Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 27:9
The ancients of Gebal and the wise [men] thereof were in thee thy caulkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.
9. ancients of Gebal ] The elders, a title of honour or office, the magistrates. Probably also the “wise men thereof” is a semi-official title (cf. Eze 27:8). The power of Tyre was exerted over all her dependencies (Eze 26:17), in which men of the highest position entered all ranks of her service. Gebal (the classical Byblos, now Jubeil) is situated not far from the river Adonis (Ibrahim) somewhat over 20 miles N. of Beirut ( Jos 13:5 ; 1Ki 5:18, R.V.). The town was devoted to the worship of Beltis (Astarte) and Adonis, cf. on ch. Eze 8:14. The name appears in the Assyrian inscriptions, Del., Parad. p. 283.
thy calkers ] Marg. stoppers of chinks, carpenters.
to occupy thy merchandise ] to handle thy wares. The representation is that the great ship was attended on by all the ships of the sea with their sailors, who served her and delivered her wares to her, or were occupied about them (Eze 27:27).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gebal – i. e., Byblos (modern Gebeil) in Phoenicia, the chief seat of the worship of Adonis, and situated on an eminence over-looking the river Adonis, north of Beirut, not far from the Mediterranean sea. The ancients is a term for the council that presided over maritime cities.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. The ancients of Gebal] This was a city of Phoenicia, near Mount Libanus, Jos 13:5. It was called Biblos by the Greeks.
Thy calkers] Those who repaired their vessels; paying, as it is termed, pitched hemp into the seams, to prevent the water from oozing through.
To occupy thy merchandise.] That is, to be thy agents or factors.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The ancients; old experienced workmen.
Of Gebal; a town of Phoenicia near the sea, one of the four principal towns, to which belonged a jurisdiction over a fourth part of Phoenicia, mentioned Psa 83:7, among the conspirators against Israel and the Giblites, 1Ki 5:18. Natives of Gebal are called stone-squarers, people fitted for hard and servile works.
The wise men; skilful in their trades.
Were in thee; hired and dwelt in Tyre for gains sake, that they might be still employed.
Calkers; shipwrights, to build no doubt, as well as repair and strengthen, their ships.
All the ships of the sea; ships from all parts of the sea, full of mariners, not only to manage the ships at sea, but to offer their service to the Tyrians for bringing in or carrying out of their wares, so that they might reap the profit, whilst others did undergo trouble and danger of trafficking by sea; factors, and warehouse-keepers, and brokers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Gebala Phoelignician cityand region between Beirut and Tripolis, famed for skilled workmen(1Ki 5:18, Margin; Ps83:7).
calkersstoppers ofchinks in a vessel: carrying on the metaphor as to Tyre.
occupy thy merchandisethatis, to exchange merchandise with thee.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The ancients of Gebal,…. A promontory of the Phoenicians, the same with the Gabale of Pliny n, and with the land of the Giblites, Jos 13:5. It was by the Greeks called Byblus; and so the Septuagint here render the words, the elders of Bybli or Byblus, a place once famous for the birth and temple of Adonis; it is now called Gibyle. Mr. Maundrell o says it is pleasantly situated by the seaside, and that at present it contains but a little extent of ground, yet more than enough for the small number of its inhabitants; it is compassed with a dry ditch, and a wall with square towers in it, at about every forty yards’ distance; on its south side it has an old castle; within it is a church; besides which it has nothing remarkable; though anciently it was a place of no mean extent, as well as beauty, as may appear from the many heaps of ruins, and the fine pillars that are scattered up and down in the gardens near the town. The old experienced workmen of this place were employed by the Tyrians in mending and refitting their ships, and in the caulking of them, as follows:
the wise men thereof were in thee thy caulkers; or, “the strengtheners of thy breaches” p, or “chinks”; the seams and commissures of the planks; which they stopped with tow, oakum, or such like stuff; at least this is what is used now, whatever might be by those wise men; and it seems by this that it was reckoned a very great art and mystery, and which only wise men were masters of, at least such the Tyrians employed. The Targum renders it,
“providing thy necessaries;”
as if they were the ships’ husbands:
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise; ships from all parts were in her harbours, which brought goods into her, and carried goods out of her, by way of merchandise. So the Targum,
“all that go down into the sea, and the ships; they were rowers, and they brought merchandise into the midst of thee;”
the goods of merchants from divers places; and carried back commodities again they traded for at Tyre; see Re 18:19.
n Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 20. o Journey c. p. 33, 34. p “roborantes scissuram tuam”, Montanus “instaurantes fissuras tuas”, Munster, Tigurine version; “rimas tuas”, Vatablus; “instauratores rupturaram tuarum”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) The ancients of Gebal.The ancients is a thoroughly Semitic expression for the prominent men of a city. Gebal, the ancient Byblos, the modern Gbeil, and the Gu-ba-lu of the Assyrian inscriptions, was a famous Phnician town just north of Beirt. Its site is still rich in ruins. Its people were famous builders, and according to the margin of 1Ki. 5:18 (so also the Septuagint and Vulgate) were employed by Solomon on the work of the Temple. The representation is that the whole widely-dispersed Phnician race were tributary to the works of Tyre. At this point the figure of the ship gives place for a time to plain language, the better to set forth the military resources and power of this great city.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Gebal ( Gu-ub-li) or, Byblos (Psa 83:7; Jos 13:5; 1Ki 5:18) A celebrated city lying a little to the south of Arvad but north of Tyre and Sidon, constantly mentioned in the campaigns of the Assyrian kings from the ninth to the seventh centuries B.C. It is also supposed to be prominent in the Tel-el-Amarna letters, cir. 1400 B.C., under the form Gubla though this may refer to another coast city, Gabula (Petrie, History, ii, p. 314). It was celebrated throughout the whole world for its worship of the goddess Ishtar (Ashteroth). The prophet represents the wisest men and officers ( ancients, that is, elders) of this distinguished city serving on the great ship Tyre in inferior positions.
All the ships of the sea were in thee The bold figure of Tyre as a ship gives place to a more realistic description of the harbor and city, especially of the city bazaars.
Occupy thy merchandise Carry on thy trade. Kautzsch.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 27:9 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.
Ver. 9. The ancients of Gebal. ] Great architects, 1Ki 5:18 but persecutors of the Church. Psa 83:7
Thy calkers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ancients = elders.
Gebal. Now Jebeil, on the coast between Beirut and Tripolis.
occupy = barter, or trade.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gebal: Jos 13:5, 1Ki 5:18, *marg. Psa 83:7
calkers: or, stoppers of chinks, Heb. strengtheners, Eze 27:27
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
27:9 The ancients of Gebal and its wise [men] were in thee thy {d} calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to exchange thy merchandise.
(d) Meaning, that they built the walls of the city, which is here meant by the ship: and of these were the builders of Solomon’s temple, 1Ki 5:18 .