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Ezequiel 28

ARC · Chapter 28/48

1E veiu a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

2Filho do homem, dize ao principe de Tyro: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Porquanto se eleva o teu coração, e dizes: Eu sou Deus, na cadeira de Deus me assento no meio dos mares (sendo tu homem, e não Deus), e estimas o teu coração como se fôra o coração de Deus

3Eis que mais sabio és que Daniel: nada ha de occulto que se possa esconder de ti.

4Pela tua sabedoria e pelo teu entendimento alcançaste o teu poder, e adquiriste oiro e prata nos teus thesouros.

5Pela extensão da tua sabedoria no teu commercio augmentaste o teu poder; e eleva-se o teu coração por causa do teu poder;

6Portanto, assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Porquanto estimas o teu coração, como se fôra o coração de Deus

7Por isso eis que eu trarei sobre ti estranhos, os mais formidaveis d'entre as nações, os quaes desembainharão as suas espadas contra a formosura da tua sabedoria, e mancharão o teu resplandor.

8Á cova te farão descer, e morrerás da morte dos traspassados no meio dos mares.

9Porventura pois de alguma maneira dirás diante d'aquelle que te matar: Eu sou Deus; sendo tu homem, e não Deus, na mão do que te traspassa?

10Da morte dos incircumcisos morrerás, por mão dos estranhos; porque eu o fallei, diz o Senhor Jehovah.

11Veiu mais a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

12Filho do homem, levanta uma lamentação sobre o rei de Tyro, e dize-lhe: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Tu és o sellador da somma, cheio de sabedoria e perfeito em formosura.

13Estavas no Eden, jardim de Deus, toda a pedra preciosa era a tua cobertura, sardonia, topazio, diamante, turqueza, onyx, jaspe, saphira, carbunculo, esmeralda e oiro: a obra dos teus tambores e dos teus pifaros estava em ti; no dia em que foste creado foram preparados.

14Tu eras o cherubim, ungido para cobridor, e te estabeleci: no monte sancto de Deus estavas, no meio das pedras afogueadas andavas.

15Perfeito eras nos teus caminhos, desde o dia em que foste creado, até que se achou iniquidade em ti.

16Na multiplicação do teu commercio encheram o teu interior de violencia, e peccaste; pelo que te lançarei profanado do monte de Deus, e te farei perecer, ó cherubim cobridor, do meio das pedras afogueadas.

17Elevou-se o teu coração por causa da tua formosura, corrompeste a tua sabedoria por causa do teu resplandor; por terra te lancei, diante dos reis te puz, para que olhem para ti.

18Pela multidão das tuas iniquidades, pela injustiça do teu commercio profanaste os teus sanctuarios: eu pois fiz sair do meio de ti um fogo, que te consumiu a ti, e te tornei em cinza sobre a terra, aos olhos de todos os que te vêem.

19Todos os que te conhecem entre os povos estão espantados de ti; em grande espanto te tornaste, e nunca mais serás para sempre.

20E veiu a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

21Filho do homem, dirige o teu rosto contra Sidon, e prophetiza contra ella,

22E dize: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Eis-me contra ti, ó Sidon, e serei glorificado no meio de ti; e saberão que eu sou o Senhor, quando n'ella executar juizos e n'ella me sanctificar.

23Porque enviarei contra ella a peste, e o sangue nas suas ruas, e os traspassados cairão no meio d'ella, á espada, estando em roda contra ella; e saberão que eu sou o Senhor.

24E a casa de Israel nunca mais terá espinho que a roce, nem espinho que cause dôr, de todos os que de ao redor d'elles os roubam; e saberão que eu sou o Senhor Jehovah.

25Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Quando eu congregar a casa d'Israel d'entre os povos entre os quaes estão espalhados, e eu me sanctificar entre elles, perante os olhos das nações, então habitarão na sua terra que dei a meu servo, a Jacob.

26E habitarão n'ella seguros, e edificarão casas, e plantarão vinhas, e habitarão seguros, quando eu executar juizos contra todos os que roubam nos seus contornos; e saberão que eu sou o Senhor seu Deus

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God condemns the pride of the prince of Tyre, who considered himself a god, and then delivers a poetic lament over the 'king of Tyre' described in language that evokes Eden itself and a cherub who fell because of pride.

Explanation

The first part (vv. 1-10) deals with the actual human ruler of Tyre, condemned for commercial arrogance. The second part (vv. 11-19), however, with its language about being 'in Eden, the garden of God' and an 'anointed cherub,' goes far beyond any human king — which is why many scholars see here a poetic description that also points symbolically to the fall of a proud spiritual being, using the exalted language of prophetic poetry to describe the spiritual root behind human pride. Regardless of the exact interpretation, the central theme is clear: beauty and success, when they breed pride and the illusion of divine self-sufficiency, lead to a fall.

