Ezekiel 27:11
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. 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.
The verse pictures the military strength of Tyre, with the men of Arvad manning its walls on every side, the Gammadims holding its towers, and shields hung all around its walls. That array of defended walls and towers and displayed shields was its military splendor, and it completed the city's splendor and made its beauty perfect. It stands in the prophecy against Tyre that sets forth her strength and glory and splendor just before her fall. That prophecy foretold her utter destruction for rejoicing at Judah's humiliation, until the city would be wiped out and its very site become fishing ground. So described, her defenses and splendor before her fall warn every proud city that forgets and defies God, for commercial greatness that corrupts and exalts a people will be humbled by God.
Tyre's Defenses and Beauty
The verse sets out the military array of Tyre, with the men of Arvad serving with its army upon the walls round about. The Gammadims occupied the towers, while shields were hung upon the walls round about. Armed men from Arvad and the Gammadims were thus stationed on the walls and in the towers as armed defenders of the city. Its walls were manned by Arvad's soldiers and its towers held by the Gammadim, with hanging shields adding to the display.
Those defended walls and towers with their hanging shields were military splendor that contributed to the city's splendor and completed it. Their presence belongs to the portrayal of Tyre's glory before its fall as a city of perfect beauty. They have made its beauty perfect, completing the city's beauty by this array of defenders and arms.
That perfected beauty is explained by skilled builders and rich trade, together with great wealth and greatness. Its commercial greatness, whose traffickers were found everywhere, made her beauty perfect. The same spirit of merchandise that set forth Tyre's splendor also made her corrupt and exalted.
Tyre was a merchant city of the Mediterranean and the great commercial city of the world. It was the commercial emporium of Phoenicia, one of the greatest and most famous cities of the ancient world. It was the merchant city of the world at the time when men of Tyre brought fish and all manner of ware and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah in Jerusalem.
Prophecy of Tyre's Ruin
Ezekiel 27:11 belongs to the prophecies of other nations in Ezekiel 25 to 31, to the prophecies against the nations in Ezekiel 26 to 28 giving the ruin of Tyre and the lamentation over her destruction. Within that larger section Ezekiel 26-28 speaks of Tyre, and chapter 27 is part of that prophecy concerning Tyre alongside Ammon, Moab and Egypt. The prophecy about Tyre identifies her among the nations whose specific destruction God foretold after they rejoiced at Judah's humiliation.
Within that prophecy the verse presents Tyre's strength, glory and splendor before its fall. Its description of defended walls and towers contributes to the picture of Tyre as a city of perfect beauty. That portrayal of strength and splendor before the fall stands as a warning to cities that forget and defy God.
The prophecy predicts the utter destruction of Tyre, until the city would be utterly wiped out of existence and its very site would become fishing ground. Tyre's pride as the great commercial city of the world would be brought down in this way. The fulfillment of these remarkable prophecies is evident today.
The verse is part of God's message through Ezekiel during twenty-two years pleading with Israel to turn to God, using the kingdoms on all sides of Israel to show how God brings down pride. In that message Nebuchadnezzar, whom the false prophets said was not coming against Jerusalem, would capture Tyre and from Tyre would conquer Jerusalem.
Warning to Proud Cities
Ezekiel 27:11 belongs to a warning about the judgment of a city that forgets and defies God, setting forth Tyre's defenses and its strength and splendor before its fall. Its walls round about were manned by Arvad's soldiers serving with its army, its towers were occupied by the Gammadims, and shields hung upon its walls round about added military splendor that completed its beauty. The lesson reaches beyond Tyre itself to other places and people, and is applied to New York, Chicago and other cities. Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre paired with the judgment of Babylon warns that a proud city openly defying God may face the consequences of its wickedness.
The verse is part of the setting forth of the spirit of merchandise in Tyre, whose commercial greatness made her beauty perfect and whose traffickers were found everywhere. That commercialism made Tyre corrupt and exalted until God had to humble her.
The same traffic is repeated by great Babylon, called modern Tyre. That modern Tyre is not one city but a federation taking in all the earth, dealing in every commodity even to the bodies and souls of men, overriding honor and integrity, forgetting God and making gold first. When that combination falls its riches are made desolate.