Ezekiel 28:1-9

1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because thy heart has lifted thee up and thou hast said, I am God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas (yet thou art man, and not God); and thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God:

3 behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

4 with thy wisdom and with thine intelligence thou hast gotten thee riches and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

5 by the greatness of thy wisdom in thy trafficking thou hast multiplied thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

6 therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God,

7 behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the strong ones of the Gentiles, and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.

8 They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die of the death of those that are slain in the midst of the seas.

9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slays thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and not God, in the hand of him that slays thee.

Ezekiel 28:1-9 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.