The big picture
Ezekiel 27 opens in verse 1 with “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude…”, and closes in verse 36 with “The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never…” Repeated or prominent terms include merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Ezekiel · King James Version · 36Ezekiel 27:1-8
1–8: The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 27:1–8 opens with “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,” and reaches “The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 27 develops its own movement around merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, with particular weight carried by Tyrus, isles, beauty.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, word. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many…” Naming Tyrus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.” Naming Lebanon and Senir keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Ezekiel 27:1-8
King James Version1The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
3And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD ; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.
4Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.
5They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.
6Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim.
7Fine 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.
8The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.
Ezekiel 27:9-16
9–16: The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers…
Ezekiel 27:9–16 opens with “The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the…” and reaches “Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 27 develops its own movement around merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, with particular weight carried by fairs, traded, army.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners…” Naming Gebal keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged…” Naming Arvad and Gammadims keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.” Naming Javan and Meshech keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Ezekiel 27:9-16
King James Version9The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.
10They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.
11The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.
12Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.
14They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.
15The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.
16Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
Ezekiel 27:17-24
17–24: Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in…
Ezekiel 27:17–24 opens with “Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of…” and reaches “These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 27 develops its own movement around merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, with particular weight carried by merchants, occupied, clothes.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and…” Naming Israel and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.” Naming Dan and Javan keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Ezekiel 27:17-24
King James Version17Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.
18Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and white wool.
19Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.
20Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.
21Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
22The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
23Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
24These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
Ezekiel 27:25-32
25–32: The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast…
Ezekiel 27:25–32 opens with “The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very…” and reaches “And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 27 develops its own movement around merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, with particular weight carried by midst, pilots, seas.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst…” Naming Tarshish keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Ezekiel 27:25-32
King James Version25The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.
26Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.
27Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
28The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
29And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land;
30And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
31And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
32And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?
Ezekiel 27:33-36
33–36: When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people…
Ezekiel 27:33–36 opens with “When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the…” and reaches “The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 27 develops its own movement around merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, with particular weight carried by kings, merchandise, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
“When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with…” The line’s distinctive content terms include didst, earth, enrich. Its relationship to verses 34 shows what work it does in this passage.
Ezekiel 27:33-36
King James Version33When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.
34In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.
35All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.
36The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Ezekiel 27:1 begins with “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Ezekiel 27:32 forms a natural hinge: “And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of…”
The final note
Ezekiel 27:36 leaves the reader with “The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words merchants, merchandise, midst, fairs, seas, isles help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What makes the deception more than a harmless family trick?
Jacob exploits his father's blindness, impersonates his brother and invokes God while lying.
What does the family lose?
Trust, safety and proximity: Jacob must flee, and Esau carries murderous resentment.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.
