Ezekiel 27 34

Ezekiel 27:34 kjv

In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.

Ezekiel 27:34 nkjv

But you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters; Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.

Ezekiel 27:34 niv

Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters; your wares and all your company have gone down with you.

Ezekiel 27:34 esv

Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you.

Ezekiel 27:34 nlt

Now you are a wrecked ship,
broken at the bottom of the sea.
All your merchandise and crew
have gone down with you.

Ezekiel 27 verses

Ezekiel 27 34 Meaning

Ezekiel 27:34 delivers the dire and final pronouncement of Tyre's destruction, depicted as a proud and prosperous maritime city utterly consumed by the very sea from which it drew its power. It portrays Tyre not just defeated, but violently broken apart, sinking irretrievably into the ocean's depths. The verse underscores the complete collapse of its economic might, symbolized by its lost merchandise, and the perishing of all its associated peoples and influence, signifying a total and devastating ruin that affects everyone and everything connected to the once-mighty city.

Ezekiel 27 34 Context

Ezekiel 27:34 is part of a lengthy and detailed lamentation (a dirge) over the city of Tyre, found in chapters 27-28 of the book of Ezekiel. Chapter 27 specifically describes Tyre as a magnificent and prosperous trading city, portrayed metaphorically as a beautiful ship constructed with the finest materials and manned by the skilled sailors of various nations. It lists an exhaustive catalog of Tyre's trade goods and partners, highlighting its extensive commercial network and global influence. The chapter details Tyre's vast wealth, advanced craftsmanship, and pride derived from its position as the undisputed queen of the seas. This particular verse, at the very end of the detailed description of Tyre's glory, marks a stark transition. After establishing its peak, the lament abruptly pivots to the scene of its catastrophic, inescapable downfall. Historically, Tyre was a dominant Phoenician city-state renowned for its naval power and extensive trade routes across the Mediterranean. Its eventual destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (after a prolonged siege) and later by Alexander the Great serves as the historical backdrop, confirming the prophetic word against a city notorious for its hubris and rejection of God.

Ezekiel 27 34 Word analysis

• Now that you are shattered: הַשְׁבֶּרֶת֙ (hashberet). From the root שָׁבַר (shabar), meaning to break, shatter, or smash. This passive participle vividly portrays a violent and complete demolition, like a ship being dashed against rocks. It signifies an irreversible state of being broken, emphasizing not just damage, but utter destruction. The word choice highlights the forceful and unavoidable nature of Tyre's demise, transforming its robust structure into fragmented wreckage.

• by the seas: מִיַּמִּים֙ (mīyammim). A preposition "from/by" combined with יָם (yam), "sea" (plural form). This is deeply ironic. Tyre's strength, wealth, and identity were inextricably linked to the sea. The sea was its lifeblood, its highway, its defense. Now, the very source of its power becomes the agent of its annihilation. This highlights a common biblical theme where a source of human pride or strength becomes the means of its undoing.

• in the depths: בְּמַעֲמַקֵּי־ (bema'amaqqei). From מַעֲמַק (ma'amaq), meaning depths, profundity. This indicates not merely sinking, but a complete and total submergence to the lowest, most inaccessible parts of the water. It implies that there is no recovery or resurfacing possible, signaling the absolute and irrecoverable nature of Tyre's ruin.

• of the waters: מַ֬יִם (mayim). Standard Hebrew word for water. Its repetition and pairing with "depths" further emphasizes the all-consuming, liquid engulfment.

• your merchandise: מַֽעֲרָבֵ֔ךְ (ma'aravekh). From the root עָרַב ('arav), related to trading, exchanges, or pledging. This refers specifically to Tyre's trading goods, her extensive commercial enterprises, her profits, and effectively her entire economic empire. This was the source of its material glory and a key component of its pride, now utterly lost.

• and all your company: וְכָל־קְהָלֵךְ֮ (vekhol-qahalech). "And all your assembly/congregation." קָהָל (qahal) can refer to an assembly of people, a multitude, a community, or even those gathered for a specific purpose. Here, it likely encompasses all who benefited from Tyre's wealth: its allies, its vast network of merchants and sailors, its craftsmen, its clients, and even its citizens. It implies the broad scope of the disaster, affecting not just the city's structure, but its entire human and economic ecosystem.

• have fallen with you: נָ֥פְלוּ עִמָּֽךְ (naflu 'immakh). נָפַל (naphal) means to fall, to perish, to be ruined. "With you" emphasizes the shared destiny; the destruction is comprehensive, pulling everything down together. The collective downfall highlights the intertwined fate of the city's material and human components, all inextricably bound to its ultimate doom.

• "Now that you are shattered by the seas, in the depths of the waters": This powerful word-group combines the violent act of breaking with the environment of the sea, doubling down on the irony and finality. Tyre, which sailed the seas as sovereign, is now broken by the seas and buried within them. It evokes imagery of an insurmountable storm, a colossal shipwreck, where the maritime power faces the untamed force of the very element it sought to master. The use of "depths" prevents any notion of superficial damage, marking the grave of the city.

• "your merchandise and all your company have fallen with you": This phrase captures the absolute and comprehensive nature of Tyre's downfall. It's not just the city's physical structures or even its immediate inhabitants, but its entire global commercial network ("merchandise") and its broad social and economic sphere of influence ("all your company") that are destroyed. This emphasizes that worldly riches and extensive alliances provide no ultimate security against divine judgment, as all those who trusted in Tyre's might will share its fate. The shared fall underscores the interdependency of all aspects of Tyre's proud existence.

Ezekiel 27 34 Bonus section

The lament over Tyre in Ezekiel 27, culminating in verse 34, often contains subtle polemical elements against the prevailing maritime and mercantile worldview of Tyre. Many ancient cultures associated the sea with chaos or even deities. For Tyre, its perceived invincibility and wealth were linked to its dominion over the sea. This prophecy starkly contrasts that human perception, showing the sea itself, an element seemingly within Tyre's control or even under the influence of its marine gods, becoming the instrument of its destruction at God's command. This directly challenges any belief in Tyre's self-made power or the efficacy of its patron deities like Melqart, asserting the absolute sovereignty of the God of Israel over all elements and nations, even those whose strength appeared to reside beyond terrestrial boundaries. The utter "shattering by the seas" not only signifies economic ruin but also the symbolic deconstruction of Tyre's identity and its underlying spiritual foundations rooted in pride and false security.

Ezekiel 27 34 Commentary

Ezekiel 27:34 acts as the concluding, climactic pronouncement of Tyre's end, a stark reversal of its preceding portrayal of glory. After an unparalleled description of its sophisticated and sprawling maritime empire, the city is abruptly presented as utterly destroyed, shattered by the very seas that were the source of its grandeur and livelihood. This catastrophic event is depicted not merely as a defeat, but as a total engulfment into the "depths of the waters," signifying an irrecoverable annihilation, a final submergence from which there is no return.

The verse emphasizes two core aspects of this destruction: the obliteration of its vast wealth ("your merchandise") and the perishing of its extensive influence and all its associated peoples ("all your company"). This illustrates that Tyre's economic power, which had once extended to numerous nations, and its network of alliances and dependencies, are now utterly powerless against God's judgment. The lament teaches that worldly pride, self-sufficiency, and accumulation of material riches, even when built upon impressive human ingenuity and strength, are ultimately transient. God's sovereignty surpasses all earthly power, and those who trust in their own might or material wealth without acknowledging Him will face inevitable downfall. It's a sobering reminder that all human empires, regardless of their splendor, are subject to divine decree and can be brought to nothing.