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Ezekiel 27

36 verses

TL;DR

Ezekiel delivers a prophetic lament over Tyre, praising its former maritime wealth before declaring its inevitable downfall.

Summary

Ezekiel calls on the prophet to lament Tyre, the great seaport city known for its beauty and commerce. He details the city's splendid ships, crafted from cedars, firs, and oaks, and its lavish sails dyed blue and purple from distant lands. The passage enumerates a long list of merchants and traders from across the ancient world—Tarshish, Javan, Meshech, Syria, Judah, and many others—who brought exotic goods such as ivory, spices, precious metals, and fine textiles to Tyre's markets. Ezekiel praises Tyre's maritime prowess, noting its mariners, pilots, and war crews. Yet the tone shifts to a mournful prediction of ruin: the sea will swallow Tyre’s riches and its merchants will weep, and all who once prospered there will face devastation and desolation.

Outline
  1. Ezekiel's lamentation calls for mourning over Tyre's former glory.
  2. The text catalogs Tyre's maritime trade, merchants, and the luxury goods they handled.
  3. The prophetic judgment foretells Tyre’s destruction and the lamentation of its former partners.
Themes
The transient nature of earthly wealth and power.The role of commerce in shaping prophetic judgment.The collective mourning of a nation facing divine judgment.
Keywords
Tyrecommercelamentationruinseamerchantswealthprophecyjudgment
People
TyreTarshishJavanMeshechDedanSyriaJudahIsraelDamascusDanArabiaKedarShebaRaamahHaranCannehEdenAsshurChilmad
Places
TyreSeaLebanonBashanChittimElishahZidonArvadGebalPersiaLudPhutGammadimsTarshishJavanTubalMeshechTogarmahDedanSyriaJudahIsraelDamascusDanArabiaKedarShebaRaamahHaranCannehEdenAsshurChilmad
Things
Ship boards of fir treesCedars of LebanonOaks of BashanIvory benchesFine linen sailsBlue and purple clothMarinersPilotsWarriors with shields and helmetsSilver, iron, tin, leadBrass vesselsHorses, mules, chariotsHorses of TogarmahHorses of ArabiaLambs, rams, goatsSpices, precious stones, goldWheat, honey, oil, balmWine, white woolIron, cassia, calamusCedar boxesSea
Key Verses
  • Ezekiel 27:1: The Lord commands the lamentation, establishing the prophetic context.
  • Ezekiel 27:27: It declares Tyre's complete destruction, the core judgment of the passage.
  • Ezekium 27:33: Highlights Tyre's role in enriching world kings, underscoring the gravity of its fall.
Questions
  • What does the lamentation of Tyre reveal about the nature of human prosperity?
  • How does Ezekiel use the image of the sea to convey judgment?
  • Why might the author include such a detailed list of merchants and goods?
  • What is the significance of the repeated calls for mourning by Tyre's former partners?
  • In what ways does the prophetic message of this chapter relate to other judgments against Israel?
Sentiment

negative
The passage predicts destruction and evokes a tone of sorrow and judgment.