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Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 27:8

A Lament for Tyre · Ezekiel 27:1–36
Read Ezekiel 27

Translations

Modern
The men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your men of skill, O Tyre, were there as your captains.
Traditional
The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.
Literal
Those dwelling in Sidon and Arvad were the rowers for you; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you—they were your pilots.
Latin
Habitatores Sidonis et Aradii fuerunt remiges tui: sapientes tui, Tyre, facti sunt gubernatores tui.

Original

Hebrew
English
The men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your men of skill, O Tyre, were there as your captains.

Notes

Ezekiel 27:8–9

Sidon, Arvad, and Gebal were towns on the Mediterranean coast.

Ezekiel 27:8–11

  • The ship from Tyre had a crew of the world's most skilled men.

  • The places listed in this section cover much of the known world at that time. This shows how wide Tyre’s influence had spread.

Ezekiel 27:1–36

The second part of the prophet’s message to Tyre (see study note on Ezekiel 26:1–28:19) is a funeral song.

The song compares Tyre’s past glory with its present loss. It connects with the previous chapter in several ways. Both speak directly to Tyre. Both describe Tyre as a gateway and a center of trade (see Ezekiel 26:1–2). Both end with the same message: Tyre has come to a terrible end and will exist no more (compare Ezekiel 26:21).

Ezekiel 26:1–28:19

The message against Tyre, Israel’s northwestern neighbor, is more detailed than the short messages before it. It consists of three similar sections (Ezekiel 26:2–21; 27:1–36; and 28:1–19). Each section conveys the same idea: Tyre would meet a terrible end and cease to exist (Ezekiel 27:36).

Ezekiel 25:1–32:32

  • This section contains a series of messages of judgment against nearby nations. There are six shorter messages against Judah's immediate neighbors, arranged in a clockwise order, followed by a final message against Egypt (Ezekiel 30–32). Through experiencing God's judgment, the nations would recognize God's control over everything. The nations might be used to carry out God's judgment on his people, but they would not avoid judgment themselves.

  • One of the main purposes of these messages was to show that the negative part of God's promise to Abraham ("I will … curse those who curse you," Genesis 12:3) was still active. No one can harm God's people and avoid consequences, even when God's people are under his judgment.

Theme notes and profiles

Messages Against the Nations

Events

Places

Arvad: An island city, known for its skilled mariners and soldiers Sidon: Phoenician city; home of Jezebel Tyre: A major Phoenician port city, known for its trade

Glossary

Arvad, Arvadite Book of Jeremiah Ezekiel, Book of Lebanon Lord Phoenicia, Phoenicians Sidon (Place), Sidonian

Topics

Art: Primitive of the Mariner Arts of The: Mariner Arvad: An Island Near Zidon Arvadites: Descendants of Canaan Commerce: Zidonians Pilot: General Scriptures Concerning Ships: Guided in Their Course by Pilots Sidon: A City on the Northern Boundary of the Canaanites: The Sailors of The Sidonians were Skilful Sailors