Ezekiel Chapter 27 · Verse 9
The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.
Original Language Analysis
וַחֲכָמֶ֙יהָ֙
and the wise
H2450
וַחֲכָמֶ֙יהָ֙
and the wise
Strong's:
H2450
Word #:
3 of 15
wise, (i.e., intelligent, skilful or artful)
הָ֣יוּ
H1961
הָ֣יוּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
4 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מַחֲזִיקֵ֖י
H2388
מַחֲזִיקֵ֖י
Strong's:
H2388
Word #:
6 of 15
to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restra
בִּדְקֵ֑ךְ
men thereof were in thee thy calkers
H919
בִּדְקֵ֑ךְ
men thereof were in thee thy calkers
Strong's:
H919
Word #:
7 of 15
a gap or leak (in a building or a ship)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
8 of 15
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַיָּ֤ם
of the sea
H3220
הַיָּ֤ם
of the sea
Strong's:
H3220
Word #:
10 of 15
a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the mediterranean sea; sometimes a large river, or an artif
וּמַלָּֽחֵיהֶם֙
with their mariners
H4419
וּמַלָּֽחֵיהֶם֙
with their mariners
Strong's:
H4419
Word #:
11 of 15
a sailor (as following 'the salt')
הָ֣יוּ
H1961
הָ֣יוּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
12 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Cross References
1 Kings 5:18And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.Joshua 13:5And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.Psalms 83:7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Historical Context
Gebal (Byblos) was one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities (settled c. 5000 BC), famous for cedar export and shipbuilding. The city's name gave us the Greek word biblion ("book") because Egyptian papyrus was shipped through Byblos. By 586 BC, Tyre dominated Phoenician trade, with ships from across the Mediterranean bringing cargo for redistribution. Archaeological underwater excavations at Tyre reveal massive harbor installations confirming its role as the ancient world's premier trading port.
Questions for Reflection
- How do gifts and skills intended for God's glory become co-opted by prideful commercial or personal ambitions?
- What does it mean to be a "trading hub" for spiritual goods—and when does facilitating exchange become mere merchandising?
Analysis & Commentary
The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers (זִקְנֵי גְבַל וַחֲכָמֶיהָ, ziqnei Geval wachakameiha)—Gebal (Greek Byblos, modern Jbeil, Lebanon) provided calkers (מַחֲזִיקֵי בִדְקֵךְ, machaziqi vidqekh), literally "strengtheners of your cracks," the shipwrights who sealed hull seams with pitch and oakum. The "ancients" (ziqnei) suggests master craftsmen, not merely elders—wisdom gained through generational expertise. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise (לַעֲרֹב מַעֲרָבֵךְ, la'arov ma'aravekh)—the verb 'arav means "to exchange/barter," depicting Tyre as the Mediterranean's trading hub where all maritime commerce converged.
Gebal's fame for craftsmanship (they supplied timber and artisans for Solomon's temple, 1 Kings 5:18) now serves Tyre's commercial empire. The tragedy: skills meant for God's house now build ships of prideful trade.