have to be exceedingly wealthy to exhibit such behavior. I am sure all of us have encountered those whom we may label as upper middle class, who are constantly bragging about the latest toy that they have acquired. Whether it’s the latest model of automobile, or the top of the line barbecue, these people are continually showing off yet another possession.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
Gen 10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
Gen 10:4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
1Ch 1:7 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
We see that Elishah came from Javan, a son of Japheth, and was said to have created the race of Ionians, that is Greeks. The Greek islands were a place where there was an abundant supply of murex, from which came the famous purple dye. This would be the equivalent of tailor made suits from Saville Row in our day.
Eze 27:8 The inhabitants of Zidon (fishery) and Arvad (roving) were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots (kho-bale – sailors, shipmasters).
Gen 10:15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
Gen 10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
Gen 10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
Gen 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
We see Arvad (Arvadite) came from Canaan. Let us let Ellicott fill us in on the details of this verse:
The description now turns to the sailors. The Arvadite is mentioned among the family of Canaan in Gen 10:18, and corresponds to the Greek Aradus. There were two islands of this name: one in the Persian Gulf, the other (the one here intended) a rocky island north of the coast of Tripoli, on which a city was built like Tyre. The Phœnician cities of Zidon and Arvad furnished the oarsmen, but Tyre itself the superior captains and pilots. [end]
The British empire would employ sailors from all over their empire, but the officers always came from their own ranks. As a Christian nation, there was always an undercurrent of responsibility that permeated the affairs of the British empire. Being at the vanguard of civilization, their superior technological prowess, combined with their most excellent Judaeo-Christian cultural underpinnings, caused many of the upper class to believe that they had been given the so called ‘white man’s burden’ by the Almighty himself. That is, that it was their responsibility to bring the trappings of civilization to the many primitive lands that they visited. Coupled along with that was the obligation to preach the gospel and convert the heathen. Now there were times when entities such as the East India Company actively discouraged proselytism, feeling it an impediment to trade, but all in all, the spread of the gospel was a consistent endeavour. The point is that, it was the western Christian nations which brought not only the truth of the gospel, but also civilization itself to the world.
How far we have fallen today! In most western nations, we will be persecuted if we even attempt to share the gospel too aggressively in our own lands! Our rulers do all in their power to suppress the truth of the gospel, and our churches, which lost their backbone so long ago, now mostly acquiesce, and even zealously condemn those few who dare to still obey God rather than men.
Eze 27:9 The ancients of Gebal (mountain) and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners (sailors) were in thee to occupy (took pleasure in, took close association) thy merchandise (mah-ar-awb – trading, traffic).
Yahweh is still recounting those that are intimately tied into the maritime industry. Specialization of skills has always been how individuals and nations make a name and a living for themselves. It is always wise to try and differentiate yourself from the crowd. Acquire a specialized skill that few have, and your services will continue to be in demand.
Ancients here simply means experienced, masters of their craft. Gebal was town of Phoenicia near the sea. The only other mention of Gebal was in a list of conspirators against Israel:
Psa 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
Psa 83:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
Psa 83:7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
If they were of Phoenicia, I am sure the above verse would mean whatever distinctive tribe of this race of people which was found in the land of Israel, and not from Phoenicia itself, as they were too far away to meddle in Israel’s affairs.
In any event, Tyre hired these people of seafaring stock, who apparently held some sort of superior knowledge of how to caulk a boat properly.
The second part of the verse seems to say that these Gebalites were intimately involved in the mercantile trading of Tyre. Perhaps they were involved with the running of the docks, being in charge of the loading and unloading of cargo. At any rate, they found their niche and stuck to it.
This makes me wonder if some of the predictions that I have been recently hearing about will come true. Some see AI replacing 99% of all human jobs in the next 5-10 years. If that is so, how shall humanity survive? The more immediate question is, what sort of job should young people train themselves for? What if you spent the next 7 years training to be a doctor, and when you graduate, you find AI and robots have taken over all the medical duties? It’s a very uncertain time for the youth, is it not?
Eze 27:10 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 (magnificence).
