“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.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 27:6 Mean?
Ezekiel describes Tyre as a magnificent ship, constructed from the finest materials across the known world. The oars are Bashan oak — the strongest wood available. The benches (or deck) are ivory from Cyprus (Chittim), made by Ashurite craftsmen. Every component is premium, imported, expertly crafted.
The ship-allegory of Ezekiel 27 treats Tyre as a vessel — the most beautifully constructed vessel ever launched. But the allegory is building toward disaster: this perfect ship will be wrecked (verse 26). The beauty of the construction makes the destruction more devastating.
The international sourcing of materials — Bashan for oars, Cyprus for ivory, Ashurite craftsmen — reflects Tyre's global reach. No single nation could produce a city this magnificent. Tyre drew from everywhere, accumulated the best of everything, and assembled it into something unmatched. The world built Tyre, and when Tyre sinks, the world loses.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What have you built from 'the finest materials' that you're trusting too much?
- 2.Why does Ezekiel spend so long describing the ship's beauty before sinking it?
- 3.How does the international sourcing of Tyre's materials reflect modern interconnected systems?
- 4.What's the difference between appreciating quality craftsmanship and trusting it for salvation?
Devotional
Oars of Bashan oak. Ivory benches from Cyprus. The finest craftsmen from across the known world. Every piece of the ship is premium. Every component is sourced from the best location for that specific material. The ship is perfect.
Ezekiel builds Tyre's beauty before he sinks it. The longer you spend admiring the ship — its oars, its deck, its rigging, its cargo — the harder the wreck hits. The allegory is designed to make you appreciate what's about to be destroyed. Because unappreciated loss doesn't teach. Only the loss of something you valued produces wisdom.
The international sourcing tells a story about interconnection. Tyre didn't build itself from local materials. It reached across the world — Bashan, Cyprus, Asshur — gathering the best of everything. The ship is a monument to global commerce, to the idea that you can assemble the finest components from the farthest places and create something indestructible.
But you can't. The ship sinks in verse 26. The oak oars don't save it. The ivory deck doesn't float. The expert craftsmanship doesn't prevent the east wind from breaking it apart. The finest materials in the world, assembled with the greatest skill available, still sink when God sends the storm.
What have you assembled from the finest components — and are you trusting the ship or the God who controls the sea?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt,.... From whence came the finest and whitest linen; and which they embroidered…
The company ... ivory - Rather, “thy benches (or, deck) made they of ivory with boxwood” (or, larch), i. e., boxwood…
Of the oaks of Bashan - Some translate alder, others the pine.
The company of the Ashurites - The word אשרים asherim is…
Here, I. The prophet is ordered to take up a lamentation for Tyrus, Eze 27:2. It was yet in the height of its…
The oars of the great ship were made of oaks of Bashan; cf. Isa 2:13; Zec 11:2. The term "oars" occurs in another form,…
Cross References
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