Jeremiah 27:3

27:3 Use it to send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, ¹  and Sidon. ²  Send them through ³  the envoys who have come to Jerusalem ⁴  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 ⁵  and Sidon. ⁶ 

For I, the Lord, will ⁷  destroy the Philistines,

that remnant that came from the island of Crete. ⁸ 

Ezekiel 26:1--28:1

A Prophecy Against Tyre

26:1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, ⁹  the word of the Lord came to me: 26:2 “Son of man, because Tyre ¹⁰  has said about Jerusalem, ¹¹  ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I will become rich, ¹²  now that she ¹³  has been destroyed,’ 26:3 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, ¹⁴  I am against you, ¹⁵  O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 26:4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her soil ¹⁶  from her and make her a bare rock. 26:5 She will be a place where fishing nets are spread, surrounded by the sea. For I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations, 26:6 and her daughters ¹⁷  who are in the field will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

26:7 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note that ¹⁸  I am about to bring King Nebuchadrezzar ¹⁹  of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north, with horses, chariots, and horsemen, an army and hordes of people. 26:8 He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will build a siege wall against you, erect a siege ramp against you, and raise a great shield against you. 26:9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons. ²⁰  26:10 He will cover you with the dust kicked up by his many horses. ²¹  Your walls will shake from the noise of the horsemen, wheels, and chariots when he enters your gates like those who invade through a city’s broken walls. ²²  26:11 With his horses’ hoofs he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will tumble down to the ground. 26:12 They will steal your wealth and loot your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your luxurious ²³  homes. Your stones, your trees, and your soil he will throw ²⁴  into the water. ²⁵  26:13 I will silence ²⁶  the noise of your songs; the sound of your harps will be heard no more. 26:14 I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place where fishing nets are spread. You will never be built again, ²⁷  for I, the Lord, have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.

26:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Oh, how the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, at the massive slaughter in your midst! 26:16 All the princes of the sea will vacate ²⁸  their thrones. They will remove their robes and strip off their embroidered clothes; they will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground; they will tremble continually and be shocked at what has happened to you. ²⁹  26:17 They will sing this lament over you: ³⁰ 

“‘How you have perished – you have vanished ³¹  from the seas,

O renowned city, once mighty in the sea,

she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror! ³² 

26:18 Now the coastlands will tremble on the day of your fall;

the coastlands by the sea will be terrified by your passing.’ ³³ 

26:19 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: When I make you desolate like the uninhabited cities, when I bring up the deep over you and the surging ³⁴  waters overwhelm you, 26:20 then I will bring you down to bygone people, ³⁵  to be with those who descend to the pit. I will make you live in the lower parts of the earth, among ³⁶  the primeval ruins, with those who descend to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited or stand ³⁷  in the land of the living. 26:21 I will bring terrors on you, and you will be no more! Though you are sought after, you will never be found again, declares the sovereign Lord.”

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. ³⁸  27:3 Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance ³⁹  of the sea, ⁴⁰  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 ⁴¹ Your borders are in the heart of the seas;

your builders have perfected your beauty.

27:5 They crafted ⁴²  all your planks out of fir trees from Senir; ⁴³ 

they took a cedar from Lebanon to make your mast.

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

they made your deck ⁴⁴  with cypresses ⁴⁵  from the Kittean isles. ⁴⁶ 

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 ⁴⁷  was used for your deck’s awning.

27:8 The leaders ⁴⁸  of Sidon ⁴⁹  and Arvad ⁵⁰  were your rowers;

your skilled ⁵¹  men, O Tyre, were your captains.

27:9 The elders of Gebal ⁵²  and her skilled men were within you, mending cracks; ⁵³ 

all the ships of the sea and their mariners were within you to trade for your merchandise. ⁵⁴ 

27:10 Men of Persia, Lud, ⁵⁵  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 ⁵⁶  joined your army on your walls all around,

and the Gammadites ⁵⁷  were in your towers.

They hung their quivers ⁵⁸  on your walls all around;

they perfected your beauty.

27:12 “‘Tarshish ⁵⁹  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, ⁶⁰  and mules for your products. 27:15 The Dedanites ⁶¹  were your clients. Many coastlands were your customers; they paid ⁶²  you with ivory tusks and ebony. 27:16 Edom ⁶³  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, ⁶⁴  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 ⁶⁵  from Izal ⁶⁶  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 ⁶⁷  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, ⁶⁸  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; ⁶⁹ 

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 ⁷⁰  over you and cry bitterly.

They will throw dust on their heads and roll in the ashes; ⁷¹ 

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. ⁷² 

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

“Who was like Tyre, like a tower ⁷³  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 ⁷⁴  along with you. ⁷⁵ 

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:

Ezekiel 19:1-14

Lament for the Princes of Israel

19:1 “And you, sing ⁷⁶  a lament for the princes of Israel, 19:2 and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!

