Tag: dangers of wealth

Posted in Exposition

From Wisdom to Waywardness: Lessons from the Life of King Solomon

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

I would like to briefly consider one of the most remarkable and compelling lives recorded in the Bible and suggest some sobering and useful lessons that we can learn from it. No doubt you have heard the saying ‘the older we get, the wiser we get,’ which means that time and experience naturally bring deeper understanding and better judgement. Unfortunately, despite being renowned as the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon’s life contradicts the suggestion that people grow wiser with age. Instead, his wisdom lapsed and his judgement severely deteriorated as he grew older.

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:24) and he succeeded David as king of Israel c. 970 BCE. During his forty year reign (1 Kgs 11:42) Israel enjoyed peace, prosperity, international influence, and trade with its neighbours. Solomon, as I have mentioned, was one of the cleverest men who ever lived and was also the wealthiest man of his day. He was a follower of the Lord and built a magnificent temple dedicated to the worship of Israel’s God. Solomon’s Temple, as it was known, lasted until destroyed by Babylonian forces in 586 BCE.

Solomon was someone who reached the pinnacle of success but, tragically, in later life this man was tired, bored, disillusioned and had made spiritual shipwreck. Solomon’s story is not just ancient history, it is bang up-to-date. It shows us what happens when God-given gifts are neglected or abused and it challenges us to examine the state of our own hearts.

The story of Solomon’s life occupies several chapters in the Bible. The fullest account is in 1 Kings chapters 1-11, there is also a parallel view in 2 Chronicles chapters 1-9. Other biblical writings such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Psalms 72 and 127 are all traditionally associated with Solomon.

Let us consider aspects of Solomon’s life under six simple headings:

Solomon’s Wish
Solomon’s Wisdom
Solomon’s Wealth
Solomon’s Warning
Solomon’s Women
Solomon’s Waywardness

SOLOMON’S WISH

READING: 1 Kings 3:5-13

What if someone offered you a blank cheque with no restrictions whatsoever? You can have anything you want. What would you ask for? Well, in this passage Solomon has an offer like that. Soon after his accession to the throne of Israel the Lord appears to him in a dream and gives him the option to ask for whatever he wants.

Solomon is conscious of the responsibilities of monarchy and is somewhat overwhelmed by the privilege of becoming king. Feeling ill-prepared and inexperienced he asks God to give him ‘an understanding heart, to know what is good and what is bad.’ Notice Solomon’s humility (v.7). He does not pretend to know everything. He is aware that he is young and is now ruler of a large and difficult nation. He admits that he knows very little and thus asks for ‘an understanding heart’ to be able to judge ‘this thy so great a people.’ Solomon recognises that his subjects are God’s people, not his people. He has authority over them but that has been delegated to him by the Lord.

Solomon’s prayer is not self-centred. He does not say: ‘Give me power so that I can lord it over the people.’ He does not say: ‘Make me rich so that I will live a life of luxury.’ He does not say: ‘Give me victory over the surrounding nations.’ He asks for ‘an understanding heart’ so that he can govern his kingdom well.

We all need wisdom. Parents need wisdom to bring up their children. Teachers need wisdom to guide their pupils. Students need wisdom to complete their studies successfully. Employers need wisdom to manage their workers. Politicians and other public leaders need wisdom to govern with compassion and truth.

I find Solomon’s prayer interesting because it is different. Although sincere, our prayers can be narrow. We ask the Lord to improve our situation, to remove our difficulties and give us what we want. But Solomon has a wider view. He asks that he might become the kind of person who can effectively serve the Lord in the circumstances in which he finds himself. He asks for ‘an understanding heart.’

Solomon’s wish ‘pleased the Lord’ (v.10) who answered way beyond what Solomon could have imagined. He not only gave him the wisdom and knowledge he had requested but added riches and fame as a bonus (vv.12-13). What do you really want from God in your life? If God offered you one gift today, what would you ask for?

SOLOMON’S WISDOM

READING: 1 Kings 4:29-34

We have noticed how Solomon started well. Although young and inexperienced he wished for wisdom and discernment in order to govern God’s people well. Solomon’s prayer greatly impressed the Lord who then gave him remarkable wisdom.

1 Kings 4:29 describes the vastness of his wisdom and understanding as being ‘even as the sand that is on the sea shore.’ People travelled from afar to hear him (v.34). The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13) came to test him with hard questions and was so overwhelmed by what she saw and heard that she uttered the famous words: ‘behold, the half was not told me.’

God gave Solomon a great mind. He became a scientist, philosopher, poet and songwriter.

