Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.
The verse belongs to the lament over Tyre and the prediction of her utter destruction in Ezekiel 26-28, part of the series in Ezekiel 25-31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt. Tyre was the great commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world, whose fairs and merchandise from many nations enriched the kings of the earth with metals, livestock, textiles, spices, precious stones, and all sorts of wares. Her rowers, ships, and sailors carried her into great waters and into danger at sea, where the east wind as the breaking force shattered her in the midst of the seas. That breaking was fulfilled when the great commercial city was utterly destroyed and captured by Nebuchadnezzar, leaving a ruined site where nets are spread and the building stones have been removed, a fulfillment still evident today. Power and prosperity could not protect her, warning proud cities and peoples that forget and defy God, for her corrupt, self-exalting spirit of trade that filled the seas lives on in Babylon as a worldwide federation pursuing wealth, which God humbles by bringing its prosperity to an end. Her ruin amid the seas warns of the consequences of open wickedness and defiance of God, as seen when San Francisco in its commercial wealth as a wealthy maritime trading city like Tyre suffered catastrophe echoing Tyre's downfall at sea.
Tyre's Trade and Ruin
Ezekiel 27:26 stands in the prophecies against the nations, in the lament over Tyre and prediction of her utter destruction in Ezekiel 26-28. It belongs to the series in Ezekiel 25-31 in which Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt pass under the prophet's vision, remarkable prophecies whose fulfillment is evident today. Those chapters speak prophetically about Tyre, the commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world.
Ezekiel 27 presents Tyre as the great commercial emporium of ancient times, whose fairs drew silver, iron, tin, lead, brass, slaves, horses, horsemen, mules, horns of ivory and ebony, precious cloths for chariots, emeralds, purple and broidered work, fine linen, coral, agate, wine of Helbon and white wool, wheat, honey, oil, balm, lambs, rams, goats, chief spices, precious stones, gold, blue cloths, and chests of rich apparel bound with cords and made of cedar, with all sorts of wares of her own making. These came from Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Libia, Russia, Togarmah, Bedan, Syria, Damascus, Judah, Israel, Arabia, Sheba, Raamah, Babylonia and Assyria, and the multitude of her riches and merchandise enriched the kings of the earth. The verse describes that wealth and seafaring trade, in which her rowers, ships, and sailors carry her into great waters and into danger at sea. There the east wind as the breaking force shatters her in the midst of the seas.
Its destruction belongs to the judgment that would bring the great commercial city down, when it would be utterly destroyed and captured by Nebuchadnezzar before his conquest of Jerusalem. The prophecy of destruction at sea was fulfilled in Tyre's ruined site, where nets are spread and the building stones have been removed, a fulfillment still evident today. The east wind also shows that Tyrian ships could travel far across the sea, carried toward Gibraltar and then across the Atlantic to America, indicating that transoceanic navigation was known in Bible times.
Warning to Modern Cities
Tyre stands under judgment, and neither its power nor its prosperity could shield it from destruction, so its fall warns cities and peoples that forget and defy God. The downfall of proud, God-defying cities stands as a lesson, and those judgments instruct modern cities as well as peoples who forget or defy God. Tyre was a great commercial power whose traffic filled the seas, and its corrupt, self-exalting spirit of trade reappears in Babylon as a worldwide federation pursuing wealth and dealing even in human lives, which God humbles by bringing its prosperity to an end.
Brought into great waters only to be broken in the midst of the seas, Tyre was ruined amid the waters as the consequence of a city's open wickedness and defiance of God. The catastrophe that struck San Francisco belongs with the preliminary punishments of Babylon and Tyre, warning other cities that forget or defy God of the same outcome. As a wealthy maritime trading city whose ships and seafaring trade carried it into danger at sea where the east wind broke it, Tyre matches San Francisco in commercial wealth and importance. The destruction wrought by the earthquake echoes Tyre's downfall at sea.
