Ezekiel 27 29

Ezekiel 27:29 kjv

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;

Ezekiel 27:29 nkjv

"All who handle the oar, The mariners, All the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships and stand on the shore.

Ezekiel 27:29 niv

All who handle the oars will abandon their ships; the mariners and all the sailors will stand on the shore.

Ezekiel 27:29 esv

and down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The mariners and all the pilots of the sea stand on the land

Ezekiel 27:29 nlt

All the oarsmen abandon their ships;
the sailors and pilots stand on the shore.

Ezekiel 27 verses

Ezekiel 27 29 Meaning

Ezekiel 27:29 describes the profound impact of Tyre's downfall on its extensive maritime community. It depicts a scene where all personnel associated with the city's seafaring power—from the basic manual laborers to the most skilled navigators—abandon their professional roles and disembark from their ships. They are then shown standing passively on the shore, stripped of their purpose and former glory, as mere spectators to the ruin of their once-magnificent trading empire. This imagery conveys the absolute and inescapable nature of Tyre's destruction and the complete cessation of its commercial and naval activities.

Ezekiel 27 29 Context

Ezekiel chapter 27 is a powerful lament (a dirge or funeral song) for Tyre, a major Phoenician city renowned for its vast wealth and unparalleled maritime trade empire. The chapter describes Tyre as a magnificent, perfectly crafted ship, built from resources and skilled labor gathered from many nations. Every detail, from its timbers to its rigging, sailors, and merchandise, is meticulously depicted, illustrating its immense global influence and prosperity. The verse in question, Eze 27:29, comes at the climax of this detailed portrayal of Tyre's glory, transitioning abruptly to its catastrophic downfall, comparing the city to a ship that has been utterly wrecked at sea (Eze 27:26-27). This shift from magnificent ship to wreckage sets the stage for the despair and bewilderment of all who benefited from its enterprise, highlighting the total and irreversible nature of its judgment. Historically, Tyre faced prolonged sieges from Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon in the 6th century BCE and later, completely from Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, leading to its ultimate destruction as a dominant force. The lament functions as a polemic against human pride and self-sufficiency, implicitly asserting God's sovereignty over even the most powerful human endeavors.

Ezekiel 27 29 Word analysis

• Then all who handle the oar (וְכָל תֹּפְשֵׂי מְשׁוֹט, v'chol tof'sey meshót):
  • `וְכָל` (v'chol): "and all" or "then all". Indicates totality, inclusivity. No one is exempt.
  • `תֹּפְשֵׂי` (tof'sey): "those who seize, grasp, handle, hold". Conveys active engagement, skill, mastery over their tools. Represents the manual laborers, the basic workforce of the ship.
  • `מְשׁוֹט` (meshót): "oar". A fundamental instrument of ancient seafaring. This phrase represents the large body of rowers and general seamen crucial for navigation in ancient times.
• the mariners (מַלָּחִים, mallachím):
  • `מַלָּחִים` (mallachím): "sailors, seamen". Professional individuals whose lives revolved around the sea. Broader category of skilled workers, beyond mere oarsmen, involved in sail handling, cargo, general operations.
• and all the pilots of the sea (וְכֹל חֹבְלֵי הַיָּם, v'chol chov'ley hayám):
  • `וְכֹל` (v'chol): "and all". Reaffirms comprehensiveness.
  • `חֹבְלֵי` (chov'ley): "ship-masters, pilots, navigators, rope-handlers". Refers to those holding positions of highest responsibility. The skilled experts guiding the ship, representing leadership and specialized knowledge in maritime affairs.
  • `הַיָּם` (hayám): "the sea". Specifies their domain of expertise and power.
• will come down from their ships (מֵאֳנִיּוֹתֵיהֶם יֵרְדוּ, me'oniyyoteihem yeredú):
  • `מֵאֳנִיּוֹתֵיהֶם` (me'oniyyoteihem): "from their ships". Signifies their vessel, their workplace, and the source of their livelihood and pride.
  • `יֵרְדוּ` (yeredú): "they will come down, descend". Implies disembarking, stepping off. Also carries a sense of demotion, decline from a position of power, safety, or activity. They are abandoning their posts.
• they will stand on the shore (עַל יַבָּשָׁה יַעֲמֹדוּ, al yabbashah ya'amódu):
  • `עַל` (al): "on". Position.
  • `יַבָּשָׁה` (yabbashah): "dry land, shore". The stable, but now foreign, ground. Away from their element. It signifies a place of safety from the sea's dangers, but also a place of desolation, observation, and forced inactivity for those whose lives were on the water.
  • `יַעֲמֹדוּ` (ya'amódu): "they will stand". Connotes passivity, stillness, and helplessness. They are no longer actively engaged in their trade. They are mere observers, no longer participants in the maritime life.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then all who handle the oar, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea": This comprehensive enumeration stresses that no segment of Tyre's sophisticated and stratified maritime force will be spared. From the lowliest rower to the highest-ranking pilot, all aspects of the city's power are brought to nothing, indicating total societal disruption.
• "will come down from their ships": This action signifies an abrupt cessation of activity, a forced resignation from their professional roles. It is the end of an era of mastery and trade, a physical representation of their dispossession and the collapse of their way of life.
• "they will stand on the shore": This imagery powerfully depicts their newfound state of powerlessness and detachment. From being active participants controlling mighty vessels on the sea, they are reduced to passive, displaced witnesses of a ruin from which they cannot profit or recover. The shore becomes a symbol of exile from their purpose.

Ezekiel 27 29 Bonus section

• The progression of individuals from "oarsmen" to "mariners" to "pilots" depicts a clear hierarchy within Tyre's naval system. Their collective displacement highlights that the judgment impacts every level of society, signifying a total breakdown rather than partial damage.
• The Hebrew verb יֵרְדוּ (yeredú), "come down," can also carry the connotation of "going into exile" or "going down to Sheol (the grave)." While literally about disembarking, it subtly enhances the sense of spiritual and societal descent accompanying their professional downfall.
• The dramatic contrast between the vivid description of Tyre's opulence and global reach earlier in the chapter (Eze 27:3-25) and this abrupt shift to the despair of its mariners underscores the biblical principle that human pride and self-reliance ultimately lead to catastrophic collapse, orchestrated by divine will. The once bustling ships, now silent, abandoned vessels, become symbols of emptiness.

Ezekiel 27 29 Commentary

Ezekiel 27:29 serves as a stark depiction of the absolute ruin of Tyre, expressed through the lament of its entire maritime community. The highly skilled personnel, from the indispensable oarsmen to the masterful pilots, are utterly displaced from their ships, their very means of livelihood and identity. Their active roles as controllers of the sea are suddenly ceased, as they "come down" from their vessels, signifying not just disembarkation but a profound fall from status and purpose. Standing idly on the "shore" illustrates their helplessness; they become mere spectators of their empire's demise, divorced from the very element that once brought them prosperity. This verse encapsulates the total and irrevocable judgment upon Tyre's pride and self-sufficiency, transforming a vibrant hub of global commerce into a scene of desolate observation and professional ruin. It's a vivid picture of divine sovereignty dismantling human achievements and humbling the haughty.