Ezekiel 28:9

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.

Wilt thou yet {H559} say {H559} before {H6440} him that slayeth {H2026} thee, I am God {H430}? but thou shalt be a man {H120}, and no God {H410}, in the hand {H3027} of him that slayeth {H2490} thee.

Will you still say, "I am God," to them who are about to kill you? You are a man, you are not God, in the hands of those who defile you.

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.

Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him that woundeth thee.

Ezekiel 28:9 KJV is a powerful declaration within a prophetic lament against the King of Tyre, highlighting the stark reality of human mortality and the futility of self-exaltation in the face of divine judgment.

Context

This verse is part of a broader prophecy in Ezekiel 28, primarily directed at the King of Tyre. Tyre was a highly prosperous and influential Phoenician city, known for its extensive maritime trade, immense wealth, and formidable fortifications. Its king, inflated by this success, had developed an arrogant self-perception, even proclaiming himself to be a god (Ezekiel 28:2). Ezekiel, through this divine message, exposes the king's hubris and foretells his inevitable downfall. The "him that slayeth thee" refers to the instrument of God's judgment, historically understood to be Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who besieged Tyre.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Arrogance: The core message is that no human ruler, however powerful or wealthy, can ultimately stand against the sovereign God. The King of Tyre's blasphemous claim to divinity is directly challenged.
  • The Humiliation of Pride: The verse vividly portrays the stripping away of the king's self-proclaimed status. In his moment of greatest vulnerability, he will be forced to confront his true nature as merely a man. This echoes the broader biblical principle that pride goes before destruction.
  • Inevitable Judgment: God's judgment on those who defy Him is certain. The king's boasts will be silenced not by argument, but by the overwhelming force of the one appointed to "slay" him.
  • Mortality and Humanity: Despite his immense power and self-exaltation, the King of Tyre is reminded of his fundamental humanity. He is "a man, and no God," destined to die like all mortals, a truth established from the beginning, as seen in Genesis 3:19.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "I [am] God" in Hebrew is 'el 'ani (אֵל אָנִי), a bold and blasphemous assertion of divine status. This stands in stark contrast to God's own self-revelation as "I AM THAT I AM" (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) in Exodus 3:14, which signifies His eternal, self-existent nature. The juxtaposition in Ezekiel 28:9, where the king is told "thou [shalt be] a man, and no God" (אָדָם וְלֹא אֵל - 'adam v'lo 'el), powerfully emphasizes the unbridgeable chasm between the created human and the Creator God.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 28:9 offers timeless lessons for all people. It serves as a potent reminder for us to cultivate humility and to recognize our limitations as human beings. Any form of self-exaltation, whether based on wealth, power, intelligence, or achievement, is ultimately futile and dangerous. True wisdom lies in acknowledging God's supreme authority and sovereignty over all things, understanding that all our blessings and abilities come from Him. It encourages us to live with a proper perspective of our place in creation, serving God rather than seeking to usurp His glory, a temptation that even the Devil succumbed to, as hinted in passages like Isaiah 14:12-15.

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.

  • Ezekiel 28:2

    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:

  • Psalms 82:7

    But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

  • Isaiah 31:3

    Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

  • Daniel 4:31

    While the word [was] in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, [saying], O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

  • Daniel 4:32

    And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling [shall be] with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

  • Acts 12:22

    And the people gave a shout, [saying, It is] the voice of a god, and not of a man.

  • Acts 12:23

    And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

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