Ezekiel 28NKJV
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Ezekiel28

New King James Version

1The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,

2“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,’ Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god

3(Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you!

4With your wisdom and your understanding You have gained riches for yourself, And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;

5By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”

6‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god,

7Behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, The most terrible of the nations; And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, And defile your splendor.

8They shall throw you down into the Pit, And you shall die the death of the slain In the midst of the seas.

9“Will you still say before him who slays you, ‘I am a god’? But you shall be a man, and not a god, In the hand of him who slays you.

10You shall die the death of the uncircumcised By the hand of aliens; For I have spoken,” says the Lord God.’ ”

11Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

12“Son of man, take up a lamentation for 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.

13You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

15You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

16“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.

17“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.

18“You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.

19All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.” ’ ”

20Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

21“Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her,

22and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon; I will be glorified in your midst; And they shall know that I am the Lord, When I execute judgments in her and am hallowed in her.

23For I will send pestilence upon her, And blood in her streets; The wounded shall be judged in her midst By the sword against her on every side; Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

24“And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.”

25‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob.

26And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” ’ ”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 28.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The sentence against the prince or king of Tyre. (1-19). The fall of Zidon. (20-23). The restoration of Israel. (24-26).

vv1-19

Ethbaal, or Ithobal, was the prince or king of Tyre; and being lifted up with excessive pride, he claimed Divine honours. Pride is peculiarly the sin of our fallen nature. Nor can any wisdom, except that which the Lord gives, lead to happiness in this world or in that which is to come. The haughty prince of Tyre thought he was able to protect his people by his own power, and considered himself as equal to the inhabitants of heaven. If it were possible to dwell in the garden of Eden, or even to enter heaven, no solid happiness could be enjoyed without a humble, holy, and spiritual mind. Especially all spiritual pride is of the devil. Those who indulge therein must expect to perish.

vv20-26

The Zidonians were borderers upon the land of Israel, and they might have learned to glorify the Lord; but, instead of that, they seduced Israel to the worship of their idols. War and pestilence are God's messengers; but he will be glorified in the restoring his people to their former safety and prosperity. God will cure them of their sins, and ease them of their troubles. This promise will at length fully come to pass in the heavenly Canaan: when all the saints shall be gathered together, every thing that offends shall be removed, all griefs and fears for ever banished. Happy, then, is the church of God, and every living member of it, though poor, afflicted, and despised; for the Lord will display his truth, power, and mercy, in the salvation and happiness of his redeemed people.

Cross References

Ezekiel 28

Antichrist's pride in claiming to sit as God in the temple mirrors the King of Tyre's self-deification.

Supported by JFB

v2Isaiah 14:13thematic

Matches the king of Babylon's boast to exalt his throne above the stars of God.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v3Daniel 1:20thematic

Daniel's historic wisdom, celebrated throughout the East, used here as an ironic standard of comparison.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v13Genesis 3:24allusion

Imagery of Eden and the protective cherubim guards who keep the way of life.

Supported by JFB

v13Exodus 28:17-20allusion

The list of nine precious stones matches the breastplate of the high priest.

Supported by JFB

v14Isaiah 14:12thematic

Parallel lament over a fallen majestic figure (Lucifer/Day Star) cast down for pride.

Supported by JFB

v24Numbers 33:55allusion

Israel's hostile neighbors historically acted as pricking briars and thorns in their sides.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v2Acts 12:22thematic

Herod Agrippa accepts divine honors, saying, 'the voice of a god,' and is instantly judged.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v3Daniel 2:48thematic

Daniel's public elevation in Babylon because of his God-given ability to reveal secrets.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Zechariah 9:2thematic

Zechariah notes that Tyre and Sidon were indeed very wise, though physically ruined.

Supported by JFB

v5Psalms 62:10thematic

Warning against setting one's heart upon riches when they increase, matching Tyre's sin.

Supported by JFB

v9Ezekiel 28:2thematic

Direct contrast to the prince's initial claim of deity when facing executioners.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v13Ezekiel 31:8thematic

Eden as the standard of ideal beauty and peerless majesty in Ezekiel's descriptions.

Supported by JFB

v22Leviticus 10:3thematic

God declares He will be sanctified and glorified in those who come near Him.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v24Joshua 23:13allusion

Joshua warns that Canaanite remnants will become scourges in Israel's sides and thorns.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v2Daniel 4:30thematic

Nebuchadnezzar's proud boast of building great Babylon by his own power and majesty.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Ezekiel 30:11thematic

Identifies the 'terrible of the nations' as the conquering Babylonian forces of Nebuchadnezzar.

Supported by JFB

v10Ezekiel 32:21thematic

The uncircumcised slain by the sword lie in the depths of Sheol.

Supported by JFB

v12Ezekiel 28:15thematic

Connects the King's initial perfection to his subsequent moral fall.

Supported by JFB

v22Ezekiel 36:23thematic

God sanctifying His great name before the nations through judgments and restoration.

Supported by Matthew Henry