The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you, caulking your seams: These two lines list those who maintained and repaired the “ship” of Tyre. Good News Translation calls them the “ship’s carpenters.” They were the elders of Gebal and her skilled men, that is, the respected leaders and skilled workers of Gebal. For elders see 8.1; for skilled men, see the previous verse. Gebal was a town, better known as “Byblos” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Century Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Tyre. Caulking your seams refers to putting something like tar in the holes and cracks of the ship to make it watertight so that water will not seep in and cause it to sink. Translators may need a footnote to explain caulking your seams. A model for these two lines is “The men who sealed the boat with tar so it wouldn’t sink [or, who kept the boat in good condition] were experienced and skillful workers from Byblos.”

All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you, to barter for your wares: These two lines interrupt the picture of Tyre as a ship and refers to Tyre the city. All the ships of the sea refers to ships from all over the world. New American Bible says “Every ship … on the sea.” Their mariners are the “sailors” (New International Version) or “crews” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) of the ships. In you refers to Tyre, or its harbor. To barter for your wares means to do business with you. New Century Version says “to trade with you.” Translators may render these two lines as “Ships from all over the world with their sailors came into your harbor to trade with you.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .