Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. (Ezekiel 26:16)
That is, “merchant princes,” those who had obtained wealth and power by commerce, not actual sovereigns (see Isa. 23:8). Their surprise and grief are described under the figure of Oriental mourning.