And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 1 Kings 4:32-33

Solomon not only had intelligence and knowledge but he had practical wisdom. This is evidenced by his understanding of the heart of a mother in the famous story of the two prostitutes and the one child (1 Kings 3:16-28). Both women claimed to be the mother and each claimed custody of the child. DNA testing was not available in those days so Solomon called for a sword in order to divide the child in two so that each woman could have half. One woman agreed that this was fair whereas the other said: ‘give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.’ Solomon identified her as the true mother because he understood that love protects, whereas jealousy destroys.

Solomon may have been a genius but brains do not guarantee holiness. Solomon was wise but great wisdom does not guarantee righteousness. Solomon was a polymath but knowledge does not guarantee right decisions. True wisdom is not just knowing things but rather involves living in a right relationship with God.

SOLOMON’S WEALTH

READING: 1 Kings 3:13; 10:14-29

Solomon’s wisdom was accompanied by enormous personal wealth. According to 1 Kings 10 there was at that time such an abundance of silver and gold in Jerusalem that silver was as common as stones (v.27). Other kings came to visit Solomon bringing valuable gifts (v.24) and he even had a fleet of ships transporting luxury goods like gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks (v.22).

An article about the richest people in history recently appeared on my MSN feed which, taking into account that Solomon received around 25 tonnes of gold each year of his reign, reckoned that he would have been worth up to £757 billion in today’s money. Solomon possessed unimaginable riches and great influence but wealth, while not evil in itself, can become a problem. It can persuade us that we are self-sufficient and this seems to have happened with Solomon.

He manufactured chariots and imported horses from Egypt to pull them (vv.28-29). The two-wheeled, horse-drawn chariot revolutionised warfare during the Iron Age (c.1200 – 586 BCE). Its emergence was mainly due to the domestication of horses and the invention of the lightweight, spoked wheel. The war chariot afforded speed, precise manoeuvrability, and the ability to swiftly surround the enemy or launch surprise attacks. The Egyptians were early adopters of this new technology, which cost a fortune to implement and maintain as part of a standing army. Solomon, of course, had riches galore and also a massive supply of iron – probably more than the total of all his other metals, as donations for the Temple service would suggest:

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 1 Chronicles 29:6-7

Solomon’s purchase of horses from Egypt and his stockpile of precious metals were in direct contravention of the Law relating to the Israelite monarchy set out in the book of Deuteronomy:

. . . one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. Deuteronomy 17:15-17

What Solomon did was forbidden by the Lord. Solomon became self-sufficient. He stopped trusting God and began trusting his chariots and his treasure. He forgot that everything he had came from the Lord.

Money in itself is not evil but ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10). Wealth, however, brings heavy responsibilities and serious temptations. Solomon’s splendour became so magnificent that he began serve that rather than the people God had entrusted to his care.

For us as Christians the question ought not to be ‘How much can I acquire and possess?’ but ”What possesses me?’ It ought not to be ‘How can I get more?’ but rather ‘How can I use what I have for God and for the good of others?’ Our homes, money, education, time and abilities have been given to us by God. How well do we use them?

Blessings are a test. We often think the test is whether we can endure hardship whereas the real test is whether our faith can survive prosperity. God, if he so chooses, can pour out riches, power, position, fame and finance on some but his much greater provision is to give us a daily measure of trust and faith in him for the necessities of life. Solomon possessed  great wealth but it did not satisfy him. In later life he wrote:

I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 ESV

SOLOMON’S WARNING

READING: 1 Kings 9:1-9

Solomon’s wealth and success did not mean that he was exempt from failure. After he had built his royal palace and the Temple, the Lord appeared to him a second time. God had heard Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 8:22-53) at the dedication of the temple and promised that his name would dwell there. He reminded Solomon:

And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. 1 Kings 9:4-5

But along with that promise the Lord also gave Solomon a serious warning. He continued:

But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. 1 Kings 9:6-9

Notice how personal the Lord’s words are: ‘If you turn aside from following me.’ Solomon is not warned against making a political mistake or managing the kingdom badly. The warning is against something much more important than those things – spiritual infidelity. The Lord’s warning is not vague, it is perfectly clear. Solomon is not to abandon his covenant relationship with the Lord. In effect, the Lord is saying to Solomon: ‘Do not forget who I am, and do not forget what I have done for you and your nation.’

God had chosen Israel to be his people and had brought them out of bondage in Egypt; now Solomon has received his kingdom and wisdom from God. For him to worship other gods would not merely be tolerance of different religious opinions. It would be a betrayal of the Lord.

