The merchants among the peoples hiss at you: The merchants among the peoples refers to Tyre’s trading partners from other countries. The Hebrew verb for hiss may be rendered “whistle.” Whistling has different meanings in different cultures and it is not clear what the hissing/whistling means in this context. Some translations suggest it was an expression of shock (so Moffatt), disbelief (so Contemporary English Version), or terror (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Although shock, surprise and fear are part of it, mostly in the Bible people hiss when they see that their enemies have fallen, and they make fun of them (compare New English Bible “jeer in derision”). Just as Tyre rejoiced and jeered when Jerusalem fell (26.2), now the countries around Tyre jeer when it falls. Any terms that a translator chooses for hiss will ideally carry this idea of pleasure at someone else’s misfortune, tinged with some fear that the same bad things might happen to them. Translators may also retain hiss but add its significance by rendering this line as “The traders among the other nations hiss at you in mockery.”

You have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more for ever: For this closing refrain to the prophecies against Tyre, see 26.21. In chapter 26 it was God’s threat to destroy Tyre. Here the threat has been fulfilled and Tyre has been destroyed. The destruction of Tyre is now complete! Translators may render these two lines as “You have come to a terrible end, and you will disappear forever” or “People are terrified at what has happened to you, and you are destroyed for all time.”

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 .