Ezekiel 27:23

Eze 27:23 Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, [and] Chilmad, [were] thy merchants.

Ver. 23. Haran.] In Mesopotamia, or Charrae, in Parthia, where Crassus was slain.

And Channeh,] Or, Chalne, where the tower of Babel was built nine miles high. {a}

And Eden.] Where paradise once was: sed periit rosa, mansit spina.

Chelmad,] i.e., Medea, saith the paraphrast.

{a} The tower of Babel was 9164 paces from the ground.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27:23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, and Asshur were all located in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Kilmad is otherwise unattested in ancient sources and may be a scribal error for “all Media” (the region northeast of Mesopotamia).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Haran--the dwelling-place of Abraham in Mesopotamia, after he moved from Ur (Gen 11:31).

Canneh--Calneh, an Assyrian city on the Tigris; the Ctesiphon of the Greeks (Gen 10:10).

Eden--probably a region in Babylonia (see Gen 2:8).

Chilmad--a compound; the place designated by PTOLEMY "Gaala of Media." The Chaldee version interprets it of Media. HENDERSON refers it to Carmanda, which XENOPHON describes as a large city beyond the Euphrates.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. Haran] In Mesopotamia; well known in Scripture.

Canneh] Or Chalane; see Ge 10:10. It is supposed to be a cape or port of Arabia Felix, on the Indian Sea.

Eden] Equally famous: supposed to have been situated near the confluence of the Tygris and Euphrates.

Sheba] Different from that in Eze 27:22. This was probably near the country of the Edomites.

Asshur] Perhaps the Assyrians.

Chilmad] Possibly Cholmadora, on the Euphrates. Ptol. lib. v.. cap. 15. For several of these places, and the persons from whom they derived their names, see Ge 10:1-32, and the notes there; and see Calmet.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(23) Haran, and Canneh, and Eden.—The description now turns from Arabia to the Tyrian trade with Mesopotamia. Haran, important in the story of Abraham (Gen_11:31-32; Gen_12:4), the Charræ of the Romans, was in north-western Mesopotamia, at the junction of two great caravan routes, the one along the Tigris, the other along the Euphrates. Canneh, a contraction for the Calneh of Gen_10:10, was the most important commercial city on the former, and was later known as Ctesiphon. Eden was an unknown town on the Euphrates (2Ki_19:12; Isa_37:12), and is to be distinguished from the Syrian Eden.

Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad.—Sheba is still the same Sheba before mentioned; for Pliny (Hist. Nat., xii. 40) says that the Sabœans brought their goods from the spice country to Carrhæ, where they held markets, and went thence to Syria and Phœnicia. They were, therefore, traders between Mesopotamia and Phœnicia. Asshur is here not the country of Assyria, but the commercial city Sura (modern Essurieh), on the banks of the Euphrates, above Thapsacus. Chilmad is supposed to be the Charmande of Xenophon (Anab., i. 5, 10), “a great city beyond the Euphrates, in the neighbourhood of the desert.” Others identify it with Kalwada, near Bagdad. It is mentioned only here.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. The places named may be regarded as an extension of the line from S. to N. in Eze_27:19-22, though the names are given rather in the order W. to E. Harran in Mesopotamia, two days’ journey S.E. of Edessa, on a branch of the Euphrates, was a sacred city and place of pilgrimage, and also an emporium of trade. The defeat of Crassus by the Parthians took place there. Canneh may be Calneh (Gen_10:10; Amo_6:2), otherwise Calno (Isa_10:9), a city in Babylonia. Its site has not been identified. Von Gutschmidt (Ency. Brit., art. Phœnicia) identifies Canneh with Cænæ. Eden, spelled somewhat differently from the Eden of Paradise, is elsewhere named in connexion with Haran, Isa_37:12 (2Ki_19:12), and said to be in Telassar (Tel Asshur).

the merchants of Sheba] It is strange that these should be mentioned again (Eze_27:22). For “Eden … Sheba” LXX. reads: these were thy merchants, i.e. Haran and Canneh. It has been supposed that the merchants of Sheba frequented the fairs of Haran and thence made their way westward along the trade route to Phenicia.

Asshur and Chilmad] LXX. reads and between the words. Asshur if taken in its usual sense would be Assyria. Others think of Sura, or Essurieh, on the Euphrates. G. Smith conjectured that Chilmad was Kalwâdha near Bagdad. LXX. renders Charman, which suggests Caramania. The rendering: “Asshur was as thine apprentice in traffic” (Hitz. Corn.), besides being a conceit, misses the whole idea of the chapter.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

These were thy merchants in all sorts of things,.... Either all before mentioned throughout the chapter, or rather those only in the preceding verse; also these were merchants in various things after mentioned, and which were the best and most perfect of the kind, as the word (d) used signifies:

in blue cloths, and broidered work; these the Assyrians took of them, a colour in which they much delighted; see Eze 23:6,

and in chests of rich apparel bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise; rich apparel, such as scarlet cloaks, as the Targum, and blue cloths as before; these were well packed up in chests made of "cedar", which they had from Lebanon, and so fit to be put on board a ship, and carried into any part of the world. The Targum adds,

"and sealed with a signet;''

as things well packed up and bound sometimes are, being of worth and value. Some render it, "in chains"; or, "chains were among thy merchandise" (e); such as chains of gold, wore about the neck; and take the word to be of the sam meaning with that in Sol 1:10.

