The Hebrew word eshkar denotes a gift or tribute paid to a superior, often in the context of trade or covenant tribute. It appears in passages describing the commercial wealth of nations and is related to the broader concepts of exchange, honor, and obligation.
In Ezekiel 27, eshkar is used to describe the trade goods and tribute that came to the great mercantile city of Tyre. Theologically, the word resonates with the idea that gifts and tribute reflect the acknowledgment of lordship. Every gift given to God β tithe, offering, sacrifice β is an act of recognizing His supreme authority. The nations that brought tribute to Israel's kings foreshadow the eschatological gathering of the nations to honor the LORD (Psalm 72:10β11).