Damascus trafficked with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind: Damascus, which was located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Tyre, was the main city of Syria. Here it stands for the whole nation. For trafficked, for your abundant goods, and because of your great wealth of every kind, see the introductory comments on this subunit.

Wine of Helbon, and white wool, and wine from Uzal they exchanged for your wares: The goods traded between Tyre and Damascus included wine from Helbon, which was a town about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Damascus. Wine is fermented grape juice. It is known in most parts of the world, but in areas where it is not, translators may use “fermented fruit juice” or “fermented juice from the fruit growing on vines.” It should not be confused with beer or other drinks that are made from grains such as corn or barley. The goods traded between Tyre and Damascus also included white wool. Wool is often referred to as “hair of sheep.” It can be cut off and woven into cloth. The Hebrew word rendered white may refer to the wilderness region of Zahar/Sahar northwest of Damascus, or it may come from a word meaning a light yellowish-brown color. Although the context suggests the region of Zahar/Sahar, translators may choose either interpretation. Many translations say “white wool” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt), but many others have “wool from Zahar” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; similarly New American Bible), “wool from Sahar” (Good News Translation), or “wool of Suhar” (New English Bible; similarly Revised English Bible).

The reading and wine from Uzal involves minor changes to the Hebrew text. The Hebrew seems to read “Vedan and Javan from Uzal” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Contemporary English Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “and Dan and Javan from Uzal” (similarly Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible; New International Version and New International Reader’s Version also follow this reading, but they use the more familiar “Greeks” for “Javan”). “Vedan” is not known elsewhere, and it is strange to link Dan (in northern Israel) and Greece with Uzal, which was a region in southern Arabia. It is better to understand the Hebrew word rendered “Vedan” or “and Dan” as related to an Akkadian word meaning “vat” or “cask” for storing wine, to change the Hebrew word for “Javan” to read “wine,” and to understand Uzal as referring to “Izalla,” which was a famous wine-growing area northeast of Damascus. So the recommended translation for this whole phrase is “and casks [or, barrels] of wine from Izalla” (Revised English Bible; similarly New Century Version). Translators may use a generic or local term for a large container of liquids. Good News Translation omits this phrase, but it notes the presence of the words in a footnote.

Wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise: Most translations take the Hebrew expression for wrought iron to be iron that can be worked into shapes and decorative patterns, but others think wrought renders a word meaning “smooth” (for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “polished iron,” and King James Version has “bright iron”). Cassia and calamus are spice plants from China and northern India. Cassia is similar, but inferior, to cinnamon. Calamus is a sweet-smelling “reed” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “cane” (New International Reader’s Version, New King James Version ). Translators may combine these two spice plants with a generic expression, such as “spices” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “plants that add flavor to foods.” The passive verb were bartered may be expressed as an active one by rendering this whole clause as “They also traded smooth iron and spice plants for your goods.”

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 .