Ezekiel 27:1--28:26

A Lament for Tyre

27:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 27:2 “You, son of man, sing a lament for Tyre. ¹  27:3 Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance ²  of the sea, ³  merchant to the peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfectly beautiful.”

27:4 ⁴ Your borders are in the heart of the seas;

your builders have perfected your beauty.

27:5 They crafted ⁵  all your planks out of fir trees from Senir; ⁶ 

they took a cedar from Lebanon to make your mast.

27:6 They made your oars from oaks of Bashan;

they made your deck ⁷  with cypresses ⁸  from the Kittean isles. ⁹ 

27:7 Fine linen from Egypt, woven with patterns, was used for your sail

to serve as your banner;

blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah ¹⁰  was used for your deck’s awning.

27:8 The leaders ¹¹  of Sidon ¹²  and Arvad ¹³  were your rowers;

your skilled ¹⁴  men, O Tyre, were your captains.

27:9 The elders of Gebal ¹⁵  and her skilled men were within you, mending cracks; ¹⁶ 

all the ships of the sea and their mariners were within you to trade for your merchandise. ¹⁷ 

27:10 Men of Persia, Lud, ¹⁸  and Put were in your army, men of war.

They hung shield and helmet on you; they gave you your splendor.

27:11 The Arvadites ¹⁹  joined your army on your walls all around,

and the Gammadites ²⁰  were in your towers.

They hung their quivers ²¹  on your walls all around;

they perfected your beauty.

27:12 “‘Tarshish ²²  was your trade partner because of your abundant wealth; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products. 27:13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your clients; they exchanged slaves and bronze items for your merchandise. 27:14 Beth Togarmah exchanged horses, chargers, ²³  and mules for your products. 27:15 The Dedanites ²⁴  were your clients. Many coastlands were your customers; they paid ²⁵  you with ivory tusks and ebony. 27:16 Edom ²⁶  was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your products. 27:17 Judah and the land of Israel were your clients; they traded wheat from Minnith, ²⁷  millet, honey, olive oil, and balm for your merchandise. 27:18 Damascus was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods and of all your wealth: wine from Helbon, white wool from Zahar, 27:19 and casks of wine ²⁸  from Izal ²⁹  they exchanged for your products. Wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. 27:20 Dedan was your client in saddlecloths for riding. 27:21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your trade partners; for lambs, rams, and goats they traded with you. 27:22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah engaged in trade with you; they traded the best kinds of spices along with precious stones and gold for your products. 27:23 Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients. 27:24 They traded with you choice garments, purple clothes and embroidered work, and multicolored carpets, bound and reinforced with cords; these were among your merchandise. 27:25 The ships of Tarshish ³⁰  were the transports for your merchandise.

“‘So you were filled and weighed down in the heart of the seas.

27:26 Your rowers have brought you into surging waters.

The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.

27:27 Your wealth, products, and merchandise, your sailors and captains,

your ship’s carpenters, ³¹  your merchants,

and all your fighting men within you,

along with all your crew who are in you,

will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall.

27:28 At the sound of your captains’ cry the waves will surge; ³² 

27:29 They will descend from their ships – all who handle the oar,

the sailors and all the sea captains – they will stand on the land.

27:30 They will lament loudly ³³  over you and cry bitterly.

They will throw dust on their heads and roll in the ashes; ³⁴ 

27:31 they will tear out their hair because of you and put on sackcloth,

and they will weep bitterly over you with intense mourning. ³⁵ 

27:32 As they wail they will lament over you, chanting:

“Who was like Tyre, like a tower ³⁶  in the midst of the sea?”

27:33 When your products went out from the seas,

you satisfied many peoples;

with the abundance of your wealth and merchandise

you enriched the kings of the earth.

27:34 Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters;

your merchandise and all your company have sunk ³⁷  along with you. ³⁸ 

27:35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands are shocked at you,

and their kings are horribly afraid – their faces are troubled.

27:36 The traders among the peoples hiss at you;

you have become a horror, and will be no more.’”

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

28:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:2 “Son of man, say to the prince ³⁹  of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Your heart is proud ⁴⁰  and you said, “I am a god; ⁴¹ 

I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas” –

yet you are a man and not a god,

though you think you are godlike. ⁴² 

28:3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel; ⁴³ 

no secret is hidden from you. ⁴⁴ 

28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself;

you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.