She lay among young lions; ⁷⁷  she reared her cubs.

19:3 She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.

He learned to tear prey; he devoured people. ⁷⁸ 

19:4 The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.

They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. ⁷⁹ 

19:5 “‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost.

She took another of her cubs ⁸⁰  and made him a young lion.

19:6 He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion.

He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.

19:7 He broke down ⁸¹  their strongholds ⁸²  and devastated their cities.

The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring.

19:8 The nations – the surrounding regions – attacked him.

They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit.

19:9 They put him in a collar with hooks; ⁸³ 

they brought him to the king of Babylon;

they brought him to prison ⁸⁴ 

so that his voice would not be heard

any longer on the mountains of Israel.

19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, ⁸⁵  planted by water.

It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.

19:11 Its boughs were strong, fit ⁸⁶  for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds.

It stood out because of its height and its many branches. ⁸⁷ 

19:12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.

The east wind ⁸⁸  dried up its fruit;

its strong branches broke off and withered –

a fire consumed them.

19:13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,

in a dry and thirsty land. ⁸⁹ 

19:14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit. ⁹⁰ 

No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’

This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”

Ezekiel 29:18

29:18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar ⁹¹  of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. ⁹²  Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it.

Amos 1:9-10

1:9 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Tyre has committed three crimes ⁹³  –

make that four! ⁹⁴  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ⁹⁵ 

They sold ⁹⁶  a whole community ⁹⁷  to Edom;

they failed to observe ⁹⁸  a treaty of brotherhood. ⁹⁹ 

1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; ¹⁰⁰ 

fire ¹⁰¹  will consume her fortresses.”

Zechariah 9:2-4

9:2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre ¹⁰²  and Sidon, ¹⁰³  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 ¹⁰⁴  into the sea – she will be consumed by fire.

[27:3]  ¹ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[27:3]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[47:4]  ⁵ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ⁶ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “For the Lord will.” The first person style has been adopted because the Lord is speaking (cf. v. 2).

[47:4]  ⁸ 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.

[26:1]  ⁹ tc Date formulae typically include the month. According to D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:34, n. 27) some emend to “in the twelfth year in the eleventh month” based partially on the copy of the LXX from Alexandrinus, where Albright suggested that “eleventh month” may have dropped out due to haplography.

[26:2]  ¹⁰ sn Tyre was located on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel.

[26:2]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[26:2]  ¹² tn Heb “I will be filled.”

[26:2]  ¹³ sn That is, Jerusalem.

[26:3]  ¹⁴ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.

[26:3]  ¹⁵ 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. The Hebrew text switches to a second feminine singular form here, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed (see vv. 5-6a). The address to Jerusalem continues through v. 15. In vv. 16-17 the second masculine plural is used, as the people are addressed.

[26:4]  ¹⁶ tn Or “debris.”

[26:6]  ¹⁷ sn That is, the towns located inland that were under Tyre’s rule.

[26:7]  ¹⁸ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something.

[26:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more correct spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-usur has an an “r” rather than an “n.”

[26:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “swords.”

[26:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “From the abundance of his horses he will cover you (with) their dust.”

[26:10]  ²² tn Heb “like those who enter a breached city.”

[26:12]  ²³ tn Heb “desirable.”

[26:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “set.”

[26:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “into the midst of the water.”

[26:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “cause to end.”

[26:14]  ²⁷ sn This prophecy was fulfilled by Alexander the Great in 332 b.c.

[26:16]  ²⁸ tn Heb “descend from.”

[26:16]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and they will be astonished over you.”

[26:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and they will lift up over you a lament and they will say to you.”

[26:17]  ³¹ tn Heb “O inhabitant.” The translation follows the LXX and understands a different Hebrew verb, meaning “cease,” behind the consonantal text. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:72, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:43.

[26:17]  ³² tn Heb “she and her inhabitants who placed their terror to all her inhabitants.” The relationship of the final prepositional phrase to what precedes is unclear. The preposition probably has a specifying function here, drawing attention to Tyre’s inhabitants as the source of the terror mentioned prior to this. In this case, one might paraphrase verse 17b: “she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror; yes, her inhabitants (were the source of this terror).”

[26:18]  ³³ tn Heb “from your going out.”

[26:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “many.”

[26:20]  ³⁵ tn Heb “to the people of antiquity.”

[26:20]  ³⁶ tn Heb “like.” The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition כְּ (kÿ, “like”), to בְּ (bÿ, “in, among”).

[26:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and I will place beauty.” This reading makes little sense; many, following the lead of the LXX, emend the text to read “nor will you stand” with the negative particle before the preceding verb understood by ellipsis; see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:73. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:47) offers another alternative, taking the apparent first person verb form as an archaic second feminine form and translating “nor radiate splendor.”

[27:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “lift up over Tyre a lament.”