Solomon received this warning because his heart was capable of wandering, as are ours. The beginning of spiritual infidelity is often small. We neglect prayer, we can’t be bothered going to church meetings, we ignore our conscience, excuse sinful habits, and treat biblical commands as suggestions rather than instructions. We may never kneel before a statue of Baal but other things, such as money, success, reputation, pleasure, power or man’s approval, can usurp God’s place in our life. Few of us will suddenly announce: ‘I am now abandoning God.’ Rather, we begin with just one small compromise. Then another, and so on. Unfortunately, repeated choices form a habit.

Eventually, although we may still appear faithful on the outside, our heart begins to serve another master. The warning to Solomon is also a warning to each of us: do not allow gifts from God to replace God himself. Solomon was told that if he and Israel turned away from the Lord even the Temple would become a ruin and people would ask why such a disaster had occurred. The answer would be: ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God.’

How did Solomon respond to the warning? He just continued as usual even though the message was clear. He paid it no heed.

SOLOMON’S WOMEN

READING: 1 Kings 11:1-13

Solomon’s personal relationships are indicative of compromise in his life. We read in 1 Kings 3:3 that at the beginning of his reign Solomon loved the Lord. Now in 1 Kings 11:1 we learn that King Solomon loved many foreign women. According to vv.3-4 he maintained a large harem: And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God,

Solomon loved ‘foreign women.’ I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with women or with marriage. Solomon, however, knew that the Lord had forbidden intermarriage with surrounding nations, not on ethnic or racial grounds, but because of the potential for idolatry. In Deuteronomy 7:3-4 the Lord had instructed: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods. . . Solomon was well aware of this command which was aimed at preserving religious purity and yet he persisted in his actions. He knew the scriptural prohibition but here is the problem – he thought he could handle it – he thought he could marry anyone and yet keep his faith intact. So he took wives from the nations with which God had particularly forbidden intermarriage (1 Kings 11:2). Often commentators make the point that these marriages secured political alliances. That was true but the Bible identifies the real reason: ‘Solomon clung to these in love’ (1 Kings 11:2).

Can Christians develop a deep attachment to the unsaved? They certainly can. Can a Christian fall in love with and marry an unbeliever? Of course that can happen. But the price isn’t worth it. The Apostle Paul addresses this problem in the New Testament: Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 CSB.

SOLOMON’S WAYWARDNESS

READING: 1 Kings 11:1-13

Solomon’s waywardness is closely associated with his women. I wish to briefly draw your attention to 1 Kings 11:4: For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God. . . How strange that he was ensnared by youthful lusts in his old age! Let those of us who are older beware! Sadly, Solomon experienced significant spiritual decline and serious deterioration in discernment during his later years. The following actions are evidence of his waywardness:

a) POLITICAL ALLIANCES

Throughout his reign, Solomon used strategic marriages to obtain peace for Israel and secure trade routes. As a result, he accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were foreign princesses from nations with which God had explicitly warned Israel not to intermarry. Each marriage, whether because of personal desire or out of political expediency, was one more compromise. Every wife was ‘just one more’. However, as time passed, things spiralled out of control. Little by little, the man who had asked for ‘an understanding heart’ lost his discernment in the matter of relationships.

b) SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE

It is tragic that Solomon’s faith became compromised when he reached old age; when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. Instead of maintaining the spiritual devotion to the Lord that defined his early reign – such as building the First Temple in Jerusalem – he began building pagan shrines for deities like Ashtoreth, Milcom, and Chemosh in order to please his many wives (1 Kings 11:8). He grew cool and indifferent to the one true faith and to the one true God. He lost his love for the Lord and he built temples for the worship of pagan gods. Where? In the hill that is before Jerusalem (11:7), practically in sight of the very Temple he had built for the glory of The Lord. One who had been such a devoted follower of the Lord then promoted idolatry in his kingdom. This was more than personal sin, it was pastoral sin. He led his people astray and into idolatry. No wonder the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice (1 Kings 11:9). Those pagan temples constructed by Solomon operated there for about three hundred years until destroyed by King Josiah of Judah as part of his religious reforms c.622 BCE:

The king [Josiah] also defiled the high places that were across from Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Destruction, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the abhorrent idol of the Sidonians; for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab; and for Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 2 Kings 23:13 CSB

For Solomon, whose wisdom was rooted in his devotion to the Lord (YHWH), to promote idolatrous worship represented a massive decline in his relationship with the Lord.

c) HARSH DOMESTIC POLICIES

As Solomon aged, his grand building projects, luxurious lifestyle and large household became a huge financial burden. How could he afford these commitments? He imposed heavy taxation and conscription on his own people and forced labour on non-Israelite citizens, growing ever more despotic and out of touch with his subjects (1 Kings 5:13-18; 9:15-23). This showed not only failure of discernment but also a lack of foresight for his succession. Solomon’s repressive policies resulted in discontent and unrest in the kingdom and contributed to its breakup after his death. He was succeeded by his son Rehoboam who rejected an appeal by the northern tribes to lighten the ‘heavy yoke’ that Solomon had imposed upon them and instead threatened to make their burden even heavier. This triggered the division of the kingdom; the northern tribes decided to break with the house of David and follow Jeroboam (1 Kings 12).

