Ezekiel 28:16

16 In the multitude of thy merchandise, thine inner things were filled of wickedness, and thou didest sin; and I casted thee out of the hill of God, and, thou cherub covering (a)far, I lost thee from the midst of stones set afire. (In the multitude of thy merchandise, thy inner things were filled with wickedness, and thou didest sin; and I threw thee far away from the hill of God, and the cherub that protected thee drove thee away from the midst of the stones set afire.)

Ezekiel 28:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 28:16

By the multitude of thy merchandise
With the several nations of the earth, who came to the markets and fairs of Tyre, and to whom she sent her goods: they have filled the midst of thee with violence;
or, as the Targum,

``thy treasures are filled with rapine;''

with ill gotten goods, as the pope's coffers are through his merchandise of the souls of men, and the great trade that is driven in pardons and indulgences: and thou hast sinned;
by this unjust and ungodly way of dealing: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God;
Mount Zion, the church of the living God, where he dwells, and is worshipped, and on which the Lamb stands with his hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name and his Father's on their foreheads, ( Revelation 14:1 ) , these will have no communion with the church and pope of Rome; will not receive his mark, nor worship his image; from this mountain, and the inhabitants of it, he stands excluded as a profane person, with whom they will have nothing to do; and hence he persecutes them to the utmost of his power: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the
stones of fire;
from among the people of God, who have the clear light of the Gospel, and a sincere love for Christ; these withdrew themselves from his jurisdiction and government; and with whom his name, power, and authority perish, especially when they shall have got the victory over him, ( Revelation 15:1 ) . Kimchi paraphrases it,

``from the midst of the saints who are the Israelites, comparable to stones of fire;''

and Jarchi's note is,

``that thou mayest not take a portion with the righteous;''

have no part, lot, or fellowship with them. The Targum is,

``I will destroy thee, O king that art anointed, because thou thoughtest to rule over the holy people.''

Ezekiel 28:16 In-Context

14 Thou were (with a) cherub held forth, and covering; and I setted thee in the holy hill of God. In the midst of stones set afire thou wentest, (Thou were with a mighty cherub who protected thee, and I put thee on the holy hill of God. Thou wentest in the midst of stones set afire,)

15 perfect in thy ways from the day of thy making, till wickedness was found in thee.

16 In the multitude of thy merchandise, thine inner things were filled of wickedness, and thou didest sin; and I casted thee out of the hill of God, and, thou cherub covering (a)far, I lost thee from the midst of stones set afire. (In the multitude of thy merchandise, thy inner things were filled with wickedness, and thou didest sin; and I threw thee far away from the hill of God, and the cherub that protected thee drove thee away from the midst of the stones set afire.)

17 And thine heart was raised [up] in thy fairness, thou lostest thy wisdom in thy fairness. I casted thee down into (the) earth, I gave thee before the face of kings, that they should see thee. (And thy heart was raised up because of thy beauty, thou lostest thy wisdom because of thy beauty. I threw thee down to the ground, I put thee before the face of kings, so that they would see thee.)

18 In the multitude of thy wickednesses, and in the wickedness of thy merchandise, thou defouledest thine hallowing; therefore I shall bring forth fire of the midst of thee, that shall eat thee; and I shall give thee into ashes on [the] earth, in the sight of all men seeing thee. (In the multitude of thy wickednesses, and in the wickedness of thy merchandise, thou defiledest thy sanctuaries; and so I shall bring forth a fire out of the midst of thee, that shall eat thee; and I shall make thee into ashes upon the ground, in the sight of all who see thee.)