Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 27:24
These [were] thy merchants in all sorts [of things], in blue clothes, and embroidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
24. The first half of the verse may read: These were thy merchants with splendid apparel, cloaks of purple and broidered work. The second half is obscure owing to the occurrence of some words not found elsewhere.
in chests of rich apparel ] The term rendered “chests” occurs Est 3:9; Est 4:7 in the sense of “treasures,” from root to hide, lay up, a sense common to all the dialects. In Eth. it means to wind in grave-clothes for purposes of burial, but has no special reference to clothing or textile fabrics. The sense “chests” is without evidence. A term virtually the same as that rendered “rich apparel” occurs in Assyrian of stuffs for clothing (Schr. KAT. pp. 213 16); and a similar word is used of the night heavens, according to Jensen ( Babylonian Cosmog. p. 6 seq.) from the mixed colour, blue-gray. It appears used of fabrics woven of differently coloured materials.
bound with cords ] This would refer to the “chests,” but this is not probable. More likely: with cords twined and durable, the “cords” themselves being the article of commerce. “Cords” can hardly be thread. The rendering “made of cedar” is altogether unlikely, some sense like strong, firm or durable is more probable. The cords were probably of wool as well as of flax, of divers colours, and used for fastening hangings or other purposes, Est 1:6. The Babylonian weaving was very celebrated, cf. Eze 16:10, Eze 23:6, also the “Babylonish garment,” Jos 7:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Eze 27:24
These were thy merchants in all sorts of things.
Business troubles
Many of our business men are suffering trials and temptations from small and limited capital in business. This temptation of limited capital has ruined men in two ways. Sometimes they have sunk down under the temptation. They have yielded the battle before the first shot was fired. They blanched at the financial peril. The gloom of their countenances overshadowed even their dry goods and groceries. Despondency, coming from limited capital, blasted them. Others have felt it in a different way. They have said: Here I have been trudging along. I have been trying to be honest, all these years. I find it is of no use. Now it is make or break. The small craft that could have stood the stream is put out beyond the lighthouse, on the great sea of speculation. After a while the bubble bursts. Creditors rush in. The law clutches, but finds nothing in its grasp. The men who were swindled say: I dont know how I could ever have been deceived by that man; and the pictorials, in handsome woodcuts, set forth the hero who in ten years had genius enough to fail for 150,000 dollars!
2. Many of our business men are tempted to over-anxiety and care. From January to December the struggle goes on. Even the Sabbath cannot dam back the tide of anxiety; for this wave of worldliness dashes clear over the churches, and leaves its foam on Bibles and prayer books. This excitement of the brain, this corroding care of the heart, this strain of effort that exhausts the spirit, sends a great many of our best men, in middle life, into the grave. Oh, I wish I could, today, rub out some of these lines of care; that I could lift some of the burdens from the heart; that I could give relaxation to some of these worn muscles! It is time for you to begin to take it a little easier. Do your best, and then trust God for the rest.
3. Many of our business men are tempted to neglect their home duties. It is often the case that the father is the mere treasurer of the family, a sort of agent to see that they have dry goods and groceries. The work of family government he does not touch. A man has more responsibilities than those which are discharged by putting competent instructors over his children, and giving them a drawing master and a music teacher.
4. Many of our business men are tempted to put the attainment of money above the value of the soul. There are men in all occupations who seem to act as though they thought that a pack of bonds and mortgages could be traded off for a title to heaven, and as though gold would be a lawful tender in that place where it is so common that they make pavements out of it. Salvation by Christ is the only salvation. Treasures in heaven are the only incorruptible treasures. (T. De Witt Talmage.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 24. These were thy merchants in all sorts of things] The above people traded with the Tyrians in a great variety of the most valuable merchandise: blue or purple cloth, boxes of cedar, covered with skins, and bound with silken cords, and sealed with an engraved seal, finely cut, &c. See the Chaldee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
These, either last named, or all that have been mentioned, though I conjecture the first is the true meaning, those rich, stately, and sumptuous nations traded with Tyre.