I am so tempted to paraphrase this info, but why not let the dead speak? Let Ellicott’s voice ring out once more:
Tyre, like most commercial nations, depended chiefly on mercenaries for the rank and file of its army. Persia, more anciently called Elam, was just now rising into prominence. Its soldiers were probably obtained by the Tyrians from their commerce in the Persian Gulf. Lud is not the one mentioned among the children of Shem (Gen 10:22), but the Ludim (Lydians) of Hamite family, descended from Mizraim (Gen 10:13). Phut was also an African tribe (Gen 10:6). Both are repeatedly mentioned on the Egyptian monuments as furnishing mercenaries to the army. [end]
It is always a dangerous thing to depend on mercenaries. I suppose as long as you have money, they will stick with you. Until a better offer comes along. Canada employed mercenaries from somewhere to crush the trucker’s convoy in 2022, and no one has ever definitely found out from where. Mercenaries do have one big advantage. They have no problem crushing your own citizens, whereas your own armed forces may balk. That is why wicked, treacherous governments of the west have worked so hard to purge true patriots from the army. Obama purged thousands from the military and instituted the woke mindset, which Mr. Hegseth is working so hard to reverse. In Canada, leading up to the trucker convoy, 5 patriotic generals all had false sexual abuse charges brought against them. The only way they were dropped was if they resigned. If you see the ridiculous creatures that are now supposedly in charge of the military, you would know that Canada has been stripped defenceless.
Apparently these troops were arrayed as befitting the wealth of their masters. They looked magnificent, and were a testament to Tyre’s wealth. The wealthy are always obsessed with appearances, are they not? Unless you are speaking of this new breed of globalist technocrat. Composed of evil children, autistic sociopaths to the core, they care not how they dress, or how others perceive them. But they are the exception to the rule. As far as the power they wield, they care about that a lot.
Eze 27:11 The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims (warrior) were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.
We’ve already dealt with Arvad in verse 8. Arvadians may have been the sailors, but they also were used to augment the defences of the city. Since Gammadims is found nowhere else, this is another instance where a word has been mistranslated as some unknown people group. It is better rendered as warriors. Thus we are speaking of warriors manning the city’s towers for defensive purposes. Apparently all who were involved in the military put great stock in displaying their shields and various insignias of rank. When they were all polished and buff, it made quite a glorious spectacle. This reminds me of the Swiss guards at the Vatican today. Their costume and weaponry are spotless and make a beautiful display. Excessive wealth loves to show off.
Eze 27:12 Tarshish was thy merchant (saw-khar – peddlar) by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
Most believe Tarshish refers to an area in Spain. Some say Carthage, others Tarsus in Cilicia. Regardless, these were the providers of all sorts of metals, including precious silver. They were avid traders, lusting after the goods that Tyre provided. Willing to provide these raw materials in order to acquire the goods of this world.
Are we willing to take the ‘raw material’ of our lives, and trade it away for the trinkets and baubles of Tyre? Will we spend our days, our wills, and our hearts in the pursuit of the multitude of all kinds of riches that Tyre has to offer? Or will we turn away from Tyre and instead turn to heaven, where the wares may not be on immediate display to entice the eye, but rather are durable, even unto life everlasting?
Eze 27:13 Javan (effervescing), Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants (raw-kal): they traded the persons (naphesh – souls) of men (aw-dawm – human being) and vessels of brass (copper) in thy market (mah-ar-awb).
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
All three are sons of Japheth. Javan is said to be of Greece, the other two, the Tibareni and Moschi, are said to have come from around the Caspian Sea area.
Besides trading in copper (or brass), they also dealt in slaves.
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
The last iteration of Tyre, as spoken of in Revelation as the shore of Babylon, is also said to have dealt in the souls of men.
And does not this beast system of commercial enterprise enslave us all? We tie ourselves down with enormous debt. Not only for a place to live, but many borrow to buy a vehicle, or a vacation, or education, or unexpected bills, or all of the above. We cannot stop working, or else our whole house of cards will come tumbling down. Most are one unexpected event away from being tossed out on the street. And given the fact that families have shrunk, and people do not care for their elders anymore, many have nowhere to turn when real trouble hits.
Not only do muslims still engage in the slave trade, but under the Biden regime we discovered that America became the greatest trafficker of children in human history. A half million children a year were being brought into America. Some for slave labor, but most for rape and sexual abuse. The best thing about the closing of the border by the Trump administration is the putting to an end of this massive satanic operation. Who would have thought that in the 21st century, slavery is alive and well?