SUMMATION

Our brief overview of Solomon’s life began with his wish – a prayer for ‘an understanding heart;’ wisdom and knowledge to govern responsibly. He received wisdom. He received international admiration and he ruled in peace. He constructed a magnificent temple for the worship of the Lord. However, intelligence, success and even religious achievement count for nothing when one’s heart does not remain faithful to the Lord. Solomon’s success gradually led to spiritual decline. His wealth, luxury, marriages and political alliances weakened his fidelity to the Lord. In later years his wives turned him towards foreign deities so that he no longer followed the Lord faithfully.

Solomon’s journey from wisdom to waywardness is a reminder of our own tendency to drift. Solomon, unfortunately, forsook the sacred for the sensual and abandoned the way of faith for the way of the flesh. Many of us begin our Christian lives with enthusiasm; keen, humble, and hungry for God and his word. Then slowly things begin to change. A little academic success, a good job, more money, a comfortable home, family responsibilities; gradually other things occupy our thoughts and time – we become more self-sufficient and independent of God. Unless we stop, take stock, humble ourselves, repent and get back on the right track, we will make spiritual shipwreck.

The following practical lessons from Solomon’s experience are at the same time cautionary and encouraging. We ought to:

  1. Ask the Lord for wisdom and ability to serve others well.
  2. Be obedient to the Lord. Solomon possessed great wisdom but that alone did not guarantee holiness or faithfulness. Being intelligent, talented or having spiritual gift is not enough. Wisdom must shape our choices and direct us to live in obedience to the will of God.
  3. Realise that money and success are gifts, not gods. In themselves they may be blessings but they can encourage self-reliance and excess.
  4. Recognise that small compromises weaken our faith. Solomon’s faith was gradually undermined by relationships and practices that led him astray. We should be careful about what habits, influences, friendships, and ambitions influence our lives.
  5. Take God’s warnings seriously.
  6. Bear in mind that a good finish is more important than a promising start.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Ryken, P. G., (2011). King Solomon: the Temptations of Money, Sex, and Power. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Cattley, A. (2026). Thought Elon Musk was rich? How much the wealthiest people in history would be worth today | lovemoney.com. [online] Available at: https://www.lovemoney.com/news/51988/20-richest-people-of-all-time [Accessed 3 Oct. 2026].







1

Posted in Exposition

The Sinking Ship of Tyre in Ezekiel 27

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 27

Ezekiel chapter 27 is an extended allegory about Tyre, the dominant maritime trading power of the ancient Mediterranean. It compares the wealthy, seafaring city-state to a luxury merchant ship that gets caught in a storm, breaks apart and sinks. This magnificent vessel has been built by superior craftsmen, constructed using the finest materials, is crewed by the best sailors and sails fully laden with goods sourced from all over the then-known world.

This allegory symbolises Tyre’s economic prowess, international reach and importance as the centre of the world economy. Ezekiel mourns the impending destruction of the city by commenting on its beauty and glory, global trade network and the variety of goods it trades by means of a dirge. A dirge is a funeral lament but this one is not sympathetic. It is satirical and is uttered while Tyre is still very much alive. This blog post will examine the historical context, symbolism and key lessons of Ezekiel 27, showing why this ancient ‘shipwreck’ still matters today.

TYRE

Tyre was an important port for Phoenicia, a federation of independent city states famous in ancient times for seafaring and commerce. Just as the Arabs with their camel trains dominated the transportation of goods overland so the Phoenician merchant navy dominated the shipping routes; conveying goods to and from the three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) bordering the Mediterranean. The prowess of the Phoenicians (Tyre, Sidon and Byblos) as merchants and human traffickers is acknowledged by the Old Testament Hebrew prophets (Isa 23:1-8, 17-18; Ezekiel 27:1-36; 28:1-5; Joel 3:4-7; Amos 1:9). Ezekiel chapter 27 is of special historical interest because it not only gives a list of commodities traded by the Tyrians but also details the many and widespread locations where they did business.

