Ezekiel chapter 28
Ezekiel prophecies the downfall of Ethbaal III, who was the ruler of Tyre. And he prophecies judgment on Sidon.
THE DOWNFALL OF THE PRINCE OF TYRE
VERSE 1. The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
VERSE 2. “Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the middle of the seas;’ yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God—
the prince of Tyre. The Hebrew word is nageed. It means “the man at the top.” It is often translated as “ruler” or as “prince.”
This ruler then was Ethbaal III. He ruled from 591-590 BC to 573-572 BC.
your heart is lifted up. The prince of Tyre was haughty.
you have said, ‘I am a god. Evidently in those days, the kings of Tyre believed they were divine.
In our day, many people almost think such a thing. This is the height of human arrogance. It suggests a narcissistic personality disorder.
you are man, and not God. The truth is that no human is God.
VERSE 3. behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you;
VERSE 4. by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures;
VERSE 5. by your great wisdom and by your trading you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches—”
NLT translation. Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.
your riches have made you very proud. In the kings of the Old Testament, we see powerful examples that power corrupts. That absolute power corrupts absolutely. Read more »
VERSE 6. “ ‘therefore the Lord GOD says: “Because you have set your heart as the heart of God,
VERSE 7. therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom. They will defile your brightness.
They will defile your brightness. Unimpressed with king Ethbaal’s beauty and wisdom, the Babylon Empire would destroy him.
Babylon king Nebuchadnezzar removed Ethbaal III from his throne in 573-572 BC.
VERSE 8. They will bring you down to the pit. You will die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas.
VERSE 9. Will you yet say before him who kills you, ‘I am God’? But you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you.
VERSE 10. You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
VERSE 11. Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 12. “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, ‘The Lord GOD says: “You were the seal of full measure, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
take up a lamentation. Ezekiel’s final prophecy against Tyre was a lament concerning their king.
VERSE 13. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. They were prepared in the day that you were created.
VERSE 14. You were the anointed cherub who covers. Then I set you up on the holy mountain of God. You have walked up and down in the middle of the stones of fire.
the holy mountain of God. Sometimes the Bible describes the residence of the LORD God as a mountain.
VERSE 15. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.
VERSE 16. By the abundance of your commerce, your insides were filled with violence, and you have sinned. Therefore I have cast you as profane out of God’s mountain. I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the middle of the stones of fire.
VERSE 17. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I have cast you to the ground. I have laid you before kings, that they may see you.
Michael the Archangel leads the God-fearing angels into combat against Satan and his minions. They throw Satan and his minions out of heaven and to the earth. Read more »
VERSE 18. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your commerce, you have profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought out a fire from the middle of you. It has devoured you. I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you.
VERSE 19. All those who know you among the peoples will be astonished at you. You have become a terror, and you will exist no more.” ’ ”
JUDGMENT ON SIDON
VERSE 20. The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
The LORD’s word came to me. This judgment against Sidon begins the same way as the oracles against Tyre.
VERSE 21. “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it,
Sidon. Sidon was a sister city of Tyre. It was 20 miles up the Mediterranean coast.
VERSE 22. and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Sidon. I will be glorified among you. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have executed judgments in her, and am sanctified in her.
VERSE 23. For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets. The wounded will fall within her, with the sword on her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
VERSE 24. “ ‘ “There will be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are around them that scorned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”
VERSE 25. “ ‘The Lord GOD says: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.
VERSE 26. They will dwell in it securely. Yes, they will build houses, plant vineyards, and will dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who scorn them all around. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.” ’ ”
EZEKIEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48
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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.