Eze 27:14 They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
Gen 10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
Togarmah became the Armenians, and were known for their horses.
Eze 27:15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present (esh-cawr – from a root meaning a payment of contract) horns of ivory and ebony.
Gen 10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
Gen 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
This Dedan was from Ham through Cush. They were located in Arabia, somewhere along the Persian gulf. There was also a Dedan that came from Abraham:
1Ch_1:32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
The one from Ham is referred in this verse, according to the scholars.
The bringing of a present more likely means what the root word refers to – a payment of a contract. These is no reason to think that some far away tribe in Arabia would be bringing tribute to Tyre. No, they would be bringing ivory and ebony to trade with.
Eze 27:16 Syria (highland) was thy merchant (saw-kahr) by reason of the multitude of the wares (products) of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
This phrase ‘by reason of the multitude of thy wares’ is found more than once. It simply refers to the motivation of all these nations to come to Tyre. The lust of the eyes (1 Jn 2:16) would have enticed all these earth dwellers to come and acquire whatever their hearts lusted after.
Tyre sounds like the Amazon of today. You may go to the Amazon website in search of one thing, but more often than not, you will purchase other things as well. The $35.00 free shipping has certainly worked to make me top off my orders more than once with things that I may or may not use sometime in the future! Any bazaar in ancient days, or our mega malls of today, served the same purpose. Malls are now being replaced with online shopping. Syria was there, with their textiles and jewels. Kind of reminds me when I visited the great bazaar in Istanbul. What struck me was the endless booths of merchants selling the same thing. Stall after stall of gold baubles, or rugs, or pottery. Aisles veering off in every direction, all to entrap the unwary customer in an endless maze of goods.
Eze 27:17 Judah (celebrated), and the land of Israel (he will rule as God), they were thy merchants (raw-kal): they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith (enumeration), and Pannag (pastry), and honey, and oil, and balm.
Jdg 11:33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Because Minnith is mentioned as a place in Ammon that Jephthah smote, that is what is assumed this is referring to. This would only make sense if God is referring to a time when Judah was in control of Ammon. Certainly in the last days of Judah that was not the case. But perhaps they acted as a sort of middleman. Buying the wheat from this area in Ammon, and trading it in Tyre for something else.
Pannag is not mentioned anywhere else. I see this as yet another example of not a place, but a good. It means pastry, so perhaps Judah was dealing in baked goods that were highly prized, as they also dealt in honey, oil, and balm.
Eze 27:18 Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon (khel-bone – fruitful, from a root meaning richest, choicest, best), and white wool.
For some reason, Damascus is spoken of separately from Syria (v16). Maybe they were a significant source of income for Tyre all on their own. Helbon was a city north of Damascus, according to some, but others hold serious doubts. Since it can mean fruitful or choicest, perhaps it is describing the choicest wines, along with the whitest wool.
Eze 27:19 Dan (ved-awn – Vedan, a place in Arabia, only time in OT) also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia (cassia bark), and calamus (kaw-neh – reed, cane), were in thy market.
Here is a definite mistake in translation. The tribe of Dan was not a separate entity at this time, nor at any time, really. The actual Hebrew word is ved-awn, which may be traced to a place in Arabia called Aven. Verse 13 has already spoken of Javan. They traded in iron, and various plant stocks, which may have had medicinal and aromatic properties. Some think the word for ‘to and fro’ (aw-zal) refers to an actual place in Yemen. So this verse may be speaking of Aven, Javan, and Meuzal (aw-zal). Ancient names are the trickiest to preserve. Names of cities often had real meanings. Thus the translator is faced with the choice of deciding whether or not the word represents the name of a city, or the thing or idea the word can also represent. So as we saw in the previous verse, does khel-bone refer to Helbon (the name of a city), or fruitful? This section of scripture is full of such difficulties.
Eze 27:20 Dedan was thy merchant in precious (kho-fesh – carpet, only time in OT) clothes (behg-ed – covering) for chariots (rik-baw, only time in OT).
We have touched on Dedan in verse 15. Dedan and Sheba were both descendants of Ham and of Abraham via Keturah (Shemites). The scholars believe that this Dedan is the one from Keturah, as opposed to the Dedan from Ham in verse 15. In any event, they are trading in carpet coverings for chariots.
Eze 27:21 Arabia (sterility), and all the princes of Kedar (dusky), they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
I suppose that Arabia means sterility due to the abundance of lifeless desert that encompasses their territories.
