Ezekiel 27:19
Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.
Original Language Analysis
וְיָוָן֙
also and Javan
H3120
וְיָוָן֙
also and Javan
Strong's:
H3120
Word #:
2 of 11
javan, the name of a son of joktan, and of the race (ionians, i.e., greeks) descended from him, with their territory; also of a place in arabia
בְּעִזְבוֹנַ֖יִךְ
in thy fairs
H5801
בְּעִזְבוֹנַ֖יִךְ
in thy fairs
Strong's:
H5801
Word #:
4 of 11
trade, i.e., the place (mart) or the payment (revenue)
נָתָ֑נּוּ
occupied
H5414
נָתָ֑נּוּ
occupied
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
5 of 11
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
וְקָנֶ֔ה
and calamus
H7070
וְקָנֶ֔ה
and calamus
Strong's:
H7070
Word #:
9 of 11
a reed (as erect); by resemblance a rod (especially for measuring), shaft, tube, stem, the radius (of the arm), beam (of a steelyard)
Historical Context
Written during Ezekiel's Babylonian exile (593-571 BC), this lament over Tyre was prophetic—Nebuchadnezzar would besiege Tyre for 13 years (585-572 BC), and Alexander the Great would destroy it completely in 332 BC. Tyre (modern Sur, Lebanon) was the dominant commercial power of the eastern Mediterranean, controlling trade routes between three continents. Archaeological finds confirm Tyrian trade with locations mentioned in this chapter.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the extent of Tyre's trade network reveal both human ingenuity and the danger of trusting in economic power rather than God?
- What "luxury goods" in your life might distract you from spiritual priorities, just as Tyre's wealth blinded them to their need for God?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs—The Hebrew me'uzal (מְאוּזָל) means "from Uzal," likely modern Sana'a in Yemen, indicating South Arabian trade routes. Bright iron, cassia, and calamus (בַּרְזֶל עָשׁוֹת קִדָּה וְקָנֶה, barzel ashot qiddah veqaneh) represents luxury trade goods: wrought iron (possibly Damascus steel), cassia bark (a cinnamon-like spice used in holy anointing oil, Exodus 30:24), and calamus (sweet cane, an aromatic reed). This verse climaxes the trade catalog spanning 27:12-24, showing Tyre's reach from the Mediterranean to Arabia and East Africa.
The geographic scope—from Tarshish (Spain) to Sheba (Arabia)—demonstrates the ancient world's interconnected economy centered on Phoenician maritime commerce. Tyre's fall (prophesied in 27:26-36) would collapse this entire network, illustrating how pride and self-sufficiency lead to divine judgment regardless of economic power.