Ezekiel 27:21-24 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

Arabia, &c., occupied with thee Hebrew, ידן סחרי, were the merchants of thy hand; that is, they took off thy manufactures (see Eze 27:15) in exchange for cattle, in which their substance chiefly consisted. Of Kedar and its flocks, see notes on Isaiah 21:16-17; Isaiah 60:7. The merchants of Sheba and Raamah These were people of Arabia Felix, dwelling near the Persian gulf. They traded in the rich products of their own country, namely, spices, precious stones, and gold, in which it abounded: see note on 1Ki 10:1; 1 Kings 10:10. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden By Haran here, it seems, the place is meant where Abraham dwelt when he came out of Ur of the Chaldees, (see Genesis 11:31,) called Charræ by the Romans, and noted for the defeat of Crassus. Canneh some suppose to be the same place that is called Calneh, Amos 6:2, or Calno, Isaiah 10:9, a city near the Euphrates. Others take it for Ctesiphon, a noted city situate upon the river Tigris. Eden is joined with Haran, 2 Kings 19:12, as it is here. The merchants of Sheba There were two Shebas, as there were two Dedans; one descended from Raamah. (Genesis 10:7,) the other from Jokshan, Abraham's son, Genesis 25:3. As the 22d verse is explained of the former, so the latter may be understood here: they were both in Arabia. And Chilmad Both the Chaldee and LXX. explain this by Carmania. In chests of rich apparel, &c. The rich apparel here spoken of was carefully packed up in chests of cedar, to give these clothes a fine scent, and preserve them from putrefaction.

Ezekiel 27:21-24

21 Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupiedj with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.

22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.

23 Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.

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.