Gen 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Arabia is never used for the area as a whole, so it likely refers to the area that the nomads would normally travel around in. Kedar was a son of Ishmael, a prominent nomadic tribe. They dealt in various forms of livestock.
Eze 27:22 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.
Both were Hamites, descended from Cush. Spices, jewels, and gold were what they brought to the table.
Eze 27:23 Haran (parched), and Canneh, and Eden (pleasure), the merchants of Sheba, Asshur (successful), and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
The league of nations now turns to the region of Mesopotamia. We know of Haran, from the stories of Abraham. Canneh would be Calneh. Eden was an unknown town somewhere along the Euphrates. Here are the various scripture references for the first three names:
Gen 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Gen 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Gen 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Gen 10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
Gen 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
2Ki 19:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?
Isa 37:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
Sheba is most likely the same as mentioned in verse 22. See commentary on verse 15 and 20 on Sheba. Asshur is the father of the Assyrians, the builder of Nineveh (Gen 10:11). There is no agreement as to what Chilmad is, but is presumed to be in the same area.
This verse sort of rounds out the list of all the prominent nation states that traded with Tyre.
This is quite a list. Some are still known, some we think we know, some we can only guess at, and some we know not. This reminds us that the kingdoms of this world are temporal and fleeting. Famous one day, forgotten the next. But we are seeking a different kingdom. One that will never be forgotten, nor fade away.
Eze 27:24 These were thy merchants in all sorts (perfect, splendid) of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
The customers of Tyre have been enumerated. This verse serves as a sort of summary indicating that all of these places traded for these splendid, these perfect things. A listing of various luxury items is given. Today, we might coin a verse along these lines: ‘All these nations came to acquire the best of the best. They came for the Lexus, the Gucci, the Rolex, the Cartier. All of this, and more, would be found here’
Eze 27:25 The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst (labe) of the seas.
Those whose eyes are firmly fixed in the things of this world are all captivated by the trinkets and baubles that vanity fair has to offer. They cannot stop discussing these things amongst themselves. The more they speak of it, the more their hearts desire these things. As a result, more is bought, and more has to be brought in to replace what was sold. As more and more transactions take place, Tyre becomes richer and more famous.
She is stated as being in the heart of the sea. In other words, she is in the center of the action. How many worldly people long to be in the center of the action? If you are into finance, you want to be in New York. If you are in the entertainment business, you want to be in Hollywood or Las Vegas. If you are a performer, you want to play in Madison Square Garden, or some such venue. All these things the child of the earth chases.
But what of the child of heaven? What do we chase? Do we find ourselves longing for the same thing, or not? Are our eyes fixed on our heavenly reward, or do we still lust after the rewards of the flesh? Is physical comfort all that we care about? Or are we willing to lay all of that aside, for the sake of the gospel?
Eze 27:26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst (labe) of the seas.
Have you been lulled to sleep yet? Has this list seemed, at times, interminable? I gave my best shot in trying to make it interesting, and applicable to our own personal lives.
But as you are about to doze off, Yahweh has shown up with a very abrupt change of tone. We have gone from describing seemingly endless riches, to a ship that has somehow ended up in deep waters, and suddenly you are in mortal danger.
And isn’t that the way sin works? Isn’t that what riches do? For the longest time, all is well. Then suddenly, without warning, judgment day arrives. And what shall your riches do in that awful day?
Luk 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Pro_23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Jas_1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
Do not set your heart on the things of this world. They are all scheduled to pass away. And often, they pass away suddenly.
1Th_5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Eze 27:27 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 (naphal) into the midst (labe) of the seas in the day of thy ruin (map-peh-leth – fall, from the root naphal).
When judgment strikes a sinful nation, all that are within it suffers. For Tyre, all its goods, all its professional seamen, its dockworkers, its soldiers, even all the citizens within, shall all perish.
If one also sees the sea as where the multitudes dwell, perhaps here is a hint of the elite at the end of their reign falling into the hands of the people that they have enslaved.
On an initial reading, the wording sounds like this will all occur on one literal day. But we know from several places in scripture that a day may mean a set period of time, such as the day of the Lord. Tyre would not fall in one day. Babylon would siege it for 13 years. But fall it would.
