Ezekiel 27:12
Tarshish was your merchant because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares.
Tarshish was your merchant
Tarshish is often identified with a region rich in metals, possibly located in southern Spain or Sardinia. It was known for its maritime trade and wealth. The mention of Tarshish as a merchant highlights the extensive trade networks of ancient Tyre, a powerful Phoenician city known for its commerce and seafaring prowess. This connection emphasizes Tyre's influence and reach across the Mediterranean.

because of your great wealth of goods;
Tyre's wealth was legendary in the ancient world, derived from its strategic location and its role as a hub for trade between the East and the West. The city's prosperity was built on the exchange of luxury goods, textiles, and other valuable commodities. This wealth is a testament to Tyre's economic power and the allure it held for trading partners like Tarshish.

they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares.
These metals were highly valued in the ancient world for various uses, including currency, tools, weapons, and construction. Silver was a standard of wealth and trade, while iron was crucial for making tools and weapons. Tin, often combined with copper to make bronze, was essential for the Bronze Age civilizations. Lead had various applications, including in construction and as a material for writing tablets. The exchange of these metals for Tyre's goods underscores the city's role as a central trading hub and its ability to attract valuable resources from distant lands.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Tarshish
A distant trading partner of Tyre, often associated with wealth and maritime trade. Its exact location is debated, but it is generally thought to be in the western Mediterranean, possibly in modern-day Spain.

2. Tyre
An ancient Phoenician city known for its wealth and extensive trade networks. Tyre was a significant maritime power and a hub of commerce in the ancient world.

3. Ezekiel
A prophet of God who ministered to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He conveyed messages of judgment and hope from God.

4. Trade Goods
The passage mentions silver, iron, tin, and lead, which were valuable commodities in ancient trade, highlighting the economic prosperity and extensive trade networks of Tyre.

5. Merchants
The traders from Tarshish who engaged in commerce with Tyre, representing the interconnectedness of ancient economies.
Teaching Points
The Transience of Wealth
Wealth and material prosperity, as seen in Tyre's example, are temporary and can lead to pride and downfall. Believers are encouraged to place their trust in God rather than in material possessions.

The Interconnectedness of Nations
The trade between Tyre and Tarshish illustrates the interconnectedness of nations. Christians are reminded of the importance of relationships and the impact of their actions on a global scale.

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
Despite Tyre's wealth and power, God's judgment came upon it. This serves as a reminder of God's ultimate authority over all nations and economies.

The Dangers of Materialism
The focus on trade and wealth in Tyre's account warns against the dangers of materialism and the pursuit of wealth at the expense of spiritual values.

The Call to Righteous Stewardship
Believers are called to be good stewards of their resources, using them to glorify God and serve others, rather than for selfish gain.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the example of Tyre's wealth and trade with Tarshish challenge our modern views on material success and prosperity?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our trust remains in God rather than in our possessions or economic status?

3. How can the interconnectedness of ancient trade networks inform our understanding of global relationships and responsibilities today?

4. What lessons can we learn from the downfall of Tyre about the consequences of pride and reliance on wealth?

5. How can we practice righteous stewardship of our resources in a way that honors God and benefits others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 23
This chapter also speaks of Tyre's wealth and eventual downfall, providing a broader context for understanding the judgment pronounced by Ezekiel.

Revelation 18
The fall of Babylon in Revelation echoes the themes of economic downfall and judgment seen in Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre, illustrating the transient nature of worldly wealth.

Proverbs 11:28
This verse warns against trusting in riches, which connects to the theme of Tyre's reliance on its wealth and subsequent judgment.
The Beauty, Glory, and Replenishment of the City of TyreJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 27:1-25
A Celebration of Remarkable ProsperityW. Jones Ezekiel 27:1-36
A Proud CityW. Greenhill, M. A.Ezekiel 27:1-36
God's Observation of Our Business HoursEzekiel 27:1-36
Responsibility of City RulersT. De Witt Talmage.Ezekiel 27:1-36
The Fate of TyreJ. Parker, D. D.Ezekiel 27:1-36
The Position of Tyre on Land and SeaT. De Witt Talmage.Ezekiel 27:1-36
The Sin of TyreJohn Skinner, M. A.Ezekiel 27:1-36
Wreck of a Stately ShipJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 27:1-36
Great Fairs UniversalT. De Witt Talmage.Ezekiel 27:12-23
Home Industries to be EncouragedEzekiel 27:12-23
The Fairs of TyreT. De Witt Talmage.Ezekiel 27:12-23
A Picture of Extensive Commercial RelationsW. Jones Ezekiel 27:12-25
People
Aram, Ashurites, Dan, Dedan, Elishah, Ezekiel, Haran, Javan, Kedar, Kittim, Kittites, Lud, Lydia, Meshech, Phut, Tarshish, Togarmah, Tubal, Uzal, Zidon
Places
Arabia, Arvad, Asshur, Bashan, Canneh, Chilmad, Cyprus, Damascus, Dedan, Egypt, Elishah, Gamad, Gebal, Haran, Helbon, Helech, Javan, Kedar, Lebanon, Lud, Meshech, Minnith, Persia, Put, Sahar, Senir, Sheba, Sidon, Syria, Tarshish, Tigris-Euphrates Region, Tubal, Tyre, Uzal
Topics
Abundance, Amount, Business, Customer, Dealt, Exchanged, Fairs, Furnished, Goods, Iron, Kind, Kinds, Lead, Markets, Merchandise, Merchant, Multitude, Paid, Reason, Remnants, Riches, Silver, Substance, Tarshish, Tin, Traded, Trafficked, Wares, Wealth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 27:12

     4306   minerals
     4336   iron
     4363   silver
     4372   tin

Ezekiel 27:1-25

     5407   merchants

Ezekiel 27:1-36

     5587   trade

Ezekiel 27:2-36

     5899   lament

Ezekiel 27:12-13

     4303   metals

Library
Third Circuit of Galilee. The Twelve Instructed and Sent Forth.
^A Matt. IX. 35-38; X. 1, 5-42; XI. 1; ^B Mark VI. 6-13; ^C Luke IX. 1-6. ^b 6 And he ^a Jesus ^b went about ^a all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner sickness and all manner of sickness. [In the first circuit of Galilee some of the twelve accompanied Jesus as disciples (see [3]Section XXXIII.); in the second the twelve were with him as apostles; in the third they, too, are sent forth as evangelists to supplement
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ...
Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation: "The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart," 1 Tim. i. 5. It is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision F. Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. ^C Luke XVI. 19-31. [The parable we are about to study is a direct advance upon the thoughts in the previous section. We may say generally that if the parable of the unjust steward teaches how riches are to be used, this parable sets forth the terrible consequences of a failure to so use them. Each point of the previous discourse is covered in detail, as will be shown by the references in the discussion of the parable.]
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Ezekiel 27:12 NIV
Ezekiel 27:12 NLT
Ezekiel 27:12 ESV
Ezekiel 27:12 NASB
Ezekiel 27:12 KJV

Ezekiel 27:12 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Ezekiel 27:11
Top of Page
Top of Page