Why are Persia, Lud, and Put specifically mentioned in Ezekiel 27:10? Historical Background: Tyre’s Use of Mercenaries Phoenician cities routinely hired foreign soldiers. Neo-Assyrian tribute lists (e.g., the annals of Sennacherib, c. 701 BC) and the Nebuchadnezzar II prism (c. 590 BC) record Tyrian payments for outside troops. Ezekiel, writing during the Babylonian exile (c. 587-571 BC), names three premier sources of such warriors in his own day. Their mention verifies the sixth-century provenance of the text and confirms its eye-witness accuracy (see Kitchen, Reliability, 2003, pp. 50-55). Geographical Reach • Persia – the eastern frontier (modern Iran) • Lud – the north-western frontier (most likely Lydia in western Anatolia) • Put – the south-western frontier (Libyan peoples west of Egypt) Together they form an east-west-south arc that frames the Mediterranean basin, underscoring how extensively Tyre could project her influence. Persia (Paras) 1. Rising Power: By 550 BC Cyrus the Great united the Medo-Persian tribes. Even before imperial expansion, Persian archers were renowned; Assyrian reliefs from Tiglath-pileser III (c. 730 BC) depict “Parsa” troops with the recurved bow. 2. Armament: Ezekiel notes that they “hung shields and helmets,” typical of Persian kit; bronze-silver scale armor fragments unearthed at Pasargadae parallel this description. 3. Scriptural Echo: Later biblical writers still associate Persian military might with archery (Isaiah 13:17-18). Lud (Ludim / Lydia) 1. Identification: Most conservative scholars equate Lud with Lydia (Greek Λυδία) in western Asia Minor, the homeland of skilled bowmen and slingers (Herodotus I.28; cf. Jeremiah 46:9). 2. Military Specialty: Lydians invented coinage but were equally famed for composite bows. Xenophon’s Anabasis (IV.2.2) still speaks of Lydian arrow-makers a century later. 3. Linguistic Note: The Septuagint renders Λυδοί, reinforcing the Anatolian identification rather than the Hamitic Ludim listed in Genesis 10:13. Put (Putu / Libu) 1. Location: Put (Heb. פּוּט, “bow”) appears in Egyptian texts as Pṯ or Pȝt, denoting Libyan tribes west of the Nile. Reliefs in the mortuary temple of Ramses III (c. 1180 BC) depict curly-haired Libyan fighters carrying large round shields. 2. Chariotry: Nahum 3:9 links Put with Cush “without end,” referencing their role as auxiliaries for Egyptian chariot divisions. 3. Ezekiel’s Context: Libyan mercenaries served in Tyre and Egypt simultaneously, confirming the prophet’s up-to-date geopolitical knowledge (Jeremiah 46:9). Why These Three Together? 1. Symbol of Comprehensive Strength – Persia (east), Lydia (north-west), Put (south-west) gather the known world’s elite soldiers. By selecting one nation from each major compass point, Ezekiel communicates Tyre’s total reliance on global manpower. 2. Irony of Pride – The merchants of Tyre boasted, “I am perfect in beauty” (27:3). Yet the very nations that conferred her “splendor” could not prevent her downfall under divine decree (26:7-14). The list becomes an ironic indictment: external strength cannot shield against God’s judgment (Proverbs 21:31). 3. Prophetic Consistency – Isaiah 66:19 couples Lud with Tarshish and Javan as distant “coastlands;” Nahum 3:9 pairs Put and Cush as hired help for Nineveh. Ezekiel harmonizes these motifs, showing Scripture’s unified testimony that the worldly powers Israel admired could not save their patrons. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • Cylinder Seal of Tudhaliya IV (Hittite), stored in the Ankara Museum, mentions “Lu-du-ia” archers in royal service. • Stele of Pharaoh Sheshonq I (c. 930 BC) records tribute from “Patiu-Put,” the Libyan chiefs. • The Persepolis Fortification Tablets (509-494 BC) catalogue rations to “Parsa” bow-units, matching Ezekiel’s weapon terminology. These finds confirm that Ezekiel’s triad reflects real sixth-century military sourcing rather than later editorial imagination. Theological Implications 1. Sovereignty of God: Tyre’s finest foreign troops fall before Yahweh’s plan (Ezekiel 28:19). 2. Futility of Human Alliances: Israel is warned not to mimic Tyre’s trust in global coalitions (cf. Hosea 10:13). 3. Foreshadowing Ultimate Salvation: Only the resurrected Messiah guarantees security; worldly strength—Persian, Lydian, or Libyan—fails (Colossians 2:15). Devotional Application Modern readers often seek security in economic or political alliances. Ezekiel 27:10 reminds believers that true protection resides in the covenant-keeping God who vindicated His Son by raising Him from the dead (Acts 2:24-36). |
    |