Ezekiel 27:22 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.

Haran, and Canneh, and Eden,.... Haran was a city of Mesopotamia, the same with Haran, where Abraham dwelt awhile, Act 7:2, the Charrae of the Parthians, famous for the defeat of Crassus. Canneh is thought to be the same with Calneh, Gen 10:10, afterwards called Ctesiphon; and here, by the Targum, Netzibin, a place not far from Tigris; and Eden also was between Tigris and Euphrates. All three places seem to be in Mesopotamia, and not far from each other; the latter is thought by some to be the place where the garden of Eden was. The merchants of Sheba; this was another Sheba, distinct from that in Eze 27:22, this Sheba was the son of Jokshan, a son of Abraham by Keturah, Gen 25:3, these were the Sabaeans, who were not far from the former, and dwelt near the Persian sea. Ashur and Chilmad were thy merchants; or dealt in "thy merchandise"; took goods of them. Ashur designs the Assyrians, who had their name from Ashur, the builder of Nineveh, Gen 10:11 and Chilmad is by the Targum rendered Media; and by Grotius thought to be the Gaala of Media in Ptolemy (b); and so Hillerus (c) takes it to be a city of Media. (b) Geograph. l. 6. c. 2. (c) Onomastic. Sacr. p. 108.

(Verse 22.) Sellers of Sheba and Reama (or Rema), your own merchants with all the choicest spices, and precious stone, and gold which they have set forth in your market. In the Psalms where it is written, 'The kings of the Arabs and Sheba shall offer gifts to you' (Ps. 72:10), in Hebrew it has, 'The kings of Sheba and Sheba shall offer gifts to you,' of which one Sheba is written with the letter Sin, the other with Samech, which is similar to our letter S. Therefore, since Saba is interpreted as a conversion, it must be said that in this present passage it does not signify conversion, but rather aversion, from which the gifts of Tyre are brought with all kinds of aromas and the best odors, and with precious stone and gold, all of which are offered for sale in the markets of Tyre. For they themselves fabricate the best odor and precious stone with which they strive to build up their own perversity in the Churches, and they promise gold in the sense, and all these things are perverse. For nothing is received for free, nor is anything given for free, but all things are bought, as when the kings of the Arabs and Saba offer gifts to Christ for free. These are the ones who do everything for the sake of shameful gain: and they received these gifts from Him who says in the Gospel: 'All these things were given to me, and I will give them to you if you fall down and worship me' (Matthew 4:9). Reama, or according to the Septuagint Rhegma, I could not find in any other place in the Scriptures, nor could I find what region it is or what it signifies; except that it is clear, and from what is connected, that Saba is a neighboring region to this province.

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.

Sheba and Raamah - Inhabitants of Arabia Felix, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, who were famous for their riches and spices.

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.

Sheba . . . Raamah--in Arabia. chief of . . . spices--that is, best spices (Deu 33:15). Obtained from India and conveyed in caravans to Tyre.