Fun facts

  • The list of nine precious stones that covered the 'king of Tyre' (v. 13) is nearly identical to the list of stones on the high priest's breastplate in Exodus 28, symbolically linking this being to a position of extreme closeness to God before his fall.
  • This passage, together with Isaiah 14 (about the fall of the 'king of Babylon'), is one of the historical foundations of the later tradition about the fall of Satan, although Ezekiel's original text is formally addressed to the ruler of Tyre.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezequiel 28:1The formula that opens a new oracle, now against the ‘prince’ (ruler) of Tyre — different from the lament over the ‘king’ of Tyre that comes later in the same chapter.
  2. Ezequiel 28:2‘I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas’ is the central accusation against the prince of Tyre: pride to the point of thinking himself divine because of his commercial success and the strategic position of a city surrounded by water.
  3. Ezequiel 28:3‘Wiser than Daniel’ is another reference to that wise and righteous name also found in 14:14 — many scholars think Ezekiel is citing here a legendary wisdom figure known from ancient Near Eastern texts, not necessarily the young Daniel then living at the Babylonian court.
  4. Ezequiel 28:4The ruler of Tyre’s wealth came from his commercial wisdom, not from a divine gift — the text lays the groundwork to accuse him of thinking himself more than he is.
  5. Ezequiel 28:5Business success is pointed to as the root of the pride: the richer the ruler became, the more his heart ‘was lifted up’ — biblical language for arrogance.
  6. Ezequiel 28:6It repeats the oracle’s central accusation — treating his own heart as though it were ‘the heart of God’ — right before announcing the punishment that follows.
  7. Ezequiel 28:7The announced punishment is a foreign invasion (probably Babylon), which would strike at exactly what the ruler was proudest of: his wisdom and his splendor.
  8. Ezequiel 28:8‘To the pit’ is death-language: no matter how far above others he thought himself, the ruler of Tyre would die like any mortal, in the midst of the sea he had dominated.
  9. Ezequiel 28:9An ironic question closes the argument: will he still say ‘I am God’ at the moment of death, at the hand of the one killing him?
  10. Ezequiel 28:10‘The deaths of the uncircumcised’ was considered a shameful death, without honor — the opposite of the respect a powerful ruler expected to receive.
  11. Ezequiel 28:11A second introductory formula within the same chapter: it separates the direct oracle against the ‘prince’ (vv.1–10) from the poetic lament over the ‘king’ of Tyre that begins next.
  12. Ezequiel 28:12The description of the king of Tyre in the garden of Eden, covered with precious stones, like a cherub guarding the place until ‘iniquity was found in thee,’ is poetic language about pride and downfall — later traditions read this passage as a reference to a fallen heavenly being, but in the chapter’s own context the lament’s direct target is the human ruler of Tyre.
  13. Ezequiel 28:13The poem describes the king of Tyre as though he had lived in Eden, covered with precious stones — exaggerated language describing the original splendor of the city and its monarchy.
  14. Ezequiel 28:14‘The anointed cherub that covereth’ and ‘the holy mountain of God’ are images of a guardian being in an exceedingly exalted position — the poetry uses heavenly figures to speak of the king’s pride.
  15. Ezequiel 28:15‘Perfect… till iniquity was found in thee’ marks the poem’s turning point: from original perfection to the corruption that follows.
  16. Ezequiel 28:16The cause of the downfall is identified: trade itself, full of violence and injustice — tying this lament back to the practical criticism of Tyre in the previous chapter.
  17. Ezequiel 28:17Pride in his own beauty corrupted the king’s wisdom; the result is public humiliation, exposed before other kings as a warning.
  18. Ezequiel 28:18‘Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries’ links commercial injustice to a religious offense; the fire that consumes everything down to ashes shows destruction that is both total and visible.
  19. Ezequiel 28:19It repeats the same refrain used for Tyre in the previous chapters — general astonishment and definitive disappearance — reinforcing that this fate has no return.
  20. Ezequiel 28:20The introductory formula of a new oracle, much shorter, now against Zidon — another Phoenician city, a neighbor and somewhat less important than Tyre.
  21. Ezequiel 28:21The order to prophesy against Zidon, following the same pattern used in the earlier oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines.
  22. Ezequiel 28:22Zidon would suffer so that everyone would recognize ‘that I am the Lord’ — the same refrain repeated throughout this whole block of judgments against the nations.
  23. Ezequiel 28:23Pestilence and violence in the streets are the specific form of Zidon’s punishment, following the same logic of war and death already seen in the earlier oracles.
  24. Ezequiel 28:24‘No more a pricking brier’ promises the end of the constant harassment of Israel by its neighbors — a counterpoint of hope placed right in the middle of this sequence of judgment oracles against the nations.
  25. Ezequiel 28:25After judging the neighboring nations, the tone shifts: God promises to gather scattered Israel and bring it back to the land — linking the judgments on the nations to the hope of restoration.
  26. Ezequiel 28:26Details of the promised safe life — houses built, vineyards planted, no more threat from the neighbors — a direct contrast with the chaos the earlier oracles described.

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