All sorts of things, of rich, precious things.
Blue clothes, which those nations delighted in, especially the Chaldeans and Assyrians, Eze 23:6.
Broidered work; bought of Egyptians, sold to Assyrians, &c.
Chests of cedar, curious yet strong, made on purpose to carry sumptuous apparel, bought up at Tyre, and in those chests conveyed to all parts of the Assyrian empire, and to the northern nations.
Bound with cords; it may refer to the chests mentioned, or to other sort of rich wares neatly made up, and bound for security with cords.
Among thy merchandise: by this it should seem these chests were not like our ordinary boxes, but as choice cabinets, and good merchandise.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. all sorts of thingsHebrew,“perfections”; exquisite articles of finery [GROTIUS].
clothesrather,”mantles” or “cloaks”; literally, “wrappings.”For “blue,” HENDERSONtranslates, “purple.”
chests of rich apparel, boundwith cordstreasures or repositories of damask stuffs,consisting of variegated threads woven together in figures[HENDERSON].
cedarThe “chests”were made of cedar, in order to last the longer; and it alsokeeps off decay and has a sweet odor.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
These were thy merchants in all sorts of things,…. Either all before mentioned throughout the chapter, or rather those only in the preceding verse; also these were merchants in various things after mentioned, and which were the best and most perfect of the kind, as the word d used signifies:
in blue cloths, and broidered work; these the Assyrians took of them, a colour in which they much delighted; see Eze 23:6:
and in chests of rich apparel bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise; rich apparel, such as scarlet cloaks, as the Targum, and blue cloths as before; these were well packed up in chests made of “cedar”, which they had from Lebanon, and so fit to be put on board a ship, and carried into any part of the world. The Targum adds,
“and sealed with a signet;”
as things well packed up and bound sometimes are, being of worth and value. Some render it, “in chains”; or, “chains were among thy merchandise” e; such as chains of gold, wore about the neck; and take the word to be of the sam meaning with that in So 1:10.
d “rebus perfectissimis”, Junius Tremellius, Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius. e “et torquibus in negotiatione tua”, Pagninus “et torques fuerunt in nundinis tuis”, Vatablus. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 71. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(24) All sorts of things.The margin, excellent things, is better. The word means that which is perfect. In Eze. 23:12 it is most gorgeously, and in Eze. 38:4, as here, all sorts. In all excellent or excellently is the true sense. Clothesliterally, foldingsrefers to the purple embroidered cloaks for which Babylonia was famous.
Chests of rich apparel.Rather, treasures of twisted yarn; and for made of cedar read strong. An extensive trade in yarns was kept up from Babylonia to Tyre, where they were dyed and woven, or sold for weaving.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. All sorts of things Rather, fabrics of beauty. R.V., “choice wares.”
Blue clothes R.V., “wrappings [bales] of blue.” (Compare Eze 23:12.) The description is so vivid as to give the impression that Ezekiel had seen the merchants of Sheba unloading their camels and bringing out their treasures as they arrived at Tyre (Plumptre). Davidson translates chests by “treasures,” and shows that the term corresponding to rich apparel is used by the Assyrians of fabrics woven of different colored materials. In this case the “cords twined and durable” ( bound with cords, and made of cedar) would be one of the articles of commerce. (See Eze 16:10; Eze 23:6; Est 1:6; Jos 7:21.) Toy translates “ strangely bound skeins.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 27:24 These [were] thy merchants in all sorts [of things], in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
Ver. 24. In all sorts of things. ] In omnibus perfectissimis; in the very best commodities, whether for worth or workmanship.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
all sorts of things: or, excellent things
clothes: Heb. foldings. 2Ki 2:8
Reciprocal: Eze 27:27 – Thy riches Rev 18:23 – thy merchants
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 27:24. The gist of this verse is that the places mentioned in the preceding verse made cedar chests, filled them with fine clothes, bound them shut with cords, and then took them to Tyrus to exchange for her manu-factured merchandise.