The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Now, thou Son of
man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus. And say unto Tyrus, O thou
that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of
the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God; O Tyrus, thou
hast said, "I am of perfect beauty." Thy borders are in the midst of
the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made all
thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir: they have taken cedars from
Lebanon to make masts for thee. 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. Fine linen with
broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be
thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elisha was that which
covered thee. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners:
thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots. The
ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy
thy merchandise. 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. 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 (verses 3-15).
The great city had her situation at the entry of the sea and was the
trader for the people of many isles. Lifted up with pride, the powerful
city boasted of perfect beauty. "O Tyrus, thou has said, I am of perfect
beauty." Beginning with the fourth verse, we have a description of her
as a monster ship. The borders in the midst of the seas, the builders
perfecting her beauty. The shipboards, the masts and the oars from the
oaks of Bashan are mentioned. The Ashurites made benches of ivory for
this ship; the ivory was brought from the isles of Chittim (Cyprus,
etc.). Fine linen and broidered work from Egypt she spread for sail. The
inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were the sailors and her wise men pilots.
It is all in the form of an allegory. Tyrus also had an army gathered
from different nations.
Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of
riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the
persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. They of the house
of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.
The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise
of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and
ebony. Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the
wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds,
purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded
in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and
balm. Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy
making for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and
white wool. Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy
fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. Dedan
was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots. Arabia, and all
the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams,
and goats: in these were they thy merchants. The merchandise of
Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy
fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and
gold. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,
and Chilmad, were thy merchants. These were thy merchants in all
sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests
of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy
merchandise. The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market:
and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of
the seas (verses 16-25).
The commerce of Tyrus is next vividly described. The description begins
with Tarshish, then of great renown, and ends with mentioning the ships
of Tarshish. And what are the articles of commerce mentioned? Silver,
iron, tin, lead, slaves, vessels of brass, horses and mules. Then there
were horns of ivory and ebony; emeralds, purple and broidered work, fine
linen, coral and agate. Wheat of Minni and Pannag, honey, oil and balm;
wine of Helbon and white wool. Then follow other articles of commerce:
bright iron, cassia, calamus and precious cloths for chariots. They also
traded in live stock: lambs and rams, and goats, besides spices,
precious stones, gold chests of rich apparel, etc. Thus she was
replenished and made glorious in the midst of the seas. Another
world-city or system is described in the last book of the Bible, Babylon
the great; the articles of her world-wide commerce are also given (Rev.
xviii:12-13); it is much like the commerce of ancient Tyrus. Tyrus is a
picture of a great world-city: rich, increased in goods, enjoying
prosperity and filled with pride. As she passed away with all her glory,
so others have crumbled into dust. Equally so will this present Godless
civilization, culminating in Babylon the great, pass away under the
judgment-stroke of God (Rev. xviii:15-19).