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Ezekiel · The Prophet

Ezekiel · Chapter 27יְחֶזְקֵאל

A Lament for Tyre's Maritime Glory and Catastrophic Fall

Ezekiel pronounces a funeral dirge over Tyre while the city still stands. The prophet elaborates an extended metaphor of Tyre as a magnificent trading ship, cataloging her vast commercial network spanning the ancient world from Tarshish to Arabia. This detailed inventory of luxury goods, trading partners, and maritime excellence serves to magnify the horror of her coming destruction. The chapter moves from celebration of economic supremacy to the shock of total shipwreck, as all who depended on Tyre's wealth watch in dismay at her sudden descent into the depths.

Ezekiel 27:1-11

Tyre's Glory and Magnificence as a Perfect Ship

LSB Text
1Now the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2"Now you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre, 3and say to Tyre, who inhabits the entrances of the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says Lord Yahweh, "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' 4Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty. 5They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. 6Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars; They have made your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory. 7Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your ensign; Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah. 8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your sailors. 9The elders of Gebal and her wise men were in you repairing your seams; All the ships of the sea and their sailors were in you in order to deal in your merchandise. 10Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they gave your splendor. 11The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls, all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty."'"
Greek Text
1וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ 2וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם שָׂ֤א עַל־צֹר֙ קִינָ֔ה 3וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ לְצֹ֗ר הַיֹּשֶׁבֶת֮ עַל־מְבוֹאֹ֣ת יָם֒ רֹכֶ֤לֶת הָֽעַמִּים֙ אֶל־אִיִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה צֹ֕ר אַ֣תְּ אָמַ֔רְתְּ אֲנִ֖י כְּלִ֥ילַת יֹֽפִי׃ 4בְּלֵ֥ב יַמִּ֖ים גְּבוּלָ֑יִךְ בֹּנַ֕יִךְ כָּלְל֖וּ יָפְיֵֽךְ׃ 5בְּרוֹשִׁ֤ים מִשְּׂנִיר֙ בָּ֣נוּ לָ֔ךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־לֻֽחֹתָ֑יִם אֶ֤רֶז מִלְּבָנוֹן֙ לָקָ֔חוּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת תֹּ֖רֶן עָלָֽיִךְ׃ 6אַלּוֹנִים֙ מִבָּשָׁ֔ן עָשׂ֖וּ מִשּׁוֹטָ֑יִךְ קַרְשֵׁךְ֙ עָֽשׂוּ־שֵׁ֣ן בַּת־אֲשֻׁרִ֔ים מֵאִיֵּ֖י כִּתִּיִּֽים׃ 7שֵׁשׁ־בְּרִקְמָ֤ה מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הָיָ֣ה מִפְרָשֵׂ֔ךְ לִהְי֥וֹת לָ֖ךְ לְנֵ֑ס תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן מֵאִיֵּ֥י אֱלִישָׁ֖ה הָיָ֥ה מְכַסֵּֽךְ׃ 8יֹשְׁבֵ֤י צִידוֹן֙ וְאַרְוַ֔ד הָי֥וּ שָׁטִ֖ים לָ֑ךְ חֲכָמַ֤יִךְ צֹר֙ הָ֣יוּ בָ֔ךְ הֵ֖מָּה חֹבְלָֽיִךְ׃ 9זִקְנֵ֨י גְבַ֤ל וַחֲכָמֶ֙יהָ֙ הָ֣יוּ בָ֔ךְ מַחֲזִיקֵ֖י בִּדְקֵ֑ךְ כָּל־אֳנִיּ֨וֹת הַיָּ֤ם וּמַלָּֽחֵיהֶם֙ הָ֣יוּ בָ֔ךְ לַעֲרֹ֖ב מַעֲרָבֵֽךְ׃ 10פָּרַ֨ס וְל֤וּד וּפוּט֙ הָי֣וּ בְחֵילֵ֔ךְ אַנְשֵׁ֖י מִלְחַמְתֵּ֑ךְ מָגֵ֤ן וְכוֹבַע֙ תִּלּוּ־בָ֔ךְ הֵ֖מָּה נָתְנ֥וּ הֲדָרֵֽךְ׃ 11בְּנֵ֧י אַרְוַ֣ד וְחֵילֵ֗ךְ עַל־חוֹמוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ סָבִ֔יב וְגַמָּדִ֖ים בְּמִגְדְּלוֹתַ֣יִךְ הָי֑וּ שִׁלְטֵיהֶ֞ם תִּלּ֤וּ עַל־חוֹמוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ סָבִ֔יב הֵ֖מָּה כָּלְל֥וּ יָפְיֵֽךְ׃
