Ezekiel 27:24

The first half of the verse may read: These were thy merchants with splendid apparel, cloaks of purple and broidered work. The second half is obscure owing to the occurrence of some words not found elsewhere.

in chests of rich apparel The term rendered "chests" occurs Esther 3:9; Esther 4:7 in the sense of "treasures," from root to hide, lay up, a sense common to all the dialects. In Eth. it means to wind in grave-clothes for purposes of burial, but has no special reference to clothing or textile fabrics. The sense "chests" is without evidence. A term virtually the same as that rendered "rich apparel" occurs in Assyrian of stuffs for clothing (Schr. KAT. pp. 213 16); and a similar word is used of the night heavens, according to Jensen (Babylonian Cosmog. p. 6 seq.) from the mixed colour, blue-gray. It appears used of fabrics woven of differently coloured materials.

bound with cords This would refer to the "chests," but this is not probable. More likely: with cords twined and durable, the "cords" themselves being the article of commerce. "Cords" can hardly be thread. The rendering "made of cedar" is altogether unlikely, some sense like strong, firm or durable is more probable. The cords were probably of wool as well as of flax, of divers colours, and used for fastening hangings or other purposes, Esther 1:6. The Babylonian weaving was very celebrated, cf. Ezekiel 16:10; Ezekiel 23:6, also the "Babylonish garment," Joshua 7:21.