Ezekiel 27

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 27

1¶ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

2Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;

3And 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.

4Thy borders [are] in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.

5They have made all thy [ship] boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.

6[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.

7Fine 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.

8The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise [men], O Tyrus, [that] were in thee, were thy pilots.

9The 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.

10They 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.

11The 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.

12Tarshish [was] thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all [kind of] riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.

13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they [were] thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.

14They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.

15The 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.

16Syria [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.

17Judah, 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.

18Damascus [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.

19Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.

20Dedan [was] thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.

21Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these [were they] thy merchants.

22The 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.

23Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, [and] Chilmad, [were] thy merchants.

24These [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.

25The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

26¶ Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.

27Thy 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.

28The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.

29And 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;

30And 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:

31And 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.

32And 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?

33When 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.

34In 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.

35All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in [their] countenance.

36The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt be] any more.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel 27 presents a lamentation for Tyrus, a city renowned for its perfect beauty and vast maritime trade empire. The chapter meticulously details its elaborate shipbuilding, diverse international merchants, and extensive array of goods. Despite its immense wealth and influence, the prophecy foretells Tyrus's sudden and complete destruction by a mighty east wind, causing widespread mourning among its trading partners and mariners.

Medium Summary

The prophet is commanded to lament over Tyrus, a city situated at the entry of the sea, which boasted of its perfect beauty and served as a merchant to many nations. The chapter describes Tyrus's magnificent construction, from fir and cedar ships to ivory benches and richly adorned sails, built and manned by skilled workers from surrounding regions. Its military strength was bolstered by mercenaries from Persia, Lud, and Phut. Tyrus's trade network spanned numerous lands, including Tarshish, Javan, Judah, Syria, and Arabia, exchanging a vast array of goods from silver and spices to slaves and livestock. However, this glorious city is prophesied to be broken in the midst of the seas by a devastating east wind, leading to the collapse of its entire enterprise. Its mariners and merchants will mourn bitterly, casting dust and wearing sackcloth, as Tyrus becomes a terror and is utterly destroyed.

Long Summary

Ezekiel 27 opens with a divine command for the prophet to utter a lamentation concerning Tyrus, a city that proudly proclaimed its perfect beauty and served as a central hub for international commerce. Its maritime prowess is highlighted by the detailed description of its ships, constructed from fir trees of Senir, cedars from Lebanon for masts, and oaks of Bashan for oars, with benches of ivory from Chittim. Its sails were fine linen from Egypt, and its coverings blue and purple from Elishah. The city's operations were supported by mariners from Zidon and Arvad, pilots from Tyrus itself, and skilled calkers from Gebal. Tyrus's military might was augmented by soldiers from Persia, Lud, Phut, and Arvad, who adorned its walls and towers. The chapter then enumerates an extensive list of trading partners and their specialized goods: Tarshish traded silver, iron, tin, and lead; Javan, Tubal, and Meshech offered persons of men and brass vessels; Togarmah supplied horses and mules; Dedan brought ivory and ebony, and precious clothes for chariots. Syria traded emeralds, purple, and fine linen; Judah and Israel provided wheat, honey, oil, and balm; Damascus offered wine and white wool. Other merchants from Arabia, Sheba, Raamah, Haran, and Eden supplied spices, gold, precious stones, and rich apparel. Tyrus's prosperity and glory were unparalleled, but the prophecy declares a swift and catastrophic end. An east wind is foretold to break the city in the midst of the seas, causing its vast riches, merchandise, mariners, pilots, and soldiers to fall into the depths. The sound of the pilots' cry will shake the suburbs, and all who handled the oar will come ashore to mourn with bitter wailing, casting dust on their heads and girding themselves with sackcloth. The lamentation will question what city was ever like Tyrus, now destroyed in the sea, and its fall will astonish the inhabitants of the isles and terrify their kings, as Tyrus becomes a terror and ceases to exist.

Core Concepts

  • Tyre's Maritime MagnificenceTyrus is depicted as a city of perfect beauty, whose borders were in the midst of the seas. Its ships were meticulously crafted from choice woods like fir, cedar, and oak, with ivory benches and sails of fine Egyptian linen, signifying its advanced shipbuilding and aesthetic pride.
  • Extensive Trade NetworkThe chapter details Tyrus's vast commercial reach, listing numerous nations and regions, such as Tarshish, Judah, Syria, and Arabia, as its trading partners. This network facilitated the exchange of a diverse array of goods, from precious metals and spices to livestock and human beings, making Tyrus immensely wealthy.
  • Diverse Workforce and MilitaryTyrus's operations relied on a multinational workforce, including mariners from Zidon, pilots from Tyrus itself, and calkers from Gebal. Its military was also composed of foreign mercenaries from Persia, Lud, and Phut, demonstrating its reliance on external support for both commerce and defense.
  • Pride and Self-PerceptionTyrus is portrayed as a city that boasted of its own perfect beauty and immense power, believing itself to be unassailable. This self-assessment of its glory and strength is a foundational element that precedes its prophesied downfall.
  • Sudden and Total DestructionDespite its grandeur and wealth, Tyrus is prophesied to be broken by an 'east wind' in the midst of the seas. This signifies a swift, overwhelming, and complete destruction, leading to the collapse of its entire commercial and military apparatus.
  • Widespread LamentationThe fall of Tyrus is predicted to cause profound grief among its trading partners and maritime community. Mariners, pilots, and merchants from surrounding regions will mourn bitterly, casting dust and wearing sackcloth, lamenting the loss of the city that enriched many nations.