28:5 By your great skill ⁴⁵  in trade you have increased your wealth,

and your heart is proud because of your wealth.

28:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Because you think you are godlike, ⁴⁶ 

28:7 I am about to bring foreigners ⁴⁷  against you, the most terrifying of nations.

They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, ⁴⁸ 

and they will defile your splendor.

28:8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die violently ⁴⁹  in the heart of the seas.

28:9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you –

though you are a man and not a god –

when you are in the power of those who wound you?

28:10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised ⁵⁰  by the hand of foreigners;

for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

28:11 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:12 “Son of man, sing ⁵¹  a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the sealer ⁵²  of perfection,

full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. ⁵³ 

Every precious stone was your covering,

the ruby, topaz, and emerald,

the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper,

the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; ⁵⁴ 

your settings and mounts were made of gold.

On the day you were created they were prepared.

28:14 I placed you there with an anointed ⁵⁵  guardian ⁵⁶  cherub; ⁵⁷ 

you were on the holy mountain of God;

you walked about amidst fiery stones.

28:15 You were blameless in your behavior ⁵⁸  from the day you were created,

until sin was discovered in you.

28:16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, ⁵⁹  and you sinned;

so I defiled you and banished you ⁶⁰  from the mountain of God –

the guardian cherub expelled you ⁶¹  from the midst of the stones of fire.

28:17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;

you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor.

I threw you down to the ground;

I placed you before kings, that they might see you.

28:18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade,

you desecrated your sanctuaries.

So I drew fire out from within you;

it consumed you,

and I turned you to ashes on the earth

before the eyes of all who saw you.

28:19 All who know you among the peoples are shocked at you;

you have become terrified and will be no more.’”

A Prophecy Against Sidon

28:20 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:21 “Son of man, turn toward ⁶²  Sidon ⁶³  and prophesy against it. 28:22 Say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, ⁶⁴  Sidon,

and I will magnify myself in your midst.

Then they will know that I am the Lord

when I execute judgments on her

and reveal my sovereign power ⁶⁵  in her.

28:23 I will send a plague into the city ⁶⁶  and bloodshed into its streets;

the slain will fall within it, by the sword that attacks it ⁶⁷  from every side.

Then they will know that I am the Lord.

28:24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers ⁶⁸  or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. ⁶⁹  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.

28:25 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power ⁷⁰  over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 28:26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely ⁷¹  when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

Joshua 19:29

19:29 It then turned toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, ⁷²  turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea near Hebel, Aczib,

Psalms 83:7

83:7 Gebal, ⁷³  Ammon, and Amalek,

Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. ⁷⁴ 

Isaiah 23:1-18

The Lord Will Judge Tyre

23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:

Wail, you large ships, ⁷⁵ 

for the port is too devastated to enter! ⁷⁶ 

From the land of Cyprus ⁷⁷  this news is announced to them.

23:2 Lament, ⁷⁸  you residents of the coast,

you merchants of Sidon ⁷⁹  who travel over the sea,

whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! ⁸⁰ 

Grain from the Shihor region, ⁸¹ 

crops grown near the Nile ⁸²  she receives; ⁸³ 

she is the trade center ⁸⁴  of the nations.

23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,

for the sea ⁸⁵  says this, O fortress of the sea:

“I have not gone into labor

or given birth;

I have not raised young men

or brought up young women.” ⁸⁶ 

23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,

they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. ⁸⁷ 

23:6 Travel to Tarshish!

Wail, you residents of the coast!

23:7 Is this really your boisterous city ⁸⁸ 

whose origins are in the distant past, ⁸⁹ 

and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?

23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, ⁹⁰ 

whose merchants are princes,

whose traders are the dignitaries ⁹¹  of the earth?

23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –

to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, ⁹² 

to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.

23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;

there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. ⁹³ 

23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, ⁹⁴ 

he shook kingdoms;

he ⁹⁵  gave the order

to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. ⁹⁶ 

23:12 He said,

“You will no longer celebrate,

oppressed ⁹⁷  virgin daughter Sidon!

Get up, travel to Cyprus,

but you will find no relief there.” ⁹⁸ 

23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,

these people who have lost their identity! ⁹⁹ 

The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.

They erected their siege towers, ¹⁰⁰ 

demolished ¹⁰¹  its fortresses,

and turned it into a heap of ruins. ¹⁰² 

23:14 Wail, you large ships, ¹⁰³ 

for your fortress is destroyed!