THE STRUCTURE OF EZEKIEL 27

1-3 INTRODUCTION TO THE DIRGE ABOUT TYRE

4-7 THE BEAUTY OF TYRE’S CONSTRUCTION

8-9 THE PROFESSIONALISM OF TYRE’S CREW

10-11 THE STRENGTH OF TYRE’S MERCENARIES

12-25 TYRE’S TRADING NETWORK AND GOODS

26-36 TYRE’S SHIPWRECK AND THE AFTERMATH

EZEKIEL 27 EXPLAINED

INTRODUCTION TO THE DIRGE ABOUT TYRE (1-3)

(1) The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

Chapter 27 begins with the prophetic word formula ‘The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying’ which is also at 26:1; 28:1 and 28:11. Ezekiel gives no date here or at 28:1 so chapters 27 and 28 must relate to the date given at 26:1 (the first day of an unspecified month in the eleventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile in Babylon and Zedekiah’s reign in Judah, i.e. 587/586 BCE). Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Tyre was from 585-573 BCE so that was still future when Ezekiel prophesied chapters 26-28.

(2) Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;

Addressing Ezekiel as usual by the title ‘son of Adam’ the Lord emphatically says ‘And you,’ which the KJV translates ‘Now, thou…’ This refers Ezekiel back to 26:17 which predicts that the princes of the sea will ‘take up a lamentation’ for Tyre when the city falls. As well as those princes Ezekiel too is to raise a dirge (qiynāh – funeral lamentation) but he is to do that now, when the city is still very much alive.

(3) And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.

Ezekiel is to address the city of Tyre directly and present first of all the Lord’s view of her and then her view of herself (‘O you who sit’ is feminine).

The Lord’s view:

  • ‘you who sit (as queen?) at the gateway to the sea’ – the city controlled access to the Mediterranean Sea
  • ‘you are a merchant to the peoples on many coasts’ – Tyre was the centre of world trade

Tyre’s view of herself:

‘You have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ Tyre, full of vanity, claimed for herself (see repetition of ‘beauty’ in vv. 3, 4, 11) what could only truly be said of Jerusalem (Psa 48:2; Lam 2:15; Ezek 16:14).

4-7 THE BEAUTY OF TYRE’S CONSTRUCTION

(4) Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.

There is no doubt that Tyre is beautiful. Ezekiel recognises and repeats that fact in v.4. Tyre’s domain is in the high seas – she is a great maritime power – the expression ‘in the midst of the seas’ occurs 4 times in chapter 27 – in vv.4, 25, 26, 27. Her builders have made her beauty perfect.

(5) They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.

Verse 5 clarifies that the builders referred to in v.4 are shipbuilders. Tyre is being metaphorically portrayed as a beautiful, well-crafted merchant ship that has been constructed using the finest materials. Ship boards probably refers to the hull, deck and cabin. These planks were ‘of fir trees,’ probably cypress, from Senir – according to Deut 3:8-9 Senir was the Amorite name for Mt. Hermon: And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon; (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir). The masts are made of cedar – tall, straight, strong trees – from Lebanon. Regarding the word for masts MacLaurin (1978, p.80) comments:

‘toren: this word is found also in Is 30:17; 33:23. . . Is 30: 17 seems to refer to a solitary tree-trunk set as a signal on a hill. The word may occur in Job 39:23 with the meaning spear but this is uncertain. One thing is clear from the Hebrew, the word does not specifically mean mast; it seems rather to denote something which could serve as a flagpole or even perhaps the long stem of a spear.’

(6) Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim.

Propulsion was by oars of strong oak from Bashan. This symbolises the ability to reach far-flung places quickly. Extravagance and opulence are again emphasised with the ‘benches’ or perhaps decks (a different word for boards to that in v.5 ) inlaid with ivory from the Tyrian colony of Chittim (Cyprus). Modern translations, whether rightly or wrongly, tend to update ‘company of Ashurites’ to ‘decks of boxwood.’ Ivory was regarded as a luxury construction material (1 Kgs 22:39; Amos 3:15).

(7) Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

The impression of luxury continues with the sails and awnings made of the finest textiles such as woven or embroidered Egyptian linen. These have been prepared with great craftmanship and using high quality dyes from the isles of Elishah – thought to refer to southern Greece, including part of Cyprus. For blue and purple as luxury fabrics cf. Judg 8:26; Esther 1:6; 8:15; Prov 31:22; Song of Sol 3:10; 7:5; Jer 10:9; Ezek 23:6; 27:7, 16, 24.

8-9 THE PROFESSIONALISM OF TYRE’S CREW

(8) The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.

