Bird's-eye view
In this section of Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, the prophet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provides a detailed manifest of the city's vast commercial empire. This is not a dry economic report from the ancient world; it is a divinely authored inventory of a proud and rebellious city-state on the brink of judgment. The sheer scope of the trade, stretching from Spain to Persia, from Greece to Arabia, is breathtaking. Tyre was the center of the world, the Amazon of its day, a hub of global commerce that drew all nations into its economic orbit. But the purpose of this detailed list is to highlight the source of Tyre's great sin: pride. All this wealth, all this glory, all this international prestige had caused Tyre to say in her heart, "I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas" (Ezekiel 28:2). This passage serves as God's evidence in His covenant lawsuit against the prince of Tyre. Each trading partner, each precious commodity, is another exhibit for the prosecution, demonstrating the foundation of a magnificent worldly kingdom built entirely on the sand of human self-sufficiency and greed.
The Lord is showing Ezekiel, and us, that no amount of earthly glory can stand against Him. The detailed accounting of silver, iron, slaves, horses, ivory, emeralds, and wheat is meant to impress upon us the grandeur that is about to be annihilated. This is a foundational biblical principle: the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Tyre is a case study in the futility of building a kingdom for the glory of man. The lament is a prophetic autopsy of a civilization that died from a terminal case of arrogance. It stands as a perpetual warning against the allure of materialism and the pride that wealth inevitably generates in the unregenerate heart.
Outline
- 1. The Divine Indictment of a Globalist Power (Ezekiel 27:12-25)
- a. The Western Traders: Metals and Might (Ezekiel 27:12-14)
- b. The Southern and Eastern Traders: Luxury and Exotica (Ezekiel 27:15-16)
- c. The Covenant-Breaking Traders: Israel's Compromise (Ezekiel 27:17)
- d. The Broader Network: Damascus, Arabia, and the East (Ezekiel 27:18-24)
- e. The Summary Verdict: Full, Glorious, and Doomed (Ezekiel 27:25)
Context In Ezekiel
This passage is part of a larger section of oracles against the foreign nations (Ezekiel 25-32). After pronouncing judgment on Israel's immediate neighbors (Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia), Ezekiel turns his attention to Tyre, the great maritime power to the northwest. Chapters 26-28 form a trilogy of judgment oracles against Tyre. Chapter 26 prophesies its utter destruction. Chapter 27, where our text is found, is a detailed lament, personifying Tyre as a magnificent ship, laden with the world's riches, that is about to be wrecked. Chapter 28 is a direct taunt against the king of Tyre, whose pride is so immense that it mirrors the original fall of Satan. The detailed trade manifest in our passage provides the substance behind the pride. It shows what Tyre trusted in. The glory of its commerce was its idol, and God is about to demonstrate that He alone is the Lord of history and the judge of all the earth.
Key Issues
- The Sin of Pride
- The Nature of Worldly Wealth
- Globalism and Commerce in the Ancient World
- God's Sovereignty Over Nations
- Covenantal Judgment
- The Dehumanizing Effect of Sin (Slave Trade)
- Israel's Worldly Entanglements
The World in a Ship
The literary device here is brilliant. God is painting a picture of Tyre as a glorious ship, the pride of the seas. In the verses preceding our text, the ship itself is described as being built from the finest materials from all over the world. Now, in our passage, the prophet details the cargo. What is this ship carrying? It is carrying the world. Every precious thing, every commodity, every kind of wealth is packed into its hold. This is the Bible's way of describing a global economic superpower. Tyre had mastered the seas and, through commerce, had brought the world to its doorstep. It was a city that had everything.
But this is a funeral dirge, not a celebration. The point is not to marvel at Tyre's success, but to understand the depth of its fall. The higher you climb, the farther you have to fall. God is meticulously listing every element of Tyre's glory in order to emphasize the totality of its coming destruction. This is a covenant lawsuit, and God is reading the charges. The charge is pride, and the evidence is this staggering list of worldly accomplishments. Tyre believed its glory was inherent, that its wealth was its own doing. God is about to remind them, in the most catastrophic way possible, that every good and perfect gift is from above, and that He gives and He takes away.
Verse by Verse Commentary
12 “Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they paid for your wares.
The tour of Tyre's trading partners begins in the far west, with Tarshish, likely a location in modern-day Spain. This was the edge of the known world, and even there, Tyre's economic influence was felt. The trade is in foundational commodities: industrial and precious metals. Silver, iron, tin, and lead are the building blocks of empire, the raw materials for currency, tools, and weapons. Tyre was not just trading in frivolous luxuries; it was at the center of the world's essential supply chain. This demonstrates the sheer power and reach of their commercial network. They were wealthy because they controlled the flow of essential resources.
13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise.
Moving to the north, we find Javan (Greece) and Tubal and Meshech (regions in modern Turkey). Here the cargo takes a sinister turn. Alongside bronze vessels, they trade in "the lives of men." This is the slave trade, plain and simple. We must not read this with sanitized historical detachment. A civilization built on the buying and selling of human beings, who are made in the image of God, is a civilization ripe for judgment. This is the ultimate outworking of greed. When profit is your god, then people become commodities. Tyre's glorious ship of state was powered by oars pulled by slaves and financed by selling souls. This is not just an economic report; it is an indictment for crimes against humanity, with God as the judge.
14 Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares.
Beth-togarmah, another region in Anatolia, was renowned for its horses. This points to another aspect of Tyre's power: military capability. They were not just merchants; they were brokers of power. By controlling the trade in war horses, they were involved in the military affairs of the surrounding nations. Wealth and military might always go hand in hand. Tyre's commercial empire was protected and expanded by force, and it equipped others to do the same.
15 The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were customers at your hand; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.