23:15 At that time ¹⁰⁴  Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, ¹⁰⁵  the typical life span of a king. ¹⁰⁶  At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: ¹⁰⁷ 

23:16 “Take the harp,

go through the city,

forgotten prostitute!

Play it well,

play lots of songs,

so you’ll be noticed!” ¹⁰⁸ 

23:17 At the end of seventy years ¹⁰⁹  the Lord will revive ¹¹⁰  Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. ¹¹¹  23:18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. ¹¹² 

Jeremiah 25:22

25:22 all the kings of Tyre, ¹¹³  all the kings of Sidon; ¹¹⁴  all the kings of the coastlands along the sea; ¹¹⁵ 

Jeremiah 27:3

27:3 Use it to send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, ¹¹⁶  and Sidon. ¹¹⁷  Send them through ¹¹⁸  the envoys who have come to Jerusalem ¹¹⁹  to King Zedekiah of Judah.

Jeremiah 47:4

47:4 For the time has come

to destroy all the Philistines.

The time has come to destroy all the help

that remains for Tyre ¹²⁰  and Sidon. ¹²¹ 

For I, the Lord, will ¹²²  destroy the Philistines,

that remnant that came from the island of Crete. ¹²³ 

Joel 3:4

3:4 Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? ¹²⁴ 

Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? ¹²⁵ 

I will very quickly repay you for what you have done! ¹²⁶ 

Amos 1:9-10

1:9 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Tyre has committed three crimes ¹²⁷  –

make that four! ¹²⁸  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ¹²⁹ 

They sold ¹³⁰  a whole community ¹³¹  to Edom;

they failed to observe ¹³²  a treaty of brotherhood. ¹³³ 

1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; ¹³⁴ 

fire ¹³⁵  will consume her fortresses.”

Zechariah 9:2-4

9:2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre ¹³⁶  and Sidon, ¹³⁷  though they consider themselves to be very wise. 9:3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets! 9:4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications ¹³⁸  into the sea – she will be consumed by fire.

[27:2]  ¹ tn Heb “lift up over Tyre a lament.”

[27:3]  ² tn Heb “entrances.” The plural noun may reflect the fact that Tyre had two main harbors.

[27:3]  ³ sn Rome, another economic power, is described in a similar way in Rev 17:1.

[27:4]  ⁴ tn The city of Tyre is described in the following account as a merchant ship.

[27:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “built.”

[27:5]  ⁶ tn Perhaps the hull or deck. The term is dual, so perhaps it refers to a double-decked ship.

[27:6]  ⁷ tn Or “hull.”

[27:6]  ⁸ tc The Hebrew reads “Your deck they made ivory, daughter of Assyria.” The syntactically difficult “ivory” is understood here as dittography and omitted, though some construe this to refer to ivory inlays. “Daughter of Assyria” is understood here as improper word division and the vowels repointed as “cypresses.”

[27:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “from the coastlands (or islands) of Kittim,” generally understood to be a reference to the island of Cyprus, where the Phoenicians had a trading colony on the southeast coast. Many modern English versions have “Cyprus” (CEV, TEV), “the coastlands of Cyprus” (NASB), “the coasts of Cyprus” (NIV, NRSV), or “the southern coasts of Cyprus” (NLT).

[27:7]  ¹⁰ sn This is probably a reference to Cyprus.

[27:8]  ¹¹ tc The MT reads “the residents of”; the LXX reads “your rulers who dwell in.” With no apparent reason for the LXX to add “the rulers” many suppose something has dropped out of the Hebrew text. While more than one may be possible, Allen’s proposal, positing a word meaning “elders,” is the most likely to explain the omission in the MT from a graphic standpoint and also provides a parallel to the beginning of v. 9. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:81.a parallel to v. 9.

[27:8]  ¹² map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[27:8]  ¹³ sn Sidon and Arvad, like Tyre, were Phoenician coastal cities.

[27:8]  ¹⁴ tn Or “wise.”

[27:9]  ¹⁵ sn Another Phoenician coastal city located between Sidon and Arvad.

[27:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “strengthening damages.” Here “to strengthen” means to repair. The word for “damages” occurs several times in 1 Kgs 12 about some type of damage to the temple, which may have referred to or included cracks. Since the context describes Tyre in its glory, we do not expect this reference to damages to be of significant scale, even if there are repairmen. This may refer to using pitch to seal the seams of the ship, which had to be done periodically and could be considered routine maintenance rather than repair of damage.

