“Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 27:12 Mean?
"Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs." Tarshish — the distant western maritime power (likely in Spain or Sardinia) — traded with Tyre because of the MULTITUDE of Tyre's riches: silver, iron, tin, and lead. The metals represent industrial commerce — the raw materials that powered ancient manufacturing. Tyre's marketplace was so comprehensive that even the most distant trading partners found it worth the journey.
The phrase "by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches" (berov kol hon — because of the abundance of every kind of wealth) explains WHY Tarshish traded with Tyre: the ABUNDANCE attracted the distant. The VARIETY drew the remote. Tyre had so much of so many things that even Tarshish — at the farthest western edge of the known world — found the trade worthwhile. The abundance was the magnet.
The four metals — silver, iron, tin, lead — represent the complete industrial supply chain: silver for currency and luxury, iron for tools and weapons, tin for bronze-making (alloyed with copper), and lead for construction and weights. The four metals together represent comprehensive commercial capability — Tyre traded in everything needed to build and maintain a civilization.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What abundance in your life attracts others — and how permanent is it?
- 2.How does the comprehensive catalogue of wealth setting up the comprehensive loss model the danger of inventory?
- 3.What does Tyre trading in EVERYTHING teach about the vulnerability of total commercial dominance?
- 4.What four essential 'metals' (resources, capabilities) do you trade in — and what would losing them mean?
Devotional
Tarshish — the farthest trading partner in the ancient world — came to Tyre because Tyre had EVERYTHING. Silver. Iron. Tin. Lead. Every metal. Every commodity. The abundance was so great that even the most distant merchants found the journey worthwhile. The richness attracted the world.
The 'multitude of all kind of riches' is what made Tyre irresistible: not just one commodity but EVERY kind of wealth. The variety was the attraction. The comprehensiveness was the draw. Tyre didn't specialize in one product. Tyre had everything — and the everything drew everyone.
The four metals — silver, iron, tin, lead — represent the full industrial spectrum: silver (currency and luxury), iron (tools and weapons), tin (essential for bronze production), lead (construction and weights). Together, they represent everything a civilization needs. The trade in these four metals means Tyre was the supplier of civilizational infrastructure. The city didn't just sell luxuries. It sold necessities.
Ezekiel's detailed inventory of Tyre's trade (chapter 27) serves a devastating purpose: the comprehensive catalogue of wealth comes BEFORE the comprehensive announcement of loss (chapter 28). The listing of everything Tyre had is the setup for the listing of everything Tyre will lose. The inventory of riches precedes the inventory of ruins. The abundance that attracted the world will be the abundance that the world mourns.
What abundance in your life is attracting the world — and would the catalogue of what you have become the catalogue of what you lose?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Javan designs Greece, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it; especially that part of it called Ionia,…
The thread broken at Eze 27:8 is taken up, and the various nations are enumerated which traded with Tyre. Eze 27:12…
Tarshish was thy merchant - After having given an account of the naval and military equipment of this city, he now…
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 market of Tyre
Several things are to be observed in this passage: 1. The representation is not that Tyre is traded…
Cross References
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