Ezekiel 27:9

Eze 27:9 The 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.

Ver. 9. The ancients of Gebal.] Great architects, {1Ki 5:18} but persecutors of the Church. {Psa 83:7}

Thy calkers.] Or, Stoppers of chinks, stuppa, pice, aliaque materia, when the ship springeth a leak.

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.

Meaning, that they built the walls of the city, which is here meant by the ship: and of these were the builders of Solomon’s Temple, 1 Kings 5:18.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Gebal--a Phœnician city and region between Beirut and Tripoils, famed for skilled workmen (Kg1 5:18, Margin; Psa 83:7).

calkers--stoppers of chinks in a vessel: carrying on the metaphor as to Tyre.

occupy thy merchandise--that is, to exchange merchandise with thee.

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 9. The ancients of Gebal] This was a city of Phoenicia, near Mount Libanus, Jos 13:5. It was called Biblos by the Greeks.

Thy calkers] Those who repaired their vessels; paying, as it is termed, pitched hemp into the seams, to prevent the water from oozing through.

To occupy thy merchandise.] That is, to be thy agents or factors.

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

(9) The ancients of Gebal.—“The ancients” is a thoroughly Semitic expression for the prominent men of a city. Gebal, the ancient Byblos, the modern Gébeil, and the Gu-ba-lu of the Assyrian inscriptions, was a famous Phœnician town just north of Beirût. Its site is still rich in ruins. Its people were famous builders, and according to the margin of 1Ki_5:18 (so also the Septuagint and Vulgate) were employed by Solomon on the work of the Temple. The representation is that the whole widely-dispersed Phœnician race were tributary to the works of Tyre. At this point the figure of the ship gives place for a time to plain language, the better to set forth the military resources and power of this great city.

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

9. ancients of Gebal] The elders, a title of honour or office, the magistrates. Probably also the “wise men thereof” is a semi-official title (cf. Eze_27:8). The power of Tyre was exerted over all her dependencies (Eze_26:17), in which men of the highest position entered all ranks of her service. Gebal (the classical Byblos, now Jubeil) is situated not far from the river Adonis (Ibrahim) somewhat over 20 miles N. of Beirut (Jos_13:5; 1Ki_5:18, R.V.). The town was devoted to the worship of Beltis (Astarte) and Adonis, cf. on ch. Eze_8:14. The name appears in the Assyrian inscriptions, Del., Parad. p. 283.

thy calkers] Marg. stoppers of chinks, carpenters.

to occupy thy merchandise] to handle thy wares. The representation is that the great ship was attended on by all the ships of the sea with their sailors, who served her and delivered her wares to her, or were occupied about them (Eze_27:27).

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.

They of Persia, and of Lud, and of Phut, were in thine army, thy men of war,.... As the Tryrians were a trading people, they hired foreign troops into their service, to fill their garrisons, defend their city, and fight for them in time of war; and these were of various nations, and the most famous for military skill and valour; as the Persians, a people well known, and famous for war in the times of Cyrus, and before, and well skilled in shooting arrows; and they of Lud, or the Lydians, a people in Greece, renowned for war before the times of Croesus their king, as well as in his time; and they of Phut, the Lybians, a people in Africa, skilful in drawing the bow, Isa 66:19,

they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; in their garrisons and towers, or places of armoury; which were defensive weapons, the one for the body, the other for the head; this they did in times of peace, when there was no occasion to use them, or when they were off their guard, and not on duty; see Sol 4:4,

they set forth thy comeliness; it being an honour to the Tyrians to have such soldiers in their service. The Targum is,

"they increased thy splendour;''

added to their glory.

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

Gebal - i. e., Byblos (modern Gebeil) in Phoenicia, the chief seat of the worship of Adonis, and situated on an eminence over-looking the river Adonis, north of Beirut, not far from the Mediterranean sea. The “ancients” is a term for the council that presided over maritime cities.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Gebal. Septuagint, "Biblos," which is the same, 3 Kings v. 18. --- Furnished. Hebrew, "were in thee to repair thy breaches." Septuagint, "strengthened thy designs."

