Ezekiel 27:24

Eze 27:24 These [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.

Ver. 24. In all sorts of things.] In omnibus perfectissimis; in the very best commodities, whether for worth or workmanship.

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.

Eze_27:24

These were thy merchants in all sorts of things.

Business troubles

Many of our business men are suffering trials and temptations from small and limited capital in business. This temptation of limited capital has ruined men in two ways. Sometimes they have sunk down under the temptation. They have yielded the battle before the first shot was fired. They blanched at the financial peril. The gloom of their countenances overshadowed even their dry goods and groceries. Despondency, coming from limited capital, blasted them. Others have felt it in a different way. They have said: Here I have been trudging along. I have been trying to be honest, all these years. I find it is of no use. Now it is make or break. The small craft that could have stood the stream is put out beyond the lighthouse, on the great sea of speculation. After a while the bubble bursts. Creditors rush in. The law clutches, but finds nothing in its grasp. The men who were swindled say: I dont know how I could ever have been deceived by that man; and the pictorials, in handsome woodcuts, set forth the hero who in ten years had genius enough to fail for 150,000 dollars!

2. Many of our business men are tempted to over-anxiety and care. From January to December the struggle goes on. Even the Sabbath cannot dam back the tide of anxiety; for this wave of worldliness dashes clear over the churches, and leaves its foam on Bibles and prayer books. This excitement of the brain, this corroding care of the heart, this strain of effort that exhausts the spirit, sends a great many of our best men, in middle life, into the grave. Oh, I wish I could, today, rub out some of these lines of care; that I could lift some of the burdens from the heart; that I could give relaxation to some of these worn muscles! It is time for you to begin to take it a little easier. Do your best, and then trust God for the rest.

3. Many of our business men are tempted to neglect their home duties. It is often the case that the father is the mere treasurer of the family, a sort of agent to see that they have dry goods and groceries. The work of family government he does not touch. A man has more responsibilities than those which are discharged by putting competent instructors over his children, and giving them a drawing master and a music teacher.

4. Many of our business men are tempted to put the attainment of money above the value of the soul. There are men in all occupations who seem to act as though they thought that a pack of bonds and mortgages could be traded off for a title to heaven, and as though gold would be a lawful tender in that place where it is so common that they make pavements out of it. Salvation by Christ is the only salvation. Treasures in heaven are the only incorruptible treasures. (T. De Witt Talmage.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

all sorts of things--Hebrew, "perfections"; exquisite articles of finery [GROTIUS].

clothes--rather, "mantles" or "cloaks"; literally, "wrappings." For "blue," HENDERSON translates, "purple."

chests of rich apparel, bound with cords--treasures or repositories of damask stuffs, consisting of variegated threads woven together in figures [HENDERSON].

cedar--The "chests" were made of cedar, in order to last the longer; and it also keeps off decay and has a sweet odor.

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 24. These were thy merchants in all sorts of things] The above people traded with the Tyrians in a great variety of the most valuable merchandise: blue or purple cloth, boxes of cedar, covered with skins, and bound with silken cords, and sealed with an engraved seal, finely cut, &c. See the Chaldee.

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

(24) All sorts of things.—The margin, excellent things, is better. The word means “that which is perfect.” In Eze_23:12 it is “most gorgeously,” and in Eze_38:4, as here, “all sorts.” In all “excellent” or “excellently” is the true sense. “Clothes”—literally, foldings—refers to the purple embroidered cloaks for which Babylonia was famous.

Chests of rich apparel.—Rather, treasures of twisted yarn; and for “made of cedar” read strong. An extensive trade in yarns was kept up from Babylonia to Tyre, where they were dyed and woven, or sold for weaving.

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

24. The first half of the verse may read: These were thy merchants with splendid apparel, cloaks of purple and broidered work. The second half is obscure owing to the occurrence of some words not found elsewhere.

in chests of rich apparel] The term rendered “chests” occurs Est_3:9; Est_4:7 in the sense of “treasures,” from root to hide, lay up, a sense common to all the dialects. In Eth. it means to wind in grave-clothes for purposes of burial, but has no special reference to clothing or textile fabrics. The sense “chests” is without evidence. A term virtually the same as that rendered “rich apparel” occurs in Assyrian of stuffs for clothing (Schr. KAT. pp. 213–16); and a similar word is used of the night heavens, according to Jensen (Babylonian Cosmog. p. 6 seq.) from the mixed colour, blue-gray. It appears used of fabrics woven of differently coloured materials.

bound with cords] This would refer to the “chests,” but this is not probable. More likely: with cords twined and durable, the “cords” themselves being the article of commerce. “Cords” can hardly be thread. The rendering “made of cedar” is altogether unlikely, some sense like strong, firm or durable is more probable. The cords were probably of wool as well as of flax, of divers colours, and used for fastening hangings or other purposes, Est_1:6. The Babylonian weaving was very celebrated, cf. Eze_16:10, Eze_23:6, also the “Babylonish garment,” Jos_7:21.

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.