Tyre outsourced labour from neighbouring city-states like Sidon and Arvad but her own skilled men (nobility and senators) retained overall strategic control. Arvad, located on a island, was the most northerly Phoenician town. Peckham (2014, pp.110-111) writes concerning the history of Arvad:

‘Arvad is an island slightly to the northwest of ʿAmrit. In the Amarna period, it had no king but was a community, “the people of Arvad,” consistently aligned with Sidon in its resistance to Egyptian authority. It is mentioned together with Sidon, along with ʿArqa and Sumur, in a few biblical texts (Gen 10:17–18, Ezek 27:8) and, according to Strabo, it was resettled by Sidonians following the invasion of the Sea Peoples. Together with Sidon and Byblos, it paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser I (1114–1076 B.C.E.), and from that time on it was known to the Assyrians as an exotic place worth visiting. . . The town supplied 200 troops to the anti-Assyrian coalition at the battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C.E., and it is still noted as a source of mercenaries in Ezekiel’s description of Tyre’s dominions. . . By the mid-ninth century, Arvad was an independent kingdom, ruled by a king with the good Phoenician name Mattinbaʿl (“Gift of Baʿal”), and his successors in the eighth and seventh century (whose names were the same as his or were similarly composed with the name or epithet of the God Baʿal) saw to the survival and prosperity of the island by submitting to Assyria. . . Arvad, like Sidon, cooperated with the Assyrians and became one of their ports and eventually a formidable naval power but, unlike Sidon, it was unpretentious and easygoing and outlasted both the Assyrian and the Persian Empires.’

(9) The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy caulkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.

Tyre was able to draw upon the best talent available for every aspect of its maritime business. The elders of Gebal and its wise men are said to be ‘caulkers.’ This tells us that the ship Ezekiel envisages is carvel-built (although clinker-built ships were appearing around that time in history). Unlike clinker-built vessels, where planks overlap, carvel planks meet flush at the seams and are traditionally sealed with caulking to prevent water ingress. In Ezekiel’s time the small gap between planks would have been caulked with cotton or hemp soaked in tar and then sealed over with pitch. Gebal is another name for Byblos – a Phoenician town famous for its very clever people – they invented the Phoenician alphabet, from which most modern alphabets have descended (see Peckham (2014, p.461).

10-11 THE STRENGTH OF TYRE’S MERCENARIES

(10-11) They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.

Tyre could afford to recruit foreign mercenaries as soldiers (army) and as security guards (upon thy walls). These are pictured as occupants of the ship. Lud is Lydia in Anatolia, Asia Minor and Put is thought to be an area on the African coast of the Red Sea (Gen 10:6; Nah 3:9). ‘Shield and helmet’ – see Ezek 23:24; 27:10; 38:5). For Arvad see comments on v.8. The location of Gammad is unknown.

Ezekiel turns from Tyre itself to give a list of those with whom Tyre does business and the goods traded.

12-25 TYRE’S TRADING NETWORK AND GOODS

Huebscher (2015, p.24) comments that the section vv.12-15 contains a list of the trading partners and the wares that were loaded on the metaphorical ship of Tyre. They are generally arranged by geographical concerns: vv 12–15, Mediterranean areas and Asia Minor; vv 16–17, Palestinian regions from south to north; vv 18–19, Syria; vv 20–22, Arabia; and vv 23–24, Mesopotamia.

(12) Tarshish – Because of the mention of metals (silver, iron, tin and lead) and the implication in Psa 72:10 that Tarshish is in the far west this may well refer to Tartessus – a Phoenician colony in Spain that was rich in metals.

(13) Javan, Tubal, and Meshech. Javan represents the Ionians or ancient Greeks (Isa 66:19; Dan 8:21, 10:20, 11:2). Tubal and Meshech were regions in central and western Asia Minor. They appear together 5 times in Ezekiel (Ezek 27:13: 32:26; 38:2, 3; 39:21). Human beings are listed, along with bronze, as a commodity.

(14) According to Huebscher (2015, p.29) Beth-Togarmah means “House of Togarmah” in Hebrew. This people group, which is mentioned in Gen 10:3, is descended from Noah’s son Japheth and grandson Gomar. They lived in Asia Minor east of Tubal, in the area of the upper Euphrates River.They were well known for their horse breeding, as evidenced by the records of the Neo-Assyrian kings Ashurbanipal and Sargon II.

(15) There are several possibilities for Dedan (mentioned again in v.20). It is generally identified as Rhodes but Huebscher (2015, p.31) concludes that it is Danuna in Anatolia. Dedan gave horns of ivory and ebony wood as payment or as ‘presents’ to Tyre. The only other occurrence of the word ’eškār is in Psa 72:10 where it describes gifts brought to Solomon from the kings of Sheba and Seba.

(16) Syria (Aram) traded with Tyre in precious stones (emeralds, coral, agate) as well as dyed fabrics and luxury textiles.

