- This chapter is an extended lamentation over the beauty and grandeur of Tyre (which actually didn't get destroyed, but shh).
- God says that Tyre was a great kingdom, dominating trade on the seas while using material from different lands (cedars from Lebanon, linen from Egypt for sails, etc.) to build its ships and become powerful.
- Skilled elders, soldiers, artisans, and rowers from different cities and towns all came to work in Tyre and to eat the to-die-for tabouli.
- Great cities like Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, and Meshech did business with Tyre, trading merchandise and slaves.
- God catalogues all the different markets Tyre traded in with a huge degree of detail: for instance, ivory and tusks, fine fabrics, coral, rubies, wine, saddlecloths, grain—pretty much everything with everybody.
Tyre Tumbles Into the Sea
- Tyre was filled with merchandise and treasures, but the east wind wrecks it and knocks it all into the heart of the sea, along with all the warriors of Tyre.
- All the pilots and mariners lament as they watch Tyre fall. They wallow in ashes and dress in sackcloth. Oh, so they're allowed to mourn but not the widower Ezekiel?
- They lament Tyre, saying that it once was rich and glorious, and spread wealth to many countries: but now it's come crashing into the sea, tabouli and all. The merchants and people of the coastlands are all horrified and hiss at the ruins of Tyre.
- (Like we said, this is a vision of a future that doesn't actually happen, and Ezekiel corrects it later).