The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in market,.... The ships of the sea in general; for Tarshish is used for the sea; these from all parts came to Tyre with their several wares, the product of their country from whence they came, and, finding a good market for them at Tyre, spoke greatly in her praise, or, "were thy princes", or "thy chief ones, in thy market" (f); these brought the principal things into it, and took off the chief that were in it, which were of the produce of Tyre:

and thou wast replenished; with goods from all parts, with every thing for their necessity, convenience, pleasure, and delight, and to carry on a traffic with all nations:

and made very glorious in the midst of the seas; with great riches, stately towers and buildings. Here ends the account of Tyre's greatness; next follows her ruin and destruction.

(f) "principes", V. L. Montanus, Castalio, Starckius; "praecipuae", Tigurine version, Grotius. So some in Vatablus.

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

Cords, in boxes, which had then no locks.

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).

These, either last named, or all that have been mentioned, though I conjecture the first is the true meaning, those rich, stately, and sumptuous nations traded with Tyre.

All sorts of things, of rich, precious things.

Blue clothes, which those nations delighted in, especially the Chaldeans and Assyrians, Eze 23:6.

Broidered work; bought of Egyptians, sold to Assyrians, &c.

Chests of cedar, curious yet strong, made on purpose to carry sumptuous apparel, bought up at Tyre, and in those chests conveyed to all parts of the Assyrian empire, and to the northern nations.

Bound with cords; it may refer to the chests mentioned, or to other sort of rich wares neatly made up, and bound for security with cords.

Among thy merchandise: by this it should seem these chests were not like our ordinary boxes, but as choice cabinets, and good merchandise.

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

24. All sorts of things — Rather, fabrics of beauty. R.V., “choice wares.”

Blue clothes — R.V., “wrappings [bales] of blue.” (Compare Eze_23:12.) The description is so vivid as to give the impression that Ezekiel had seen the merchants of Sheba unloading their camels and bringing out their treasures as they arrived at Tyre (Plumptre). Davidson translates chests by “treasures,” and shows that the term corresponding to rich apparel is used by the Assyrians of fabrics woven of different colored materials. In this case the “cords twined and durable” (bound with cords, and made of cedar) would be one of the articles of commerce. (See Eze_16:10; Eze_23:6; Est_1:6; Jos_7:21.) Toy translates “strangely bound skeins.”

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

In all sorts of things; better, with the Revised Version, in choice wares. Hebrew, articles of beauty; or, as in margin of the Authorized Version, "excellent things." The words have been variously interpreted,

(1) by Ewald, as "suits of armor;

(2) by Keil, as "stately dresses;

by Havernick, as "works of art" generally. The description in detail that follows is so vivid as to give the impression that Ezekiel had seen the merchants of Sheba unloading their camels and bringing out their treasures as they arrived at Tyro. The blue clothes (wrappings of blue, as in the Revised Version) were the purple robes of Babylon, which were famous all over the world. The words that follow are somewhat obscure, but are probably rightly translated by Keil, "embroidered of twisted yarn, in-wound, and strong cords for thy wares." The yarn may have been used for the cordage of the Tyrian ships. The words, made of cedar, are in this rendering taken as an adjective, equivalent to "firm" or "strong" (so Furst).

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

Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues giving Ezekiel his message to Tyre.

General Information:

The words "you" and "your" in these verses refer to Tyre.

These were your dealers

"They traded with you"

ornate robes of violet cloths with woven colors

"purple robes with many different colors"

blankets of multicolored, embroidered, and well-woven cloth

"blankets with many colors that had designs and were of high quality"

The ships of Tarshish were the transporters of your merchandise

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise" (See: Active or Passive)

you were filled up, heavily laden with cargo

Tyre's abundance is spoken of as if it was a ship that was full of cargo. (See: Metaphor)

heart of the seas

"middle of the seas." See how you translated this in Ezekiel 27:4.

translationWords

robe

Tarshish

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

with adornments [Heb. בְּמַכְלֻלִים,] with things that are for adornment (מכלול), paramenz in Old French, adornments, jewelry, and what are the adornments? Wraps of embroidered blue cloth.

and with treasures kept in chests With beautiful adornments that are kept in chests called escrin in Old French, (ecrin in modern French). They are covered with leather and decorated for beauty with sorts of nails forming rows and pictures, and they are called קַמְטְרַיָא in Aramaic and בְּרוֹמִים in Hebrew, and they are tied and bound with linen ropes for beauty.

and [enclosed in] myrtle wood Jonathan renders: myrtle wood. Those chests were placed in chests of myrtle wood, and they would bring them into the outer chests and the chest within them, and so too, the ornaments that were inside the chests; everything all together for merchandising. This is the meaning of the wording in brief: and with treasures [kept] in chests, tied with ropes and [enclosed in] cedar wood, for the בְּרוֹמִים are the chests, and they were tied with ropes and placed in chests of myrtle, which is a species of cedar. And the adornments that were inside the chests, Jonathan calls וְכוּשּׁפִּין דְאַרְזָא בְּאִימְלִין דִּי זָהְרָיִתָא adornments that require good watching (זְהִירוּת), [i.e.,] דְמֲחֲתִין בְּקוֹמְטְרִין that were placed in chests. And the word מִגְדָּל in the Targum is like what we learn: a box and a chest (מִגְדָּל) schafreite in Middle High German, clothes chest, cupboard. [In some editions] armaise in Old French.

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.