Title Lamentations on Tire/Ezekiel 27
Content Lamentations for Tire
Ezekiel 27
If the battlefield rejoices over the destruction of Tire, this chapter sings a song of mourning over the destruction of Tire. Ezekiel is here praising the glory, beauty, and strong military power of Tire, and then lamenting the fall of the city.
1. The glory of Tire (1-11)
① God’s command to write a lament for Tire (1-2)
② The beauty of Duro (3-4) ③ The drying process of pears (5-11)
The text sings that Tire retains more luxury and honor than any other city outwardly. However, Ezekiel did not admire the beauty of Tire directly, but used an indirect method: ‘You said, Tyre, I am perfectly beautiful. This shows that the glory of Tire is by no means a genuine admiration, but a rebuke to the pride of Tire.
God commanded that lamentations be written for Tire, who still enjoys glory and prosperity. This view suggests that the success of Tire will eventually become a snare that leads to ruin. Tire is engulfed in his own material abundance and loses his true spiritual vision, and is destroyed to the point of being ridiculed by the nations. In this way, when things are going well and people are at peace, it is easy to forget God and fall into pride. Therefore, true believers should serve God more actively when they are in peace.
2. Trade Situation in Tire (12-25)
This paragraph introduces the trade situation and various products of Tire, which was doing wide trade with various countries around the world at the time. It specifically records the prosperity of Tire mentioned in the previous paragraph. Ezekiel enumerates trading partners and commodities in a very verbose way to clearly show the size and power of a huge commercial city.
① Trade partners of Tire (12-23)
Tyre's trading partners were active in trade with Tarshish and Greece to the west, and Edom, Damascus, Arabia, and Mesopotamia to the east. Also, in terms of items, all local specialties are included. This indicates that Tire is the undisputed center of the Mediterranean coast, and also indicates the degree of commercial prosperity and abundance.
② The prosperity of Tire (24-25)
Due to this prosperity of Tire, he enjoyed a lot of wealth and glory. However, this material abundance made Tire proud and resulted in their disregard for God. Tire became a world economic powerhouse through trade, but it became a country on the verge of ruin due to its wealth.
3. The fall of Tire and the wailing of the nations (26-36)
Ezekiel, who was singing the abundance and prosperity of Tire, is suddenly singing about the destruction and sinking of Tire. These two facts are in stark contrast, emphasizing that abundance and prosperity without God can collapse in an instant, like a house on the sand.
Tire was ruined in the most familiar sea. Tire lost everything at once by shipwrecking in a storm at the sea, the source of trade.
Although there were capable sailors, captains, engineers, and mercenaries in Tire, they could not stop God's judgment. Creatures are powerless before God. Neither strength, nor splendor, nor wealth, are of no use if you do not rely on God.
The destruction of Tire caused a sense of emptiness while watching the human glory disappear in an instant, and at the same time made them possess the fear of God. Tire's rivals also ridiculed Tire's defeat. It was as if he had ridiculed the judgment of Israel, and he was in the same situation.