Bible Strands
Ezekiel 27:20
Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet Ezekiel speaks this oracle as part of a lament over the fallen commercial hub of Tyre, cataloging its trading partners. The address is directed to the city itself, listing its overland supply networks at the peak of its mercantile expansion.
The words — The verse centers on דְּדָן (Dedan) as a trading partner and רֹכַלְתֶּךָ (rokhaltékha), meaning "your merchant." It specifies בִּגְדֵי חֹפֶשׁ (bigdei khofesh), literally "garments of freedom" or "saddlecloths," supplied לְרִכְבָּה (lerikbah), "for riding."
The thread — Dedan appears in Ezekiel 27:15 as a client exchanging ivory and ebony, and Genesis 25:3 identifies him as a descendant of Abraham through Keturah. These references anchor the tribe within the broader geographic and genealogical network described in the chapter.
Why it lands — The text plainly records how specific regional commodities sustained a powerful economy, then notes their abrupt cessation. It asks the reader to observe how commercial infrastructure depends on external alliances that can vanish without warning.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.
Cross-references
- Genesis 25:3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.
- Ezekiel 27:15 The men of Dedan were your clients; many coastlands were your market; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.