It also says that all will fall into the midst of the seas. This sounds like a great storm would inundate it. We know of no such event in history. But Ez 26:19 also spoke of something like this:
Eze 26:19 For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;
We’ve already analyzed that verse by saying that while a future flood may well be in its future, great waters can refer to a multitude of people that composed Babylon’s army. At any rate, Tyre shall fall, even as Babylon shall fall at the end of the day:
Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
It does us well to keep in mind the warning of Jesus, lest we take too much pleasure in the thought of the wicked’s future demise:
Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Eze 27:28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry (zah-ak – shriek) of thy pilots.
I suppose the most reasonable way to interpret this verse is to make the suburbs refer to the portion of the city that was located on the mainland, as the island of Tyre had no real suburbs around it, as the whole island was the city. The judgment would encompass all.
Eze 27:29 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;
This judgment shall draw the attention of all those who got their living from this chief of traffickers. In other words, all those whose hearts are bound with the earthly world order of things will stop what they are doing when the source of their sustenance is shut off.
Eze 27:30 And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry (zaw-ak – shriek) bitterly (mar – heavily), and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves (roll) in the ashes:
Eze 27:31 And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep (baw-kaw – bemoan, lament, bewail) for thee with bitterness (mar) of heart (nephesh – soul) and bitter (mar) wailing (mis-pade – lamentation).
There is no mistaking where the heart of the children of this world lie. It is with this life, and this life only. Everything that they do, every decision that they make, all is to gain advantage for themselves in this world. There is no demonstration of sorrow and grief that they will not perform. Their hearts will be on their sleeve. They will not be able to control themselves. They will shriek. They will cast dust. They will roll around on the ground. They will pull out their hair. They will put on their mourning clothes. They will weep with everything that they’ve got.
If these worldly ones have such a perfect heart towards the things of this world, how does our heart compare when it comes to our concern for souls? Note how deeply the loss of their ability to make money affects these people. It is as if they lost everything that means anything to them. By their deeds they are showing that all of their heart ran after gold, and all that gold could buy.
But what about our hearts? What do our hearts long after? Do we long to see our loved ones saved? Would we even perform a fraction of the deeds that these sinners performed? Does the fact that those you know and love are headed to an eternity of torment so unimaginable, so grievous, even move you to a few tears? Or would you, too, weep and wail and throw dust upon your heads if you woke up tomorrow and found out that all your investments were wiped out overnight? Would you screech and wail, and pull out your hair? Or would you be like Job, who simply said: ‘The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord’.
Eze 27:32 And in their wailing (nee – lamenation) they shall take up a lamentation (kee-naw) for thee, and lament (koon – chant, funeral dirge) over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed (doom-maw – desolated, only time in OT) in the midst (taw-vek – middle, bisected) of the sea?
For these people, Tyre was the end all and be all. It was the pinnacle, it was the ultimate. Nothing in their minds compared to it. They believed that they had lost the most precious thing that they could ever imagine.
Of course, this is so strikingly similar to the end times:
Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
It is uncanny how history will repeat itself. One cannot doubt that Tyre is a shadow of things to come. If we want to better understand what the end times will be like, the prophecy of Tyre is certainly a big piece of that.
Perhaps that is the true message of Tyre after all. There is coming something into our world, perhaps in our very lifetime, that will make all the world think that whatever Tyre represents, it is the cat’s meow, so to speak. There will be something that will completely grab everyone’s heart. The fact that God took the time to list all these nations is to tell us just how comprehensively this new world order shall capture all of mankind.
We don’t stop and consider seriously enough the implications of this. All of the world shall be captivated by whatever means and financial mechanisms the globalists are putting in place. There will be no place to hide. America will no longer be a safe haven, as she has been all these years. Sooner or later, America shall join the rest of the planet in losing all its rights and freedoms. This is why I cannot fathom any Christian who is not fervently supporting the Trump administration. He is all that is standing between you and total collapse. And God is the one holding the string.
To have to live in a world where there is nowhere to run will have implications that we cannot even imagine right now. Some think that they may escape out in the hills. With global surveillance via satellites, drones, DEW weapons, AI and robots, do you really think you can fully fall off the radar? You very well might have to live in the sewers, like the survivors in the Terminator movies. This is not a game. Things are evolving very rapidly, and no one truly knows where this is all headed.
