A LAMENTATION FOR TYRE The Lord commanded Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for Tyre; that includes the following items: 1- A perfect portrait of a Phoenician ship 1-11. 2- Its precious cargo 12-24. 3- The breakdown of the ship 25-36. 1- A PERFECT PORTRAIT OF A PHOENICIAN SHIP If Jerusalem refers to the soul that received the grace of God - In the Old Testament, it refers to the Church that enjoyed Moses’ Law, and the prophets. And in the New Testament, it refers to the Church that came to enjoy the eternal salvation through the divine grace in Christ Jesus. Tyre, on the other hand, represents the natural man: his position, possibilities, God’s gifts to him, then his fall and collapse through sin. What he says here about Tyre, apply to the whole human nature. He likened it to a Phoenician ship in an excellent location; that deals with a multitude of nations; strongly built, very luxurious in its manufacture, and in its crew; not lacking a single thing. This is man “the work of God the Lover of mankind.” God set it “at the entrance of the sea” (Ez 27:3); Tyre is situated east of the Mediterranean Sea, as a beautiful island with two harbors. Its location makes it capable of attracting traders from all the countries of the east; “merchant of the peoples on many coastlands” (Ez 27:3); “Your borders are in the midst of the sea” (Ez 27:4). God set man at the entrance of the seas, “above all earthly creation;” being “made in the image of God; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26). He granted him all this (trade) to become a master and not a slave to the temporal earthly things. He made his borders on all the seas; namely have dominion over every thing. He did not wish us to live in a condition of material or psychological deprivation; but to have fulfillment in everything. As St. Gregory of Nyssa says in his article on creation that God did not create man before He created first the world as his royal palace; as it is not fitting to proclaim a king before his royal palace is set. God made man beautiful in everything; the most perfect of His creation on earth. That is why after creating him it is said: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Gen 1:31). The lamentation says: “Your builders have perfected your beauty” (Ez 27:4). The source of our beauty is God Who built our life; and granted us the inner possibilities and the body as a free gift from Him. But man in the pride of his heart, instead of giving thanks and glory to God, he refers every perfection to himself; The lamentation says: “Tyre, You have said, ‘I am of perfect beauty” (Ez 27:3). The sources of its beauty are: All its ship boards are made of fir trees of Senir1. Its masts are made of cedars from Lebanon. Its oars are made of oaks of Bashan2; 1 It means “pointed,’ and so “peak.” The name given by the Amorites to Mt. Hermon, the highest mountain in the Anti-Lebanon range. The Sidonians called it Sirion, and in Ps 29:6 Sirion is used poetically for Hermon. 2 This name is probably the same in meaning as the cognate Arabic bathneh, “soft, fertile land,” or bathaniyeh (batanaea), “this land sown with wheat.” A rich, fertile tableland about 490 to 700 meters (1600 to 2300 feet) above 5 Its benches are made of ivory brought from the islands of Cyprus. Its sails are made of embroidered linen from Egypt.Its covers are blue and purple from the isles of Elishah1. Its mariners are inhabitants of Sidon2 and Arvad3.Its pilots are wise men from Tyre itself. Its elders and wise men of Gebal caulked its seams. Its guardsmen are from Persia, Lud4, and Phut5. So the lamentation presents many details about the material of construction of the ship, the nationalities of its crew, and men of war. It is noteworthy that, for the Gentiles, a ship often refers to the journey of life, that man lives in this world, to enter into the ultimate harbor; as did the ark of Noah that symbolized the Church, or to humanity that enjoyed divine salvation; That is why churches were often built after the shape of a ship6. And as St. Hippolytus says: [The sea is the world, into which the Church goes to its depths, but will not perish; as her capable captain is the Lord Christ Himself. Carrying the cross of the Lord, she carries in herself the conquest over death... The crew is the two Testaments: The New and the Old. The mountains surrounding it are the love of Christ that binds the Church. Its net, is the new font of Baptism, that renews the believers. The Holy Spirit is dwelling in it, as a capable Sailor with whom the believers are sealed... Its iron anchors, are the commandments of Christ Himself; strong as iron; sea level, with abundant rainfall and volcanic soil, Bashan became the "breadbasket" of the region. Wheat fields and livestock were abundant. But in the Old Testament, the prosperity of Bashan became a symbol of selfish indulgence and arrogant pride. Evil persons who attacked the righteous were compared to "strong bulls of Bashan" (Ps 22:12). The pampered, pleasure-seeking women of Samaria were called "cows of Bashan" (Amos 4:1)(Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary). 