Ezekiel 27:16

27:1-25 Those who live at ease are to be lamented, if they are not prepared for trouble. Let none reckon themselves beautified, any further than they are sanctified. The account of the trade of Tyre intimates, that God's eye is upon men when employed in worldly business. Not only when at church, praying and hearing, but when in markets and fairs, buying and selling. In all our dealings we should keep a conscience void of offence. God, as the common Father of mankind, makes one country abound in one commodity, and another in another, serviceable to the necessity or to the comfort and ornament of human life. See what a blessing trade and merchandise are to mankind, when followed in the fear of God. Besides necessaries, an abundance of things are made valuable only by custom; yet God allows us to use them. But when riches increase, men are apt to set their hearts upon them, and forget the Lord, who gives power to get wealth.

Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making,.... Which they took off of their hands, and for them brought the following things: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds; precious stones of a green colour: Jarchi renders it "carbuncles", other precious stones of a different colour; and so the word is translated by Pagninus, Montanus, Grotius, the French, and Diodate; sometimes called "carchedonies", and which the Apostle John calls the "chalcedony", Revelation 21:19, the same with rubies; and so the word here used is rendered by Luther; and, by Abarbinel, precious stones of great value; see Proverbs 3:15, from whence the Syrians had these to trade with at Tyre cannot be easily said; the modern rubies, which are thought to be the true and genuine carbuncles of the ancients, seldom exceed the weight of twenty carats; yet some say the Emperor Rudolphus the second had a ruby as big as a little hen's egg, bought at sixty thousand ducats, and supposed to be worth more; and that Regulus Decan had one of thirty four carats, bought at six minas of gold, that is, a hundred and ninety two pounds of gold; and that the great Mogul had one, which cost a million four hundred and twenty five thousand florins; and that there are some which exceed the weight of fifty carats (f); but there were few, if any of these, that came to the market of Tyre; however, no doubt, some valuable ones were here sold.

Ezekiel 27:16-20 . Syria was thy merchant, &c. — From what is said here, we may conclude that the inhabitants of Tyre were exceedingly industrious, skilful in arts, and politic; for here almost all nations are described as bringing their respective commodities to Tyre, to give in exchange for the wares or manufactures of that place; which shows to what a vast height they carried their manufactures, and what immense profits they must have gained, since, it seems, they were able to purchase all kinds of precious stones, and the richest commodities of the world, with their own manufactures. Judah and Israel were thy merchants — Both the kingdom of the two tribes, and that of the ten. They traded in thy market wheat of Minnith — Minnith was a place belonging to the Ammonites, Jdg 11:33 , and was noted for excellent wheat, great quantities of which the Jews brought to Tyre, the Tyrians having none of their own growth, but being supplied therewith by the Jews and Israelites, from the growth of their own or the neighbouring countries: see 1 Kings 5:9-11 ; Ezra 3:7 ; Acts 12:20 . And Pannag — This is a word not elsewhere to be found, supposed by some to be the name of a place; by others, more probably, taken for some rich ointment, or gum. The Vulgate translates it balsam. In the wine of Helbon — Helbon is supposed to be that part of Syria which is called Chalybonitis by Ptolemy; and white wool — Bochart understands this to be wool of a bright purple colour.

The LXX. and Chaldee render it, wool from Miletus, a place famous for that commodity. Daniel also, &c. — Grotius thinks that Daniel in the kingdom of Israel can scarcely be meant here; and finds that a city called Dana is placed by Ptolemy in the island of Ceylon. Dedan, &c., in precious clothes for chariots — Either these were rich coverings which were flung over the horses when harnessed to chariots, or else coverings for the seats of the chariots.

(16) Emeralds. —The precious stone intended here, and in Exodus 28:18 , is now generally understood to be the carbuncle. The word for “fine linen” is not that of Ezekiel 27:7 , but a Phœnician word, occurring only in the books written in the time of the captivity. It is thought to mean cotton, for the woven fabrics of which Babylon was famous. Agate (marg., chrysoprase ) is probably the ruby, or certainly some stone of brilliancy ( Isaiah 54:12 )

Verse 16. - Syria ; Hebrew, Aram . The LXX. which gives ἀνθρώπους , seems to have read Adam (equivalent to "man"), another instance of the fact just referred to. And this has led many commentators (Michaelis, Ewald, Hitzig, Furst) to conjecture, following the Peshito Version, that Edom must have been the true reading. As regards the products named, we know too little of the commerce of Edom to say whether it included them in its exports, and the fact that the broidered work of Babylon had been famous from of old ( Joshua 7:21 ), and that it was also the oldest emporium for precious stones, may be urged in favor of the present reading, and of taking Aram in its widest sense as including Mesopotamia. On the other hand, the mention of onyx, sapphire, coral, pearls, topaz, in Job 28:16-19 , the local coloring of which is essentially Idumaean, supports the conjectural emendation. Emeralds (comp. Exodus 28:18 ). Some writers identify it with the carbuncle. It meets us again in Ezekiel 28:13 . The fine linen ( butz ) is different from that of Ver. 7 ( shesh ) and appears only in the later books of the Old Testament ( 1 Chronicles 4:21 ; 2 Chronicles 3:14 ; Esther 1:6 , et al .). It was probably the byssus of the Greeks, made of cotton, while the Egyptian fabric was of flax. Coral . The Hebrew ( ramoth ) occurs only here and in Job 28:18 . "Coral" is the traditional Jewish interpretation, but the LXX. transliterates, and the Vulgate gives secure.

16 . For Syria (Aram) the Syr. reads Edom, and so in effect LXX. (interchange of d and r as Ezekiel 27:15 ). If Edom be read the line pursued would be from S. to N., Edom, Ezekiel 27:16 , Judah, Ezekiel 27:17 , Damascus, Ezekiel 27:18 . The verse is otherwise peculiar in beginning with a precious stone, then passing on to stuffs and ending with precious stones. wares of thy making ] Rather; by reason of the multitude of thy works , i.e. not those wrought by Tyre, but those which the nations wrought and brought to her, all of which are considered hers. occupied in thy fairs ] Rather: emeralds … they brought as thy wares. The “emerald” according to others is the carbuncle. “Coral” may be “pearls.” The two things may have been confused; both were fished in the Persian Gulf. The “agate” may be the ruby. The precious stones might seem in favour of Edom, but the fine linen is more naturally the Syrian byssus. LXX. omits all the textile fabrics with the exception of broidered work; and the text must be held uncertain.

Syria - "Aram" here included Mesopotamia; and Babylon was famous for its precious stones. Many read "Edom." Emeralds - Rather, carbuncle. Fine linen - The word (בוץ bûts) was used only in the times of the captivity. It is a Phoenician word, which in Greek assumed the form "byssus," properly "cotton," as distinguished from "linen;" the Phoenicians spinning their threads from cotton wool, the Egyptians from flax.

The multitude of the wares of thy making; the abundance of the Tyrian manufacture for all uses, which the Syrians could have no where else. With emeralds; rather, for emeralds, a rich and lovely stone; or carbuncles, as others have it. Purple, or violet-coloured, clothes. Broidered work : see Ezekiel 27:7 . Fine linen: see Ezekiel 27:7 . Coral; men guess this may be rubies, carbuncles, or chalcedonies; or crystal, with which they made looking-glasses. Agate; a stone well known to us, but not so well known whether it exactly translate the Hebrew dkdk here used; some say it is the chrysoprase, a stone mixed with gold colour and green, and some such mixture may be seen in some agates.