Eze 27:33 When thy wares (goods to sell) went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people (am); thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise (mah-ar-awb).
Those that suddenly lost everything will continually remember how wonderful it was when their nations were filled with the wealth of this global trade. Like the Israelites who cried for their onions and garlic in the wilderness, so the entire planet will yearn for the days that are suddenly gone.
Eze 27:34 In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise (mah-ar-awb) and all thy company in the midst (taw-vek) of thee shall fall (naphal).
God keeps reiterating that the good times are coming to a rather abrupt end. In the midst of our successes, we arrogantly think that we shall stay on top of the world and prosper forever. The reality is quite different. All of us shall face death. All of us are one heartbeat away from eternity. But more pertinent to the passage, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. Paul tries to remind us of this very fact:
1Ti_6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
Riches are uncertain. The love and mercy and grace of God are not. The riches of the kingdom of heaven are eternal. Why strive after that which cannot last?
And who can ever forget this famous passage:
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
You would think, in our materialistic society, that a passage such as this would be regular fare. To tell you the truth, I cannot remember the last time I heard a sermon on this passage. I can certainly tell you when I last heard a sermon on tithing, or giving, or supporting the ministry!
To give you an idea of just how much the average church is like the world, I want to relate a story. Last night I decided to download the latest sermon from a local Pentecostal church that I had never attended, just to see if there was any chance that it would be worth checking out.
You would not believe the first thing that we saw! Somebody in the band led the opening prayer. Do you know what he prayed for? That all the people who had left the church would come back, and that everyone would start faithfully tithing again to the church, as that was the most important thing that they could do!
Did you catch that? I could not believe my ears. This man claimed that tithing to your local church is the most important thing that a Christian could do. Not following Jesus. Not preaching the gospel. Not obeying the Lord. Not pursuing holiness. Not a million other things. No, it was tithing, and tithing to them!
Later the pastor also prayed that somehow they would be able to meet budget. I happened to look on their website and found that the guy who prayed that first prayer of utter blasphemy is on staff at the church. Putting two and two together, he may have been afraid of losing his paycheque, since they were having problems with people leaving the church, and meeting budget.
A perfect example of hirelings in the pulpit.
Then to top it all off, they used a video in the sermon that depicted things from two very sketchy sources, ones that I firmly believe present a compromised version of the gospel.
And you want to know why I don’t attend church? What church? Would you call that a church? And believe me, I have sampled a large representative sample of churches in my city. None have ever spoken to my heart in the last 35 years. Such is the state of the Laodicean church in Canada.
Eze 27:35 All the inhabitants of the isles (ee) shall be astonished (shaw-mame – stun, stupefy, wonder) at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid (saw-ar – shiver in fear), they shall be troubled (raw-am – tumbled, violently agitated) in their countenance (paw-neem – face).
Everyone who was mixed up with that deadly system of commerce shall be devastated. All the earth dwellers, who are enslaved to the love of money, will despair once this fiat system of commerce, which is based not on real wealth but promissory illusions, comes crashing down.
Eze 27:36 The merchants among the people (am) shall hiss (shaw-rak – shrill, whistle) at thee; thou shalt be a terror (bal-law-haw – destruction, alarm), and never shalt be any more (o-lawm – concealed out of time).
Tyre is going down. And when it goes down, it is not coming back. In exactly the same way, so will the whore of Babylon in our day.
We know that this passage mirrors the passage in the book of Revelation. What we see happening here is destined to happen there. The language is virtually identical.
All of this begs the question. Why is commerce the featured sin of this nation? Did they not engage in idolatry, human slavery, sexual perversion, and every other sort of vice? Undoubtedly. But God is making a point. Could it be that this sin is highlighted for us so that we do not fail to identify the identity of the true end time foe? What other kingdom is identified as a trading or commercial empire more than the British empire? Does that mean that Britain shall rule the world and produce the antichrist? Not at all. But perhaps we are to see the spirit of Tyre in the monetary system of Britain, which has now spread to America, and all the global entities such as the IMF and WEF. I am merely speculating that there is something so insidious about this spirit of merchandising and trafficking, that Yehovah wants us to tie it to the fundamental characteristic of satan, and this particular city state, that has been given 3 chapters of condemnation.
We are now past the first 2 chapters. The 3rd and final one shall provide the most startling and mysterious passages of the entire set.
Solitary Man