1wayəhî dəḇar-yhwh ʾēlay lēʾmōr. 2wəʾattâ ḇen-ʾāḏām śāʾ ʿal-ṣōr qînâ 3wəʾāmartā ləṣōr hayyōšeḇeṯ ʿal-məḇōʾōṯ yām rōḵeleṯ hāʿammîm ʾel-ʾiyyîm rabbîm kōh ʾāmar ʾăḏōnāy yhwh ṣōr ʾatt ʾāmart ʾănî kəlîlaṯ yōp̄î. 4bəlēḇ yammîm gəḇûlāyiḵ bōnayiḵ kāləlû yop̄yēḵ. 5bərôšîm miśśənîr bānû lāḵ ʾēṯ kol-luḥōṯāyim ʾerez milləḇānôn lāqāḥû laʿăśôṯ tōren ʿālāyiḵ. 6ʾallônîm mibbāšān ʿāśû miššôṭāyiḵ qaršēḵ ʿāśû-šēn baṯ-ʾăšurîm mēʾiyyê kittiyyîm. 7šēš-bəriqmâ mimiṣrayim hāyâ mip̄rāśēḵ lihyôṯ lāḵ lənēs təḵēleṯ wəʾargāmān mēʾiyyê ʾĕlîšâ hāyâ məḵassēḵ. 8yōšəḇê ṣîḏôn wəʾarwaḏ hāyû šāṭîm lāḵ ḥăḵāmayiḵ ṣōr hāyû ḇāḵ hēmmâ ḥōḇəlāyiḵ. 9ziqnê ḡəḇal waḥăḵāmeyhā hāyû ḇāḵ maḥăzîqê biḏqēḵ kol-ʾŏniyyôṯ hayyām ûmallāḥêhem hāyû ḇāḵ laʿărōḇ maʿărāḇēḵ. 10pāras wəlûḏ ûp̄ûṭ hāyû ḇəḥêlēḵ ʾanšê milḥamtēḵ māgēn wəḵôḇaʿ tillû-ḇāḵ hēmmâ nāṯənû hăḏārēḵ. 11bənê ʾarwaḏ wəḥêlēḵ ʿal-ḥômôṯayiḵ sāḇîḇ wəgammāḏîm bəmiḡdəlôṯayiḵ hāyû šilṭêhem tillû ʿal-ḥômôṯayiḵ sāḇîḇ hēmmâ kāləlû yop̄yēḵ.
Key Words
קִינָה qînâ lamentation / dirge
From the root קוּן (qûn), "to chant a dirge," this term designates a formal funeral lament characterized by distinctive meter and mournful tone. In prophetic literature, the qînâ becomes a powerful rhetorical device—announcing judgment while mimicking the form of mourning. Ezekiel employs this genre ironically: Tyre still stands in her glory, yet the prophet sings her funeral song. The form itself becomes prophetic content, declaring that what appears alive is already dead in God's decree. This literary device appears throughout Ezekiel (19:1, 14; 26:17; 27:2, 32; 28:12; 32:2, 16) and establishes the elegiac tone that pervades the oracle against Tyre.
כְּלִילַת kəlîlaṯ perfect / complete
From the root כָּלַל (kālal), "to complete, perfect," this feminine construct form means "perfection of" or "completeness of." The term appears in contexts of absolute beauty or wholeness (Lamentations 2:15; Psalm 50:2). Tyre's self-assessment as kəlîlaṯ yōp̄î ("perfect in beauty") reveals both her genuine magnificence and her fatal hubris. The same root will recur in verses 4 and 11, forming an inclusio around the ship metaphor. What Tyre claims for herself (v. 3), her builders achieve (v. 4), and her mercenaries complete (v. 11)—yet this very perfection becomes the subject of a funeral dirge, suggesting that human completeness apart from God is incomplete indeed.
רֹכֶלֶת rōḵeleṯ merchant / trader
A feminine participle from רָכַל (rāḵal), "to go about as a trader," this term designates one who travels to conduct commerce. The root may be related to Akkadian raggālu ("traveling merchant"). Tyre's identity is inseparable from her commercial activity—she is not merely a city that trades but a "merchant-city" whose very essence is mercantile. The term captures Tyre's role as intermediary between producers and consumers across the Mediterranean world. Later Jewish tradition would use this root for the traveling peddler, but here it denotes the grand scale of international trade. Tyre's commercial genius, which brought her wealth and fame, also made her dependent on the nations she served—a vulnerability God will exploit in her judgment.
בְּרוֹשִׁים bərôšîm fir trees / cypresses
