Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 27:8
The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise [men], O Tyrus, [that] were in thee, were thy pilots.
Arvad – See Gen 10:18. An island off the coast of Sidon, now called Ruad.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Zidon and Arvad] Or Arad. Two powerful cities on the Phoenician coast, in the neighbourhood of Tyre, from which Tyre had her sailors; and the best instructed of her own inhabitants were her pilots or steersmen.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Zidon; an ancient town and haven of Phoenicia, not far from Tyre.
Arvad; better known by its other name Aradus, an island belonging to Phoenicia, some say twenty, others say seven, furlongs from the continent. Thy mariners; rowers in thy galleys: the rich Tyrians would not employ their own in such servile works, they hired strangers. These Zidonians and Arvadeans, or Aredins, once thy equals, thou hast now outstripped, and makest thy servants, with pride enough.
Thy wise men; thy learned men; for navigation was the great study of the Tyrians, and who were best skilled in this were the learned or wise men among them, whom they had of their own, and trusted to be pilots, which employment carried honour in it to suit the proud humour of the Tyrians.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. Arvada small island andcity near Phoelignicia, now Ruad: its inhabitants are stillnoted for seafaring habits.
thy wise men, O Tyrus . . .thy pilotsWhile the men of Arvad, once thy equals (Ge10:18), and the Sidonians, once thy superiors, were employed bythee in subordinate positions as “mariners,” thou madestthine own skilled men alone to be commanders and pilots. Implying thepolitical and mercantile superiority of Tyre.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners,…. Zidon was a city in Phoenicia, near to Tyre, and older than that, by whose inhabitants it was built; see the notes on Isa 23:2 and Arvad was an island in Phoenicia, to the south of Zidon, not far from Tyre. Mr. Maundrell g says it is about a league distant from the shore; and is now called by the Turks Ruad. It seemed to the eye to be not above four to six hundred yards long, and wholly filled up with tall buildings like castles: its ancient inhabitants, he observes, were famous for navigation, and had a command upon the continent as far as Gabale later mentioned, Dr. Shaw h says it is at present called Rouwadde; and that the prospect of it from the continent is wonderfully magnificent; promising at a distance a continued train of fine buildings and impregnable fortifications; but this is entirely owing to the height and rockiness of its situation; for at present all the strength and beauty it can boast of lies in a weak unfortified castle, with a few small cannon to defend it; so that the prophecy of Jeremiah appears to be fulfilled,
Arpad is confounded, Jer 49:23. This is the Aradus of Strabo, and other writers; and which he says is distant from the land, two and an half miles, and is about a mile in circumference; and is said to be built by the Sidonians k; the inhabitants of it are the same with the Arvadite, Ge 10:18, these places brought up abundance of seafaring men, and which furnished Tyre with rowers, as the word l signifies; which was the most slavish work in navigation:
thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots; such, as had learnt the art of navigation; were well versed in geography; understood the charts; knew the shores of different places; where were creeks and promontories, rocks and sands; these were brought up among themselves, and made pilots or governors, as the Targum renders it; who have their names here from the “ropes” m the sails are fastened to; and which they loosened or contracted, as they saw fit.
g Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 19. Ed. 7. h Travels, p. 267. Ed. 2. k Geograph. 1. 16. p. 518. l “remiges”, V. L. Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius. m a “funis, ita dicuntur a contrahendis aut laxandis funibus veli”, Vatablus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) Arvad.The description now turns to the sailors. The Arvadite is mentioned among the family of Canaan in Gen. 10:18, and corresponds to the Greek Aradus. There were two islands of this name: one in the Persian Gulf, the other (the one here intended) a rocky island north of the coast of Tripoli, on which a city was built like Tyre. The Phnician cities of Zidon and Arvad furnished the oarsmen, but Tyre itself the superior captains and pilots.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Zidon and Arvad For Zidon see Eze 28:21. Arvad (Gen 10:18; 1Ch 1:16) is often mentioned in the Tel-el-Amarna tablets. It was the most northern Phoenician port, very populous, and with magnificent artificially constructed harbors and a living spring which secured the inhabitants a water supply in case of invasion or siege. The “ships of the land of Arvad” are celebrated in the Assyrian texts. It is evident that at this time both Zidon and Arvad were dependents of Tyre.