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).

The ancients; old experienced workmen.

Of Gebal; a town of Phoenicia near the sea, one of the four principal towns, to which belonged a jurisdiction over a fourth part of Phoenicia, mentioned Psa 83:7, among the conspirators against Israel and the Giblites, 1Ki 5:18. Natives of Gebal are called stone-squarers, people fitted for hard and servile works.

The wise men; skilful in their trades.

Were in thee; hired and dwelt in Tyre for gain’s sake, that they might be still employed.

Calkers; shipwrights, to build no doubt, as well as repair and strengthen, their ships.

All the ships of the sea; ships from all parts of the sea, full of mariners, not only to manage the ships at sea, but to offer their service to the Tyrians for bringing in or carrying out of their wares, so that they might reap the profit, whilst others did undergo trouble and danger of trafficking by sea; factors, and warehouse-keepers, and brokers.

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

9. Gebal (Gu-ub-li) — or, Byblos (Psa_83:7; Jos_13:5; 1Ki_5:18) — A celebrated city lying a little to the south of Arvad but north of Tyre and Sidon, constantly mentioned in the campaigns of the Assyrian kings from the ninth to the seventh centuries B.C. It is also supposed to be prominent in the Tel-el-Amarna letters, cir. 1400 B.C., under the form Gubla — though this may refer to another coast city, Gabula (Petrie, History, ii, p. 314). It was celebrated throughout the whole world for its worship of the goddess Ishtar (Ashteroth). The prophet represents the wisest men and officers (ancients, that is, elders) of this distinguished city serving on the great ship Tyre in inferior positions.

All the ships of the sea… were in thee — The bold figure of Tyre as a ship gives place to a more realistic description of the harbor and city, especially of the city bazaars.

Occupy thy merchandise — Carry on thy trade. — Kautzsch.

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

The ancients of Gebal. The word is used in the sense of "elders" or "senators," the governing body. Gebal, for which the LXX gives Biblii, is identified with the Greek Byblus. The name appears in Psa_83:7 in connection, among other nations, with Tyre and Asshur, as allied with them against Israel; in Jos_13:5 as near Lebanon andHermon; in 1Ki_5:18 (margin Revised Version) as among the stonemasons who worked with Hiram"s builders. Byblus was situated on an eminence overlooking the river Adonis between Beirut and Tripoli. Its modern name, Gebail, retains the old Semitic form, and its ruins abound in marble and granite columns of Phoenician and Egyptian workmanship. The work of the caulkers was to stop the chinks of the ship, and the men of Gebal appear to have been especially skilful in this. We note that the metaphor of the ship falls into the background in the latter clause of the verse, and does not appear again.

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

The ancients - Old experienced workmen. Gebal - A town of Phoenicia near the sea. The wise men - Skilful in their trades. Were in thee - Who dwelt in Tyre for gain. All the ships - Ships from all parts of the sea, full of mariners, not only to manage the ships at sea, but to offer their service to the Tyrians for bringing in, or carrying out their wares.

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

The elders of Gebal [who were] skillful builders, as it is said (I Kings 5:32): “and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites.”

who repaired your cracks [Heb. מַחַזִיקִי, lit. strengthen,] repaired your cracks so that no water should enter them, apiye[ce] tans ta crevaze in Old French, repairing your crack.

all the ships of the sea and their mariners [Heb. וּמַלָחֵיהֶם,] their sailors.

were within you They were around you to sail to the distant countries to bring the merchandise into your midst.

to guarantee your necessities [Heb. לַעֲרֹב מַעֲרָבֵךּ,] an expression of guaranteeing. These are all a person’s necessities, by which he lives; and his money is his guarantee and his salvation for his lifetime, garantie in 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.