Plural of בְּרוֹשׁ (bərôš), likely referring to cypress or juniper, prized for its straight grain and resistance to decay. These trees from Senir (the Amorite name for Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 3:9) provided the planks for Tyre's metaphorical hull. The choice of materials is not incidental—Ezekiel catalogs the finest resources from across the known world. The bərôš appears in descriptions of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 5:8, 10; 6:15, 34) and in Isaiah's eschatological vision (Isaiah 60:13), linking Tyre's commercial splendor to Israel's sacred architecture. The irony is deliberate: Tyre uses for profit what Israel used for worship, yet both will face divine evaluation.
אֶרֶז ʾerez cedar
The famed cedar of Lebanon, symbol of strength, durability, and majesty throughout the ancient Near East. Cedar wood was the premium building material of antiquity, used for palaces, temples, and ships. The single mast (תֹּרֶן, tōren) of cedar emphasizes both the scale of Tyre's ship and the singularity of her pride—one magnificent mast reaching skyward. The cedar appears throughout Scripture as an image of grandeur (Psalm 92:12; Ezekiel 31:3), often associated with Lebanon's glory. That Tyre imports cedar from Lebanon (Israel's northern neighbor) for her mast underscores her access to the world's finest materials. Yet cedars, however mighty, can be cut down (Isaiah 10:34)—a warning embedded in the very image of Tyre's strength.
אַלּוֹנִים ʾallônîm oaks
Plural of אַלּוֹן (ʾallôn), referring to the mighty oak tree, symbol of strength and endurance. Oaks from Bashan (the fertile plateau east of the Sea of Galilee, famous for its cattle and timber) were fashioned into Tyre's oars. Bashan's oaks were proverbial for their size and strength (Isaiah 2:13; Zechariah 11:2). The choice of Bashan oak for oars is technically astute—oars require wood that is both strong and flexible, able to withstand repeated stress. The geographical specificity continues Ezekiel's catalog of Tyre's international supply chain. Each material comes from its optimal source, demonstrating both Tyre's discernment and her dependence on a network she cannot ultimately control.
שֵׁשׁ־בְּרִקְמָה šēš-bəriqmâ fine embroidered linen
A compound phrase: שֵׁשׁ (šēš), "fine linen," and בְּרִקְמָה (bəriqmâ), "embroidered work" from the root רָקַם (rāqam), "to variegate, embroider." Egyptian linen was the finest in the ancient world, and embroidered linen represented the apex of textile craftsmanship. That this becomes Tyre's נֵס (nēs, "ensign" or "banner") indicates it served both functional and symbolic purposes—the sail propelled the ship and announced its identity. The same term šēš appears in descriptions of the tabernacle curtains (Exodus 26:1, 31, 36) and priestly garments (Exodus 28:5-6), again linking commercial and sacred spheres. Tyre's sail is her flag, her brand, her public face—and it comes from Egypt, not from her own production.
חֹבְלָיִךְ ḥōḇəlāyiḵ your sailors / pilots
From the root חָבַל (ḥāḇal), "to bind" or "to pledge," this term came to mean "sailor" or "ship's pilot," perhaps from the binding of ropes or the joining of ship's company. The wise men of Tyre herself serve as her sailors, suggesting that navigation and seamanship require wisdom, not merely skill. This is the first mention of Tyre's own citizens in the catalog—up to this point, all materials and even rowers have come from elsewhere. The term appears again in verse 27-29, where these same sailors will wail at Tyre's destruction. The pilot metaphor resonates with the ship imagery: Tyre's wise men steer the ship of state, but they cannot navigate around the judgment of God.
Grammar & Argument

The passage unfolds as a carefully structured funeral lament (qînâ) that paradoxically celebrates what it mourns. Verses 1-2 provide the prophetic commission: Ezekiel is commanded

Ezekiel 27:12-25a

Tyre's Extensive Trade Network and Commercial Partners

LSB Text
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. 13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. 14Those from Beth-togarmah paid for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules. 15The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. 16Aram 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. 17Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and balm they paid for your merchandise. 18Damascus 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. 19Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. 20Dedan was your trader in saddlecloths for riding. 21Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams, and goats; for these they were your customers. 22The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices, and with all kinds of precious stones and gold. 23Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad were your traders. 24They were your traders in choice garments, in clothes of violet and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise. 25The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise.
Greek Text
12תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ סֹחַרְתֵּ֖ךְ מֵרֹ֣ב כָּל־ה֑וֹן בְּכֶ֤סֶף בַּרְזֶל֙ בְּדִ֣יל וְעוֹפֶ֔רֶת נָתְנ֖וּ עִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ 13יָוָ֤ן תֻּבַל֙ וָמֶ֔שֶׁךְ הֵ֖מָּה רֹכְלָ֑יִךְ בְּנֶ֤פֶשׁ אָדָם֙ וּכְלֵ֣י נְחֹ֔שֶׁת נָתְנ֖וּ מַעֲרָבֵֽךְ׃ 14מִבֵּ֖ית תּוֹגַרְמָ֑ה סוּסִ֤ים וּפָֽרָשִׁים֙ וּפְרָדִ֔ים נָתְנ֖וּ עִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ 15בְּנֵ֤י דְדָן֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ אִיִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים סְחֹרַ֣ת יָדֵ֑ךְ קַרְנ֥וֹת שֵׁן֙ וְהָבְנִ֔ים הֵשִׁ֖יבוּ אֶשְׁכָּרֵֽךְ׃ 16אֲרָ֥ם סֹחַרְתֵּ֖ךְ מֵרֹ֣ב מַעֲשָׂ֑יִךְ בְּ֠נֹפֶךְ אַרְגָּמָ֨ן וְרִקְמָ֤ה וּבוּץ֙ וְרָאמֹ֣ת וְכַדְכֹּ֔ד נָתְנ֖וּ בְּעִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ 17יְהוּדָה֙ וְאֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֵ֖מָּה רֹכְלָ֑יִךְ בְּחִטֵּ֣י מִ֠נִּית וּפַנַּ֨ג וּדְבַ֤שׁ וָשֶׁ֙מֶן֙ וָצֹ֔רִי נָתְנ֖וּ מַעֲרָבֵֽךְ׃ 18דַּמֶּ֧שֶׂק סֹחַרְתֵּ֛ךְ בְּרֹ֥ב מַעֲשַׂ֖יִךְ מֵרֹ֣ב כָּל־ה֑וֹן בְּיֵ֥ין חֶלְבּ֖וֹן וְצֶ֥מֶר צָֽחַר׃ 19וְדָ֤ן וְיָוָן֙ מְאוּזָּ֔ל בְּעִזְבוֹנַ֖יִךְ נָתָ֑נּוּ בַּרְזֶ֤ל עָשׁוֹת֙ קִדָּ֣ה וְקָנֶ֔ה בְּמַעֲרָבֵ֖ךְ הָיָֽה׃ 20דְּדָ֕ן רֹכַלְתֵּ֖ךְ בְּבִגְדֵי־חֹ֥פֶשׁ לְרִכְבָּֽה׃ 21עֲרַב֙ וְכָל־נְשִׂיאֵ֣י קֵדָ֔ר הֵ֖מָּה סֹחֲרֵ֣י יָדֵ֑ךְ בְּכָרִ֤ים וְאֵילִים֙ וְעַתּוּדִ֔ים בָּ֖ם סֹחֲרָֽיִךְ׃ 22רֹכְלֵ֤י שְׁבָא֙ וְרַעְמָ֔ה הֵ֖מָּה רֹכְלָ֑יִךְ בְּרֹ֨אשׁ כָּל־בֹּ֜שֶׂם וּבְכָל־אֶ֤בֶן יְקָרָה֙ וְזָהָ֔ב נָתְנ֖וּ עִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ 23חָרָ֤ן וְכַנֵּה֙ וָעֶ֔דֶן רֹכְלֵ֖י שְׁבָ֑א אַשּׁ֥וּר כִּלְמַ֖ד רֹכַלְתֵּֽךְ׃ 24הֵ֤מָּה רֹכְלַ֙יִךְ֙ בְּמַכְלֻלִ֔ים בִּגְלוֹמֵי֙ תְּכֵ֣לֶת וְרִקְמָ֔ה וּבְגִנְזֵ֖י בְּרֹמִ֑ים בַּחֲבָלִ֧ים חֲבֻשִׁ֛ים וַאֲרֻזִ֖ים בְּמַרְכֻלְתֵּֽךְ׃ 25אֳנִיּ֣וֹת תַּרְשִׁ֔ישׁ שָׁרוֹתַ֖יִךְ מַעֲרָבֵ֑ךְ
12taršîš sōḥartēk mērōb kol-hôn bǝkesef barzɛl bǝḏîl wǝʿôpɛrɛt nāṯǝnû ʿizǝbônāyik. 13yāwān tubal wāmɛšɛk hēmmâ rōkǝlāyik bǝnɛpɛš ʾāḏām ûkǝlê nǝḥōšɛt nāṯǝnû maʿărābēk. 14mibbêṯ tôḡarmâ sûsîm ûpārāšîm ûpǝrāḏîm nāṯǝnû ʿizǝbônāyik. 15bǝnê ḏǝḏān rōkǝlayik ʾiyyîm rabbîm sǝḥōraṯ yāḏēk qarnôṯ šēn wǝhobnim hēšîbû ʾɛškārēk. 16ʾărām sōḥartēk mērōb maʿăśāyik bǝnōpɛk ʾargāmān wǝriqmâ ûbûṣ wǝrāʾmōṯ wǝkaḏkōḏ nāṯǝnû bǝʿizǝbônāyik. 17yǝhûḏâ wǝʾɛrɛṣ yiśrāʾēl hēmmâ rōkǝlāyik bǝḥiṭṭê minnîṯ ûpannag ûḏǝbaš wāšɛmɛn wāṣōrî nāṯǝnû maʿărābēk. 18dammɛśɛq sōḥartēk bǝrōb maʿăśayik mērōb kol-hôn bǝyên ḥɛlbôn wǝṣɛmɛr ṣāḥar. 19wǝḏān wǝyāwān mǝʾuzzāl bǝʿizǝbônayik nāṯānnû barzɛl ʿāšôṯ qiddâ wǝqānɛ bǝmaʿărābēk hāyâ. 20dǝḏān rōkaltēk bǝbiḡḏê-ḥōpɛš lǝrikbâ. 21ʿărab wǝkol-nǝśîʾê qēḏār hēmmâ sōḥărê yāḏēk bǝkārîm wǝʾêlîm wǝʿattûḏîm bām sōḥărayik. 22rōkǝlê šǝbāʾ wǝraʿmâ hēmmâ rōkǝlāyik bǝrōʾš kol-bōśɛm ûbǝkol-ʾɛbɛn yǝqārâ wǝzāhāb nāṯǝnû ʿizǝbônāyik. 23ḥārān wǝkannē wāʿɛḏɛn rōkǝlê šǝbāʾ ʾaššûr kilmaḏ rōkaltēk. 24hēmmâ rōkǝlayik bǝmaklulîm biḡlômê tǝkēlɛt wǝriqmâ ûbǝḡinzê bǝrōmîm baḥăbālîm ḥăbušîm waʾăruzîm bǝmarkultēk. 25ʾoniyyôṯ taršîš šārôṯayik maʿărābēk
Key Words
סֹחַרְתֵּךְ sōḥartēk your customer / your trader
From the root סָחַר (sāḥar), meaning "to go around, travel about for trade." The feminine participle with second-person suffix indicates "your female trader" or "your trading partner," personifying commercial relationships. This term appears throughout Ezekiel 27 to describe Tyre's extensive mercantile network. The root conveys the itinerant nature of ancient Near Eastern commerce, where merchants traveled circuits to exchange goods. Tyre's genius lay in becoming the hub where these traveling traders converged, transforming the city into the ancient world's premier entrepôt.
עִזְבוֹנָיִךְ ʿizǝbônāyik your wares / your merchandise
Derived from עָזַב (ʿāzab), "to leave, forsake," this noun refers to goods "left behind" in exchange—merchandise or traded wares. The term appears repeatedly in this passage (vv. 12, 14, 16, 33) as a technical commercial vocabulary. The etymology suggests the transactional nature of trade: one party "leaves" goods with another in exchange for different commodities. In Tyre's case, the sheer variety of ʿizǝbônîm—from metals to spices to textiles—demonstrates the city's role as a clearinghouse for the entire Mediterranean and Near Eastern world.
רֹכְלָיִךְ rōkǝlāyik your traders / your merchants
Masculine plural participle of רָכַל (rākal), "to go about as a trader, peddle." The term designates itinerant merchants or trading agents who acted as intermediaries. Unlike sōḥartēk (trading partner/customer), rōkǝlāyik emphasizes the active agents who physically transported goods. The word appears in verses 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, and 24, highlighting different ethnic and geographic groups who served as Tyre's commercial representatives. The distinction between these terms reveals the sophistication of Tyre's commercial vocabulary and the complexity of its multi-tiered trading system.
מַעֲרָבֵךְ maʿărābēk your merchandise / your exchange
From עָרַב (ʿārab), "to exchange, barter, pledge," this noun denotes goods offered in trade or commercial exchange. The term emphasizes the reciprocal nature of commerce—the back-and-forth of barter and negotiation. Used in verses 9, 13, 17, 19, 25, 27, 33, and 34, it forms part of Ezekiel's dense commercial lexicon. The root ʿārab also carries connotations of "mixing" or "mingling," appropriate for a trading hub where diverse peoples, languages, and commodities intermingled. Tyre's maʿărābēk represented not merely goods but the cultural and economic fusion that characterized ancient globalization.
בְּרֹאשׁ bǝrōʾš with the best / with the chief
Literally "with the head" or "at the head," this prepositional phrase (bǝ + rōʾš) indicates the finest or choicest quality. In verse 22, it describes the "best of all kinds of spices" that Sheba and Raamah brought to Tyre. The idiom reflects the hierarchical thinking of ancient commerce, where goods were ranked by quality and value. Tyre's ability to command rōʾš—the premier, top-tier products—from distant Arabia demonstrates its economic power and the prestige associated with supplying the Phoenician metropolis. The term appears throughout Scripture to denote primacy, whether temporal, spatial, or qualitative.
בְּמַכְלֻלִים bǝmaklulîm in choice garments / in perfection
From כָּלַל (kālal), "to complete, perfect," this plural noun with preposition denotes items of perfection or completeness—hence "choice" or "perfect" garments. The term appears only here in verse 24, describing the luxury textiles traded by Mesopotamian merchants. The root suggests not merely high quality but aesthetic and functional completeness—garments that lack nothing, that represent the pinnacle of the weaver's art. This rare word contributes to Ezekiel's portrait of Tyre as a market for the world's most exquisite and finished products, where only perfection sufficed.
שָׁרוֹתַיִךְ šārôṯayik your carriers / your caravans
Feminine plural participle of שׁוּר (šûr), "to travel, go," with second-person suffix. The term designates the ships or caravans that "traveled" or "carried" Tyre's merchandise. In verse 25, "the ships of Tarshish" are called šārôṯayik, emphasizing their function as carriers of commerce. The root šûr appears in various forms meaning "to see, look at" or "to travel about," suggesting both observation and movement. These great
Grammar & Argument

