Ezekiel 27:15, commentary and pictures

The verse describes the men of Dedan and many islands trading with Tyre as its merchants, supplying horns of ivory and ebony as merchandise and tribute. Their trade displays the wide reach, richness and abundance of Tyre's markets with distant peoples and lands that made it a wealthy commercial center of the world. It stands within the lamentation over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28 foretelling its ruin and utter destruction until it would become a place for the spreading of nets, a striking object-lesson of fulfilled prophecy. The account serves as a warning that prosperity cannot shield proud cities that forget and defy God from judgment for wickedness, a lesson applied to later sea-trading centers such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Tyre's Widespread Commerce

The men of Dedan were merchants of Tyre, and many isles were the merchandise of its hand. They brought horns of ivory and ebony as merchandise, as a present or gift, and as tribute. That exchange shows the range and richness of the goods in Tyre's markets. Its commerce reached distant peoples, lands, and islands, which made it a wealthy center and a great commercial metropolis with abundant merchandise and wealth.

Dedan traded from the borders of the Persian Gulf in the fairs of Tyre in ivory and ebony and precious clothes for chariots. This was one part of a commerce in which all nations traded there in all manner of merchandise. It proves that world's fairs are not peculiar to modern times, because Tyre had them 2,500 years ago.

Tyre was the merchant city of the world in Nehemiah's time, carrying on wide trade with many peoples and isles. That is why men of Tyre brought fish and all manner of ware into Jerusalem to sell to Judah on the Sabbath.

Prophecy of Tyre's Ruin

Ezekiel 27:15 stands in the lamentation over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-28, which are prophecies against the nations foretelling the ruin and utter destruction of Tyre. It belongs to the prophecy concerning Tyre as the great commercial city that was to be utterly destroyed. It belongs likewise to the prophecy concerning Tyre as the merchant city of the Mediterranean, whose account of trade is part of the prophecy of its destruction, when Tyre was to become a place for the spreading of nets.

Within that larger setting the verse falls in the prophecies of other nations in Ezekiel 25 to 31 concerning Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Egypt, a remarkable prophecy whose fulfillment is evident today. The chapter's portrayal of Tyre as the ancient commercial metropolis of the world, with many merchants and merchandise, foretells its fall until it becomes a place for the spreading of nets, so that its ruins stand as a striking object-lesson of fulfilled prophecy. The detailed account of Tyre's trade to which the verse contributes is therefore part of the prophecy of its destruction.

The chapter portrays Tyre's widespread trade with merchants and merchandise reaching many lands, yet its commercial spirit became corrupt and exalted so that God had to humble it. That same spirit of commerce is seen in Babylon, whose trade seeks wealth and worldly power without regard for honor, integrity, or God.

Warning to Later Cities

Ezekiel 27:15 names Dedan and many distant islands among Tyre's trading partners, bringing horns of ivory and ebony as merchandise, present, and tribute. The verse belongs to a warning of judgment against Tyre that stands as a lesson for cities that forget and defy God. Prosperity does not keep such cities from the consequences of wickedness, and proud, God-defying wickedness invites judgment.

The warning and lesson of Ezekiel 27, including the verse's account of Tyre's far-reaching trade, applies to cities that forget and defy God, including New York and Chicago. Tyre is pictured as a wealthy trading power whose commerce reached distant peoples, lands, and islands.

That picture of maritime trade explains why San Francisco is compared to Tyre as a major sea-trading center receiving goods and wealth from many places. Like Tyre it stood at the entry of the sea and served as a great merchant city with extensive shipping and commerce and abundant merchandise.