(17) Even then, just before the Babylonian conquest, Judah and the land of Israel were trading agricultural products with Tyre. Wheat of Minnith – located in in the Trans-Jordan territory of Ammon (Judg 11:33), pannag – an unknown ‘meal’ translated as millet – plus honey, oil and balm. The latter was used for medicine (cf. my post on the Balm of Gilead – Jeremiah 8:20-22). Ezekiel is still referring to ‘the land of Israel’ even though the Northern kingdom of Israel had been dismantled and thousands of inhabitants forcibly deported and relocated throughout the Assyrian empire more than 130 years earlier.

(18) Aram has already been mentioned in v.16 but this verse concentrates on premium luxury goods (white wool and fine wine of Helbon) from the area around Damascus.

(19) More luxury items from Damascus are listed; aromatic substances such as Cassia (Exod 30:24) and Calamus (Exod 30:23; Isa 43:24; Jer 6:20 ‘sweet cane’ is calamus reed) as well as wrought iron products. Note: there is a difficulty with the text at the beginning of v.19 – for technical discussion see Huebscher (2015, pp.35-36). The places Dan, Javan and Uzal have been transposed over what should have been products.

(20) Dedan (previously mentioned in v.15) is mentioned again, this time for the supply of saddlecloths for riding. This, however, may be Dedan in Arabia.

(21-24) These verses list nomadic tribes/people groups in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula and in Mesopotamia along with the products they traded. Arabia and Kedar traded livestock; lambs, rams and goats. Sheba and Raamah traded spices, precious stones and gold. In Mesopotamia the merchants of Haran (capital of Assyria after the fall of Nineveh), Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur (Assyria) and Chilmad traded all kinds of luxury goods; such as purple clothing, embroidered garments and what is reckoned to be multicoloured carpets bound in ropes and shipped in wooden boxes made of cedar. Verse 24 brings the list of trading partners and wares to a conclusion.

(25) ‘Ship of Tarshish’ is a specific term for a type of large, long-distance ocean-going vessel (1 Kgs 10:22; 22:48; Psa 48:7; Isa 2:16; 23:1, 14; 60:9). These impressive boats transported Tyre’s merchandise with the result that it was filled and ‘made very glorious’ (heavily laden) in the midst of the seas. This phrase ‘in the midst of the sea’ occurs in vv. 25, 26 and 27.

26-36 TYRE’S SHIPWRECK AND THE AFTERMATH

Tyre’s state of fullness and glory sets the stage for its shipwreck and destruction when the east wind blows and breaks it apart.

(26) DISASTER STRIKES – Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.

Guided by its own efforts (your oarsmen) Tyre meets a power that is beyond its control. The ‘east wind’ is a biblical metaphor for divine judgement (e.g. Exod 14:21; Ezek 17:10; 19:12). In this case the ‘east wind’ will come in the form of the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.

(27) TOTAL LOSS – Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy caulkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.

Everyone and everything on board will sink into the ‘heart’ of the seas. All her workers, warriors and wares will perish. Tyre’s commercial empire will be broken up and her economy totally destroyed.

(28-31) THE REACTION – The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. 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; And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

The coastal areas of the mainland near Tyre will be shocked. They depend economically on Tyre so their sailors and merchants will mourn and cry bitterly, not so much out of sympathy for Tyre as for their lost profits and the financial problems Tyre’s ruin will cause for them. They are depicted as performing traditional mourning rites: casting dust on their heads, wallowing in ashes, shaving their heads, putting on sackcloth and wailing aloud. For dust/ashes cf. Job 2:12; 42:6; Jer 6:26; 25:34.

(32) A LAMENT WITHIN A LAMENT – And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?

Here we have a lament within a lament. The fall of such a powerful maritime trading empire is unprecedented. The basis of Tyre’s wealth is the sea but, ironically, that is where she will be destroyed.

(33-34) A STARK CONTRAST – When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. 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.

Verses 33-34 contrast what Tyre was with what it will soon be. It once satisfied many peoples and enriched the kings of the earth with its wares but soon, when shipwrecked, its merchandise and crew will sink into the depths of the ocean.

(35-36) THE WORLD’S REACTION AND THE FINAL VERDICT – All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.

The wider world will hiss in shock, astonishment and derision at the judgement that Tyre will suffer. The nations will be relieved that they seem to have escaped but at the same time fearful lest the same doom should come upon them all. Tyre will become a byword among the nations.

The final words of Ezekiel’s lament aptly sum up Tyre’s situation: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more. (‘You will come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.’) This description of Tyre also occurs in Ezek 26:21 and 28:19.

Note: A question remains whether Ezekiel’s prophecies about Tyre were actually fulfilled but I hope to address that when considering chapter 29.

