Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, [and] Chilmad, [were] thy merchants.
23. The places named may be regarded as an extension of the line from S. to N. in Eze 27:19-22, though the names are given rather in the order W. to E. Harran in Mesopotamia, two days’ journey S.E. of Edessa, on a branch of the Euphrates, was a sacred city and place of pilgrimage, and also an emporium of trade. The defeat of Crassus by the Parthians took place there. Canneh may be Calneh (Gen 10:10; Amo 6:2), otherwise Calno (Isa 10:9), a city in Babylonia. Its site has not been identified. Von Gutschmidt ( Ency. Brit., art. Phnicia) identifies Canneh with Cn. Eden, spelled somewhat differently from the Eden of Paradise, is elsewhere named in connexion with Haran, Isa 37:12 (2Ki 19:12), and said to be in Telassar (Tel Asshur).
the merchants of Sheba ] It is strange that these should be mentioned again ( Eze 27:22). For “Eden Sheba” LXX. reads: these were thy merchants, i.e. Haran and Canneh. It has been supposed that the merchants of Sheba frequented the fairs of Haran and thence made their way westward along the trade route to Phenicia.
Asshur and Chilmad ] LXX. reads and between the words. Asshur if taken in its usual sense would be Assyria. Others think of Sura, or Essurieh, on the Euphrates. G. Smith conjectured that Chilmad was Kalwdha near Bagdad. LXX. renders Charman, which suggests Caramania. The rendering: “Asshur was as thine apprentice in traffic” (Hitz. Corn.), besides being a conceit, misses the whole idea of the chapter.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 23. Haran] In Mesopotamia; well known in Scripture.
Canneh] Or Chalane; see Ge 10:10. It is supposed to be a cape or port of Arabia Felix, on the Indian Sea.
Eden] Equally famous: supposed to have been situated near the confluence of the Tygris and Euphrates.
Sheba] Different from that in Eze 27:22. This was probably near the country of the Edomites.
Asshur] Perhaps the Assyrians.
Chilmad] Possibly Cholmadora, on the Euphrates. Ptol. lib. v.. cap. 15. For several of these places, and the persons from whom they derived their names, see Ge 10:1-32, and the notes there; and see Calmet.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Haran; Haran or Charran in Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt.
Canneh; no where else mentioned, supposed to be the same with Calneh, Gen 10:10, afterwards Ctesiphon, a pleasant city on Tigris, some three miles from Seleucia. It was built by the Parthians, whose king resided there in the winter, because of the mildness of the air.
Eden; a pleasant country, part of Babylonia. The Chaldee paraphrase calls it Hadiab, and leads us to Adiabene, which Trajan conquered in his expedition against Babylon.
Sheba; whether the same mentioned Eze 27:22, (which see,) or some other, is not certain; perhaps it may be Saba, whence Sabeans.
Asshur; Asshur, the name of the father of the nation, for Assyria.
Chilmad; a country or part of Media, between Assyria and Parthia, most likely to be Gaala of Media.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. Haranthe dwelling-placeof Abraham in Mesopotamia, after he moved from Ur (Ge11:31).
CannehCalneh, anAssyrian city on the Tigris; the Ctesiphon of the Greeks (Ge10:10).
Edenprobably a regionin Babylonia (see Ge 2:8).
Chilmada compound; theplace designated by PTOLEMY”Gaala of Media.” The Chaldee version interprets itof Media. HENDERSON refersit to Carmanda, which XENOPHONdescribes as a large city beyond the Euphrates.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Haran, and Canneh, and Eden,…. Haran was a city of Mesopotamia, the same with Haran, where Abraham dwelt awhile, Ac 7:2, the Charrae of the Parthians, famous for the defeat of Crassus. Canneh is thought to be the same with Calneh, Ge 10:10, afterwards called Ctesiphon; and here, by the Targum, Netzibin, a place not far from Tigris; and Eden also was between Tigris and Euphrates. All three places seem to be in Mesopotamia, and not far from each other; the latter is thought by some to be the place where the garden of Eden was.
The merchants of Sheba; this was another Sheba, distinct from that in
Eze 27:22, this Sheba was the son of Jokshan, a son of Abraham by Keturah, Ge 25:3, these were the Sabaeans, who were not far from the former, and dwelt near the Persian sea.