Ezekiel 27:25b-36

Tyre's Destruction and the Lament of the Nations

LSB Text
25bYou were filled and were very glorious in the heart of the seas. 26Your rowers have brought you into great waters; the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. 27Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors and your pilots, your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall. 28At the sound of the cry of your pilots the pasture lands will shake. 29And all who handle the oar, the sailors and all the pilots of the sea will come down from their ships; they will stand on the land, 30and they will make their voice heard over you and will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads; they will wallow in ashes. 31Also they will make themselves bald for you and gird themselves with sackcloth; and they will weep for you in bitterness of soul with bitter lamentation. 32Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you and lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, like her who is silenced in the midst of the sea? 33When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise you enriched the kings of earth. 34Now that you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company have fallen in your midst. 35All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in countenance. 36The traders among the peoples hiss at you; you have become terrified and you will be no more forever.'"
Greek Text
25bוַתִּמָּלְאִ֧י וַתִּכְבְּדִ֛י מְאֹ֖ד בְּלֵ֥ב יַמִּֽים׃ 26בְּמַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ הֱבִיא֔וּךְ הַשָּׁטִ֖ים אֹתָ֑ךְ ר֚וּחַ הַקָּדִ֔ים שְׁבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּלֵ֥ב יַמִּֽים׃ 27הוֹנֵ֨ךְ וְעִזְבוֹנַ֜יִךְ מַעֲרָבֵ֗ךְ מַלָּחַ֤יִךְ וְחֹבְלַ֙יִךְ֙ מַחֲזִיקֵ֣י בִדְקֵ֔ךְ וְעֹרְבֵ֣י מַעֲרָבֵ֔ךְ וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֵּ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑ךְ וּבְכָל־קְהָלֵךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתוֹכֵ֔ךְ יִפְּלוּ֙ בְּלֵ֣ב יַמִּ֔ים בְּי֖וֹם מַפַּלְתֵּֽךְ׃ 28לְק֖וֹל זַעֲקַ֣ת חֹבְלָ֑יִךְ יִרְעֲשׁ֖וּ מִגְרָשֽׁוֹת׃ 29וְֽיָרְד֞וּ מֵאָנִיּֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּ֚ל תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י מָשׁ֔וֹט מַלָּחִ֕ים כֹּ֖ל חֹבְלֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ יַעֲמֹֽדוּ׃ 30וְהִשְׁמִ֤יעוּ עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ בְּקוֹלָ֔ם וְיִזְעֲק֖וּ מָרָ֑ה וְיַעֲל֤וּ עָפָר֙ עַל־רָ֣אשֵׁיהֶ֔ם בָּאֵ֖פֶר יִתְפַּלָּֽשׁוּ׃ 31וְהִקְרִ֤יחוּ אֵלַ֙יִךְ֙ קָרְחָ֔ה וְחָגְר֖וּ שַׂקִּ֑ים וּבָכ֥וּ אֵלַ֛יִךְ בְּמַר־נֶ֖פֶשׁ מִסְפֵּ֥ד מָֽר׃ 32וְנָשְׂא֨וּ אֵלַ֤יִךְ בְּנִיהֶם֙ קִינָ֔ה וְקוֹנְנ֖וּ עָלָ֑יִךְ מִ֣י כְצ֔וֹר כְּדֻמָ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃ 33בְּצֵ֤את עִזְבוֹנַ֙יִךְ֙ מִיַּמִּ֔ים הִשְׂבַּ֖עַתְּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים בְּרֹ֧ב הוֹנַ֛יִךְ וּמַעֲרָבַ֖יִךְ הֶעֱשַׁ֥רְתְּ מַלְכֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ 34עֵ֛ת נִשְׁבֶּ֥רֶת מִיַּמִּ֖ים בְּמַֽעֲמַקֵּי־מָ֑יִם מַעֲרָבֵ֥ךְ וְכָל־קְהָלֵ֖ךְ בְּתוֹכֵ֥ךְ נָפָֽלוּ׃ 35כֹּ֚ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאִיִּ֔ים שָׁמְמ֖וּ עָלָ֑יִךְ וּמַלְכֵיהֶם֙ שָׂ֣עֲרוּ שַׂ֔עַר רָעֲמ֖וּ פָּנִֽים׃ 36סֹֽחֲרִים֙ בָּ֣עַמִּ֔ים שָׁרְק֖וּ עָלָ֑יִךְ בַּלָּה֣וֹת הָיִ֔ית וְאֵינֵ֖ךְ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ ס
25bwattimmāleʾî wattikbedî meʾōd bĕlēb yammîm. 26bĕmayim rabbîm hĕbîʾûk haššāṭîm ʾōtāk rûaḥ haqqādîm šĕbārek bĕlēb yammîm. 27hônēk wĕʿizbônayik maʿărābēk mallāḥayik wĕḥōbĕlayik maḥăzîqê bidqēk wĕʿōrĕbê maʿărābēk wĕkol-ʾanšê milḥamtēk ʾăšer-bāk ûbĕkol-qĕhālēk ʾăšer bĕtôkēk yippĕlû bĕlēb yammîm bĕyôm mappaltēk. 28lĕqôl zaʿăqat ḥōbĕlāyik yirʿăšû migrāšôt. 29wĕyārĕdû mēʾŏniyyôtêhem kōl tōpĕśê māšôṭ mallāḥîm kōl ḥōbĕlê hayyām ʾel-hāʾāreṣ yaʿămōdû. 30wĕhišmîʿû ʿālayik bĕqôlām wĕyizʿăqû mārâ wĕyaʿălû ʿāpār ʿal-rōʾšêhem bāʾēper yitpallāšû. 31wĕhiqrîḥû ʾēlayik qorḥâ wĕḥāgĕrû śaqqîm ûbākû ʾēlayik bĕmar-nepeš mispēd mār. 32wĕnāśĕʾû ʾēlayik bĕnîhem qînâ wĕqônĕnû ʿālāyik mî kĕṣôr kĕdumâ bĕtôk hayyām. 33bĕṣēʾt ʿizbônayik miyyammîm hiśbaʿat ʿammîm rabbîm bĕrōb hônayik ûmaʿărābayik heʿĕšart malkê-ʾāreṣ. 34ʿēt nišberet miyyammîm bĕmaʿămaqê-māyim maʿărābēk wĕkol-qĕhālēk bĕtôkēk nāpālû. 35kōl yōšĕbê hāʾiyyîm šāmĕmû ʿālāyik ûmalkêhem śāʿărû śaʿar rāʿămû pānîm. 36sōḥărîm bāʿammîm šārĕqû ʿālāyik ballāhôt hāyît wĕʾênēk ʿad-ʿôlām.
Key Words
כָּבֵד kābed to be heavy / glorious / honored
