Ezekiel 27 14

Ezekiel 27:14 kjv

They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.

Ezekiel 27:14 nkjv

Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules.

Ezekiel 27:14 niv

"?'Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.

Ezekiel 27:14 esv

From Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.

Ezekiel 27:14 nlt

"From Beth-togarmah came riding horses, chariot horses, and mules, all in exchange for your goods.

Ezekiel 27 verses

Ezekiel 27 14 Meaning

Ezekiel 27:14 details one of Tyre's crucial trading partners: Beth-togarmah. This region supplied Tyre with valuable horses, war-horses, and mules, indispensable commodities for military strength and transport. This trade underscores Tyre's vast commercial network and its accumulation of strategic resources through its widespread commerce.

Ezekiel 27 14 Context

Ezekiel chapter 27 is a powerful lamentation over the impending destruction of Tyre, a major Phoenician city-state renowned for its maritime trade and immense wealth. The chapter vividly personifies Tyre as a magnificent ship, painstakingly built from the finest materials by various nations and crewed by skilled sailors and warriors. It lists Tyre's extensive network of trading partners, their specific goods, and the roles they played in making Tyre a global commercial empire. Verse 14 is one such detail, pinpointing Beth-togarmah as a crucial source for military mounts and beasts of burden. The overall prophetic context is that Tyre's pride in its splendor, accumulated through this global trade, will lead to its utter downfall at God's hand.

Ezekiel 27 14 Word analysis

• Beth-togarmah (בֵּית תּוֹגַרְמָה, Beit Tōgarmâ):

  • Word: "Beth" (בֵּית) means "house" or "place of." "Togarmah" (תּוֹגַרְמָה) is a geographical region and a descendant of Japheth through Gomer (Gen 10:3, 1 Chr 1:6).
  • Significance: Identified as an area in eastern Anatolia, historically associated with Armenia or similar regions. It was renowned for its skilled horsemanship and horse breeding.
  • Database/Scholars: Often linked to the Hittite city Tegarama or regions bordering modern Turkey and Armenia, known since ancient times for its valuable horses.

• traded (סְחָרוּ, səḥā·rū):

  • Word: Derived from the verb "סָחַר" (sāḥar), meaning "to go about," "to trade," "to traffic."
  • Significance: Emphasizes active commercial exchange. It highlights the structured, intentional nature of Tyre's international trade agreements.

• for your wares (מַעֲרָבָיִךְ, ma‘ărāḇāyiḵ):

  • Word: "wares" (מַעֲרָבָיִךְ) means "your merchandise" or "your goods." "Yikh" (־יִךְ) is the suffix for "your" (feminine singular, referring to Tyre).
  • Significance: Refers to the diverse goods and manufactured items that Tyre produced or acquired and then exchanged, confirming its role as a commercial hub rather than a producer of all its consumed items.

• horses (סוּסִים, sū·sîm):

  • Word: Common Hebrew term for "horses."
  • Significance: Represents general equine stock, vital for transport, communication, agriculture, and especially military. Horses were a significant symbol of wealth and strategic power in the ancient Near East.

• war-horses (פָּרָשִׁים, pārā·šîm):

  • Word: This term literally means "riders" or "horsemen," but in the context of items for trade alongside "horses," it implies horses specifically trained or suited for warfare, or even the fully equipped mounts for cavalry. Some translations render it directly as "war-horses" for clarity of trade items.
  • Significance: Specifically denotes the acquisition of military capability. These were not just draft animals but instruments of war, pointing to Tyre's efforts to secure defense and power.

• mules (פְּרָרִים, pə·rā·rîm):

  • Word: Hebrew for "mules," a hybrid animal known for its strength, endurance, and sure-footedness, especially in mountainous or rugged terrain.
  • Significance: Crucial for transporting goods, provisions, and sometimes people over difficult landscapes, supplementing horses. Mules represented logistical power and resourcefulness.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Beth-togarmah traded for your wares": This phrase clearly identifies the source (Beth-togarmah), the action (traded), and the recipient of the trade goods (Tyre's general merchandise). It shows the active nature of this international exchange, vital for Tyre's economy. The transaction involved a reciprocal exchange, not just Beth-togarmah providing but also receiving from Tyre.
• "with horses, war-horses, and mules": This grouping details the specific, valuable commodities supplied by Beth-togarmah. The distinct categories of "horses," "war-horses," and "mules" highlight different but related applications: general utility, specific military use, and robust transport/labor. The provision of "war-horses" signifies the strategic military aspect of Tyre's trade relationships, underscoring its desire for power and defense.

Ezekiel 27 14 Bonus section

The mention of Beth-togarmah as a supplier of war horses, alongside its reappearance in Ezekiel 38:6 as a significant military ally of Gog from the "uttermost parts of the north," provides a powerful thematic and geographical consistency. It underscores that this region's reputation for military might, particularly cavalry, was long-standing and well-known. This connection could imply that Tyre, in acquiring these horses, was indirectly strengthening forces that, in later prophecy, are depicted as being arrayed against God's people. This detail accentuates the nature of worldly power and alliances as transient and often misaligned with God's ultimate plan, serving to build up kingdoms that are destined for destruction.

Ezekiel 27 14 Commentary

Ezekiel 27:14 serves as a potent reminder of the complex web of trade and political alliances that bolstered Tyre's magnificence. Beth-togarmah, known for its expertise in horses and equine stock, supplied the crucial "horses, war-horses, and mules" necessary for Tyre's military strength and commercial logistics. This transaction was not merely an economic exchange but an acquisition of symbols of power and utility in the ancient world. Horses represented not just wealth, but also mobility, speed, and formidable military capability through cavalry. Mules, on the other hand, ensured the efficiency of transport over rugged terrains, critical for sustaining trade routes and garrisons. The verse subtly underscores that Tyre's might, while outwardly impressive, was derivative and dependent on the resources of other nations, which ultimately would not save it from divine judgment. This trade for military assets foreshadows the pride that characterized Tyre, a pride that placed reliance on acquired power rather than on the true source of all strength.