[27:9]  ¹⁷ sn The reference to “all the ships of the sea…within you” suggests that the metaphor is changing; previously Tyre had been described as a magnificent ship, but now the description shifts back to an actual city. The “ships of the sea” were within Tyre’s harbor. Verse 11 refers to “walls” and “towers” of the city.

[27:10]  ¹⁸ sn See Gen 10:22.

[27:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “sons of Arvad.”

[27:11]  ²⁰ sn The identity of the Gammadites is uncertain.

[27:11]  ²¹ tn See note on “quivers” in Jer 51:11 on the meaning of Hebrew שֶׁלֶט (shelet) and also M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:553.

[27:12]  ²² sn Tarshish refers to a distant seaport sometimes believed to be located in southern Spain (others identified it as Carthage in North Africa). In any event it represents here a distant, rich, and exotic port which was a trading partner of Tyre.

[27:14]  ²³ tn The way in which these horses may have been distinguished from other horses is unknown. Cf. ASV “war-horses” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, CEV all similar); NLT “chariot horses.”

[27:15]  ²⁴ tn Heb “sons of Dedan.”

[27:15]  ²⁵ tn Heb “they returned as your gift.”

[27:16]  ²⁶ tc Many Hebrew mss, Aquila’s Greek translation, and the Syriac version read “Edom.” The LXX reads “man,” a translation which assumes the same consonants as Edom. This reading is supported from the context as the text deals with Damascus, the capital of Syria (Aram), later (in v. 18).

[27:17]  ²⁷ sn The location is mentioned in Judg 11:33.

[27:19]  ²⁸ tc The MT leaves v. 18 as an incomplete sentence and begins v. 19 with “and Dan and Javan (Ionia) from Uzal.” The LXX mentions “wine.” The translation follows an emendation assuming some confusions of vav and yod. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:82.

[27:19]  ²⁹ sn According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 2:82), Izal was located between Haran and the Tigris and was famous for its wine.

[27:25]  ³⁰ tn Or perhaps “Large merchant ships.” The expression “ships of Tarshish” may describe a class of vessel, that is, large oceangoing merchant ships.

[27:27]  ³¹ tn Heb “your repairers of damage.” See v. 9.

[27:28]  ³² tn Compare this phrase to Isa 57:20 and Amos 8:8. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:561.

[27:30]  ³³ tn Heb “make heard over you with their voice.”

[27:30]  ³⁴ tn Note a similar expression to “roll in the ashes” in Mic 1:10.

[27:31]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and they will weep concerning you with bitterness of soul, (with) bitter mourning.”

[27:32]  ³⁶ tn As it stands, the meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. The translation follows the suggestion of M. Dahood, “Accadian-Ugaritic dmt in Ezekiel 27:32,” Bib 45 (1964): 83-84. Several other explanations and emendations have been offered. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:83, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:85-86, for a list of options.

[27:34]  ³⁷ tn Heb “fallen.”

[27:34]  ³⁸ tn Heb “in the midst of you.”

[28:2]  ³⁹ tn Or “ruler” (NIV, NCV).

[28:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “lifted up.”

[28:2]  ⁴¹ tn Or “I am divine.”

[28:2]  ⁴² tn Heb “and you made your heart (mind) like the heart (mind) of gods.”

[28:3]  ⁴³ sn Or perhaps “Danel” (so TEV), referring to a ruler known from Canaanite legend. See the note on “Daniel” in 14:14. A reference to Danel (preserved in legend at Ugarit, near the northern end of the Phoenician coast) makes more sense here when addressing Tyre than in 14:14.

[28:3]  ⁴⁴ sn The tone here is sarcastic, reflecting the ruler’s view of himself.

[28:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “wisdom.”

[28:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “because of your making your heart like the heart of gods.”

[28:7]  ⁴⁷ sn This is probably a reference to the Babylonians.

[28:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom.”

[28:8]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “you will die the death of the slain.”

[28:10]  ⁵⁰ sn The Phoenicians practiced circumcision, so the language here must be figurative, indicating that they would be treated in a disgraceful manner. Uncircumcised peoples were viewed as inferior, unclean, and perhaps even sub-human. See 31:18 and 32:17-32, as well as the discussion in D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:99.

[28:12]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “lift up.”

[28:12]  ⁵² tn For a discussion of possible nuances of this phrase, see M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:580-81.

[28:13]  ⁵³ sn The imagery of the lament appears to draw upon an extrabiblical Eden tradition about the expulsion of the first man (see v. 14 and the note there) from the garden due to his pride. The biblical Eden tradition speaks of cherubs placed as guardians at the garden entrance following the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:24), but no guardian cherub like the one described in verse 14 is depicted or mentioned in the biblical account. Ezekiel’s imagery also appears to reflect Mesopotamian and Canaanite mythology at certain points. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:119-20.

[28:13]  ⁵⁴ tn The exact identification of each gemstone is uncertain. The list should be compared to that of the priest in Exod 28:17-20, which lists twelve stones in rows of three. The LXX apparently imports the Exod 28 list. See reference to the types of stones in L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.

[28:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “winged”; see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.

[28:14]  ⁵⁶ tn The meaning of this phrase in Hebrew is uncertain. The word translated here “guards” occurs in Exod 25:20 in reference to the cherubim “covering” the ark.

[28:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “you (were) an anointed cherub that covers and I placed you.” In the Hebrew text the ruler of Tyre is equated with a cherub, and the verb “I placed you” is taken with what follows (“on the holy mountain of God”). However, this reading is problematic. The pronoun “you” at the beginning of verse 14 is feminine singular in the Hebrew text; elsewhere in this passage the ruler of Tyre is addressed with masculine singular forms. It is possible that the pronoun is a rare (see Deut 5:24; Num 11:15) or defectively written (see 1 Sam 24:19; Neh 9:6; Job 1:10; Ps 6:3; Eccl 7:22) masculine form, but it is more likely that the form should be repointed as the preposition “with” (see the LXX). In this case the ruler of Tyre is compared to the first man, not to a cherub. If this emendation is accepted, then the verb “I placed you” belongs with what precedes and concludes the first sentence in the verse. It is noteworthy that the verbs in the second and third lines of the verse also appear at the end of the sentence in the Hebrew text. The presence of a conjunction at the beginning of “I placed you” is problematic for the proposal, but it may reflect a later misunderstanding of the syntax of the verse. For a defense of the proposed emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.

[28:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “ways.”

[28:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “they filled your midst with violence.”

[28:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “I defiled you.” The presence of the preposition “from” following the verb indicates that a verb of motion is implied as well. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.

[28:16]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and I expelled you, O guardian cherub.” The Hebrew text takes the verb as first person and understands “guardian cherub” as a vocative, in apposition to the pronominal suffix on the verb. However, if the emendation in verse 14a is accepted (see the note above), then one may follow the LXX here as well and emend the verb to a third person perfect. In this case the subject of the verb is the guardian cherub. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.

[28:21]  ⁶² tn Heb “set your face against.”

[28:21]  ⁶³ sn Sidon was located 25 miles north of Tyre.

[28:22]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[28:22]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “reveal my holiness.” God’s “holiness” is fundamentally his transcendence as sovereign ruler of the world. The revelation of his authority and power through judgment is in view in this context.

[28:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “into it”; the referent of the feminine pronoun has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:23]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “by a sword against it.”

[28:24]  ⁶⁸ sn Similar language is used in reference to Israel’s adversaries in Num 33:55; Josh 23:13.

[28:24]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and there will not be for the house of Israel a brier that pricks and a thorn that inflicts pain from all the ones who surround them, the ones who scorn them.”

[28:25]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “reveal my holiness.” See verse 22.

[28:26]  ⁷¹ sn This promise was given in Lev 25:18-19.

[19:29]  ⁷² map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[83:7]  ⁷³ sn Some identify Gebal with the Phoenician coastal city of Byblos (see Ezek 27:9, where the name is spelled differently), though others locate this site south of the Dead Sea (see BDB 148 s.v. גְּבַל; HALOT 174 s.v. גְּבַל).

[83:7]  ⁷⁴ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[23:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.

[23:1]  ⁷⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem (מ) on בַּיִת (bayit) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min (מִן) prefixed to בּוֹא (bo’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.

[23:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.

[23:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”

[23:2]  ⁷⁹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[23:3]  ⁸⁰ tc The Hebrew text (23:2b-3a) reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of מִלְאוּךְ (mil’ukh, “they filled you”) the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו (mal’akhav, “his messengers”), taking the vav (ו) on וּבְמַיִם (uvÿmayim) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.

[23:3]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר.