(d) "rebus perfectissimis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius. (e) "et torquibus in negotiatione tua", Pagninus; "et torques fuerunt in nundinis tuis", Vatablus. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 71. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Haran, or Charæ, famous for the residence of Abraham and the defeat of Crassus. --- Eden, the province where Paradise was situated.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Haran; Haran or Charran in Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt.

Canneh; no where else mentioned, supposed to be the same with Calneh, Gen 10:10, afterwards Ctesiphon, a pleasant city on Tigris, some three miles from Seleucia. It was built by the Parthians, whose king resided there in the winter, because of the mildness of the air.

Eden; a pleasant country, part of Babylonia. The Chaldee paraphrase calls it Hadiab, and leads us to Adiabene, which Trajan conquered in his expedition against Babylon.

Sheba; whether the same mentioned Eze 27:22, (which see,) or some other, is not certain; perhaps it may be Saba, whence Sabeans.

Asshur; Asshur, the name of the father of the nation, for Assyria.

Chilmad; a country or part of Media, between Assyria and Parthia, most likely to be Gaala of Media.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Haran, etc. — Was this a swift glance at far-away districts: Haran (Gen_11:31; Gen_24:10; Gen_29:4) standing for Mesopotamia; Canneh (Calneh or Calno, Gen_10:10; Amo_6:2; Isa_10:9), located near Eridu (Eden); Babylonia and Asshur for Assyria? Or were these localities lying near Arabia; Eden being the modern Aden, and Asshur referring, as often in the Old Testament, to the wilderness of Shur; the other places being so far not identified? (Hommel.) Further light is needed. Mez reads, “Haran and the Edenites, Asshur and all the Medes were thy merchants” (Polychrome Bible).

The merchants of Sheba — LXX., they were thy dealers.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Haran and Canaeh, etc. From Arabia we pass to Mesopotamia. Haran (Gen_11:31) stands for the Carrhae of the Romans, situated at the point where the old military and commercial roads bifurcated Cowards Babylon and the Delta of the Persian Gulf in the one direction, and Canaan in the other. It appears in Gen_24:10 and Gen_29:4 as the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim, equivalent to "Syria of the two rivers"), or, more definitely, in Parian-Atom, which lies below Mount Masius, between the Khabour and the Euphrates. It is famous in Roman history for the defeat of Crassus by the Parthians. Caaneh. The eastern of the two roads just mentioned ran on to Calneh (of which Cauneh is a variant), named in Gen_10:10 as one of the cities built by Nimrod. It is probably represented by the modern Niffer, about sixty miles southeast of Babylon. It is named in Isa_10:9 inconnection with Carehemish, in Amo_6:2 with Hamath the great, as conquered by the Assyrians. It has been conjecturally identified by the Targum and other ancient writers with Ctesiphon, but(?) Eden; spelt differently in the Hebrew from the Eden of Gen_2:8. It is probably identical with the Eden near Thelassar (Td. Assar) of Isa_37:12 and 2Ki_19:12, where, as here, it is connected with Haran as among the Assyrian conquests. Its site has not been determined, and it has been placed by some geographers in the hill-country above the Upper Mesopetamian plains; by others near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. The position of the Eden of Amo_1:5, near Damascus, points to a Syrian town of the same name. The merchants of Sheba. The recurrence of the name after the full mention of the people in Ver. 22 arises probably from the fact that they were the carriers in the commerce between the Mesopotamian cities just named and Tyre. Asshur. The name may stand (Smend), as it commonly does, for Assyria as a country; but its juxtaposition with the names of cities has led some geographers (Movers, p. 252, in Keil) to identify with a city Sum (Essurieh) on the west bank of the Euphrates, above Thapsacus, (the Tiphsah of 1Ki_4:24) and on the caravanroute which runs from Palmyra (the Tadmor of 2Ch_8:4) to Haran. Chilmad. The name is not found elsewhere. The LXX gives Charman, a town near the Euphrates, mentioned in Xenophon, "Anab.," 1:5. 10, as Charmaude. It can scarcely have been a place of much general note, but may have had some special reputation which made it prominent in Tyrian commerce.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Haran - In Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt. Canneh - This is supposed to be the same with Calneh, Gen. x, 10, afterwards Ctesiphon, a pleasant city on Tigris. Ashur - Assyria. Chilmad - A country between Assyria and Parthia.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Assyria and Media [Heb. אַשּׁוּר כִּלְמַד.] Jonathan renders: the states of Assyria and Media.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.