[27:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “entrances.” The plural noun may reflect the fact that Tyre had two main harbors.

[27:3]  ⁴⁰ sn Rome, another economic power, is described in a similar way in Rev 17:1.

[27:4]  ⁴¹ tn The city of Tyre is described in the following account as a merchant ship.

[27:5]  ⁴² tn Heb “built.”

[27:5]  ⁴³ tn Perhaps the hull or deck. The term is dual, so perhaps it refers to a double-decked ship.

[27:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “hull.”

[27:6]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ sn This is probably a reference to Cyprus.

[27:8]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[27:8]  ⁵⁰ sn Sidon and Arvad, like Tyre, were Phoenician coastal cities.

[27:8]  ⁵¹ tn Or “wise.”

[27:9]  ⁵² sn Another Phoenician coastal city located between Sidon and Arvad.

[27:9]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ sn See Gen 10:22.

[27:11]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “sons of Arvad.”

[27:11]  ⁵⁷ sn The identity of the Gammadites is uncertain.

[27:11]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “sons of Dedan.”

[27:15]  ⁶² tn Heb “they returned as your gift.”

[27:16]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ sn The location is mentioned in Judg 11:33.

[27:19]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “your repairers of damage.” See v. 9.

[27:28]  ⁶⁹ tn Compare this phrase to Isa 57:20 and Amos 8:8. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:561.

[27:30]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “make heard over you with their voice.”

[27:30]  ⁷¹ tn Note a similar expression to “roll in the ashes” in Mic 1:10.

[27:31]  ⁷² tn Heb “and they will weep concerning you with bitterness of soul, (with) bitter mourning.”

[27:32]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “fallen.”

[27:34]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “in the midst of you.”

[19:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “lift up.”

[19:2]  ⁷⁷ sn Lions probably refer to Judahite royalty and/or nobility. The lioness appears to symbolize the Davidic dynasty, though some see the referent as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. Gen 49:9 seems to be the background for Judah being compared to lions.

[19:3]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “a man.”

[19:4]  ⁷⁹ sn The description applies to king Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31-34; Jer 22:10-12).

[19:5]  ⁸⁰ sn The identity of this second lion is unclear; the referent is probably Jehoiakim or Zedekiah. If the lioness is Hamutal, then Zedekiah is the lion described here.

[19:7]  ⁸¹ tc The Hebrew text reads “knew,” but is apparently the result of a ר-ד (dalet-resh) confusion. For a defense of the emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. However, Allen retains the reading “widows” as the object of the verb, which he understands in the sense of “do harm to,” and translates the line: “He did harm to women by making them widows” (p. 282). The line also appears to be lacking a beat for the meter of the poem.

[19:7]  ⁸² tc The Hebrew text reads “widows” instead of “strongholds,” apparently due to a confusion of ר (resh) and ל (lamed). L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284) favors the traditional text, understanding “widows” in the sense of “women made widows.” D. I. Block, (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:602) also defends the Hebrew text, arguing that the image is that of a dominant male lion who takes over the pride and by copulating with the females lays claim to his predecessor’s “widows.”

[19:9]  ⁸³ tn Or “They put him in a neck stock with hooks.” The noun סּוּגַר (sugar), translated “collar,” occurs only here in the Bible. L. C. Allen and D. I. Block point out a Babylonian cognate that refers to a device for transporting prisoners of war that held them by their necks (D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:597, n. 35; L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284). Based on the Hebrew root, the traditional rendering had been “cage” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[19:9]  ⁸⁴ tc The term in the MT occurs only here and in Eccl 9:12 where it refers to a net for catching fish. The LXX translates this as “prison,” which assumes a confusion of dalet and resh took place in the MT.

[19:10]  ⁸⁵ tc The Hebrew text reads “in your blood,” but most emend to “in your vineyard,” assuming a ב-כ (beth-kaph) confusion. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. Another attractive emendation assumes a faulty word division and yields the reading “like a vine full of tendrils, which/because…”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:607, n. 68.

[19:11]  ⁸⁶ tn The word “fit” does not occur in the Hebrew text.

[19:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and it was seen by its height and by the abundance of its branches.”

[19:12]  ⁸⁸ sn The east wind symbolizes the Babylonians.

[19:13]  ⁸⁹ sn This metaphor depicts the Babylonian exile of the Davidic dynasty.

[19:14]  ⁹⁰ tn The verse describes the similar situation recorded in Judg 9:20.

[29:18]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more correct spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-usur has an “r” rather than an “n” (so also in v. 19).

[29:18]  ⁹² sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571 b.c.

[1:9]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”

[1:9]  ⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “handed over.”

[1:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.

[1:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “did not remember.”

[1:9]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

[1:10]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:2]  ¹⁰² map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:2]  ¹⁰³ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[9:4]  ¹⁰⁴ 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).