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Ezekiel 28

1

The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

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Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

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

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With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

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By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

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Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;

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Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.

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

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Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.

10

Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.

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11

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

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Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

14

Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

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Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

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By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

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Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

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Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

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All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

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Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it,

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And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.

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For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

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And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God.

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Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.

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And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.

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Ezekiel 28

God addresses the king of Tyre, suggesting that his pride in wisdom and wealth has made him self-deified, leading him to claim divine status; therefore God will bring humiliation and destruction upon him and his dynasty. The reference to the king of Tyre's wisdom surpassing all people and his wealth's perfection establishes his arrogance; he has confused human achievement with divine being. God promises to strip him of his garments of power, scatter him before all nations, and reduce him to nothing, establishing that pride precedes destruction. A secondary oracle against the king of Sidon emphasizes judgment's extension beyond Tyre itself, suggesting that multiple Phoenician cities will experience divine judgment. The language of dethroning and divine judgment connects to broader Near Eastern language of divine sovereignty over human rulers. The reference to the king's death in humiliation establishes the finality of judgment; there is no restoration promised for Tyre as there is for Israel. This chapter's conclusion, returning to Israel, announces that Israel will not be misled by contemptuous neighbors and that God will re-gather the dispersed people and be glorified among nations, establishing the transition from judgment to restoration. The theological significance of addressing a human ruler in terms suggesting self-deification establishes the core theological problem: the illusion that human achievement and power can substitute for divine reality. This chapter consolidates the oracles against nations while preparing for the shift toward restoration themes in subsequent chapters.

Ezekiel 28:9

Will you still say before him who slays you, 'I am a god'? But you are a man, and not a god, in the hand of him who wounds you, reiterating the central irony that the prince's death will explode his divine pretensions. The repetition emphasizes the absurdity of maintaining such claims in the face of mortal violence, suggesting that reality will forcefully correct the prince's theological error.

Ezekiel 28:10

You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I the Lord have spoken, repeating the judgment with additional emphasis on divine certainty ('I the Lord have spoken'). The formula closing this section of the oracle reinforces that the prince's fate is sealed and divinely ordained.

Ezekiel 28:1

The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god; I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the sea,' yet you are a man, and not a god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god, shifting from lamentation over the city to condemnation of the prince (likely the king) whose pride and theological presumption brought judgment. The prince's claim to divinity—'I am a god'—represents the ultimate theological transgression, claiming the status and authority that belong exclusively to God. This pride, expressed through architectural (sitting in the seat of the gods) and metaphysical assertions, constitutes the fundamental occasion for judgment.

Ezekiel 28:2

Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; by your wisdom and your understanding you have made your wealth, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries, ironically attributing to the prince a wisdom that rivals Daniel's, suggesting that his prosperity derives from supposed superhuman insight. The reference to Daniel—likely the ancient sage known for wisdom and integrity—highlights the prince's self-deception: he mistakes commercial acumen for divine wisdom. The accumulation of gold and silver indicates that his confidence rests on material prosperity rather than spiritual reality.

Ezekiel 28:3

Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you, repeating the ironic attribution of superior wisdom to emphasize the prince's fundamental misunderstanding of his own capacities. The repetition serves to indict the prince for confusing human cleverness with divine omniscience, a confusion that lies at the root of his pride.

Ezekiel 28:4

By your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth, specifying that the prince's sense of power derives from commercial success rather than genuine spiritual understanding. The phrase 'heart has become proud' indicates that prosperity has corrupted his perception, making him believe that commercial success validates claims to divinity. This demonstrates how material success can distort human understanding of reality.

Ezekiel 28:5

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have made your heart like the heart of a god, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and defile your splendor, introducing judgment for the prince's theological presumption. The 'strangers' (likely referring to Nebuchadnezzar's armies) will destroy the very wisdom and splendor that the prince claimed gave him divine status, demonstrating that human power cannot withstand God's judgment. The desecration of splendor directly counters the prince's claims to magnificence.

Ezekiel 28:6

They shall thrust you down to the Pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the sea, specifying that the prince will descend to Sheol (the Pit) in disgrace rather than ascending to divinity. The 'death of the slain' suggests a violent, shameful end rather than the noble or peaceful death that might befit a king. The image of dying 'in the heart of the sea' connects the prince's fate to Tyre's, suggesting that he will perish with his city.

Ezekiel 28:7

Will you still say, 'I am a god,' before him who slays you? But you are a man, and not a god, in the hand of him who wounds you, driving home the central message that the prince's presumption to divinity will be refuted in the moment of his death at the hands of human conquerors. The rhetorical questions emphasize the futility of his former claims, suggesting that faced with mortal injury, divine claims become ridiculous. The prince will discover that he is 'a man, and not a god' only when it is too late.

Ezekiel 28:8

You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Lord God, specifying a particularly shameful death—dying in the manner of the uncircumcised (those outside the covenant community, symbolizing separation from God). The 'hand of foreigners' emphasizes that the prince will be killed by those outside his realm, suggesting military conquest and humiliation. The closing formula affirms the certainty of this judgment.

Ezekiel 28:11

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, transitioning from condemnation of the prince to a separate lament over the king, introducing mythological and Edenic language to characterize the king's original state. The 'seal of perfection' suggests that the king embodied completeness and flawlessness, while 'full of wisdom and perfect in beauty' echoes the description of Tyre as a ship (27:3). This language suggests that the king was created or set in a state of idealized perfection.

