Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed here is that Tyre wasn't just trading for goods, but in human lives. These regions supplied not only bronze vessels but also "persons of men"—slaves—to Tyre, showing how deeply entrenched and dehumanizing the slave trade was, even in ancient commerce.
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This chapter reads like a eulogy for Tyre, detailing its vast wealth and global reach through elaborate trade descriptions. Ezekiel lists various nations who did business with Tyre, including Javan (representing the Greeks), Tubal, and Meshech, specifically mentioning their exchange of people for merchandise. This sets the stage for the prophecy's judgment, highlighting how Tyre's immense prosperity, fueled by such practices, will ultimately lead to its downfall.
Who were these mysterious trading partners mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre? They weren't just any merchants; they represented vast regions and specific commodities.
The prophet Ezekiel names:
These groups weren't just trading neighbors; they were significant suppliers to the wealthy Phoenician city of Tyre. Their contribution, as we'll see, was particularly grim.
Amidst treasures and fine goods, Ezekiel reveals a horrifying trade item: 'human beings.' What does this tell us about the world Tyre operated in?
The verse starkly states that Javan, Tubal, and Meshech exchanged "human beings" for Tyre's merchandise. This wasn't just a metaphorical expression; it was the trafficking of people into slavery.
The regions named were known for supplying slaves to the ancient world. The Greeks (Javan) and the peoples near the Caucasus (Tubal and Meshech) were sources for this brutal trade.
Tyre, the opulent city, was a hub where such commodities were bought and sold. This highlights the immense wealth Tyre accumulated, but also the profound human cost embedded in its prosperity. It's a stark reminder that economic success can often be built on the exploitation of others.
Ask a follow-up
Alongside the chilling trade in people, Ezekiel mentions 'vessels of bronze.' What significance did this item hold in their exchange?
The trade wasn't solely about people; 'vessels of bronze' (more accurately, copper or bronze alloys) were also significant commodities exchanged.
Understand the original words
sachar · Hebrew Verb
Biblically, the exchange of goods and services is part of human civilization and stewardship, though the prophets frequently warned against greed, dishonest gain, and placing confidence in global commerce rather than in the Lord.
nechosheth · Hebrew Noun
Metals like bronze were highly valued in the ancient world for their durability and use in crafting tools, weapons, and sacred items for the tabernacle or temple.
This verse places Tyre at the center of a vast, ancient global economy, where powerful city-states like Greece (Javan) and the tribes of Tubal and Meshech were not just trading partners but suppliers of human beings and metal goods, highlighting the often brutal realities of ancient commerce.
c. 10th-8th centuries BC
Expansion of Greek City-States
Greek city-states, particularly those in Ionia (western coast of modern Turkey), begin establishing colonies and engaging in widespread trade throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
c. 8th century BC onwards
Rise of Tubal and Meshech
The peoples known as Tubal and Meshech, located in the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, become known for their metalworking, particularly copper and bronze, and engage in slave trade.
c. 8th-6th centuries BC
Tyre's Commercial Dominance
The Phoenician city-state of Tyre establishes itself as a major maritime trading power, with a vast network reaching across the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and into inland regions.
c. 6th century BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophecy of Judgment
The prophet Ezekiel delivers oracles of judgment against Tyre, detailing its immense wealth, extensive trade networks, and its eventual downfall.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the First Temple marks a significant event in Jewish history, leading to further exile and influencing Ezekiel's prophecies.
332 BC
Siege and Fall of Tyre
Alexander the Great conquers Tyre after a prolonged and difficult siege, a pivotal moment in the city's history that fulfills prophecies of its destruction.
This passage lists Javan, Tubal, and Meshech as descendants of Noah's son Japheth, establishing their ancient lineage and geographical proximity as mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy.
Joel explicitly states that the people of Judah and Jerusalem were sold to the Greeks (sons of Javan), directly paralleling Ezekiel's account of Tyre trading 'persons of men' with Javan.
This verse groups Meshech and Tubal with Gog from the land of Magog, highlighting their future military and antagonistic role, which contrasts with their earlier commercial relationship detailed in chapter 27.
Amos 1:9Amos prophesies judgment against Tyre for delivering up a whole community into exile and selling them to Edom, underscoring the theme of human trafficking that Ezekiel highlights in Tyre's trade with the Greeks and others.
barnesEzekiel 27:13: "Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market."
Jaran - Greece (Ion), including the Grecian colonies in Sicily and Italy. Tubal, and Meshech - The Tibareni and Moschi, whose lands were on the Caucasian highlands between the Euxine and Caspian Seas (see the marginal reference), were a fine race of men; from thence slaves have been continually sought. Greece too in ancient times was famous for furnishing slave…
pulpitEzekiel 27:13: "Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market."
Verse 13. - Javan (father of Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim, and son of Japheth, Genesis 10:2, 4) stands generically for Greece, and probably represents Ionia. Tubal and Meshech are sons of Japheth in Genesis 10:2, and are always grouped together, except in Psalm 120:5, where Meshech appears alone, and in Isaiah 66:19, where Tubal is named, but not Mesh…
What's easily missed here is that Tyre wasn't just trading for goods, but in human lives. These regions supplied not only bronze vessels but also "persons of men"—slaves—to Tyre, showing how deeply entrenched and dehumanizing the slave trade was, even in ancient commerce.
This chapter reads like a eulogy for Tyre, detailing its vast wealth and global reach through elaborate trade descriptions. Ezekiel lists various nations who did business with Tyre, including Javan (representing the Greeks), Tubal, and Meshech, specifically mentioning their exchange of people for merchandise. This sets the stage for the prophecy's judgment, highlighting how Tyre's immense prosperity, fueled by such practices, will ultimately lead to its downfall.
This chapter reads like a eulogy for Tyre, detailing its vast wealth and global reach through elaborate trade descriptions. Ezekiel lists various nations who did business with Tyre, including Javan (representing the Greeks), Tubal, and Meshech, specifically mentioning their exchange of people for merchandise. This sets the stage for the prophecy's judgment, highlighting how Tyre's immense prosperity, fueled by such practices, will ultimately lead to its downfall.
"Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise." — What's easily missed here is that Tyre wasn't just trading for goods, but in human lives. These regions supplied not only bronze vessels but also "persons of men"—slaves—to Tyre, showing how deep…
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Last reviewed October 2026