The verse belongs to the lament over Tyre and the prediction of her utter destruction in Ezekiel 26-28, part of the series in Ezekiel 25-31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt. Tyre was the great commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world, whose fairs and merchandise from many nations enriched the kings of the earth with metals, livestock, textiles, spices, precious stones, and all sorts of wares. Her rowers, ships, and sailors carried her into great waters and into danger at sea, where the east wind as the breaking force shattered her in the midst of the seas. That breaking was fulfilled when the great commercial city was utterly destroyed and captured by Nebuchadnezzar, leaving a ruined site where nets are spread and the building stones have been removed, a fulfillment still evident today. Power and prosperity could not protect her, warning proud cities and peoples that forget and defy God, for her corrupt, self-exalting spirit of trade that filled the seas lives on in Babylon as a worldwide federation pursuing wealth, which God humbles by bringing its prosperity to an end. Her ruin amid the seas warns of the consequences of open wickedness and defiance of God, as seen when San Francisco in its commercial wealth as a wealthy maritime trading city like Tyre suffered catastrophe echoing Tyre's downfall at sea.
Tyre's Trade and Ruin
Ezekiel 27:26 stands in the prophecies against the nations, in the lament over Tyre and prediction of her utter destruction in Ezekiel 26-28. It belongs to the series in Ezekiel 25-31 in which Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt pass under the prophet's vision, remarkable prophecies whose fulfillment is evident today. Those chapters speak prophetically about Tyre, the commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world.
Ezekiel 27 presents Tyre as the great commercial emporium of ancient times, whose fairs drew silver, iron, tin, lead, brass, slaves, horses, horsemen, mules, horns of ivory and ebony, precious cloths for chariots, emeralds, purple and broidered work, fine linen, coral, agate, wine of Helbon and white wool, wheat, honey, oil, balm, lambs, rams, goats, chief spices, precious stones, gold, blue cloths, and chests of rich apparel bound with cords and made of cedar, with all sorts of wares of her own making. These came from Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Libia, Russia, Togarmah, Bedan, Syria, Damascus, Judah, Israel, Arabia, Sheba, Raamah, Babylonia and Assyria, and the multitude of her riches and merchandise enriched the kings of the earth. The verse describes that wealth and seafaring trade, in which her rowers, ships, and sailors carry her into great waters and into danger at sea. There the east wind as the breaking force shatters her in the midst of the seas.
Its destruction belongs to the judgment that would bring the great commercial city down, when it would be utterly destroyed and captured by Nebuchadnezzar before his conquest of Jerusalem. The prophecy of destruction at sea was fulfilled in Tyre's ruined site, where nets are spread and the building stones have been removed, a fulfillment still evident today. The east wind also shows that Tyrian ships could travel far across the sea, carried toward Gibraltar and then across the Atlantic to America, indicating that transoceanic navigation was known in Bible times.
Warning to Modern Cities
Tyre stands under judgment, and neither its power nor its prosperity could shield it from destruction, so its fall warns cities and peoples that forget and defy God. The downfall of proud, God-defying cities stands as a lesson, and those judgments instruct modern cities as well as peoples who forget or defy God. Tyre was a great commercial power whose traffic filled the seas, and its corrupt, self-exalting spirit of trade reappears in Babylon as a worldwide federation pursuing wealth and dealing even in human lives, which God humbles by bringing its prosperity to an end.
Brought into great waters only to be broken in the midst of the seas, Tyre was ruined amid the waters as the consequence of a city's open wickedness and defiance of God. The catastrophe that struck San Francisco belongs with the preliminary punishments of Babylon and Tyre, warning other cities that forget or defy God of the same outcome. As a wealthy maritime trading city whose ships and seafaring trade carried it into danger at sea where the east wind broke it, Tyre matches San Francisco in commercial wealth and importance. The destruction wrought by the earthquake echoes Tyre's downfall at sea.