1 It means "God saves"; Elisa, Eleisai: Mentioned in Gen 10:4 as the eldest son of Javan, and in Ezek 27:7 as the source from which the Tyrians obtained their purple dyes. On the ground of this latter statement attempts have been made to identify it with Southern Italy or the north of Africa. Josephus (Ant, I, vi, 1) identified Elishah with the Aeolians. The Targum on Ezekiel gives "the province of Italy." Other suggestions include Hellas, Ells, and Alsa; the last named is a kingdom mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna Letters, but its precise location is unknown. It is impossible as yet to claim certainty for any of these conjectures. (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). 2 It means “a fishery.” Sidon was the oldest of the Phoenician cities, on the Mediterranean coast in northern Palestine. Built on a hill across several small islands, it was connected by bridges. Founded by the son of Canaan (Gen 10:15), it became a principal Canaanite stronghold (Gen 10:19; 1 Chron 1:13; Zidon, KJV). So dominant was Sidon originally that Sidonian and Phoenician became interchangeable terms. Even after the city of Tyre on the coast to the south assumed a position of dominance, Ethbaal, king of Tyre, was called king of the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:31). 3 A rocky island off the coast of Syria, two miles from the shore, and peopled by marines and soldiers (Ezek 27:8,11). It is modern Rouad, a little more than two miles from the shore to the South of Tartus. On that small island are Phoenician remains; there “the family” of the Arvadites settled. (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary). 4 Fourth of Shem's children (Gen 10:22). The Lydians of western Asia Minor (say some), whose manners and whose names were Semitic. But the geographic position is against this. Moses would not abruptly pass to the distant W. from the E., and then back to the S.E.; if the Lydians of western Asia were meant, the order would have been Elam, Asshur (Arphaxad), Aram, Lud; not Elam, Asshur (Arphaxad), Lud, Aram. Lud is to be looked for between Assyria and Syria. The Ruten or Luden of the Egyptian monuments, dwelling N. of Palestine, near Mesopotamia and Assyria. They warred with the Pharaohs of the 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th centuries B.C., under one of whom Moses lived (G. Rawlinson). The Luden may have migrated to western Asia at a later period. Thus, Lud will be the original stock of the Lydians. (Fausset's Bible Dictionary.) 5 Third among Ham's sons (Gen 10:6; 1 Chron 1:8). The Coptic for Libya is Phaiat. Jerome (Traditional Hebrew) mentions a river of Mauritania and the adjoining region as called Phut. It is generally connected with Egypt and Ethiopia. The people of Phut dwelt close to Egypt and Ethiopia,and served in Egypt's armies with shield and bow. The Egyptian monuments mention a people, "Pet," whose emblem was the unstrung bow, and who dwelt in what is now Nubia, between Egypt and Ethiopia. (Fausset's Bible Dictionary). .92- 6 للمؤلف: كنیسة بیت اللّه، 1979 ، ص 85 6 The crew on its right and on its left, are ministers like saintly angels, to protect and serve the Church. The gangplank by which we get on board the ship, is the memory of the passions of Christ, by which the hearts of believers are lifted up to heaven; The sails above the ship are the fellowship of prophets, martyrs, and apostles, who enter into their comfort1.] And as the ship refers to humanity renewed through the cross of Christ, it also refers to human nature before falling. That is why the details mentioned in the lamentation, refer to God’s gifts to us through our humanity, of good body, rational soul, blessed emotions, feelings, motives, and energies; as they are the work of the hands of the good and philanthropic God. We can say that the planks or the boards of the ship, are the body members; its mast is the mind; its rudder is the tongue; its benches are the senses; its sail is the heart; its cover is the apparent behavior; its sailors are the inner energies of the soul; its captain is the spirit of discernment; its seam-caulkers are the talents; and its guards are the inner motives. a- All the ship boards are of fir trees from Senir; namely, all the body members, that are like the boards of the ship, come from ‘Senir’ - the mount of light, and not the kingdom of darkness, as claimed by the Gnostics. The Fathers dealt often with this issue; St. John Chrysostom says: [Those (the followers of Mani), claim that the body comes from an evil origin... Do not they have to pierce their eyes, through