Ezekiel 28:1-19

A Prophecy Aimed at the King of Tyre

1 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},
2 "Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because your heart was haughty, and you said, 'I [am] a god; I sit [in the] seat of [the] gods, I sit in [the] heart of [the] seas!' But you are a human, not a god, and you gave your heart to be like [the] heart of a god.
3 Look, are you wiser than Daniel, [so that] {no secret} is hidden [from] you?
4 By your wisdom and by your understanding you have gained for yourself wealth, and you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
5 By the abundance of your wisdom in your trading you [have] increased your wealth and your heart was proud in your wealth." '"
6 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because of your regarding your {mind} like [the] {mind} of a god,
7 therefore look! I [am] bringing strangers over you, [the most] ruthless of [the] peoples, and they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they will defile your splendor.
8 They will thrust you down to the pit, and you will die {a violent death} in [the] heart of [the] seas.
9 {Will you indeed still say} "I [am] a god!" before the face of your killers? And [in fact] you [are] a human and not a god in the hand of {those who pierce you}.
10 You will die [the] death of [the] uncircumcised by the hand of strangers, for {I myself} have spoken!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.
11 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},
12 "Son of man, raise a lament over the king of Tyre, and you must say to him, 'thus says the Lord Yahweh: "You were a perfect model of an example, full of wisdom and perfect of beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God, and every precious stone [was] your adornment: carnelian, topaz and moonstone, turquoise, onyx and jasper, sapphire, malachite and emerald. And gold [was] the craftsmanship of your settings and your mountings in you; on the day when you were created they were prepared.
14 You were [an] anointed guardian cherub, and I placed you on {God's holy mountain}; you walked in the midst of stones of fire.
15 You [were] blameless in your ways from the day {when you were created}, until wickedness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of your trading, they filled the midst of you [with] violence, and you sinned; and I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I expelled you, [the] guardian cherub, from the midst of [the] stones of fire.
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you ruined your wisdom because of your splendor. I threw you on the ground {before} kings; I have exposed you {for viewing}.
18 From the abundance of your iniquities in the dishonesty of your trading, I profaned your sanctuaries and I brought fire from your midst; it consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth {before the eyes of everyone who sees you}.
19 {All who know you} among the peoples are appalled over you; you have become [as] horrors, and {you shall cease to exist forever}." '"

Ezekiel 28:1-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 28

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of the prince of Tyre; a lamentation for the king of Tyre; a denunciation of judgments on Zidon, and a promise of peace and safety to Israel. The order given the prophet to prophesy of the ruin of the prince of Tyre, Eze 28:1,2, the cause of his ruin, his pride on account of his wisdom and riches, which rose to such a pitch, as to make himself God, Eze 28:2-6, the manner in which his destruction shall be accomplished, Eze 28:7-10, the lamentation for the king of Tyre begins Eze 28:11,12, setting forth his former grandeur and dignity, Eze 28:13-15, his fall, and the cause of it, injustice and violence in merchandise, pride because of beauty and wisdom, and profanation of sanctuaries, Eze 28:16-19, next follow the judgments on Zidon, Eze 28:20-23, and the chapter is concluded with a promise of the restoration of the Jews to their own land, and of great tranquillity and safety in it, Eze 28:24-26.

Footnotes 24

  • [a]. Literally "was"
  • [b]. Literally "to say"
  • [c]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
  • [d]. Literally "all of hidden/secret"
  • [e]. Or "by/through"
  • [f]. Or "splendor"
  • [g]. Literally "a death of a slain"
  • [h]. Literally "Will you say, will you say"
  • [i]. Or "slayers"
  • [j]. Or "man"
  • [k]. Literally "piercers/slayers of you"
  • [l]. Literally "was"
  • [m]. Literally "to say"
  • [n]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
  • [o]. Meaning of Hebrew uncertain
  • [p]. Or "lapis lazuli"
  • [q]. Literally "on the mountain of the holiness of God"
  • [r]. Literally "being created you"
  • [s]. Or "guarding"
  • [t]. Literally "in the face of"
  • [u]. Literally "to look at you"
  • [v]. Literally "before the eyes of all seeing you"
  • [w]. Literally "all of the knowers of you"
  • [x]. Literally "there is not you until eternity"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.