Ezekiel 27:5
They constructed all your planking with cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
They constructed all your planking with cypress from Senir.
The use of cypress wood for planking highlights the quality and durability of materials used in shipbuilding. Cypress is known for its resistance to decay, making it ideal for maritime construction. Senir is another name for Mount Hermon, a significant mountain in the region, indicating the geographical source of the wood. This choice of material and location underscores the wealth and resources available to Tyre, the subject of Ezekiel's lament. The imagery of a well-crafted ship symbolizes Tyre's economic power and influence. In biblical context, the use of fine materials often signifies prosperity and divine blessing, but here it also foreshadows the impending judgment due to pride and reliance on wealth.

They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
Cedar from Lebanon was highly prized in the ancient world for its strength and aromatic qualities. It was used in the construction of significant structures, including Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 5:6). The mention of Lebanon's cedar emphasizes the grandeur and prestige of Tyre's maritime endeavors. Historically, Lebanon's cedars were a symbol of majesty and were often associated with royal and sacred buildings. The mast, a central component of a ship, represents leadership and direction. In a prophetic sense, the reliance on such esteemed materials could be seen as a metaphor for human pride and self-reliance, contrasting with the biblical call to trust in God. The imagery of the mast also connects to the broader biblical theme of nations and leaders being likened to trees, as seen in passages like Daniel 4:10-12.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God who ministered to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He conveyed God's messages through visions and symbolic acts.

2. Tyre
An ancient and wealthy city-state located on the Mediterranean coast, known for its trade and commerce. Ezekiel 27 is a lamentation over Tyre's impending downfall.

3. Senir
A region mentioned in the Bible, often identified with Mount Hermon. It was known for its high-quality timber, particularly cypress.

4. Lebanon
A region famous for its majestic cedar trees, which were highly valued in the ancient world for construction and shipbuilding.

5. Cypress and Cedar
Types of wood used in ancient shipbuilding. Cypress was known for its durability and resistance to decay, while cedar was prized for its strength and aromatic qualities.
Teaching Points
The Transience of Human Achievement
Tyre's grandeur, symbolized by its ships made from the finest materials, serves as a reminder that human achievements, no matter how impressive, are temporary and subject to God's sovereignty.

The Value of Quality and Craftsmanship
The use of cypress and cedar in shipbuilding reflects the importance of using quality materials and skilled craftsmanship in our endeavors, encouraging us to pursue excellence in our work for God's glory.

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
The lament over Tyre illustrates that no nation or city, regardless of its wealth and power, is beyond God's control and judgment. This calls us to place our trust in God rather than in worldly security.

Symbolism of Trees in Scripture
Trees like cypress and cedar often symbolize strength, endurance, and prosperity in the Bible. Reflecting on these symbols can deepen our understanding of spiritual truths and God's creation.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the description of Tyre's shipbuilding in Ezekiel 27:5 reflect the city's wealth and status, and what can we learn about the dangers of pride from this?

2. In what ways do the materials used in Tyre's ships (cypress and cedar) symbolize qualities that we should seek in our spiritual lives?

3. How does the fate of Tyre, as described in Ezekiel 27, serve as a warning to modern nations and individuals about the consequences of relying on material wealth and power?

4. What other biblical passages highlight the significance of trees like cypress and cedar, and how do these passages enhance our understanding of God's creation and His messages?

5. How can we apply the lessons from Tyre's account to our personal lives, particularly in terms of where we place our trust and how we pursue excellence in our work?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 5:6
This verse describes Solomon's request for cedar from Lebanon to build the temple, highlighting the significance and value of Lebanese cedar in construction.

Isaiah 2:13
This passage mentions the cedars of Lebanon in the context of God's judgment, symbolizing pride and human achievement that will be humbled.

Psalm 29:5
The psalmist speaks of the voice of the Lord breaking the cedars, illustrating God's power over even the strongest of natural elements.
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
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
Boards, Built, Cedar, Cedars, Cypress-trees, Double, Double-boarded, Fashioned, Fir, Firs, Fir-trees, Lebanon, Mast, Masts, Pine, Planks, Sails, Senir, Ship, Ship-boards, Ships, Supports, Trees
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 27:5

     4424   cedar

Ezekiel 27:1-25

     5407   merchants

Ezekiel 27:1-36

     5587   trade

Ezekiel 27:2-36

     5899   lament

Ezekiel 27:3-6

     4552   wood

Ezekiel 27:3-7

     4248   islands

Ezekiel 27:3-9

     5517   seafaring

Ezekiel 27:5-6

     4528   trees
     5247   carpenters

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

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