27:1-25 Those who live at ease are to be lamented, if they are not prepared for trouble. Let none reckon themselves beautified, any further than they are sanctified. The account of the trade of Tyre intimates, that God's eye is upon men when employed in worldly business. Not only when at church, praying and hearing, but when in markets and fairs, buying and selling. In all our dealings we should keep a conscience void of offence. God, as the common Father of mankind, makes one country abound in one commodity, and another in another, serviceable to the necessity or to the comfort and ornament of human life. See what a blessing trade and merchandise are to mankind, when followed in the fear of God. Besides necessaries, an abundance of things are made valuable only by custom; yet God allows us to use them. But when riches increase, men are apt to set their hearts upon them, and forget the Lord, who gives power to get wealth.

Verse 22. - Sheba. The Sabaea of the Greeks. It is applied, in Genesis 10:7 and 1 Chronicles 1:9, to a grandson of Cush; in Genesis 10:28 and 1 Chronicles 1:22, to a son of Joktan; and in Genesis 25:3 and 1 Chronicles 1:32, to a grandson of Abraham. Geographically, in Ezekiel's time it probably included the South-Arabian region, that of Yemen, or Arabia Felix, and was famous, as in the history of the Queen of Sheba, for its gold, gems, and spices (1 Kings 10:1, 2; Psalm 72:10, 15). Raamah. Named in Genesis 10:7 as father of the Cushite Sheba, and probably, therefore, connected with it ethnologically and geographically. The chief of all spices had probably a technical name, like the "principal spices" of Exodus 30:23 and Song of Solomon 4:14 for the genuine balsam, the product of the Amyris opobalsamum, which is found between Mecca and Medina. The precious stones includes onyx, rubies, agates, and cornelians found in the mountains of Hadramant, and the jaspers and crystals of Yemen. In the Rhammanitae, mentioned by Strabo as a Sabaean tribe (16:782), we have, perhaps, a survival of the old name.

The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants,.... This Sheba was the son of Raamah, Genesis 10:7 who settled in Arabia Felix; where, according to Ptolemy (x), is a city called Rhegma; and so Raamah is pronounced in the Septuagint version of Genesis 10:7,

they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices; as with myrrh and frankincense, with which they abounded: Pliny (y) says that the Arabians paid annually to the kings of Persia a thousand talents of frankincense; and that the Sabaeans (z) boiled their food, some with wood of frankincense, and others with wood of myrrh:

and with all precious stones, and gold; as jaspers, emeralds, carbuncles, and others, which Pliny (a) says are found in Arabia; and mention is made of the gold of Sheba, Psalm 72:15 and Bochart thinks that Ophir, from whence the famous gold of that name was fetched, was in Arabia Felix; and it may be observed, that the queen of Sheba gave great quantities of gold, of spices, and of precious stones, to Solomon; and that he had much of these kinds yearly from the spice merchants, and kings of Arabia, 1 Kings 10:10; see Gill on Isaiah 60:6.

(x) Geograph. l. 6. c. 7. (y) Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 17. (z) "----Solis est thurea virga Sabaeis". Virgil. Georgic. l. 2.((a) Nat. Hist. l. 37.

22. Sheba … Raamah—in Arabia.

chief of … spices—that is, best spices (De 33:15). Obtained from India and conveyed in caravans to Tyre.

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