Ezekiel 27:18 Komentář

Still we are attending the funeral of Tyre and the lamentations made for the fall of that renowned city. In this chapter we have, I. A large account of the dignity, wealth, and splendour of Tyre, while it was in its strength, the vast trade it drove, and the interest it had among the nations (v. 1-25), which is designed to make its ruin the more lamentable. II. A prediction of its fall and ruin, and the confusion and consternation which all its neighbours shall thereby be put into (Eze 27:26-36). And this is intended to stain the pride of all worldly glory, and, by setting the one over-against the other, to let us see the vanity and uncertainty of the riches, honours, and pleasures of the world, and what little reason we have to place our happiness in them or to be confident of the continuance of them; so that all this is written for our learning.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 27 This chapter contains a lamentation on Tyre; setting forth her former grandeur, riches, and commerce; her ruin and destruction; and the concern of others on that account. The prophet is bid to take up his lamentation concerning it, Eze 27:1, observing her situation and magnificence, of which she boasted, Eze 27:3, describing the excellency of her shipping and naval stores, Eze 27:5, declaring who were her mariners, pilots, and caulkers, Eze 27:8, her military men, Eze 27:10 her several merchants, and the things they traded in with her in her fairs and markets, Eze 27:12, then follows an account of her destruction, Eze 27:26, the lamentation of pilots and mariners because of it, Eze 27:28, and of the kings and inhabitants of the isles, and merchants of the people, Eze 27:33.

Dan also and Javan, going to and fro, occupied in thy fairs,.... Either the inhabitants of the tribe of Dan in general; or of Laish, sometime called Dan, and in later times Caesarea Philippi, which was in that tribe: though Grotius thinks that Taprobane, or the isle of Zeilan, is meant, where, and not in Dan, were the things after mentioned, in plenty; and where also, according to Ptolemy (t), was a city called Dana or Dagana: and Bochart takes Javan not to be Greece, but a people of a country in Arabia, the metropolis of which was Uzal; and so he renders it, as some of the Greek versions do, Javan of Uzal, or Asel, to distinguish it from the other Javan, Eze 27:13, where also, and not in Greece, the sweet spices grew, which these are said to trade in: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market; brought from the above places; polished iron or steel, and the sweet spices of cassia and calamus, or the aromatic cane or reed, which came from afar, Jer 6:20. (t) Geograph. l. 7. c. 4.

(Verse 18.) Your Damascene merchant in the multitude of your works: in the abundance of different goods: in rich wine, in the finest wool. LXX: Your Damascene merchant in the multitude of your works, from the abundance of all your strength: wine from Helbon, and wool from Miletus. Regarding the rich wine, which Symmachus, Aquila, and Theodotion interpreted, and in the Hebrew text itself, it says, wine from Helbon. And again, when we settled ourselves in the best colored wool, both the Eagle and Theodotius transferred to the wool market of Soor. And it is significant that among the other trade of Tyre, the finest wine and the best wool were brought to its market from Damascus, which we still see today. But if Damascus is interpreted as drinking blood, and the true tradition of the Hebrews is that the field where Abel was killed by the fratricide Cain (Gen. IV) was in Damascus, from which the place derives its notable name, then rightly Paul went to Damascus after the killing of Stephen, the first martyr in Christ, in order to lead the believers in Christ as prisoners to Jerusalem. And by the mercy of God, who made the blind see and the sighted blind, he lost the eyes of the flesh so that he could receive the eyes of the mind. And scales fell from his eyes, with which he had lost the light of truth, so that he could go to the street that is called Straight and find Ananias, which is interpreted in our language as obedient (Acts IX). Therefore, from this land, which is called 'Cursed is the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood' (Gen. IV, 11), the Tyrians gather at the market, and there is rich wine and shining wool: either wine from Chelbon, which means milky. Seventy are for the best-colored wool, from Miletus, or Tyre, they say. Miletus is not found in Hebrew, but because the finest wool is brought from there, they have interpreted 'Soor' as Miletus. From this it is clear that Tyre feeds on the milk of infancy and does not have its own clothing, but rather obtains it from elsewhere and from various provinces. The interpretation of Damascus as 'the blood of Cilicia' and 'the blood of a kiss' does not fit the current context. Frequently, Hebrew names are interpreted in various ways due to the diversity of accents and the change of letters and vowels, especially those that have their own peculiarities among them.

This chapter may be considered as the second part of the prophecy concerning Tyre. The prophet pursues his subject in the manner of those ancient lamentations or funeral songs, in which the praeficiae or mourning women first recounted whatever was great or praiseworthy in the deceased, and then mourned his fall. Here the riches, glory, and extensive commerce of Tyre are enlarged upon, vv. 1-25. Her downfall is then described in a beautiful allegory, executed in a few words, with astonishing brevity, propriety, and perspicuity, Eze 27:26; upon which all the maritime and commercial world are represented as grieved and astonished at her fate, and greatly alarmed for their own, Eze 27:27-36. Besides the view which this chapter gives of the conduct of Providence, and the example with which it furnishes the critic and men of taste of a very elegant and highly finished piece of composition, it likewise affords the antiquary a very curious and interesting account of the wealth and commerce of ancient times. And to the mind that looks for "a city that hath foundations," what a picture does the whole present of the mutability and inanity of all earthly things! Many of the places mentioned in ancient history have, like Tyre, long ago lost their political consequence; the geographical situation of others cannot be traced; they have sunk in the deep waters of oblivion; the east wind hath carried them away.

Damascus wine of Helbon - Now called by the Turks Haleb, and by us Aleppo. White wool - Very fine wool: wool of a fine quality. Some think Milesian wool is meant.

TYRE'S FORMER GREATNESS, SUGGESTING A LAMENTATION OVER HER SAD DOWNFALL. (Eze. 27:1-36) lamentation--a funeral dirge, eulogizing her great attributes, to make the contrast the greater between her former and her latter state.

Helbon--or Chalybon, in Syria, now Aleppo; famed for its wines; the Persian monarchs would drink no other.