Ezekiel 27:10
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. 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.
Persia, Lud and Phut furnished hired foreign soldiers for Tyre's army, who displayed shield and helmet in the city and added to its beauty. The description is part of the picture of Tyre's glory, wealth, splendor and military magnificence just before its fearful fall and ruin. It belongs to the lamentation over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28, within the prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 25-31, foretelling that the once-great commercial emporium would be utterly ruined and become a place for the spreading of nets. Tyre's pride and corrupt commercial spirit brought it under divine judgment, making its fate a warning to proud cities and peoples that forget and defy God, as applied to San Francisco, New York, Chicago and to modern Babylon whose worldwide commerce puts wealth before God.
Tyre's Army and Glory
Ezekiel 27:10 belongs to the lamentation over the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel 26 to 28, which predicts the utter ruin of Tyre. It stands within the prophecies against other nations in Ezekiel 25 to 31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt.
Tyre was the commercial emporium of Phoenicia and one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world. It was an ancient commercial metropolis, a once-great city that was to become a place for the spreading of nets, whose ruins illustrate the fulfillment of prophecy. The chapter to which the verse belongs sets forth the extent of its greatness and commerce. Its ancient mainland site had been abandoned for a new city built on a small island half a mile from shore, which Alexander the Great joined to the shore by an artificial mole, and its history includes Hiram king of Tyre assisting Solomon in building the temple and Jezebel wife of King Ahab being the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians.
Persia, Lud, and Phut supplied Tyre's army with hired foreign men of war. These foreign peoples served in Tyre's army as warriors. They hung and displayed shield and helmet in the city.
The verse is part of the portrayal of the glory of Tyre before her fearful fall. It is part of the prophecy describing Tyre's wealth and splendor before its ruin. Persia, Lud, and Phut supplying Tyre's army with warriors who hung shields and helmets in the city added to its splendor and military appearance. Its armed forces thus added to the city's magnificence and comeliness.
Judgment Foretold and Applied
Ezekiel 27:10 stands in the lamentation over the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel 26 to 28, which predicts the utter ruin of Tyre. That once-great city was to become a place for the spreading of nets, and its ruins illustrate the fulfillment of prophecy. The prophecy of Tyre belongs within the prophecies against other nations in Ezekiel 25 to 31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt, remarkable prophecies whose fulfillment is evident today.
Ezekiel 27 presents Tyre as a center of widespread trade, whose commercial spirit is linked with corruption and pride, for which God humbles it. Its picture of worldwide trade portrays modern Babylon as a worldwide federation whose commerce reaches across nations and treats even human bodies and souls as commodities, putting wealth before God.
The chapter is a lesson about the judgment and fate of Tyre under divine judgment, presenting its fall as a warning to cities and people that forget and defy God. That warning is directed to proud, God-defying cities. It was applied to San Francisco as the Queen of the West laid low, and to New York, Chicago, and other places as well.