Tyre - Trading Partners - Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 27:3 "And say unto Tyre, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God, O Tyre, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty."

Tyre was a great city. They traded with about everybody. There trade extended inland and across the sea. They were famous for their purple die which was often reserved for kings and nobles.

This chapter tells us many of the nations they traded with and the particular products they sold or traded. I think the purpose is to show the greatness of the fall that they had because they had grown so arrogant that the prince felt he was a god.

It tells of the fine wood used in their ships:

v5-6 "They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir; they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee, Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory brought out of the isles of Chittim."

Then it tells of the specialist who did the work.

v8 "The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners; thy wise men, O Tyre, that were in thee, were thy pilots."

From Egypt came fine linen. v7
From Togarmah came the horses and horsemen and mules. v14
Syria came with emeralds, purple, embroidered work and fine linen, coral and agate.

It goes on to cover, it seems to me, everything. As for food, the land of Canaan was its source.

v17 "Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants; they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil and balm."

So Tyre was like the center of a wheel with nations all around coming and going. It was a great city and probably very beautiful but they tried to lift themselves up a to high and great was their fall.