Lexical Summary izzabon: Sorrow, pain, toil Original Word: עִזָּבוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fair, ware From azab in the sense of letting go (for a price, i.e. Selling); trade, i.e. The place (mart) or the payment (revenue) -- fair, ware. see HEBREW azab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom azab Definition wares NASB Translation wares (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עִזָּבוֺן] noun [masculine] only plural wares (as left in the purchaser's hand; compare Assyrian uzub(b)u, a specific payment); — suffix 2 feminine singular עִזְּבוֺנַיִךְ Ezekiel 27:27,33, נָ֑יִךְ- Ezekiel 27:12 4t.; — wares, only Ezekiel 27 (often "" מַעֲרָב q. v. below ערב); ׳בַּרְזֶל בְּדִיל וְעוֺפֶרֶת נָָֽתְנוּ ע Ezekiel 27:12 iron, tin and lead they furnished as thy wares; similarly Ezekiel 27:14; Ezekiel 27:22; also Ezekiel 27:16 (ᵑ0 ׳בְּע, but probably delבְּ); נָָֽתְנוּ ׳בְּע Ezekiel 27:19 at the price of (in exchange for) thy wares they furnished, etc.; ׳הוֺנֵךְ וְע (as subject of sentence) Ezekiel 27:27; בְּצֵאת מִיַּמִּים ׳ע Ezekiel 27:33 when thy wares came forth, etc. Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Core Idea עִזָּבוֹן centers on the notion of “wares,” “merchandise,” or “commercial gain.” It denotes finished products or valuable cargo gathered for exchange rather than raw materials. By extension, it can represent the prosperity that flows from skillful trade. Concentrated Usage in Ezekiel 27 Every occurrence lies in Ezekiel’s lament over Tyre, the maritime superpower of the ancient Near East. In this dirge (Ezekiel 27:1–36) the prophet catalogs dozens of commodities that passed through Tyre’s harbors. Seven times he employs עִזָּבוֹן to portray the accumulated wealth that filled her ships and warehouses: • Ezekiel 27:12 – Silver, iron, tin, and lead are called “your merchandise.” Thus עִזָּבוֹן frames the entire poem: initial abundance, flourishing trade networks, and final ruin. Historical Context: Tyre’s Trade Empire Situated on an island with two excellent harbors, Tyre commanded east-west commerce. Phoenician sailors ferried Levantine timber, Egyptian papyrus, and Arabian spices to Greece, Africa, and beyond. Ezekiel records at least twenty-five trading partners (Ezekiel 27:12-24). עִזָּבוֹן captures the inventory Tyre amassed—evidence of advanced supply chains long before modern logistics. Theological and Prophetic Significance 1. Human Glory Versus Divine Sovereignty Tyre’s prosperity fostered self-exaltation (Ezekiel 28:2). By cataloging her עִזָּבוֹן the prophet magnifies the Lord who judges nations that trust in wealth rather than in Him. 2. Fleeting Nature of Earthly Riches “Your riches, wares, and merchandise… will fall” (Ezekiel 27:27). The repetition of עִזָּבוֹן intensifies the warning that material abundance cannot avert divine judgment. 3. Typological Glimpse of End-Time Commerce Revelation describes Babylon the Great as a mercantile city whose “cargo” (Greek phortion, ideationally akin to עִזָּבוֹן) is abruptly destroyed (Revelation 18:11-19). Ezekiel’s lament anticipates that ultimate collapse. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Stewardship: Believers engaged in business should regard wealth as a tool for service, not self-glory (Matthew 6:19-21). Christological Reflection While Tyre’s עִזָּבוֹן sank, Isaiah foretells a day when “the wealth of the nations will come to you” (Isaiah 60:5), ultimately fulfilled in the reign of Messiah. The contrast highlights the permanence of treasures gathered under Christ’s lordship versus the perishability of all other gain. Summary עִזָּבוֹן spotlights the magnetism and vulnerability of earthly commerce. Ezekiel wields the term to reveal the rise and fall of Tyre, illustrating that God alone grants or removes prosperity. For modern disciples, it summons faithful stewardship, missionary generosity, and vigilance against the temptation to anchor identity in material success. Forms and Transliterations בְּעִזְבוֹנַ֖יִךְ בְּעִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ בעזבוניך בעזבוניך׃ וְעִזְבוֹנַ֔יִךְ ועזבוניך עִזְבוֹנַ֙יִךְ֙ עִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ עזבוניך עזבוניך׃ ‘iz·ḇō·w·na·yiḵ ‘iz·ḇō·w·nā·yiḵ ‘izḇōwnayiḵ ‘izḇōwnāyiḵ bə‘izḇōwnayiḵ bə‘izḇōwnāyiḵ bə·‘iz·ḇō·w·na·yiḵ bə·‘iz·ḇō·w·nā·yiḵ beizvoNayich izvoNayich veizvoNayich wə‘izḇōwnayiḵ wə·‘iz·ḇō·w·na·yiḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 27:12 HEB: וְעוֹפֶ֔רֶת נָתְנ֖וּ עִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃ NAS: and lead they paid for your wares. KJV: and lead, they traded in thy fairs. INT: and lead paid your wares Ezekiel 27:14 Ezekiel 27:16 Ezekiel 27:19 Ezekiel 27:22 Ezekiel 27:27 Ezekiel 27:33 7 Occurrences |