Ezekiel 27:13

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech - The Ionians, the Tybarenians, and the Cappadocians, or Muscovites. They traded the persons of men - That is, they trafficked in slaves. The bodies and souls of men were bought and sold in those days, as in our degenerate age. With these also they traded in brazen vessels.

Javan--the Ionians or Greeks: for the Ionians of Asia Minor were the first Greeks with whom the Asiatics came in contact. Tubal . . . Meshech--the Tibareni and Moschi, in the mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas. persons of men--that is, as slaves. So the Turkish harems are supplied with female slaves from Circassia and Georgia. vessels--all kinds of articles. Superior weapons are still manufactured in the Caucasus region.

They of the house of Togarmah,.... The Targum is, "they of the province or country of Germany.'' Jerom understands it of Phrygia, near to which was Cappadocia; and perhaps is here meant, since it abounded with what these people are said to trade with Tyre in: these traded in thy fairs with horses, horsemen, and mules; for the Cappadocians paid for their yearly tribute to the Persians fifteen hundred horses, and two thousand mules, as Bochart (c) from Strabo observes; and as they sold horses and mules to the Tyrians, so likewise horsemen, men that were skilled in riding and taking care of horses; and these were sold along with the horses, as servants for that purpose. (c) Phaleg. c. 11. col. 178.

Still we are attending the funeral of Tyre and the lamentations made for the fall of that renowned city. In this chapter we have, I. A large account of the dignity, wealth, and splendour of Tyre, while it was in its strength, the vast trade it drove, and the interest it had among the nations (v. 1-25), which is designed to make its ruin the more lamentable. II. A prediction of its fall and ruin, and the confusion and consternation which all its neighbours shall thereby be put into (Eze 27:26-36). And this is intended to stain the pride of all worldly glory, and, by setting the one over-against the other, to let us see the vanity and uncertainty of the riches, honours, and pleasures of the world, and what little reason we have to place our happiness in them or to be confident of the continuance of them; so that all this is written for our learning.

27:13-14 Tubal, Meshech, and neighboring Beth-togarmah were regions in Anatolia (modern Turkey).