This root conveys both physical weight and metaphorical glory or honor. In the niphal and hiphil stems, it frequently describes the manifestation of divine glory (kabod) or human splendor. Tyre's glory is described using this verb in verse 25b, emphasizing that her magnificence was not merely aesthetic but carried substantial weight in the ancient Near Eastern economy. The irony is palpable: the same "heaviness" that made her glorious will cause her to sink into the depths. The term anticipates the New Testament concept of "weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17), where true kabod belongs to God alone.
רוּחַ הַקָּדִים rûaḥ haqqādîm east wind
The east wind in biblical literature is consistently portrayed as destructive and withering, originating from the desert regions east of Israel. This meteorological phenomenon serves as a divine instrument of judgment throughout Scripture. In Genesis 41:6, the east wind destroys Pharaoh's grain; in Exodus 10:13, it brings locusts; in Jonah 4:8, it scorches the prophet. Here in Ezekiel 27:26, the east wind becomes Yahweh's weapon against Tyre's maritime empire, demonstrating that even the greatest naval power is helpless before the Creator's breath. The term rûaḥ itself means both "wind" and "spirit," suggesting that natural forces are never merely natural when God is sovereign.
מַפֶּלֶת mappelet fall / downfall / ruin
Derived from the root nāpal (to fall), this noun describes catastrophic collapse rather than mere stumbling. The term appears in contexts of military defeat and divine judgment, emphasizing totality and finality. In verse 27, the "day of your fall" (yôm mappaltēk) echoes the prophetic tradition of the "Day of Yahweh," when human pride is brought low. The maritime imagery intensifies the concept: everything that made Tyre great—wealth, merchandise, warriors—will plunge into the heart of the seas. This is not gradual decline but sudden, irreversible destruction, a theme that reverberates through Revelation 18's description of Babylon's fall.
קִינָה qînâ lamentation / dirge / funeral song
This technical term designates a formal lament or funeral dirge, typically characterized by a distinctive 3:2 meter in Hebrew poetry. The qînâ was a recognized literary genre in ancient Israel, performed by professional mourners (often women) at funerals and national disasters. Jeremiah is called to take up a qînâ for Judah (Jeremiah 9:10), and the entire book of Lamentations exemplifies this genre. In Ezekiel 27:32, the nations themselves become mourners, composing a qînâ for Tyre. The prophet's use of this form is deeply ironic: he performs a funeral for a city not yet dead, demonstrating that prophetic word precedes and determines historical reality.
שָׁמֵם šāmēm to be desolate / appalled / devastated
This verb captures both physical desolation and psychological horror. In its various stems, šāmēm describes land laid waste, cities destroyed, and people stunned into silence by catastrophe. The term appears frequently in Ezekiel's oracles of judgment, where it describes the aftermath of divine wrath. In verse 35, the coastland inhabitants are "appalled" (šāmĕmû) at Tyre's destruction, experiencing vicarious trauma as they witness the fall of what seemed invincible. The word suggests not merely sadness but existential shock—the collapse of a world order. This semantic range makes it particularly apt for describing reactions to apocalyptic judgment.
שָׁרַק šāraq to hiss / whistle / mock
This onomatopoetic verb imitates the sound of hissing or whistling, used in contexts of scorn, astonishment, or derision. In Deuteronomy 28:37, Israel is warned they will become an object of hissing among the nations if they break covenant. In Jeremiah 19:8, Jerusalem will be hissed at by passersby. The sound itself conveys contempt mixed with shock. In Ezekiel 27:36, the traders "hiss" at Tyre, expressing both horror at her fate and perhaps satisfaction that a commercial rival has fallen. The term captures the complex emotions of those who witness divine judgment: fear, relief, and the grim satisfaction of seeing the mighty brought low.
בַּלָּהוֹת ballāhôt terrors / sudden destruction
This plural noun, from the root bālah (to terrify or wear out), denotes overwhelming terrors or calamities that reduce something to nothing. The term appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, always in contexts of complete destruction. In verse 36, Tyre has "become terrors" (ballāhôt hāyît)—she is transformed from a subject of admiration into an object lesson in divine judgment. The phrase "you will be no more forever" (wĕʾênēk ʿad-ʿôlām) provides the ultimate finality: not gradual decline but absolute cessation of existence. This vocabulary anticipates eschatological language about the fate of God's enemies, where temporal judgment foreshadows eternal consequences.
Grammar & Argument

