Ezekiel 27 25

Ezekiel 27:25 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 27:25 nkjv

"The ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise. You were filled and very glorious in the midst of the seas.

Ezekiel 27:25 niv

"?'The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo as you sail the sea.

Ezekiel 27:25 esv

The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas.

Ezekiel 27:25 nlt

The ships of Tarshish were your ocean caravans. Your island warehouse was filled to the brim!

Ezekiel 27 verses

Ezekiel 27 25 Meaning

Ezekiel 27:25 depicts the culmination of Tyre's commercial empire, illustrating how its magnificent ships, particularly those of Tarshish, were the conduits of its vast wealth and prosperity. Through these vessels, Tyre became saturated with riches, attaining immense prestige and grandeur in the maritime world, established securely at the heart of the seas as a dominant trading power. The verse emphasizes Tyre's pinnacle of worldly glory achieved through its sophisticated mercantile network.

Ezekiel 27 25 Context

Ezekiel 27 is a prophetic lamentation, or dirge, concerning the imminent destruction of Tyre, a prominent Phoenician city renowned for its vast maritime trade and wealth. The chapter personifies Tyre as a magnificent ship built with the finest materials and manned by expert mariners from various nations, highlighting its immense power and reach. Verses 1-25 elaborate on Tyre's extraordinary prosperity, detailing its elaborate construction, the diverse range of nations that supplied its materials and served in its fleets and armies, and the exotic goods it traded globally. This build-up of description establishes Tyre's formidable global influence and seemingly unassailable position, setting the stage for its dramatic and devastating downfall, which is detailed in verses 26-36. Verse 25 serves as the crescendo, presenting Tyre at the zenith of its power and glory just before its destruction, emphasizing that its commercial might was fully realized.

Historically, Tyre was a thalassocracy, a naval and commercial power dominating the Mediterranean Sea from the early first millennium BC. It established colonies throughout the region, including Tarshish (likely Tartessos in Spain), which symbolized the furthest and wealthiest extent of its trade network, often associated with rich metals. The Phoenicians were master shipbuilders and navigators, a fact that is richly elaborated upon in this chapter.

Ezekiel 27 25 Word analysis

• The ships of Tarshish (הֲאֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ - ha'oniyōt Tarshish):

  • הֲאֳנִיּוֹת (ha'oniyōt): "the ships of." Refers to ocean-going vessels, large enough for long-distance trade. Symbolizes a vast maritime fleet.
  • תַּרְשִׁישׁ (Tarshish): A place name, often associated with a distant source of metals (silver, iron, tin, lead - Eze 27:12), likely a trading outpost in modern-day Spain. Here, "ships of Tarshish" signify the largest, strongest, and most far-reaching ships of Tyre's fleet, embodying its ultimate commercial prowess and global reach. Their mention emphasizes Tyre's far-flung and extensive trade routes, the epitome of maritime commerce.

• were your caravans (קָֽדְמוּ־ךְ בְמַעֲרָבֵךְ - qaḏmū-ḵ bəmaʿarāḇēḵ):

  • קָֽדְמוּ־ךְ (qaḏmū-ḵ): Literally "went before you," or "preceded you," or "served as your leading." The verbal form suggests initiative or primary role. In context, it means they acted as the chief carriers, the primary conduits of Tyre's trade.
  • בְמַעֲרָבֵךְ (bəmaʿarāḇēḵ): "with your merchandise/commerce." Maʿarāḇ refers to wares, goods, or the act of trading itself. These ships were the means by which Tyre conducted its vast and successful international trade, forming the literal caravans of the sea.

• So you were filled (וַתִּמָּלְאִי - wattimāləʾî):

  • מָלֵא (mālēʾ): "to be full, filled, complete." Implies being crammed with an abundance of goods, riches, and resources brought in by the extensive trade network. It suggests saturation with wealth. This is not merely prosperity but overflowing affluence.

• and very glorious (וַתִּכְבְּדִי מְאֹד - wattikhbədî məʾōd):

  • כָּבֵד (kāḇēḏ): "to be heavy, honored, glorious, significant." Indicates not only physical 'heaviness' due to vast merchandise but also immense status, prestige, influence, and glory. The term reflects the perceived strength and majesty Tyre gained from its wealth and commercial dominance.
  • מְאֹד (məʾōḏ): "very, exceedingly." Intensifies the glory and significance, underscoring Tyre's unparalleled eminence.

• in the heart of the seas (בְּלֵב יַמִּֽים - bəleḇ yammîm):

  • לֵב (lēḇ): "heart." Signifies the center, core, or deepest part. Here, it conveys Tyre's central and dominant position within the maritime world. It suggests not just geographical location but strategic control and influence over sea routes.
  • יַמִּֽים (yammîm): "seas." Plural, denoting the vast expanse of the Mediterranean and potentially other connected waters. Tyre was considered sovereign, secure, and preeminent in this extensive watery domain. The phrase could also subtly critique Phoenician belief in sea deities or their own perceived invincibility, affirming that even at its supposed "heart," Tyre was not beyond God's reach.

Ezekiel 27 25 Bonus section

The lament over Tyre in Ezekiel 27, especially verse 25, follows a prophetic literary tradition of condemning nations for their pride and material prosperity without acknowledgment of God. It functions as a "dirge" or funeral song for a living entity, amplifying the shock and severity of its predicted demise. The "ships of Tarshish" in particular became an archetypal biblical reference for grand, long-distance commerce and national pride in maritime strength, often contrasted with God's absolute sovereignty over the seas and nations (Psa 48:7, Isa 2:16). The immense wealth detailed in this chapter (including precious stones and metals) suggests a form of idolatry of materialism, where economic might and trade replace divine reverence, making it a "type" of the economic Babylon detailed later in Revelation 18. This prophecy also served as a polemic against the regional pagan worldview where gods like Melqart, a chief deity of Tyre, were believed to ensure their prosperity and maritime dominance; Ezekiel, through God's declaration, asserts Yahweh's ultimate control.

Ezekiel 27 25 Commentary

Ezekiel 27:25 climaxes the description of Tyre's magnificent global commercial enterprise. The image of "ships of Tarshish" carrying its "caravans of merchandise" encapsulates Tyre's peak of wealth, technological advancement in navigation, and extensive trading reach. These ships represented the epitome of ancient maritime power, symbolizing an unparalleled capacity for gathering riches from the far corners of the earth. The verse reveals Tyre as "filled" with material abundance and "glorious" due to its commercial supremacy. Being in the "heart of the seas" conveyed a sense of impregnable security and dominance over the vital trade arteries, portraying Tyre as the unrivaled monarch of the ocean, a self-sufficient power beyond challenge. This pinnacle of earthly splendor, however, implicitly foreshadows its imminent, equally spectacular downfall. The description, rich in human achievement, subtly highlights the pride and self-reliance that often precede divine judgment, warning that even the mightiest human empires are transient when set against God's sovereign will. This verse encapsulates the transient nature of worldly wealth and glory built on human ambition without divine foundation.