SUMMATION

Ezekiel 27 provides one of the most detailed descriptions of trade networks found in ancient literature but why would the Lord be interested in Tyre’s trade logs and shipping routes? Ezekiel’s catalogue of Tyre’s trading partners and wares demonstrates how the city built an empire on self-sufficiency, influence and luxury rather than righteousness for, as well as trading raw materials, agricultural products, metals, precious stones and textiles, Tyre was involved in the trafficking of slaves. The poetic funeral dirge uses the metaphor of a shipwreck to illustrate the judgement that the Lord will bring upon the city. This cautionary tale serves as a warning to all nations that even the most powerful political and commercial empires are under God’s control. It is a reminder to us all that self-glorification and the relentless pursuit of wealth without regard for God ends in ruin.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Dowler, A. and Galvin, E.R. (2011). Money, Trade and Trade Routes in Pre-Islamic North Africa. London: The British Museum.

Fleming, W. B. (1915), The History of Tyre, Columbia University Press, New York

Holt E. K., Chul, H. and Mein, A. (2015). Concerning the Nations: Essays on the Oracles Against the Nations in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Bloomsbury, London

Launderville, D. (2007). Spirit and Reason: the Embodied Character of Ezekiel’s Symbolic Thinking. Baylor University Press, Waco, Texas

Lee, L. (2016). Mapping Judah’s Fate in Ezekiel’s Oracles Against the Nations. SBL Press, Atlanta

Liverani, M. (2013). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy, Routledge, Oxon

Middlemas, J. (2012), ‘Ships and other Seafaring Vessels in the Old Testament,’ in Provan, I and Boda, M.J. (eds.). Let us go up to Zion: Essays in Honour of H.G.M. Williamson on the Occasion of his Sixty-fifth Birthday, Brill, Leiden, pp. 407-421

Peckham, B. (2014). Phoenicia: Episodes and Anecdotes from the Ancient Mediterranean, Eisenbrauns. Winona Lake, Indiana

Sader, H. (2019). The History and Archaeology of Phoenicia. SBL Press, Atlanta

Scheidel, W., Morris, I. and Saller, R.P. (2007). The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

Schoff, W.H. (1920). The Ship “Tyre” – a Symbol of the Fate of Conquerors as Prophesied by Isaiah, Ezekiel and John and Fulfilled at Nineveh, Babylon and Rome: a Study in the Commerce of the Bible, Longmans, Green & Co, London

Van Dijk, H. J. (1968). Ezekiel’s Prophecy on Tyre (26,1-28,19): A New Approach, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome

Von, A., Radner, K., Moeller, N., Potts, D.T. (2023). The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume IV. Oxford University Press, USA.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Katz, H. (2008) The Ship from Uluburun and the Ship from Tyre: An International Trade Network in the Ancient Near East, Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins, Vol.. 124, No. 2, pp. 128-142

Leonard-Fleckman, M, (2022) Lamenting Tyre (Ezekiel 27): A Unique Perspective on Judah’s Proximate Other, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, Vol. 11. No. 2, pp.134-151

MacLaurin, E. C. B. (1978). The Phoenician Ship from Tyre Described in Ezekiel 27. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Vol.7, No.1, pp.80–83

Saur, M. (2010). Ezekiel 26-28 and the History of Tyre. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, Vol.24, No2, pp.208–221

Udd, K.J. (2005). Prediction and Foreknowledge in Ezekiel’s Prophecy against Tyre. Tyndale Bulletin. Vol. 56, Issue 1

Vayntrub, J. (2020) Tyre’s Glory and Demise: Totalizing Description in Ezekiel 27. CBQ, Vol. 82, No. 2, pp.214– 236.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Bradshaw, R.I. (2026). The City of Tyre in History and Prophecy. [online] Biblicalstudies.org.uk. Available at: https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_tyre.html [Accessed 01 June 2026].

Huebscher, S.L. (2015). The Lament over Tyre in Ezekiel 27:1-25. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/7125003/2015_The_lament_over_Tyre_in_Ezekiel_27_1_25 [Accessed 01 June 2026].

Rich, S. (2013). Ship Timber as Symbol? Dendro-provenancing & Contextualizing Ancient Cedar Ship Remains from the East Mediterranean / Near East. [online] Available at: https://kuleuven.limo.libis.be/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=lirias1816006&context=SearchWebhook&vid=32KUL_KUL:Lirias&lang=en&search_scope=lirias_profile&adaptor=SearchWebhook&tab=LIRIAS&query=any,contains,LIRIAS1816006&offset=0 [Accessed 01 June 2026].

‌