Ashur and Chilmad were thy merchants; or dealt in “thy merchandise”; took goods of them. Ashur designs the Assyrians, who had their name from Ashur, the builder of Nineveh, Ge 10:11 and Chilmad is by the Targum rendered Media; and by Grotius thought to be the Gaala of Media in Ptolemy b; and so Hillerus c takes it to be a city of Media.
b Geograph. l. 6. c. 2. c Onomastic. Sacr. p. 108.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) Haran, and Canneh, and Eden.The description now turns from Arabia to the Tyrian trade with Mesopotamia. Haran, important in the story of Abraham (Gen. 11:31-32; Gen. 12:4), the Charr of the Romans, was in north-western Mesopotamia, at the junction of two great caravan routes, the one along the Tigris, the other along the Euphrates. Canneh, a contraction for the Calneh of Gen. 10:10, was the most important commercial city on the former, and was later known as Ctesiphon. Eden was an unknown town on the Euphrates (2Ki. 19:12; Isa. 37:12), and is to be distinguished from the Syrian Eden.
Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad.Sheba is still the same Sheba before mentioned; for Pliny (Hist. Nat., xii. 40) says that the Sabans brought their goods from the spice country to Carrh, where they held markets, and went thence to Syria and Phnicia. They were, therefore, traders between Mesopotamia and Phnicia. Asshur is here not the country of Assyria, but the commercial city Sura (modern Essurieh), on the banks of the Euphrates, above Thapsacus. Chilmad is supposed to be the Charmande of Xenophon (Anab., i. 5, 10), a great city beyond the Euphrates, in the neighbourhood of the desert. Others identify it with Kalwada, near Bagdad. It is mentioned only here.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Haran, etc. Was this a swift glance at far-away districts: Haran (Gen 11:31; Gen 24:10; Gen 29:4) standing for Mesopotamia; Canneh (Calneh or Calno, Gen 10:10; Amo 6:2; Isa 10:9), located near Eridu (Eden); Babylonia and Asshur for Assyria? Or were these localities lying near Arabia; Eden being the modern Aden, and Asshur referring, as often in the Old Testament, to the wilderness of Shur; the other places being so far not identified? (Hommel.) Further light is needed. Mez reads, “Haran and the Edenites, Asshur and all the Medes were thy merchants” (Polychrome Bible).
The merchants of Sheba LXX., they were thy dealers.
“Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad were your traders,
These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich apparel (or ‘coloured carpets’), bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise.
The list ends with a miscellany of places and products. It could have gone on and on. Haran was on the main route from Nineveh to Aleppo, and after the fall of Nineveh became the capital of Assyria until taken by the Babylonians. Canneh was in Mesopotamia, probably in the area of the middle Euphrates. Eden may be connected with Beth-Eden – see Amo 1:5 – and Bene-Eden, ‘sons of Eden’ – 2Ki 19:12; Isa 37:12, which were probably the Aramean state of Bit-Adini, south of Haran. Or it may be related to Hindanu (‘Iddan) on the middle Euphrates. Sheba was in eastern Arabia, but ‘the traders of Sheba’ may hint at a well known trading station in Mesopotamia. Asshur (Assyria) was in Mesopotamia, and Chilmad unknown. They exchanged garments, carpets, and finely crafted clothing materials.
Eze 27:23. Canneh Houbigant and Grotius both read Calane; for the neighbouring places are nearly the same as in Genesis, ch. 10:
Eze 27:23 Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, [and] Chilmad, [were] thy merchants.
Ver. 23. Haran. ] In Mesopotamia, or Charrae, in Parthia, where Crassus was slain.
And Channeh,
And Eden.
Chelmad, a The tower of Babel was 9164 paces from the ground.
Haran. Now Harran, between the Euphrates and the Khabour (Gen 11:35).
Canneh. Probably now Calneh, a Babylonian city (Gen 10:10).
Eden. In Mesopotamia (2Ki 19:12. Isa 37:12. Amo 1:5). Mentioned in the Inscriptions. Some suggest Aden, in Arabia. Asshur = Assyria. Chiba = tad. Now Kalwddha, near Baghdad.
Haran: Gen 11:31, Gen 11:32, Gen 12:4, 2Ki 19:12, Isa 37:12, Act 7:4, Charran
Canneh: Gen 10:10, Gen 10:22, Calneh, Isa 10:9, Calno, Amo 6:2, Calneh
Eden: Gen 2:8, Amo 1:5
Sheba: Gen 25:3, Job 1:15
Asshur: Gen 32:22, Num 24:22, Psa 83:8, Isa 7:18, Isa 7:20
Reciprocal: Gen 10:11 – Asshur 1Ki 10:1 – Sheba 1Ch 1:17 – Asshur Job 6:19 – Sheba Eze 38:13 – Sheba
Eze 27:23. Some of the names in this verse were once those of men, but at the time of this writing all of them referred to towns or countries. Were thy merchants means they traded with Tyrus, exchanging with each other their respective products.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary