Ezekiel 28:1-10

Prophecy Against the Prince of Tyre

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 ¹“Son of man, say to ²the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: ³“Because your heart is proud, and ⁴you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas, ’yet ⁵you are but a man, and no god, ⁶though you make your heart like the heart of a god—

3 ⁷you are indeed wiser ⁸than ⁹Daniel; no secret is hidden from you;

4 by your wisdom and your understanding ¹⁰you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;

5 by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and ¹¹your heart has become proud in your wealth—

6 therefore thus says the Lord God: ¹²Because you make your heart like the heart of a god,

7 therefore, behold, I will bring ¹³foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against ¹⁴the beauty of your wisdom and defile ¹⁵your splendor.

8 ¹⁶They shall thrust you down into the pit, ¹⁷and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.

9 ¹⁸Will you still say, ‘I am a god, ’in the presence of those who kill you, though ¹⁹you are but a man, and no god, in the hands of those who slay you?

10 ²⁰You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; ²¹for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. ”

Ezekiel 28:1-10 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.

Cross References

• 1. 28:2 See ch. 2:1
• 2. 28:2 [ver. 12]
• 3. 28:2 [Rev. 18:7]
• 4. 28:2 [ver. 9]
• 5. 28:2 Isa. 31:3
• 6. 28:2 ver. 6
• 7. 28:3 [ver. 12; Zech. 9:2]
• 8. 28:3 Dan. 1:17
• 9. 28:3 ch. 14:14
• 10. 28:4 [Zech. 9:3]
• 11. 28:5 [See ver. 2 above]
• 12. 28:6 ver. 2
• 13. 28:7 ver. 10; ch. 7:21; 30:12; 31:12
• 14. 28:7 [ver. 17]
• 15. 28:7 [ver. 17]
• 16. 28:8 [ch. 32:18, 19]
• 17. 28:8 [ch. 32:20]
• 18. 28:9 [ver. 2]
• 19. 28:9 [See ver. 2 above]
• 20. 28:10 ch. 31:18; 32:19, 21, 24, 25
• 21. 28:10 See ch. 17:24