Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
2“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.
7behold, 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.
12“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.
13You 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.
16By 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.
17Your 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.
18By 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.
22And 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.
23I 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.
24For 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.’
25This 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.
26And 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.’”
Ezekiel 28 contains three distinct prophecies: against the prince of Tyre (verses 1-10), against the king of Tyre (verses 11-19), and against Sidon (verses 20-26). The first two messages expose the sin of pride and self-exaltation, showing how human wisdom and earthly success can lead to spiritual destruction. The final oracle against Sidon concludes with a promise of restoration for Israel, reminding us that God's ultimate purpose is redemption for His covenant people.
God commands Ezekiel to deliver a message to the ruler of Tyre, a wealthy Phoenician city-state. The prince's sin is clear: his heart is lifted up with pride (v. 2). He has declared himself divine, claiming to sit "in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas." This is the fundamental transgression—claiming divine status and authority that belongs to God alone.
Verses 3-5 detail his accomplishments: he possesses wisdom greater than Daniel, accumulates vast riches through trade, and grows increasingly proud of his wealth and understanding. Yet God reminds him that all these gifts come from the Lord, not from his own inherent power. Pride converts blessing into sin when we forget the Giver.
The judgment is swift and terrible (verses 6-10). God will send foreign armies—"strangers" and "the terrible of the nations"—who will destroy Tyre's beauty and bring the prince down to death in the sea. The phrase "thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain" emphasizes the violence and shame of his end. Most pointedly, in his final moment, he will no longer boast of divinity but will die as merely a man, stripped of all pretense.
The second oracle shifts focus from the earthly ruler to deeper spiritual realities. Many biblical scholars recognize that verses 12-19 contain veiled language describing Satan's original state and rebellion. The king is described as being in "Eden the garden of God" (v. 13), adorned with precious stones, created with "tabrets and pipes" (musical instruments—suggesting beauty and perfection). He is called "the anointed cherub that covereth" (v. 14)—a position of extraordinary honor in God's heavenly council.
This being was "perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (v. 15). His downfall came through pride in his own beauty and wisdom (v. 17). His heart was lifted up, and he corrupted his wisdom through his brightness—a reference to self-admiration that led to rebellion. His punishment is exile from God's holy mountain and destruction (verses 16, 18-19).
While the passage addresses the earthly king of Tyre, the language transcends any mortal ruler and reveals the archetype of rebellion: Satan himself, who sought to exalt his throne above God's and was cast down. This passage teaches us that pride in our gifts or position is the root of all spiritual rebellion.
The oracle against Sidon (another Phoenician city) is briefer. God promises pestilence and judgment, yet the purpose is redemptive: "they shall know that I am the LORD" (v. 23). The final verses pivot to Israel's restoration. Once God has executed judgment on the nations that despise Israel, He will gather His scattered people, sanctify them before the Gentiles, and settle them safely in their land. They will build, plant vineyards, and dwell "with confidence" (v. 26).
Application for Today
This chapter warns against the deceitfulness of pride. Success, wisdom, and wealth are God's gifts, but they become destructive when they inflate our sense of self-importance and cause us to forget our dependence on Him. We must guard our hearts against the subtle sin of spiritual pride, remembering that our every ability comes from our Creator and is meant to serve His glory, not our own exaltation.
Study Notes — Ezekiel 28
4 sectionsEzekiel 28 contains three distinct prophecies: against the prince of Tyre (verses 1-10), against the king of Tyre (verses 11-19), and against Sidon (verses 20-26). The first two messages expose the sin of pride and self-exaltation, showing how human wisdom and earthly success can lead to spiritual destruction. The final oracle against Sidon concludes with a promise of restoration for Israel, reminding us that God's ultimate purpose is redemption for His covenant people.
God commands Ezekiel to deliver a message to the ruler of Tyre, a wealthy Phoenician city-state. The prince's sin is clear: his heart is lifted up with pride (v. 2). He has declared himself divine, claiming to sit "in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas." This is the fundamental transgression—claiming divine status and authority that belongs to God alone.
Verses 3-5 detail his accomplishments: he possesses wisdom greater than Daniel, accumulates vast riches through trade, and grows increasingly proud of his wealth and understanding. Yet God reminds him that all these gifts come from the Lord, not from his own inherent power. Pride converts blessing into sin when we forget the Giver.
The judgment is swift and terrible (verses 6-10). God will send foreign armies—"strangers" and "the terrible of the nations"—who will destroy Tyre's beauty and bring the prince down to death in the sea. The phrase "thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain" emphasizes the violence and shame of his end. Most pointedly, in his final moment, he will no longer boast of divinity but will die as merely a man, stripped of all pretense.
The second oracle shifts focus from the earthly ruler to deeper spiritual realities. Many biblical scholars recognize that verses 12-19 contain veiled language describing Satan's original state and rebellion. The king is described as being in "Eden the garden of God" (v. 13), adorned with precious stones, created with "tabrets and pipes" (musical instruments—suggesting beauty and perfection). He is called "the anointed cherub that covereth" (v. 14)—a position of extraordinary honor in God's heavenly council.
This being was "perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (v. 15). His downfall came through pride in his own beauty and wisdom (v. 17). His heart was lifted up, and he corrupted his wisdom through his brightness—a reference to self-admiration that led to rebellion. His punishment is exile from God's holy mountain and destruction (verses 16, 18-19).
While the passage addresses the earthly king of Tyre, the language transcends any mortal ruler and reveals the archetype of rebellion: Satan himself, who sought to exalt his throne above God's and was cast down. This passage teaches us that pride in our gifts or position is the root of all spiritual rebellion.
The oracle against Sidon (another Phoenician city) is briefer. God promises pestilence and judgment, yet the purpose is redemptive: "they shall know that I am the LORD" (v. 23). The final verses pivot to Israel's restoration. Once God has executed judgment on the nations that despise Israel, He will gather His scattered people, sanctify them before the Gentiles, and settle them safely in their land. They will build, plant vineyards, and dwell "with confidence" (v. 26).
This chapter warns against the deceitfulness of pride. Success, wisdom, and wealth are God's gifts, but they become destructive when they inflate our sense of self-importance and cause us to forget our dependence on Him. We must guard our hearts against the subtle sin of spiritual pride, remembering that our every ability comes from our Creator and is meant to serve His glory, not our own exaltation.