Mariners R.V., “rowers.” For the need of wise pilots see note, Eze 26:2.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 27:8 The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise [men], O Tyrus, [that] were in thee, were thy pilots.
Ver. 8. The inhabitants of Zidon. ] Famous all the world over for their skill at sea and otherwise.
Thy wise men were thy pilots.
a
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Arvad. Now the island Er Ruad. Mentioned in 1 Macc 15:23.
mariners = rowers.
that were = they [were].
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Zidon: Gen 10:15, Sidon, Gen 49:13, Jos 11:8
Arvad: Eze 27:11, Gen 10:18, Isa 10:9, Jer 49:23
wise: Eze 27:28, 1Ki 5:6, 1Ki 9:27, 2Ch 2:13, 2Ch 2:14
Reciprocal: Isa 23:2 – the merchants Eze 28:21 – Zidon
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 27:8. Because of the prestige of Tyrus she could “have her pick” of men for service. The inhabitants of Zldon (another city of that nation) and Arvad (a small island near the Phoenician coast) were skilled well enough for the general service expected of mariners, but the more particular business of guiding the ships was left to the trained and skilful men of the city of Tyrus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 27:8-11. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners So great was the opulence and pride of the Tyrians, that they hired foreigners to do the more laborious and menial employments, and would do nothing else themselves than steer the vessels, priding themselves on being the most able pilots. Of Zidon, see note on Isa 23:4, and of Arvad, on Jer 49:23. The ancients of Gebal, &c., were thy calkers Thou employedst the inhabitants of Gebal for calking thy ships, as being remarkably skilful in that trade. Concerning Gebal, which was a province of Phenicia, see note on Psa 83:7. All the ships of the sea were in thee Ships from all parts came to trade with thee. They of Persia, &c., were in thine army Thy citizens being all given to trading, thou madest use of foreign soldiers for thine army, when thy city was besieged. Bochart thinks that Lud denotes African Ethiopia; but Michaelis places this people westward in Africa. Both think Lud an Egyptian colony. The former, by Phut, understands the African Nomades: see Nah 3:9. They hanged the shield and helmet in thee In thy garrisons, which were kept in time of peace. The men of Arvad, &c., were upon thy walls They defended thy walls, when they were assaulted by the king of Babylons army. And the Gammadims were in thy towers It is very uncertain what people are here meant by this name. Mr. Fuller and Bishop Newcome think it probable they were a people of Phenicia. The Hebrew word is derived from one which signifies to be contracted, narrowed, &c., and Parkhurst is of opinion that these people were the inhabitants of the country about Tripoli in Syria, formerly called the , or Elbow, of Phenicia, from its being narrowed, and projecting into the sea in that form. Ludolphus conjectures they were Africans; the Chaldee paraphrase takes them to be Cappadocians. Dr. Spencer denominates them, Parvula simulacra, plerumque cubitalia, in dominus aut turribus ethnicorum in earum tutelam, aut prsidium, collocata, Little images, generally a cubit in length, placed upon the houses, or towers of the heathen, for their protections, or defence.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Strong men from Sidon and Arvad, other neighboring Phoenician towns, were this ship’s rowers, and its pilots were wise men. The Phoenicians were peerless in their seamanship in antiquity. The repairmen on board were also wise men from the famous elders of Gebal (Byblos in Lebanon). All other trading peoples cooperated with Tyre because it was the leading merchant marine power of its day.
"The description of every lavish detail of the trading vessel that represents the city of Tyre is expressed as an elaboration of Tyre’s opinion of her own matchlessness: ’I am perfect in beauty’ (3)." [Note: Taylor, p. 192.]