Ezekiel 28:15

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

Thou wast perfect {H8549} in thy ways {H1870} from the day {H3117} that thou wast created {H1254}, till iniquity {H5766} was found {H4672} in thee.

You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.

From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways— until wickedness was found in you.

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

Commentary on Ezekiel 28:15 (KJV)

Context

Ezekiel 28 contains a lamentation concerning the King of Tyre. While initially addressing a human ruler puffed up by wealth and power, the language in verses 12-19 shifts dramatically, using imagery associated with the Garden of Eden, precious stones, and a "covering cherub." This has led many biblical interpreters to see this passage as also describing the origin and fall of a spiritual being, often identified with Satan, intertwined with the judgment on the earthly king who embodied similar pride.

Key Themes

  • Original Perfection: The verse states that this being was created "perfect in thy ways," highlighting that evil was not inherent but originated later.
  • The Origin of Iniquity: Sin ("iniquity") is depicted as something "found in" the being, suggesting an internal choice or development rather than a flaw in creation itself.
  • Fall from Grace: It marks a clear turning point from a state of blamelessness to one of sin, leading to subsequent judgment and expulsion described in the following verses.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "perfect" is tamim, which means complete, sound, blameless, or without blemish. It signifies a state of integrity and uprightness at the time of creation. The word for "iniquity" is 'awon, often translated as perversity, guilt, or sin, implying a twisting or deviation from the right path.

Reflection

This verse provides profound insight into the nature of evil, suggesting it did not originate with God but arose from within a created being who rebelled despite being made perfect. It speaks to the reality of free will, even among the highest of created beings. The transition from perfection to iniquity serves as a somber reminder that even the most privileged positions do not grant immunity from the potential for sin and a fall from grace. It underscores the devastating consequences when iniquity is found and takes root, contrasting the initial state of divine creation, which God declared "very good".

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 2 Peter 2:4

    For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

  • Genesis 1:26

    ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

  • Genesis 1:27

    So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

  • Ezekiel 28:17

    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.

  • Ezekiel 28:18

    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.

  • Romans 7:9

    For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

  • Ezekiel 28:12

    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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