Thursday, July 18, 2024

Ezekiel 27 Tyre as a great ship that sunk

 Ezekiel 27 compares Tyre to a great ship that will sink due to a eastern wind:

1-9 God’s Message came to me: “You, son of man, raise a funeral song over Tyre. Tell Tyre, gateway to the sea, merchant to the world, trader among the far-off islands, ‘This is what God, the Master, says:
“‘You boast, Tyre:
    “I’m the perfect ship — stately, handsome.”
You ruled the high seas from
    a real beauty, crafted to perfection.
(...)

Many nations was trading their products with Tyre. For instance:

17 “‘Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded for your products with premium wheat, millet, honey, oil, and balm.
18 “‘Damascus, attracted by your vast array of products and well-stocked warehouses, carried on business with you, trading in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.

Tyre had many ships used in commerce:

25 “‘The great Tarshish ships were your freighters, importing and exporting. Oh, it was big business for you, trafficking the seaways!

and then, storm our of the east sunk Tyre:

26-32
“‘Your sailors row mightily,
    taking you into the high seas.
Then a storm out of the east
    shatters your ship in the ocean deep.
Everything sinks—your rich goods and products,
    sailors and crew, ship’s carpenters and soldiers,
Sink to the bottom of the sea.
    Total shipwreck.
The cries of your sailors
    reverberate on shore.
Sailors everywhere abandon ship.
    Veteran seamen swim for dry land.
They cry out in grief,
    a choir of bitter lament over you.
They smear their faces with ashes,
    shave their heads,
Wear rough burlap,
    wildly keening their loss.
They raise their funeral song:
    “Who on the high seas is like Tyre!”
    (...)

Babylon fits the storm of the east that sunk Tyre, but by history not completely. For instance, after Babylon, Alexander the great sieged Tyre.

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