That’s what the scholars call Ezekiel chapter 27 anyway, a “funeral dirge.”

It describes the end of the glory and prestige and prosperity so long enjoyed the little nation of Philistia, by its wealthy cities, Tyre specifically. (Another illustration of “the wages of sin!”)

But this “song” is almost written like “satire.” Judah herself is NOT sad about the demise of Tyre, in fact she “mocks” the downfall of such an enemy! But the Holy Spirit nonetheless (using this type literature, lamentation) inserts great Truth into these 36 verses!

The chapter’s first 25 verses “sing” the praises of Tyre (Tyus) in  no uncertain terms! If fact her influence, her commercial impact, as an ocean-going people was phenomenal!

One needs a geography handbook to decipher these verses! One reference Bible says there are over 35 geographical locations (cities, nations or regions) recorded here!

“The word of the LORD came again unto me (Ezekiel), saying, ² Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; ³ And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea (the Mediterranean), 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 (pride). ⁴ Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. ⁵ They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir (snow mountain, maybe Herman): they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee. ⁶ Of 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 (Cyprus). ⁷ Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah (a city in Cyprus) was that which covered thee. ⁸ The inhabitants of Zidon (a harbor city 25 miles north of Tyre)and Arvad (an island city in the sea) were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots (literally, rope handlers). ⁹ The ancients of Gebal (Byblos, 25 miles north of Beirut) 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. ¹⁰ They of Persia and of Lud (central Turkey) and of Phut (Lybia) were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness. ¹¹ The men of Arvad (an island city in the sea) with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims (another coastal town) were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect. ¹² Tarshish (Spain) was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs. ¹³ Javan (Greece), Tubal (Asia Minor), and Meshech (Asia Minor, but an eventual Russian ally), they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. ¹⁴ They of the house of Togarmah (Armenia) traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules. ¹⁵ The men of Dedan (Rhodes) were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony. ¹⁶ Syria 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. ¹⁷ Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith (in Ammon), and Pannag (not a place, a edible food), and honey, and oil, and balm. ¹⁸ Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon (a town north of Damascus), and white wool. ¹⁹ Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. ²⁰ Dedan (in Asia Minor) was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots. ²¹ Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar (nomadic tribes), they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants. ²² The merchants of Sheba (in Arabia) and Raamah (southern Arabia), they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. ²³ Haran (a city in eastern Turkey), and Canneh (location unknown), and Eden (in Mesopotamia), the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad (likely Mesopotamia also), were thy merchants. 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. ²⁵ The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.”

Wow!

Talk about trading partners, pacts, business prospering!

But what of all this?

Because of sin … God is bringing her down!

All that affluence!

Read with me: “Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: THE EAST WIND HATH BROKEN THEE (God using weather) in the midst of the seas. ²⁷ Thy 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.”

Now the mourning, sighing over her great fall … ” ²⁸The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. ²⁹ And 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; ³⁰ And 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: ³¹ And 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. ³² And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, WHAT CITY IS LIKE TYUS, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? ³³ When 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. ³⁴ In 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. ³⁵ All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance. ³⁶ The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.” The chapter’s last paragraph, verses 28-36.

Amazing!

This whole thirty-six verse compass reinforces a central fact … “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalm 9:17

I am startled!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I wish I could have been more exact in identifying some of these locations. But, truth be told, there is not much agreement among the “experts” regarding lots of these. But I do believe this is one of the Bible’s most “geographical” chapters!

Question is, “WHY?”

As we shall see tomorrow, Lord willing, Tyre (or her Prince anyway) is a “symbol” or “emblem” or “type” of the Devil himself, of Satan! Remember back in verse 3 where she (the city) claimed for herself … “I AM OF PERFECT BEAUTY” … the very essence of PRIDE?

I suspect Tyre’s fall is described in such fullness … because the fall of her “Model,” her “Idol,” her “Master” (again, the Devil) was that great! And furthermore, Satan’s (future) destruction will be even greater!

Just an idea!

Guess what sin God hates most? It’s at the “top” of His List! “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A PROUD LOOK!” Proverbs 6:16-17

Wow!