Ezekiel28

Ezekiel 28 delivers divine judgment against Tyrus, first condemning its prince for his arrogant claim to godhood, despite being merely a man. A lamentation then describes the king of Tyrus as a once-perfect, cherubic being in Eden, who fell due to pride, beauty, and the violence of his merchandise. The chapter concludes with a prophecy against Zidon, promising the Lord's glorification through judgment, and a future promise of Israel's secure restoration, free from their surrounding adversaries.
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Judgment Against the Prince of Tyre

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And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god. ​
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Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you! ​
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By your wisdom and understanding you have gained your wealth and amassed gold and silver for your treasuries.
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By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has grown proud because of it. ​
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Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you regard your heart as the heart of a god,
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behold, I will bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and will defile your splendor. ​
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They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. ​
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Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who slay you? You will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who wound you.
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You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. For I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.” ​

Lamentation Over the King of Tyre

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Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. ​
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You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. ​
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You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. ​
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From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways— until wickedness was found in you. ​
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By the vastness of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and I banished you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. ​
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Your heart grew proud of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor; so I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings. ​
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By the multitude of your iniquities and the dishonesty of your trading you have profaned your sanctuaries. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the eyes of all who saw you. ​
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All the nations who know you are appalled over you. You have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’”

Prophecy Against Zidon

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Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ​
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“Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.
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And you are to declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, and I will be glorified within you. They will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments against her and demonstrate My holiness through her. ​
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I will send a plague against her and shed blood in her streets; the slain will fall within her, while the sword is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

The Restoration and Security of Israel

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For the people of Israel will no longer face a pricking brier or a painful thorn from all around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ​
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This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to My servant Jacob. ​
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And there they will dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.’” ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 28

Verse 2

The 'prince' (Heb. *nagid*) is the human ruler of Tyre, identified historically with King Ithobaal III. His central sin is hubris, claiming divine status, likely due to Tyre’s great wealth and perceived impregnability as an island fortress.

Verse 3

This is likely a sarcastic challenge. Daniel was a contemporary figure renowned for his wisdom (Ezek. 14:14, 20), emphasizing the Prince’s foolish arrogance in believing his worldly intelligence surpassed all others.

Verse 5

The text links the Prince’s wisdom directly to his commercial success, emphasizing that his pride is rooted in material wealth gained through extensive, highly profitable maritime trade (*traffick*).

Verse 7

The 'terrible of the nations' refers to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, whom God uses as the instrument of judgment against Tyre’s arrogance and perceived beauty.

Verse 8

'The pit' (Heb. *shahat*) refers to the grave or Sheol. The judgment emphasizes that despite his claims of divinity, the prince will suffer a definite, humiliating human death.

Verse 10

To die 'the deaths of the uncircumcised' meant dying an ignoble, non-covenantal death—the fate of pagans—a profound insult to a powerful ruler who claimed divine status.

Verse 12

Ezekiel shifts from the human 'prince' (v. 2) to the mythic, idealized 'king' (Heb. *melek*), a figure representing the perfect embodiment of Tyre’s glory, wisdom, and original beauty before its fall. The passage is a funeral dirge or lamentation.

Verse 13

The reference to 'Eden the garden of God' connects this figure to primeval perfection. The nine precious stones listed may allude to the stones on the High Priest’s breastplate (Ex. 28), symbolizing a sacred, priestly status corrupted by sin.

Verse 14

The 'anointed cherub that covereth' is a guardian angelic figure set upon the 'holy mountain of God.' This description is foundational to the traditional Christian and Jewish interpretation linking this passage to the fall of Satan, a high-ranking angelic being.

Verse 15

This confirms the figure’s original perfection and emphasizes that the corruption originated internally ('till iniquity was found in thee'), not externally.

Verse 16

The immediate cause of the fall is defined as the 'multitude of thy merchandise,' indicating that the excessive wealth and global trade led directly to moral compromise, corruption, and violence.

Verse 17

Pride, stemming from beauty and brightness (glory), is identified as the root sin, mirroring the sin of the human Prince (v. 2). The king's fall is public, serving as a warning to earthly rulers.

Verse 18

The 'sanctuaries' may refer to the city’s temples or, metaphorically, the sacred status of Tyre itself. The judgment is a self-inflicted destruction: the fire comes 'from the midst of thee,' meaning the destruction arises from internal corruption.

Verse 20

Zidon (Sidon) was a powerful Phoenician city, Tyre’s older sister, often grouped with Tyre in prophetic judgments due to their similar maritime trade and idolatry.

Verse 22

God promises to be 'glorified' and 'sanctified' through judgment. The destruction of Zidon will demonstrate God’s holiness and sovereignty to the surrounding nations.

Verse 24

This verse concludes the major section of oracles against the surrounding nations (Ezek. 25–28). The destruction of hostile neighbors like Tyre and Sidon removes the 'pricking brier' that constantly irritated and threatened Israel.

Verse 25

The ultimate goal of all these judgments is the restoration and sanctification of Israel. God will gather the scattered exiles, and in their restoration, His holiness will be displayed to the heathen.

Verse 26

The promise includes physical blessings (building houses, planting vineyards) and spiritual security ('dwell safely... with confidence'), establishing the covenant relationship between the LORD and His people.

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