Ezekiel 27:35
All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.
Original Language Analysis
כֹּ֚ל
H3605
כֹּ֚ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
1 of 10
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י
All the inhabitants
H3427
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י
All the inhabitants
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
הָאִיִּ֔ים
of the isles
H339
הָאִיִּ֔ים
of the isles
Strong's:
H339
Word #:
3 of 10
properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island
שָׁמְמ֖וּ
shall be astonished
H8074
שָׁמְמ֖וּ
shall be astonished
Strong's:
H8074
Word #:
4 of 10
to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e., devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)
עָלָ֑יִךְ
H5921
עָלָ֑יִךְ
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
5 of 10
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Isaiah 23:6Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.Ezekiel 32:10Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.
Historical Context
Maritime disasters were common in antiquity but rarely catastrophic to empires because trade networks were diversified. Tyre's uniqueness was that the city itself was the network's center. When the city fell, the entire system collapsed—like a modern financial crisis when the central bank fails. Ezekiel's ship metaphor captures this systemic interdependence and vulnerability.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the metaphor of Tyre as a wrecked ship illustrate total systemic collapse?
- What modern 'ships'—complex systems we trust—might be vulnerable to similar judgment?
- How do we avoid building our lives on systems destined for failure?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters—The metaphor shifts: Tyre the magnificent ship is נִשְׁבַּרְתְּ מִיַּמִּים (nishbartĕ miyyammîm, 'broken by the seas') בְּמַעֲמַקֵּי־מָיִם (bĕmaʿămaqê-māyim, 'in the depths of waters'). The very element that enabled Tyre's prosperity—the sea—becomes her destroyer.
Thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall—מַעֲרָבֵךְ וְכָל־קְהָלֵךְ (maʿărābēkh wĕkhol-qĕhālēkh, 'your merchandise and all your assembly') נָפָלוּ (nāphālû, 'have fallen'). Total collapse: goods, sailors, merchants—all sink together. This imagery of a wrecked ship represents total systemic failure. Tyre's integrated economy, which seemed so sophisticated and resilient, proves vulnerable to God's judgment. The lesson: systems built on human pride rather than divine foundation are destined for catastrophic failure (Matthew 7:24-27).