Yechezkel 28

1 8 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

2 Ben adam, say unto the Nagid Tzor, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thine lev is lifted up [in pride], and thou hast said, El ani (I am a g-d), and I sit on a moshav elohim (seat of g-ds), in the midst of the yamim (seas); yet thou art adam, and not El, though thou set thine mind as the lev elohim;

3 Hinei, thou art more chacham than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee;

4 With thy chochmah and with thine tevunah (understanding) thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten zahav and kesef into thy otzarot;

5 By thy great chochmah in thy trade hast thou increased thy riches, and thine lev is lifted up [in pride] because of thy riches;

6 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast set thine mind as the lev elohim;

7 Hineni, therefore I will bring zarim upon thee, the most terrible of the Goyim; and they shall draw their charavot (swords) against the beauty of thy chochmah, and they shall defile thy splendor.

8 They shall bring thee down to the shachat (pit), and thou shalt die the deaths [actually death; see intensive plural, Isa 53:9] of them that are slain in the midst of the yamim (seas).

9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, Elohim ani? But thou art adam, and no El, in the yad of him that slayeth thee.

10 Thou shalt die the deaths [actually death, see v.8] of the arelim (uncircumcised) by the yad of zarim; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

11 Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

12 Ben adam, take up a kinah (lamentation) upon HaMelech Tzor (Tyre), and say unto him, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Thou wast the chotam (seal) of perfection, full of chochmah, and perfect in beauty.

13 Thou hast been in Eden, Gan Elohim; every even yekarah (precious stone) was thy covering, the ruby, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, and the emerald, and zahav; the workmanship of thy hand drums and of thy wind instruments was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

14 Thou art the keruv mimshach (anointed cherub) that guardeth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the Har Kodesh Elohim; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of eish.

15 Thou wast tamim in thy drakhim from the day that thou wast created, until wickedness was found in thee.

16 By the multitude of thy trading they have filled the midst of thee with chamas, and thou hast sinned; therefore I will banish thee as profane out of the Har Elohim; and I will destroy thee, O guardian keruv, from the midst of the stones of eish.

17 Thine lev was lifted up [in pride] because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy chochmah by reason of thy splendor; I will cast thee to eretz (earth), I will lay thee before melachim, that they may gaze upon thee.

18 Thou hast defiled thy mikdashim by the multitude of thine avonot, by the avon of thy trading; therefore will I bring forth an eish from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee, and I will reduce thee to ashes upon ha’aretz in the sight of all them that gaze upon thee.

19 All they that know thee among the peoples shall be appalled at thee; thou shalt be a horror, and thou shalt be no more, ad olam.

20 Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

21 Ben adam, set thy face toward Tzidon (Sidon), and prophesy against it,

22 And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Tzidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall have executed shefatim (punishments, judgments) in her, and I shall show Myself as set apart as kodesh in her.

23 For I will send into her dever, and dahm into her streets; and the slain shall be judged in the midst of her by the cherev upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

24 And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the Bais Yisroel, nor any painful kotz (thorn) of all that are around them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

25 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: When I shall have gathered the Bais Yisroel from the people among whom they are scattered, and I shall show Myself as set apart as kodesh in them in the sight of the Goyim, then shall they dwell in their adamah (land) that I have given to Avdi Ya’akov (My servant Jacob).

26 And they shall dwell securely therein, and shall build batim (houses), and plant kramim (vineyards); indeed, they shall dwell securely, when I have executed shefatim (judgments) upon all those that despise them all around them; and they shall know that I am Hashem Eloheihem.

Yechezkel 28 Commentary

Chapter 28

The sentence against the prince or king of Tyre. (1-19) The fall of Zidon. (20-23) The restoration of Israel. (24-26)

Verses 1-19 Ethbaal, or Ithobal, was the prince or king of Tyre; and being lifted up with excessive pride, he claimed Divine honours. Pride is peculiarly the sin of our fallen nature. Nor can any wisdom, except that which the Lord gives, lead to happiness in this world or in that which is to come. The haughty prince of Tyre thought he was able to protect his people by his own power, and considered himself as equal to the inhabitants of heaven. If it were possible to dwell in the garden of Eden, or even to enter heaven, no solid happiness could be enjoyed without a humble, holy, and spiritual mind. Especially all spiritual pride is of the devil. Those who indulge therein must expect to perish.

20-26. The Zidonians were borderers upon the land of Israel, and they might have learned to glorify the Lord; but, instead of that, they seduced Israel to the worship of their idols. War and pestilence are God's messengers; but he will be glorified in the restoring his people to their former safety and prosperity. God will cure them of their sins, and ease them of their troubles. This promise will at length fully come to pass in the heavenly Canaan: when all the saints shall be gathered together, every thing that offends shall be removed, all griefs and fears for ever banished. Happy, then, is the church of God, and every living member of it, though poor, afflicted, and despised; for the Lord will display his truth, power, and mercy, in the salvation and happiness of his redeemed people.

Chapter Summary

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.