which the lust enters the soul?! Actually, the eye or any other body member should not be blamed; but only our corrupt will2.] He also says: [We are granted the eyes to behold the beautiful creation, and glorify the Lord God. But if we misuse them, they would become tools for adultery3.] St. Augustine says: [The Spirit is good, and so is the body; and man, formed of both, is definitely good; whether his goodness is few or much4.] b- The mast; namely the mind, is made of the cedars of Lebanon, known for its straightness. God created for man a straight mind, to lead him all his way without diversion; as, [A rational man has, indeed, a single interest, which is to obey the mighty God by all his heart, and to please Him. He teaches himself only one thing; namely to do his best to abide by God’s commandment; giving Him thanks for His compassionate care, that works through everything happening in his life5.] c- The rudder that guides the ship is the tongue. The apostle James says: “Look also at ships; although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue, is a little member and boasts great things” (Jam 3:4, 5). St. John Chrysostom says: [We are given a tongue with which to teach and praise the Creator. Yet if we do not take care, it would become a tool for blasphemy6.] d- The benches are the senses, that should be made of decorated ivory; namely, should be filled with purity. St. John Saba says: [Everyone who wishes to keep his soul 1 De antichr. 59. 2 In Cor. homily 23:2. . 3 هل الشیطان سلطان علیك؟ طبعة 1972 ، ص 58 . 4 العفة 18 .( 5 القدیس أنطونیوس الكبیر (الفیلوكالیا، طبعة 1966 ، ص 19 . 6 للمؤلف: القدیس یوحنا الذهبي الفم، ص 313 7 and conscience from wicked deeds, let him keep these senses, to deliver them in the hands of God, the Honest and Helper of the weak1.] e- The sail is the heart, that should be made of embroidered pure linen. As when the heart is sanctified, man will be a dwelling place for God. That is why the Psalmist cries out to God: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51). f- The cover of the ship is the behavior; ‘blue,’ namely carrying a heavenly nature, and ‘purple;’ namely carrying a royal feature. The behavior expresses what is inside the heart: If the heart is lifted up toward heaven, where our treasure is; our behavior will also be lifted up towards the heavenliness; and being with God the true King, our behavior would be fitting for the children of this King. That is why the apostle Paul says: “He raised us up and let us sit with Him in the heavenly places;” And also says, “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). St. John Climacus says: [Great is he, who quenches the fire resulting from earthly lusts, through contemplating on the pleasures of heaven2.] g- The seamen or oarsmen, namely the inner energies of the soul, are brought from Sidon and Arvad. If ‘Sidon’ means “the place of fishing;” a living man is he, who uses his inner energies for construction, who lives as a clever fisherman, and who knows how to acquire what is for edification. If not, these energies itself, would be for destruction. And if they were not spiritual soldiers on the account of God’s kingdom, they would be evil soldiers on the account of the kingdom of darkness. h- Its captain or pilot is the spirit of discernment, from Tyre, namely, unyielding like a rock. This is the secret of strength of a spiritual man. He walks with discernment; he knows how to discriminate between good and evil; truth and vain; light and darkness; to receive what is for his edification, and rejects what is for destruction; strongly, and without wavering. i- The Seams-caulkers ; namely the talents, are elders and wise men from Gebal. God granted every man special talents, to kindle with strength and wisdom; to become for him like wise elders; working together with the talents of others, for the sake of the edification of humanity as one family. j- As to its guardsmen; the inner motives of the soul, they are from Persia, Lud, and Phut; well-trained men of war, of various experiences, working to protect it: like anger, fear, motherhood, fatherhood, love, etc. These are all holy motives, if they work within the spiritual frame of edification. By anger, man gets rid of sin and blames himself; by fear, he is keen not to hurt the feelings of God. By motherhood, fatherhood, and love, he collects in his heart a pure love toward humanity, with a mature spirit of wisdom. These are the men of war within the soul; who, either work for, or against us. Whoever gets angry against others, and not against himself; whoever fears people and not God; and whoever loves for the sake of carnal lust, would turn these men of war against himself. This is a quick and concise portrait of the ship “of perfect beauty,” that God granted us; namely the human nature, before its diversion and fall! 2- ITS PRECIOUS CARGO . 