Ezekiel 27:21 kjv
Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
Ezekiel 27:21 nkjv
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats.
Ezekiel 27:21 niv
"?'Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.
Ezekiel 27:21 esv
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you.
Ezekiel 27:21 nlt
The Arabians and the princes of Kedar sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats in exchange for your goods.
Ezekiel 27 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 27:1-3 | Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, the "most beautiful of all regions." | Tyre's greatness, Lamentation |
| Isaiah 23:1-18 | Prophecy against Tyre, emphasizing its destruction and commercial pride. | Commercial pride, judgment |
| Jeremiah 25:22 | Judgment on nations, including Tyre. | Universal judgment |
| Amos 1:9-10 | Prophecy against Tyre for selling captives to Edom. | Breach of brotherhood, slavery |
| Revelation 18:1-24 | Lamentation over the fall of Babylon, with echoes of Tyre's judgment. | Commercialism, judgment, lament |
| Luke 16:19-31 | Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, highlighting consequences of wealth. | Wealth's misuse, divine justice |
| 1 Timothy 6:10 | "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." | Greed, sin's source |
| James 5:1-3 | Warning to the rich who hoard wealth and oppress workers. | Oppression, coming judgment |
| Psalm 52:5-7 | Judgment on the wicked and boastful man. | Boasting, destruction |
| Proverbs 11:28 | "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall..." | Trust in wealth, falling |
| Isaiah 14:13-15 | Description of Lucifer's fall due to pride and desire to be like God. | Pride, downfall |
| Ezekiel 28:2-19 | Further prophecy against the Prince of Tyre, focusing on his pride. | Pride, self-deification |
| Job 20:15-29 | Description of the fate of the wicked, who gain riches but lose them all. | Wicked's possessions, loss |
| Psalm 37:20 | "but the wicked will perish..." | Wicked perish |
| Proverbs 10:2 | "Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death." | Wicked gain, righteousness deliver |
| Nahum 2:9-13 | Judgment on Nineveh, emphasizing its destruction and spoils. | Destruction, spoils |
| Zephaniah 2:5-7 | Judgment on Philistia (including Tyre), and its subsequent inhabitation. | Judgment on coastal cities |
| Zechariah 9:3-4 | Judgment on Tyre for its arrogance and engagement in unjust trade. | Tyre's trade, judgment |
| 1 Corinthians 6:10 | "nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." | Inheriting the kingdom, unrighteousness |
| Genesis 15:14 | God's promise to judge the nation that enslaves Abraham's descendants. | Judgment for enslavement |
Ezekiel 27 verses
Ezekiel 27 21 Meaning
This verse is a prophetic declaration against the wealthy and influential Phoenician city of Tyre. It describes their ultimate downfall, where they will be stripped of their riches and their people will experience destruction and death, serving as a stark warning and a demonstration of God's judgment against arrogance and exploitation.
Ezekiel 27 21 Context
Chapter 27 of Ezekiel is a profound lament over the city of Tyre. Tyre, a prominent Phoenician maritime power, was renowned for its wealth, trade, and influence. However, its prosperity was built on exploitation and pride. The prophet Ezekiel delivers this oracle in the context of the impending siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, which began around 586 BCE. This chapter serves as a powerful indictment of Tyre's commercial hubris, its exploitation of others, and its proud self-reliance. The specific verse focuses on the consequence of Tyre's sins – utter devastation and the loss of all its valuable possessions and people, demonstrating God's sovereign judgment over nations, especially those that exalt themselves against Him.
Ezekiel 27 21 Word Analysis
- "So": Hebrew: וּכְמוֹ (uḵə·mō). This is a conjunctive particle, indicating consequence or similarity. Here it signifies the result or parallel nature of the pronouncement about to be made, connecting to preceding judgments or descriptions.
- "shall thy": Hebrew: תִּהְיִי (tih·yî). The verb form is second person feminine singular, referring directly to Tyre (personified as feminine).
- "neighbour": Hebrew: שְׁכֵנָה (šə·ḵê·nāh). Means "neighbor," "dweller," or "fellow inhabitant." In this context, it implies that even those who lived near Tyre, its contemporaries and fellow cities in the region, would find nothing left of it, or it implies their astonishment at its demise. It could also refer to the intimate proximity of doom.
- "of the sea": Hebrew: מִיָּם (mi·yām). Literally "from the sea." This highlights Tyre's identity as a maritime city, its power derived from the sea, and its ultimate end in connection to that domain. It points to its comprehensive destruction, not just on land but affecting its very essence as a sea power.
- "shalt thou": Hebrew: תִּהְיִי (tih·yî). Again, second person feminine singular, addressing Tyre.
- "be a place": Hebrew: לִמְקוֹם (lim·qōm). Means "to a place" or "as a place." This indicates that Tyre, once a vibrant center of commerce, would be reduced to an empty, desolate location.
- "for fishers": Hebrew: לְדַיָּגִים (lə·ḏay·yā·ḡîm). Literally "for fishermen." This stark image signifies that the magnificent city would become so ruined that its primary use would revert to the lowest form of livelihood – drying nets. It speaks of utter desolation, a common consequence in ancient prophecies of destruction for proud cities. It implies that the rulers and merchants would be gone, and only the very poor, with humble means, would find any use for the ruins.
Ezekiel 27 21 Bonus Section
The image of Tyre being reduced to a place for fishermen to dry their nets is a powerful literary device. In ancient Near Eastern prophecy, the complete destruction of a city was often described using symbols of ultimate ruin and depopulation. This imagery underscores the totality of God's judgment against Tyre's pride and its complicity in injustice. It fulfills the pattern seen in other prophecies where dominant powers are humbled to the point of being mere dwelling places for wild animals or serving purposes far removed from their former glory. This also aligns with the concept of "tabula rasa"—a clean slate or a blank page—implying that all of Tyre's history of splendor and trade would be wiped clean by divine decree. The judgment upon Tyre serves as a historical example of how God deals with nations that embrace pride and injustice, mirroring His concern for fairness and righteousness in all human dealings.
Ezekiel 27 21 Commentary
Ezekiel 27:21 paints a picture of absolute desolation for Tyre. The prophet declares that the once-proud city, a jewel of the Mediterranean, would be rendered so utterly destroyed that its former inhabitants and its wealth would vanish, leaving the place fit only for the most basic, unglamorous human activity: fishermen spreading their nets to dry. This is not merely a loss of power; it's a loss of identity and purpose. Tyre's raison d'être was commerce and its impressive maritime empire. To be reduced to a mere drying ground for nets signifies that its sophisticated infrastructure and bustling port would be non-existent. This reflects God's judgment on cities that rely on their own strength and wealth, becoming arrogant and exploiting others, rather than acknowledging divine sovereignty. It is a dramatic contrast to Tyre's self-perception as invincible and unparalleled.