What does Ezechiel Chapter 27 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Tyre’s construction lists materials and workers. Trade names remain exact and gemstones uncertain. The south wind precedes a maritime lament.

Chapter breakdown

Ezechiel 27 laments Tyre's boast of perfect beauty at the sea's entry, a mart for many islands. Neighbors build with Sanir fir sea planks and Libanus cedar masts. The edition explains sea planks as timber brought by sea to build the city. Basan oak oars, Indian ivory benches and cabins furnished from Italian islands accompany Egyptian embroidered linen sails and blue and purple Elisa coverings. Sidon inhabitants and Arabians row, Tyre's wise men pilot and Gebal's ancients supply mariners for the furniture; sea ships and mariners are factors. Persians, Lydians and Libyans serve as soldiers with bucklers and helmets, Arad men stand on walls and Pygmeans hang quivers in towers. The edition explains Pygmeans as strong, valiant men, Hebrew Gammadim. Arabians must not become Arad rowers, and Gebal's service is not specified as seam caulking.

Carthage supplies silver, iron, tin and lead. Greece, Thubal and Mosoch bring slaves and brass vessels; Thogorma brings horses, horsemen and mules; Dedan ivory teeth and ebony. Syria offers precious stones, purple, embroidery, linen, silk and chodchod, whose stone identity the edition expressly leaves disputed. Juda and Israel bring best corn, balm, honey, oil and rosin, and Damascus rich wine and best-colored wool. Dan, Greece and Mosel bring wrought iron, stacte and calamus; Dedan seat tapestry; Arabia and Cedar lambs, rams and kids; Saba and Reema spices, stones and gold. Haran, Chene, Eden, Saba, Assur and Chelmad trade blue and embroidered cloth and precious riches bound with cords, with cedars also in merchandise. Ships are chief in this trade. Emeralds, ruby or carbuncle identification of chodchod, Helbon wine, white wool and medicinal efficacy are not added.

Rowers bring Tyre to great waters and the south wind breaks her. Riches, furniture, mariners, pilots, soldiers and the multitude fall in the sea; fleets are troubled by pilots' cries. Oar-handlers come ashore, mourn, cast dust and ashes, shave bald and wear haircloth. Their song contrasts a city enriching peoples and kings with riches now beneath water and a fallen multitude. Islanders and kings are astonished and merchants hiss at her disappearance. The lament does not disclose the rowers' private pride or prove a universal instant economic-collapse doctrine.

The story inside

Opening: Tyre’s construction lists materials and workers. Development: Trade names remain exact and gemstones uncertain. Conclusion: The south wind precedes a maritime lament.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Tyre’s construction lists materials and workers.
2
Trade names remain exact and gemstones uncertain.
3
The south wind precedes a maritime lament.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 94174–94184
27:3. And say to Tyre that dwelleth at the entry of the sea, being the mart of the people for many islands: Thus saith the Lord God: O Tyre, thou hast said: I am of perfect beauty, 27:4. And situate in the heart of the sea. Thy neighbours, that built thee, have perfected thy beauty: 27:5. With fir trees of Sanir they have built thee with all sea planks: they have taken cedars from Libanus to make thee masts. Sea planks.... That is, timber brought by sea to build the city.
Lines 94205–94209
27:11. The men of Arad were with thy army upon thy walls round about: the Pygmeans also that were in thy towers, hung up their quivers on thy walls round about: they perfected thy beauty. Pygmeans.... That is, strong and valiant men. In Hebrew, Gammadim.
Lines 94224–94229
27:16. The Syrian was thy merchant: by reason of the multitude of thy works, they set forth precious stones, and purple, and broidered works, and fine linen, and silk, and chodchod in thy market. Chodchod.... It is the Hebrew name for some precious stone; but of what kind in particular interpreters are not agreed.
Lines 94231–94237
27:17. Juda and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants with the best corn: they set forth balm, and honey, and oil and rosin in thy fairs. 27:18. The men of Damascus were thy merchants in the multitude of thy works, in the multitude of divers riches, in rich wine, in wool of the best colour.
Lines 94263–94270
27:26. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the south wind hath broken thee in the heart of the sea. 27:27. Thy riches, and thy treasures, and thy manifold furniture, thy mariners, and thy pilots, who kept thy goods, and were chief over thy people: thy men of war also, that were in thee, with all thy multitude that is in the midst of thee: shall fall in the heart of the sea in the day of thy ruin.
Lines 94294–94303
27:34. Now thou art destroyed by the sea, thy riches are in the bottom of the waters, and all the multitude that was in the midst of thee is fallen. 27:35. All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at thee: and all their kings being struck with the storm have changed their countenance. 27:36. The merchants of people have hissed at thee: thou art brought to nothing, and thou shalt never be any more.