The structure of verses 25b-36 follows a classic prophetic pattern: announcement of judgment (vv. 25b-27), cosmic response (v. 28), human lamentation (vv. 29-32), and final verdict (vv. 33-36). The pivot occurs at verse 25b with the adversative "You were filled and were very glorious"—the perfect tense establishes Tyre's past glory as the backdrop for her imminent destruction. The east wind of verse 26 functions as the divine agent, personified as the instrument that "breaks" (šābar) Tyre in the heart of the seas. This verb choice is significant: šābar denotes violent fracturing, not gradual erosion. The repetition of "in the heart of the seas" (bĕlēb yammîm) in verses 25, 26, and 27 creates a refrain that emphasizes the irony—the very element that made Tyre great becomes her grave.

Verses 27-28 employ an exhaustive catalog technique, listing every category of person and possession that will fall with Tyre: wealth, wares, merchandise, sailors, pilots, repairers, dealers, warriors, and "all your company." The accumulation is rhetorical overkill, driving home the totality of the catastrophe. The phrase "on the day of your fall" (bĕyôm mappaltēk) introduces temporal specificity—this is not hypothetical but scheduled judgment. Verse 28's image of pasture lands shaking at the cry of the pilots extends the disaster beyond the maritime realm into the terrestrial, suggesting cosmic upheaval. The verb rāʿaš (to quake) typically describes earthquake or theophany, elevating Tyre's fall to an event of theological significance.

The lamentation section (vv. 29-32) shifts from third-person description to dramatic enactment. The mari