1 للمؤلف: الحب الإلهي ، ص 1033 2 The Ladder, 15:11. 8 After dealing with the precious materials with which this ship is built, with its excellent crew, and its mighty men of war, he started to talk about its precious cargo brought from various countries. It likens the wise soul who knows how to benefit spiritually from everyone; despises no one, and does not solely depend on her experience. Man should be like a bee, knows how to draw from every flower everything sweet and beautiful! In his talk about the merchandise traded by the ship. He went through them according to the geographical locations of their countries of origin; starting with the Mediterranean coasts, then the eastern nations in three parallel latitudes from south to north: Tarshish: silver, iron, tin, and lead. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech: slaves, and bronze pots. Bet-Togarmah: horses, steeds, and mules. Rhodes or Rodam: ivory tusks, and ebony. Aram or Syria: emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. Judah and Israel: wheat of Minneth, millet, honey, oil, and balm. Damascus: wine of Helbon, and white wool. Dan and Javan: iron, cassia, and cane. Dedans: saddlecloths for riding. Arabia and Kedar: lambs, rams, and goats. Sheba and Raamah: spices, precious stones, and gold. Haran, Cannneh, and Eden: purple clothes, embroidered garments, and chests of multicolored apparel, in strong twined cords. The following are some information on some of these countries: Tarshish: This name probably comes from the word ‘Rashash,’ which in the Arcadian language, is connected to shiny metals and mine products; that is why this name is famous for ‘mineral refining1.’ The people of Tarshish came from ‘Javan’ (Gen 10:4); thought to be ‘Tertisus,’ in southern Spain, close to the mountain of Gibraltar2. And probably it is Cartage, a city in northwest Africa; that was very rich in metals, like silver beaten into plates (Jer 10:9), iron, tin, and lead. If Sheba and Dedans represent trade with the east, Tarshish represents trade with the west. That is why it came in the book of the Ezekiel, “Sheba, Dedans, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you: ‘Have you come to take plunder. Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’” (Ez 38:13) When it is said, ‘Ships of Tarshish,’ that would not necessarily mean ships of the king of Tarshish, or that trade with Tarshish; but because of its fame in trade, this name is given to the great ships that cross the oceans to bring the precious metals. We would not forget that when God commanded Jonah to preach in Nineveh in the east, he fled to the west in a ship that sailed to Tarshish (Jon 1:3). Javan: came together with Tubal, and the coastlands afar mentioned in Isaiah 66:19, to which the Gentiles come to declare the glory of God. The people of Javan were mentioned as traders who used to purchase the captives of Judah and Israel, to send them far from their borders (Joel 3:6). And here in Ezekiel (27:13), together with Tubal and 1 James Hastings : Dictionary of the Bible. p. 958. 2 Herod 1 :163 :4 :152. 9 Mashech, as traders in human lives (captives and slave), beside in pots of bronze. These three phrases refer to the colonies of Javan; namely, of Greece, on the coasts of Asia Minor1. It is to be noticed that the expression ‘Jonia’ is very close to that used by the Assyrians and the Egyptians, for Greece. Javan, that mentioned in Ezekiel 27:19, refers to another Javan, that was most probably a tribe in Arabia, or a Greek colony in Arabia. In (Daniel 8:21; 10:20; 11:2), Javan came as ‘Greece;’ and most probably refers here to the Greek Macedonian Empire. Tuball and Meshech: Two peoples or provinces in Asia Minor, connected together (Is 66:19); and were related to Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1 Chro 1:5); that appeared in the Assyrian history by the names, Tabali and Mushki as fierce opponents against Assyria in the twelfth century B.C. Bet-Togarmah: is located in the south of Armenia; has been dwelt by the descendants of Togarmah, the third son of Gomer (Gen 10:3; 1 Chro 1:6). Dedan (Ez 27:15): A people in Northern Arabia, came from Cush the son of Ham (Gen 10:7); mentioned in Gen 25:3 as descendants of Abraham from Keturah, his second wife after the death of Sarah. It is not difficult to understand the connection here, if we remember the relationship between Arabia and Cush2. They were traders from Arabia (Is 21:3), who dwelt south of the Edomites (Jer 25:23; 49:8). This name is still used in Dedan, southwest of Tima. But the modern Dedan is “El-Olla,’ an oasis in the valley of El-Korah in the north of Hegaz. Aram: This name comes from the Acadian language, meaning “the high land,” after Aram, one of Shem’s sons (Gen 10:22, 23). Aram extends from the mountains of Lebanon in the west, to beyond the River Euphrates in the east; and from the mountains of Tarsus in the north to Damascus in the south. In the Septuagint version, this province was called ‘Syria.’ Abraham was called a fugitive from Aram, because he came from Haran, a city in Aram (Gen 11:3), to Canaan (Deut 26:5). Several little Aramaean communities appeared, like Aram-Mesopotamia (Gen 24:10), where the two cities Nessibin and Edessa are located; Aram-Damascus, Aram-Zobah, west of the Euphrates (sometimes extending to the border of Hamath); Aram Maacah, close to the Mount of Hermon, a portion of the tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 12:5; 13:11); Gusher, an Aramaean country close to Maachah, east of the Jordan, also a portion of the tribe of Manasseh (Deut 3:14), to which Absalom the son of David fled after he killed his brother Amnon (2 Sam 13:37; 15:8); and Aram-Beth-rehob, most probably close to the entrance of Hamath (Num 13:21; Joshua 19:28). Damascus: The capital of Syria; known since the old days as an important commercial center. It is located at the eastern side of the lesser Mountain of Lebanon. Out of these series of mountains, the two Rivers: Abana and Pharpar draw their waters (2 Kings 5:12); Nowadays they are called Barada and El-Awaj. Dan: A Hebrew name meaning “a Judge;” a city north of the border of Palestine, called Laish (Judges 28:29) or Leshem (Jos 19:47). But it is not, as some people think by Tel-El Qadi (the Hill of the Judge), a misunderstanding because of the similarity of names; as Dan means “judge.” Kedar: A Semite name meaning “capable” or “black;” the second son of Ishmael 1 James Hastings : Dictionary of the Bible. p. 460. 2 James Hastings : Dictionary of the Bible. p. 209. 10 (Gen 25:13), whose descendants were mostly shepherds who dwelt in black tents; hence Kedar became a symbol of black color (Song 1:5). Some of them were relatively civilized (Is 42:11), who owned herds of beasts and were men of war, especially well trained on throwing with the bow; who gallantly opposed Nebuchadnezzar, before he ultimately submitted them. Sheba: Who, together with his brother Dan were mentioned as sons of Raamah, son of Cush (Gen 10:7). The two names were also mentioned as sons of Joktan the son of Abraham from his second wife Keturah (Gen 10:25). Sheba is considered as one of the important tribes of ancient peoples that dwelt south of Arabia: Chattramothites, Qatabanians, Mineans, and Hazarmaueth that was the most important among them in the days of Stroba. They were famous as traders of spices, gold, and precious stones; also traded in slaves; they were very rich and were considered as the guards of the desert (Job 1:15; 6:19). The Assyrian inscriptions provide us with the oldest record of the existence of Sheba; King Tiglathpileser the third (745-727 B C) stated that he received taxes from Etaamarah the king of Sheba. It seems that some of the families of those people, who dwelt south west of the land (Gen 10:28) immigrated to Ethiopia (Cush), to be called ‘Cushites,’ while some others extended later to the northwest to reach Syria. The story of the queen of Sheba made them famous; also revealed how women reached high places among those people: socially, politically, and religiously. Raamah: The son of Cush, father of Sheba and Dedans (Gen 10:7). It is difficult to fix the location of Ramah; whose inhabitants are thought to be descendants of Raamah; and thought by some to be ‘Regma Ptolemy’ west of the Persian Gulf; and by others to be Rammaitae south of Arabia, north west of Hazarmaueth, and east of the old Sheba; the later view is more probable. Haran: The name is probably of Acadian origin, meaning “way” or “caravan;” a city located north west of Mesopotamia, on River Balikh, a branch of the River Euphrates; 280 miles north east of Damascus, and 60 miles east of ‘Carchemish’ (Gen 11:31, 32). It is considered as one of the main crossroads between Babylon and the Mediterranean coast; and represents an important trade center; and the main center of worship to the god Sims of the moon. Terah and Abraham sojourned in it for sometime; then Nahor settled down there; to be called by his name (Gen 24:10; 27:43). It was taken over by the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:12). There, nowadays, is a small village that kept the name Haran. Canneh: Thought by some scholars to be “Calneh’ (Amos 6:2). But most probably it is an unknown Acadian city by the name of ‘Kannu,’ in the region of Mesopotamia, close to Haran. Eden: A Hebrew name meaning “joy;” and is not the Garden of Eden. The province of Mesopotamia was mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions as ‘Bit Adini,’ south of Haran, half-way the River Euphrates. 