Ezekiel 27:7
Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.
Ezekiel 27:7 belongs to the lamentation over Tyre, picturing her as a richly dressed and richly equipped ship engaged in worldwide trade, with skillfully embroidered fine linen from Egypt spread for her sail and blue and purple cloth from the isles of Elishah for her covering, showing her wealth, maritime splendor, skill and standing as a great commercial power. It displays part of her glory when she was the merchant city of the world and her builders had made her of perfect beauty. It foretells her ruin and utter destruction until her former site would become a place for spreading nets in the sea, a remarkable fulfilled prophecy evident today. Her splendor and judgment stand as a warning about proud, prosperous, God-defying cities, for Tyre grew rich and exalted through commercial traffic until merchandise made her corrupt and proud and God humbled her, and the same traffic is carried on by great Babylon as modern Tyre, a federation taking in all the earth that forgets God and makes gold its god until its riches are made desolate.
Tyre's Splendid Ship
Ezekiel 27:7 belongs to the lamentation over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28. It stands in a prophecy against Tyre, one of the prophecies against other nations in Ezekiel 25-31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre and Egypt.
The verse pictures Tyre as a richly dressed and richly equipped ship engaged in worldwide merchandise and trade. Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, embroidered with skill, was spread forth to be its sail. Blue and purple cloth from the isles of Elishah was its covering, with Egypt supplying the sail and Elishah supplying the covering. These costly materials show its wealth, maritime splendor, skill, and standing as a great commercial power.
The verse reflects the time when Tyre was the merchant city of the world, when men of Tyre brought fish and all manner of ware to sell to Judah in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. It shows part of Tyre's glory before her fearful fall, when her builders had made her of perfect beauty.
Judgment Foretold and Applied
Ezekiel 27:7 belongs to the lamentation over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28 which foretells the ruin and utter destruction of Tyre. It is part of the description of Tyre as a great commercial power destined to be utterly destroyed, so that its former site would become a place for spreading nets in the sea. Its sail of fine embroidered linen from Egypt and its covering of blue and purple cloth from the isles of Elishah set forth Tyre's splendid equipment as a richly dressed ship, and that commercial splendor is set against the prophecy that it would become a place for spreading nets.
The costly materials of sail and covering show Tyre's wealth and trade, with Egyptian fine linen embroidered with skill forming the sails and blue and purple cloth from the isles of Elishah covering the ships. The verse stands in a prophecy against Tyre, one of the prophecies against other nations in Ezekiel 25-31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre and Egypt. In that setting it belongs to fulfilled prophecy concerning ancient Tyre, a remarkable prophecy whose fulfillment is evident today, whose site became a place for spreading nets.
The account of Tyre's splendor in its richly adorned sail and covering and its judgment is included among warnings and lessons about the judgment of proud, God-defying cities. It serves as a warning to proud, prosperous cities that defy God.
The verse means Tyre grew rich and exalted through commercial traffic in fine goods and worldwide merchandise with traffickers found everywhere, and that spirit of merchandise made her corrupt and proud until God had to humble her. The same kind of traffic is carried on by great Babylon, which is modern Tyre, not one city but a federation taking in all the earth. Its commercialism overrides honor and integrity, seeks to possess all nations and gather to itself every commodity in which men deal, even to the bodies and souls of men, forgets God and makes gold its god, and when the combination falls its riches are made desolate.