The trade routes now shift south and east. Dedan was a region in Arabia. The mention of "many coastlands" and the luxury goods of ivory and ebony suggest trade routes extending down into Africa and possibly over to India. These are not essential metals; these are high-end luxury goods. Ivory and ebony are materials for artisans to create beautiful, expensive things for the wealthy. This shows the sheer affluence of Tyre. They had moved far beyond mere subsistence and were indulging in the finest things the world had to offer. Their wealth was not just functional; it was opulent.
16 Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.
Aram (Syria) was Tyre's neighbor to the east. They traded in gemstones, fine textiles, and the famous Tyrian purple dye. This was the high fashion of the ancient world. Purple dye was incredibly expensive to produce and was associated with royalty and extreme wealth. Tyre was not just a shipping hub; it was a center of manufacturing and high culture. They produced an "abundance" of goods, indicating a sophisticated and productive economy. They were the Paris or Milan of their day, setting the standard for luxury and style.
17 Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and balm they paid for your merchandise.
Here the indictment strikes perilously close to home. Even God's own covenant people, Judah and Israel, were caught up in Tyre's web. They were Tyre's breadbasket, trading the agricultural bounty of the promised land, wheat, honey, oil, and balm, for the manufactured goods and luxuries of the pagan city. This is a picture of profound spiritual compromise. The land that God had given them as a holy inheritance was being used to fuel the engine of a proud, idolatrous, slave-trading empire. They were trading God's blessings for the world's trinkets. This entanglement with Tyre was part of the reason for their own eventual judgment.
18 Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool.
Damascus, another major Syrian city, is mentioned again, emphasizing the breadth of Tyre's manufacturing prowess. They had an "abundance of all kinds of wealth." They traded for specialty goods like the famous wine of Helbon and fine white wool. The picture is one of a completely saturated market. Whatever you wanted, Tyre had it, made it, or could get it for you. They were the indispensable nation.
19 Also Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise.
The geography here is complex, but the items listed, finished iron products and exotic spices like cassia and sweet cane, point to trade routes that reached deep into Arabia and toward the East. These were not raw materials but valuable, processed goods. This again highlights the sophistication of the global trade network that Tyre commanded.
20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
Dedan is mentioned again, this time for a specialized equestrian product. This detail is not superfluous. It adds to the cumulative effect, showing that Tyre's trade was not just in bulk commodities but in every kind of specialized and finished good imaginable. No corner of the market was left untouched.
21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were customers at your hand for lambs, rams, and goats; for these, they were your customers.
The nomadic tribes of Arabia, represented by Kedar, traded in what they had in abundance: livestock. Tyre's urban population needed to be fed, and their sacrificial systems, corrupt as they were, required animals. Tyre's wealth drew in the resources of all surrounding peoples, from the most sophisticated cities to the desert tribes.
22 The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices and with all kinds of precious stones and gold.
Sheba and Raamah, in southern Arabia, were famous as the source of the most valuable luxury goods: the best spices, precious stones, and gold. This is the top tier of ancient commerce. When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, she brought these very things. Tyre had become a new Solomon, but without the wisdom and without the covenant. They possessed the wealth of a Solomon but had the heart of a Pharaoh.
23-24 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise.
This list sweeps across Mesopotamia, from Haran in the north to Asshur (Assyria) and the cities of Babylonia. The products are exquisite textiles: choice garments, blue cloth, embroidery, and multi-colored carpets. This was the finest craftsmanship the world had to offer. The description is rich and detailed, painting a final picture of a city drowning in luxurious beauty, a beauty that had made it forget its Creator.
25 The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious In the heart of the seas.
The passage concludes with a summary statement. The "ships of Tarshish" became a proverbial phrase for the largest, most impressive merchant vessels. These great ships were the servants of Tyre's commerce. The result? Tyre was "filled", stuffed to the gills with the wealth of the world. And it was "very glorious", a shining beacon of human achievement and splendor. And where was this glory located? "In the heart of the seas." This was both its geographical location and the source of its pride. It felt secure, isolated, untouchable, a god in its own domain. But the heart of the sea is a precarious place to build a kingdom, and the God who commands the waves was about to issue His decree.
Application
It is tempting for us to read this passage as a quaint piece of ancient history, but that would be a profound mistake. Tyre is a spirit. The spirit of Tyre is the spirit of proud, godless, materialistic globalism, and that spirit is very much alive and well. Western civilization is, in many ways, the new Tyre. We are at the center of a global trade network of unimaginable complexity and wealth. We have an abundance of all kinds of goods. We trade in everything from raw materials to high technology to luxury goods. And, to our shame, our system is also entangled with the trafficking of "the lives of men" in various forms, and our affluence has made us proud, arrogant, and forgetful of God.
The warning to Tyre is a warning to us. Wealth is not intrinsically evil; it is a tool and, when received with gratitude, a blessing from God. But wealth is a terrible god. When a nation begins to trust in its economy, in its trade deals, in its currency, and in its military might, it has set itself up for a fall. When our hearts are captured by the abundance of our possessions, we become like Tyre, glorious in our own eyes but an abomination in God's. The church, like ancient Israel, is constantly tempted to get in on the action, to trade the simple and profound truths of the gospel for the sophisticated luxuries of the world.
The only security is not in the heart of the seas, but in the heart of God. The only ship that will not be wrecked in the coming judgment is the ark of salvation, which is the church, with Christ as its captain. We are called to be in the world, to work, to build, to trade, but not to be of the world. Our treasure is not in ivory and ebony and gold, but in Christ. Our glory is not in our accomplishments, but in the cross. Tyre was glorious and was destroyed. The Christ was humiliated and is now glorious forever. That is the great reversal of the gospel, and it is the only hope for a world still mesmerized by the deadly glory of Tyre.