3- THE BREAKDOWN OF THE SHIP (TYRE) If Tyre became a mighty ship, of perfect construction, strong manned, had wise and well trained crew, well liked and favored by all the peoples that dealt with it; yet, as it tried to benefit from the affliction of its sister ‘Judas,’ on the day of its captivity; it got broken down by an east wind, that brought it to the depths of the sea, together with its riches, wares, crew, and men of war... with nobody to help or rescue. Many stood 11 watching in grief, bitterly crying; shaved themselves completely bald, like someone mourning for a dead; and took up a lamentation over the city (Ez 27:33); that used to fulfill them; kings trembled; while others hissed at it, and mocked it, because of its greed that made it loose its existence forever. 12 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF E ZEKIEL 27 LEAD THE SHIP OF MY LIFE! Tyre, the great city, is a ship made by You. You made it, and granted it all riches. But as it leaned upon its riches; And opposed Your work; It got completely broken down! I am Your ship, O My Creator! Lead the ship of my life; I am the creation of Your hands! What are these boards of fir trees, but the members of my body?! They are Your beautiful creation. You have granted me the body and soul to glorify You! Sanctify my eyes and all my senses, to be fulfilled by You! Sanctify my emotions and my feelings, O the desire of my heart! My body is in Your hands. It is Your precious gift to me! What is this mast made of the cedar of Lebanon. That You set for me, but that amazing mind?! You created it straightforward to be preoccupied by You all along the short journey of my life! My mind contemplates on Your will; and so longs for obeying Your commandment. In it, it sees the sweetness of fellowship with You, O the Source of life! What is this little rudder that directs all my life, but the tongue?! Sanctify it, to keep it from blaspheming You. And from cursing others; And from moving in vain and with no goal. Lead it to bless, praise, and give You thanks all the time; And to bless people, and flow with sweetness on everyone! What are these benches of ivory; But the pure senses You granted me?! Fulfill them by Your Holy Spirit, to see You as the heavenly Groom of the soul. Let them be aflame with love for You and for all Your creation! They should not become a stage for devils; Nor a playground for carnal lusts! My senses, emotions, and all my feelings, are Yours, O my Beloved! What is this sail, made of embroidered linen, But my little heart, to which You granted purity?! By Your Holy Spirit, it became spacious enough to carry Him, whom the heaven and earth cannot accommodate! Its key is in Your hand, O Son of David! Come into it to dine. Together with Your heavenly and earthly friends; Turn it into Your joyful Kingdom, and Your holy temple! What are these covers of the ship of my life ; 13 But the behavior I practice, through Your grace?! It is blue, carrying the color of heaven; And purple, like the garments of kings. How amazing are You, O the heavenly King of kings. You want me, with my behavior, to bear Your features. To walk on earth with a heavenly heart. And to live amid the afflictions of the world, as a king with authority! Who are these seamen from Sidon, but the inner energies of the soul?! Grant them to become a clever fishermen; To work always for the edification of my soul, and those of my brothers; Let them know nothing about destruction and devastation! You have granted me amazing energies, as spiritual soldiers. Lead them to work on the account of Your Kingdom. So as not to be wicked soldiers on the account of the kingdom of darkness! Who is that pilot from Tyre; But the spirit of discernment?! It is a gift of Your Holy Spirit; By which I can recognize good from bad; By which I do not divert from Your royal way, right or left!! And not to be deceived by self-righteousness; nor to be attracted by lusts! By which I can know You, O the Truth! Who are those seam-caulkers, but the talents You gave me?! Flare up. O Lord, Your talents in me; To make me work with strength and wisdom! To work in harmony with the talents of my brothers; With no haughtiness, nor smallness of the soul. I thank You for granting me the talents that suit me! Who are those men of war from Persia, Lud, and Phut; But the motives You have created in me?! Motivated by love, I encounter with You, and I love Your creation! Motivated by anger, I rebel against my sin, and complain my soul to You! Motivated by fear, I fear to offend You with love! Sanctify all the motives, to keep them from any more diversion! How miserable is Tyre; the rich and beautiful ship. It leaned upon itself, and disobeyed its Creator. So it broke down and sank in the sea of this world! O You amazing Pilot, lead the ship of my life. Let Your cross be the mast of my life; And Your commandments, the seamen! Grant me ropes to pull up my ship. I am in the midst of the sea currents of this world. But I am borne by Your Holy Spirit to the heavenly port!
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