Introduction
The LORD is not yet finished with Tyre. As a result of the pride and complacency of Tyre and the fall that follows, Ezekiel is to take up a lamentation over Tyre. This lamentation is followed up in Ezekiel 28 with the lamentation over the king of Tyre.
1 - 3 The Haughtiness of Tyre
1 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying,
2 “And you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre;
3 and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
“O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’
The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel (verse 1). He is commanded to take up a lamentation over Tyre (verse 2). That instead of a jubilation a lamentation over the fall of Tyre is to be heard shows that God is not pleased with the death of the sinner. Ezekiel is to tell Tyre what the occasion for this lamentation is (verse 3). First He mentions the place of settlement and then her occupations. Her place is very strategic and her occupations are in keeping with it. Tyre is the center of world trade in those days.
The location and occupations of Tyre serve only one thing and that is the honor and glory of Tyre herself. Full of haughtiness, she beats her breast and boasts of being “perfect in beauty” (cf. Eze 27:3,4,11; 28:7,12,17). She moderates attributes that God bestows on Jerusalem (Psa 48:1-2; 50:2; Eze 16:14). Where bystanders say of Jerusalem that she is “the perfection of beauty” (Lam 2:15), Tyre says this about herself. Therefore, God must judge Tyre, for “God is opposed to the proud” (Jam 4:6).
4 - 11 Description of the Ship
4 “Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 “They have made all [your] planks of fir trees from Senir;
They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6 “Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars;
With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus.
7 “Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
So that it became your distinguishing mark;
Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah.
8 “The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.
9 “The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams;
All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise.
10 “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor.
11 The 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.
In these verses, the LORD describes the wealth of Tyre in a parable. He compares Tyre and her development to a beautifully rigged, luxurious ship sailing on the high seas with the wind full in its sails. This picture fits well with the city built on a rocky island. No expense was spared in building the ship to make her “beauty perfect” (verse 4). It is a beautiful ship. However, there is a fatal lack: the LORD is not on board. That is why it suffers shipwreck, despite all the solid and beautiful materials and all the skilled helmsmen and ‘maintenance technicians’.
The wood for the floors comes from cypress trees from Senir (verse 5). The masts are made of cedar from Lebanon. Cedar wood was used by King Solomon for paneling the inner walls of the temple and for the construction of his own house (1Kgs 6:15; 7:2). All building materials are chosen and used with care. Oak wood from Bashan is used for the oars, while ivory is used for the planks, which are inlaid with cypress wood from the coastlands of Cyprus (verse 6).
The famous Egyptian linen is used for the sails (verse 7). That colorfully embroidered fine linen is normally used for costly clothing. It makes the sails a banner, a gracefully flapping flag, which increases the distinguishedness of the ship. The deck tents or staterooms, the sleeping quarters for the common sailor, are also furnished with the most magnificent fabrics from the coastal lands of Elishah.
The rowers were also recruited with care (verse 8). The people of Sidon and Arvad are known at this time as excellent pilots. The pilots are men who sail the seas with wisdom. They know the best sailing routes like no other. Even the maintenance department on board consists of experienced and skilled people (verse 9). If there is a leak, they know how to plug it immediately and adequately. All the ships and their crews are eager to come alongside and trade with the flagship Tyre. To protect its flourishing trade and prosperity, Tyre also employs soldiers (verses 10-11). By doing so, they believe they can ensure their perfect beauty.
12 - 25 The Trade Relations
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.
13 Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise.
14 Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares.
15 The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.
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.
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.
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.
19 Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise.
20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams and goats; for these they were your customers.
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.
23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur [and] Chilmad traded with you.
24 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.
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.
These verses give an impressive list of countries and cities with which Tyre had trade relations. It shows the enormous influence of Tyre in a wide area. In the middle of that list are also Judah and Israel (verse 17). The merchandise consists of every possible commodity from which something can be earned, such as food, spices, fabrics, (precious) metals, animals and even people (cf. Rev 18:3).
Trading as an occupation or profession is not wrong. The Lord Jesus exhorts us to do business with our means (Lk 19:12-13). This is true in both material and spiritual terms. For us, it is about not to store up for ourselves “treasures on earth” but “treasures in heaven” (Mt 6:19-20).
The whole impressive exhibition of luxury and prosperity in the above verses seems to indicate that nothing can disturb Tyre’s happiness. Her prosperity can only get more and better. However, Tyre will experience how foolish it is to rely on the uncertainty of wealth (1Tim 6:17a). We also see this foolishness in the world, where high stakes are placed on economic growth. The pursuit of more will be punished mercilessly one day.
We see in the detailed listing of trade activities that God knows all the ways and all the actions of Tyre. He knows where she has been and what she has done there. In the enumeration, He holds up to Tyre that He has seen everything and also that she has done everything purely for her own sake and with an attitude as if she were God. Thus God will confront each person with his actions and with his mind and judge him accordingly (Rev 20:12).
26 - 36 The Shipwreck
26 “Your rowers have brought you
Into great waters;
The east wind has broken you
In the heart of the seas.
27 “Your 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 overthrow.
28 “At the sound of the cry of your pilots
The pasture lands will shake.
29 “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,
30 And they will make their voice heard over you
And will cry bitterly.
They will cast dust on their heads,
They will wallow in ashes.
31 “Also they will make themselves bald for you
And gird themselves with sackcloth;
And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul
With bitter mourning.
32 “Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you
And lament over you:
‘Who is like Tyre,
Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?
33 ‘When 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.
34 ‘Now that you are broken by the seas
In the depths of the waters,
Your merchandise and all your company
Have fallen in the midst of you.
35 ‘All the inhabitants of the coastlands
Are appalled at you,
And their kings are horribly afraid;
They are troubled in countenance.
36 ‘The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.’”‘“
In these verses the LORD also uses the picture of the ship for Tyre to represent judgment on her. The downfall of Tyre is represented by a shipwreck caused by an east wind (verse 26). The east wind is a picture of Nebuchadnezzar coming to destroy Tyre. The contrast in this verse is striking. The first part describes the actions of man, to what the rowers of Tyre were capable of. In the second part, we see God’s hand coming on Tyre in judgment that strikes her right in the heart of her pride.
Because of the shipwreck, the ship and its entire cargo will perish (verse 27). There will be desperation among all those who labored on the ship for the prosperity of Tyre (verses 28-34). There will be dismay among all who traded with her (verse 35), while the competitors will show their disgust with gloating (verse 36).
The wise men of Tyre (verse 8) who steered the ship were unable to prevent the shipwreck. Only God can give wisdom to go through this life without suffering shipwreck. In a spiritual sense, Christians can suffer shipwreck concerning their faith if they reject a good conscience (1Tim 1:19; Acts 24:16).
Faith will suffer shipwreck if material prosperity takes hold of us and we silence our conscience. Economic growth is also today the highest goal in the lives of countless people. This leads to a life of independence from God, which is essentially pride. And “pride [goes] before destruction” (Pro 16:18).