[23:3]  ⁸² tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”

[23:3]  ⁸³ tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”

[23:3]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”

[23:4]  ⁸⁵ tn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase מָעוֹז הַיָּם (ma’oz hayyam, “fortress of the sea”) as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.

[23:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “virgins” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).

[23:5]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”

[23:7]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.

[23:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”

[23:8]  ⁹⁰ tn The precise meaning of הַמַּעֲטִירָה (hamma’atirah) is uncertain. The form is a Hiphil participle from עָטַר (’atar), a denominative verb derived from עֲטָרָה (’atarah, “crown, wreath”). The participle may mean “one who wears a crown” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.

[23:8]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”

[23:9]  ⁹² tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”

[23:10]  ⁹³ tc This meaning of this verse is unclear. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Cross over your land, like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish, there is no more waistband.” The translation assumes an emendation of מֵזַח (mezakh, “waistband”) to מָחֹז (makhoz, “harbor, marketplace”; see Ps 107:30). The term עָבַר (’avar, “cross over”) is probably used here of traveling over the water (as in v. 6). The command is addressed to personified Tarshish, who here represents her merchants. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has עבדי (“work, cultivate”) instead of עִבְרִי (’ivri, “cross over”). In this case one might translate “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region” (cf. NIV, CEV). The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the marketplace in Tyre.

[23:11]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”

[23:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.

[23:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.

[23:12]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.

[23:12]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “[to the] Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1.

[23:13]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰⁰ tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.

[23:13]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.

[23:13]  ¹⁰² sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.

[23:14]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The number seventy is probably used in a stereotypical, nonliteral sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisfies completely the demands of God’s judgment.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “like the days of a king.”

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”

[23:17]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[23:17]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”

[23:17]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”

[23:18]  ¹¹² tn Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering[s].”

[25:22]  ¹¹³ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[25:22]  ¹¹⁴ sn Tyre and Sidon are mentioned within the judgment on the Philistines in Jer 47:4. They were Phoenician cities to the north and west of Judah on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Lebanon.

[25:22]  ¹¹⁵ sn The connection with Tyre and Sidon suggests that these were Phoenician colonies. See also Isa 23:2.

[27:3]  ¹¹⁶ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[27:3]  ¹¹⁷ sn The nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon were east of Judah. They were sometimes allies and sometimes enemies. The nations of Tyre and Sidon were on the sea coast north and west of Judah. They are best known for their maritime trade during the reign of Solomon. They were more commonly allies of Israel and Judah than enemies.

[27:3]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “send by means of them” [i.e., the straps and crossbars made into a yoke] to…through.” The text is broken up in conformity with contemporary English style. Many English versions ignore the suffix on the end of “send” and find some support for this on the basis of its absence in the Lucianic Greek text. However, it is probably functioning metonymically here for the message which they see symbolized before them and is now explained clearly to them.

[27:3]  ¹¹⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[47:4]  ¹²⁰ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ¹²¹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ¹²² tn Heb “For the Lord will.” The first person style has been adopted because the Lord is speaking (cf. v. 2).

[47:4]  ¹²³ sn All the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon and that remnant that came from the island of Crete appear to be two qualifying phrases that refer to the Philistines, the last with regard to their origin and the first with regard to the fact that they were allies that Tyre and Sidon depended on. “Crete” is literally “Caphtor” which is generally identified with the island of Crete. The Philistines had come from there (Amos 9:7) in the wave of migration from the Aegean Islands during the twelfth and eleventh century and had settled on the Philistine plain after having been repulsed from trying to enter Egypt.

[3:4]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “What [are] you [doing] to me, O Tyre and Sidon?”

[3:4]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “districts.”

[3:4]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “quickly, speedily, I will return your recompense on your head.” This is an idiom for retributive justice and an equitable reversal of situation.

[1:9]  ¹²⁷ tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”

[1:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[1:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “handed over.”

[1:9]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.

[1:9]  ¹³² tn Heb “did not remember.”

[1:9]  ¹³³ sn A treaty of brotherhood. In the ancient Near Eastern world familial terms were sometimes used to describe treaty partners. In a treaty between superior and inferior parties, the lord would be called “father” and the subject “son.” The partners in a treaty between equals referred to themselves as “brothers.” For biblical examples, see 1 Kgs 9:13; 20:32-33.

[1:10]  ¹³⁴ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:10]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:2]  ¹³⁶ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:2]  ¹³⁷ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:4]  ¹³⁸ tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).