Ezekiel 27:30
And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
Original Language Analysis
וְהִשְׁמִ֤יעוּ
to be heard
H8085
וְהִשְׁמִ֤יעוּ
to be heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 11
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
עָלַ֙יִךְ֙
H5921
עָלַ֙יִךְ֙
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
וְיִזְעֲק֖וּ
against thee and shall cry
H2199
וְיִזְעֲק֖וּ
against thee and shall cry
Strong's:
H2199
Word #:
4 of 11
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
מָרָ֑ה
bitterly
H4751
מָרָ֑ה
bitterly
Strong's:
H4751
Word #:
5 of 11
bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly
וְיַעֲל֤וּ
and shall cast up
H5927
וְיַעֲל֤וּ
and shall cast up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
6 of 11
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
רָ֣אשֵׁיהֶ֔ם
upon their heads
H7218
רָ֣אשֵׁיהֶ֔ם
upon their heads
Strong's:
H7218
Word #:
9 of 11
the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
Cross References
Jeremiah 6:26O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.Lamentations 2:10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.2 Samuel 1:2It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.Jonah 3:6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.Ezekiel 26:17And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!1 Samuel 4:12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
Historical Context
Ancient economies were less diversified than modern ones; Tyre's fall devastated Mediterranean commerce. Ezekiel 27:12-24 lists Tyre's trade partners: Tarshish (Spain), Greece, Tubal, Meshech, Togarmah, Dedan, Arabia, Sheba—a vast network. When the hub collapsed, the entire system suffered. Historical records show economic depression followed Babylon's campaigns.
Questions for Reflection
- How does economic interconnection mean one nation's sin affects many?
- What is the spiritual danger of building identity and security on commercial success?
- How should believers respond when economic systems they depend on face judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
They shall stand upon the land; and shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly—The maritime workers stand on אֶל־הָאָרֶץ (ʾel-hāʾāreṣ, 'on the land'), displaced from their natural element. They וְהִשְׁמִיעוּ עָלַיִךְ בְּקוֹלָם (wĕhishmîʿû ʿālayik bĕqôlām, 'cause to be heard upon you with their voice').
וְיִזְעֲקוּ מָרָה (wĕyizʿăqû mārāh, 'and they shall cry bitterly')—the verb זָעַק (zāʿaq) indicates anguished outcry, while מָרָה (mārāh, 'bitter') suggests grief mixed with despair. Their lament is both for Tyre and for their own livelihoods destroyed with her. Economic interdependence means Tyre's judgment cascades to all who benefited from her trade. This collective mourning demonstrates how one nation's pride and judgment affects entire regions—a principle seen when any economic superpower collapses.