Ezekiel 27 36

Ezekiel 27:36 kjv

The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.

Ezekiel 27:36 nkjv

The merchants among the peoples will hiss at you; You will become a horror, and be no more forever.' " ' "

Ezekiel 27:36 niv

The merchants among the nations scoff at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'?"

Ezekiel 27:36 esv

The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.'"

Ezekiel 27:36 nlt

The merchants among the nations
shake their heads at the sight of you,
for you have come to a horrible end
and will exist no more.'"

Ezekiel 27 verses

Ezekiel 27 36 Meaning

Ezekiel 27:36 prophesies the absolute and irreversible downfall of Tyre. It states that the merchants and nations who once admired and benefited from Tyre's immense commercial power will now react with utter scorn and derision at its complete devastation. Tyre's glorious status will transform into a horrifying example of ruin, ensuring its permanent removal from prominence and existence as a dominant force.

Ezekiel 27 36 Context

Ezekiel chapter 27 is a "dirge" or lamentation (a qina) over Tyre, depicting it as a magnificent merchant ship that suffers a catastrophic shipwreck. The chapter meticulously details Tyre's splendor: its construction with exquisite materials from various regions, its vast crew of skilled sailors from diverse nations, and its extensive global trade network, which brought it immense wealth and power. Verse 36 concludes this lament by vividly describing the reaction of Tyre's global trading partners and neighbors to its final and complete destruction.

Historically, Tyre was a dominant Phoenician city-state, renowned for its maritime commerce, purple dye production, and extensive trade routes across the Mediterranean. Its unique geographical location as an island city contributed to a sense of invulnerability, fostering profound arrogance and self-reliance, which God directly addresses as a source of its downfall. The prophecies against Tyre found initial partial fulfillment in Nebuchadnezzar's thirteen-year siege, and later, a more complete and devastating realization in Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC, which left the city largely destroyed. This verse functions as a sobering testament within a larger series of prophetic judgments against nations that had expressed pride, enmity towards God's people, or placed their ultimate trust in human strength and wealth.

Ezekiel 27 36 Word analysis

• The merchants (סֹחֲרִים, sokharim): This term specifically refers to traders and commercial agents. These were the very individuals and entities from whom Tyre earned its vast wealth through exchange and partnership. Their reaction is pivotal as they represent the global commercial world observing Tyre's demise.
• among the peoples: This phrase emphasizes the extensive global reach of Tyre's influence. Its commercial empire stretched across many nations, signifying that its downfall would be universally witnessed and discussed by diverse populations.
• hiss (שָׂרְקוּ, sarequ): An onomatopoeic Hebrew verb, this signifies a sharp, whistling sound. It expresses not grief or sorrow, but utter scorn, derision, amazement, and contempt. It's a gesture of profound rejection, indicating a complete shift from any previous admiration or commercial alliance to public mockery and disdain.
• at you: This is a direct, emphatic address to Tyre itself, personifying the city as the recipient of this public humiliation.
• you have become a horror (הָיִיתָ בַלָּהוֹת, hayita vallāhōth): Tyre, once a marvel of wealth and power, is prophesied to transform into an object of terror or a horrifying example. The word ballāhōth is a plural form suggesting ultimate terror or an exemplary horror. It describes a state of profound ruination, inspiring shock, fear, and dismay in those who behold it.
• and shall be no more forever (וְאֵינְךָ עַד־עוֹלָם, veʾêneḵā ʿaḏ ʿôlām): This declaration conveys an absolute, irreversible, and permanent end to Tyre's status, power, and existence as a preeminent commercial and political entity. It's a definitive pronouncement of its final, complete obliteration without any future revival to its former glory.

• The merchants among the peoples hiss at you: This group of words dramatically highlights the complete reversal of Tyre's fortunes. Those who once courted her for trade now publicly express contempt and astonishment. It underscores the profound humiliation and the widely witnessed nature of Tyre's downfall on a global stage.
• you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever: This powerful concluding phrase underscores the irreversible and exemplary nature of God's judgment. Tyre's previous glory and perceived invincibility are not just lost, but its very identity is transformed into a terrifying warning and its influence permanently eradicated, signifying total and enduring annihilation.

Ezekiel 27 36 Bonus section

This verse provides a crucial insight into the nature of prideful, materialistic kingdoms in biblical prophecy: they are judged not only by God but also mocked by their contemporaries, illustrating the fleeting loyalty based solely on commercial advantage. The transformation of global admiration into derisive hisses marks a complete and bitter reversal of fortune, demonstrating the vanity of trusting in temporal power. The specificity of "forever" ensures that this is not merely a temporary setback or a period of desolation from which Tyre might re-emerge in its former splendor, but an ultimate and final end to its status as a major, self-sufficient mercantile empire in that prophetic sense. This permanent end contrasts with the cycles of rise and fall often seen in historical empires, highlighting a unique and divine sentence.

Ezekiel 27 36 Commentary

Ezekiel 27:36 encapsulates the ultimate divine judgment against Tyre, serving as a powerful testament to God's supreme authority over human enterprises and their inherent pride. This verse provides a stark contrast to Tyre's preceding portrayal of unrivaled grandeur, sealing its fate with an image of irreversible desolation. The "hissing" of the international merchants signifies not just surprise, but a collective scorn and derision from those who were once commercially intertwined with Tyre. This public contempt underscores the magnitude of Tyre's fall and its transition from an object of admiration and envy to a universal cautionary tale. The pronouncement that Tyre "has become a horror" depicts its transformation into a terrifying example of absolute ruin, shattering any illusions of its self-sustained strength. The final declaration, "and shall be no more forever," confirms the prophetic certainty of an enduring and complete cessation of Tyre's once-dominant power and influence. It is a profound biblical warning that reliance on material wealth and human achievement, devoid of acknowledgement of God, inevitably leads to an ultimate and unrecoverable demise.