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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
27:3 isles. “Isles” refers both to islands and to coasts, any city bordered by the sea. Tyre was on the Mediterranean and had colonies on many coasts.
27:4 midst of the seas. The “borders” of Tyre were, indeed many, for the Phoenicians founded the great city of Carthage, as well as colonies in Spain, England, and elsewhere. Some evidence is accumulating that her mariners sailed around Africa and even reached the Americas.
27:5 Senir. Senir, which is probably the area around Mount Hermon, is the first of over thirty-five geographical areas (cities, nations or regions) mentioned in this chapter, indicating the tremendous commercial activity of the sea-faring Phoenicians.
27:10 thine army. The Phoenicians also had a strong mercenary contingent in their army, with Persians, Lydians, and Libyans included. Men from Arvad and Gammad (Ezekiel 27:11) were also in the army, both probably being regions governed by Phoenicia.
27:12 Tarshish. Note also Ezekiel 27:25. The Old Testament speaks often of the ships and merchants of Tarshish. See note on I Kings 10:22. These people were similar to the Phoenicians and frequently associated with them. However, their founder was a Japhethite, whereas Sidon of the Phoenicians was a Hamite (Genesis 10:4,15). See first note on Genesis 10:4.
27:24 thy merchants. This 27th chapter of Ezekiel gives a remarkable picture of the incredible wealth of Tyre, generated by its worldwide shipping trade. Phoenicia had “merchants” everywhere in the known world, as well as a mercenary army (Ezekiel 27:10). It was a coveted prize, besieged for thirteen years by Nebuchadnezzar and then, 250 years later when it had lost much of its former glory, for seven months by Alexander the Great.
27:32 lamentation for thee. There would be a great lamentation for Tyre similar to that which all the merchants of the earth will utter over the destruction of great Babylon in the end of the age (Revelation 18:9-19). Compare also the lamentation by Jeremiah over Jerusalem in his book of Lamentations.