Ezekiel 27:25, commentary and pictures

The ships of Tarshish traded and sang in the market of Tyre, and by that sea trade the city was filled full, enriched, and made very prosperous and glorious in the midst of the seas at the height of its commercial power. Around it lay an extensive commerce with many trading partners and an abundance of goods flowing through its fairs, making it the ancient commercial metropolis of the world and the great merchant city of its time. The verse belongs to the prophecy against Tyre that predicted her utter destruction and lamentation over her ruin, until she would become a place for the spreading of nets, a visible object-lesson of fulfilled prophecy. In that judgment its prosperity stands as a warning that worldly wealth and splendor do not protect a city or people who forget and defy God, and a traffic that becomes corrupt and exalted must be humbled. That same lesson reaches modern cities as well, with the commerce, shipping, and wealth of places like San Francisco presented as a latter-day parallel to the thriving maritime market of Tyre.

Tyre's Maritime Wealth

The ships of Tarshish traded in the market of Tyre and sang of her there, and by that sea trade she was replenished, enriched, and made very prosperous and glorious in the midst of the seas. This was Tyre at the height of its commercial power, a wealthy maritime trading city made rich by the ships that gathered to its market. The commerce that flowed into its fairs filled the city full and lifted it to splendor amid the sea.

The surrounding account sets forth an extensive commerce, with many trading partners and an abundance of goods flowing through its fairs. It portrays Tyre as the ancient commercial metropolis of the world and the great merchant city of its time. It was the commercial emporium of Phoenicia, one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world, renowned among the ships that traded in its markets and prominent for its vast wealth and greatness as a maritime trading city.

The word translated replenished means to fill full or to fulfill, meaning simply to fill, with no necessary sense of filling a second time or filling again after a prior filling. This is one of six places where this Hebrew word is rendered replenish. Tyre's standing as a wealthy city made rich by its ships and trade explains why Tyrian merchants brought goods to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath.

Prophecy and Fulfillment

Ezekiel 27:25 stands within the prophecy against Tyre, which itself belongs to the prophecies against foreign nations in Ezekiel 25-31 and more particularly in Ezekiel 26-28. There Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt pass under the prophet's vision, and the section concerning Tyre gives its ruin and the lamentation over her destruction. That lament portrays Tyre's maritime wealth and splendor, with the ships of Tarshish trading and singing in its market until the city was replenished and made glorious in the midst of the seas, yet it predicts her utter destruction. Tyre so described was the great commercial city of the world, the commercial emporium of Phoenicia, one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world.

The prophecy against Tyre was given through Ezekiel during twenty-two years of pleading with Israel to turn to God. It drew its illustration from the kingdoms on all sides of Israel to show how God deals with them and brings down their pride. Contrary to the false prophets who said he was not coming against Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar would capture Tyre, and from Tyre would conquer Jerusalem. Tyre itself would be utterly wiped out of existence.

The former wealth and glory displayed in the verse was therefore to end in utter ruin. Tyre would become a place for the spreading of nets. Its ruins remain as a striking, visible object-lesson of fulfilled prophecy, a remarkable prophecy whose fulfillment is evident today.

Warning to Proud Cities

Ezekiel 27:25 stands within a chapter that functions as a warning and lesson for cities and people that forget and defy God, setting forth the consequences awaiting those who disregard His warnings. The verse presents Tyre as a prosperous and glorious maritime power, enriched by the ships that traded and sang in its market, and its place in Ezekiel's judgment makes that very prosperity part of the warning. Worldly wealth and splendor do not shield such a city from judgment.

The chapter portrays the extensive merchandise and commercial spirit centered in Tyre, which became corrupt and exalted and therefore had to be humbled. That same kind of traffic is applied to Babylon, so that like ancient Tyre and Babylon a proud city that openly defies God may face judgment. The lesson is not confined to the ancient past but applies to modern cities as well.

San Francisco's commerce, shipping, and wealth form a modern parallel to Tyre's thriving maritime market, enriched and made splendid through sea trade. In that parallel the warning is directed to San Francisco and to other cities and people who disregard God's warnings.