What is the meaning of Ezekiel 27:29? All who handle the oars “Those who handle your oars were your rowers” (Ezekiel 27:8) had once propelled Tyre’s vast commercial empire. • The phrase pictures expert laborers—skilled, reliable, and in constant motion. • Their inclusion highlights how every level of society, from common worker to king, is affected when God judges sin (cf. Proverbs 11:21; Isaiah 13:11). • Cross-reference: Psalm 107:23-27 shows seafarers at the mercy of the Lord; their expertise cannot save them when He stills or stirs the sea. will abandon their ships “Abandon” paints sudden panic and total loss of confidence. • When the Lord removes His sustaining hand, human strength collapses (cf. Jonah 1:13-15; Acts 27:30). • Tyre’s commercial “ship” sinks under divine judgment, proving that no economy is too big to fail before God (cf. James 5:1-3). • The literal picture anticipates a wider spiritual truth: trusting in wealth or skill apart from the Lord leads to ruin (cf. Matthew 6:19). The sailors and all the captains of the sea This enlarges the circle from rowers to every maritime professional; no rank is exempt. • Leaders who once controlled trade routes now stand powerless (cf. Isaiah 23:8-9). • The wording parallels Revelation 18:17, where merchants and shipmasters watch Babylon’s downfall—another prophetic echo of Tyre’s fate. • God’s judgments are thorough; prestige offers no shelter (cf. Psalm 2:10-12). will stand on the shore Instead of commanding the waves, they become onlookers, shocked and saddened. • Ezekiel 27:30-32 records their loud lament: “They will raise their voice over you and cry bitterly.” • This shoreline scene resembles Israel’s exodus picture—Egypt’s forces stranded while God’s people crossed (Exodus 14:30). Only, here the seafarers are on land because their livelihood has vanished. • Revelation 18:18-19 echoes the same posture: “They threw dust on their heads…crying out.” Watching judgment without the power to intervene magnifies the Lord’s sovereignty. summary Ezekiel 27:29 foretells a complete, visible collapse of proud Tyre: from skilled rowers to elite captains, everyone deserts the sinking venture and can only watch from shore. The verse warns that human expertise, wealth, and position crumble when God judges sin, urging us to anchor our hopes in Him alone. |
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