Ezekiel 28:12

You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of your settings and your sockets was prepared on the day you were created, placing the king in Eden itself and describing him as adorned with all precious stones and gold. This mythological language suggests that the king occupied a position analogous to Adam before the fall, enjoying divine favor and placed in a garden of perfection. The detailed enumeration of precious stones connects the king to the priestly ephod (Exodus 28:17-20), suggesting a quasi-priestly or divine status. The phrase 'on the day you were created' indicates that this splendor was original and gift rather than achieved.

Ezekiel 28:13

You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire, further establishing the king's original location in the divine realm, walking among ('stones of fire'—possibly the gems surrounding God's throne) in a place of intimacy with the divine. The 'holy mountain of God' recalls traditions of Zion as God's dwelling place, suggesting that the king occupied a position of extraordinary proximity to God's presence. The 'stones of fire' may refer to divine radiance or the gems that adorn the celestial throne.

Ezekiel 28:14

You were an anointed guardian cherub; I placed you on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire, revealing that the king was not merely human but an 'anointed guardian cherub'—a divine being appointed to protect God's holiness. This mythological detail suggests that the king held a position that transcended ordinary human existence, functioning as an angelic protector. The anointing indicates God's direct selection and empowerment. The repetition of 'holy mountain' and 'stones of fire' emphasizes the cosmic significance of his position.

Ezekiel 28:15

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till unrighteousness was found in you, establishing that the king's original state was perfect and blameless, marred only when sin—'unrighteousness'—was discovered in him. This structure parallels the fall of Adam in Genesis: an initial state of perfection followed by moral failure. The discovery rather than development of unrighteousness suggests that sin emerged from within rather than being imposed externally.

Ezekiel 28:16

By the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire, explaining that commercial success ('abundance of your trade') led to violence and sin, bringing divine expulsion from the holy mountain. The connection between commerce and violence suggests that economic power corrupts and leads to exploitation. The expulsion from the mountain parallels Adam's expulsion from Eden, with the king's cosmic status revoked. The address to the 'guardian cherub' maintains the mythological characterization while emphasizing the severity of judgment.

Ezekiel 28:17

Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you, attributing the king's downfall to pride in his own beauty and wisdom, leading to corruption of his understanding. The casting to the ground represents humiliation and reversal of exaltation, while exposure before kings indicates public shaming. The phrase 'feast their eyes on you' suggests mockery and derision, with the king's fall becoming a spectacle for other rulers.

Ezekiel 28:18

By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore I brought out a fire from your midst; it has consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who see you, specifying that iniquity and unrighteous commerce profaned sacred space, triggering divine fire that consumes the king. The fire emerging 'from within' suggests that divine judgment originates in the moral corruption that corrupts the sanctuary. The transformation to ashes indicates complete destruction, while the public witnessing emphasizes humiliation.

Ezekiel 28:19

All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever, concluding the lament with the universal appalment at the king's fate and affirmation of perpetual obliteration. The scope of the impact—'all who know you'—suggests that the king's fall reverberates through the international community. The final phrase echoes previous closure formulas, emphasizing the finality and completeness of the judgment.

Ezekiel 28:20

And the word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, and say, Thus says the Lord God, transitioning from the extended lament over Tyre's king to a brief oracle against Sidon, Tyre's sister city. The directive to 'set your face' establishes determined confrontation, while the shift in focus suggests that judgment extends to Tyre's allies and dependents.

Ezekiel 28:21

Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, and I will manifest my glory in your midst; and they shall know that I am the Lord when I execute judgments in her, and manifest my holiness in her, establishing God's opposition to Sidon and describing judgment as the means through which God's glory and holiness are made known. The recognition formula—'they shall know that I am the Lord'—appears again, indicating that even in judgment against smaller nations, God pursues the pedagogy of self-revelation. The emphasis on manifesting glory and holiness suggests that judgment serves theological purposes beyond mere punishment.

Ezekiel 28:22

For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the slain shall fall in the midst of her, by the sword against her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord, specifying the mechanisms of judgment—pestilence (disease) and warfare—that will devastate Sidon. The comprehensive description ('blood in streets,' 'slain,' 'sword on every side') suggests total destruction affecting both public and private space. The final recognition formula affirms that survivors will understand the judgment as divine action.

Ezekiel 28:23

For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the slain shall fall in the midst of her, by the sword against her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord, repeating the judgment formula, emphasizing through repetition the certainty and totality of Sidon's coming destruction.

Ezekiel 28:24

And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a pricking brier or a painful thorn among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt; and they shall know that I am the Lord God, introducing a transition to Israel's future restoration through the judgment of her enemies. The image of brier and thorn—pain-inflicting plants—symbolizes hostile neighbors, with their destruction ensuring Israel's security and dignity. This clause promises that Israel's enemies will be neutralized, allowing her to flourish.

Ezekiel 28:25

Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob, shifting focus decisively to Israel's restoration. The gathering of scattered Israel, the manifestation of God's holiness, and the return to the land promised to Jacob represent the redemptive reversal of judgment. The phrase 'my servant Jacob' connects to Abraham and to Israel's covenant identity.

Ezekiel 28:26

And they shall dwell securely in it, and shall build houses and plant vineyards; they shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God, concluding the section by describing Israel's future security and prosperity, predicated on the judgment of hostile nations. The vision of building and planting suggests a normalized, productive existence free from external threat. The final formula—'know that I am the Lord their God'—affirms that Israel's restoration, like the nations' judgment, serves the purpose of revealing God's character and power.