Ezekiel 28:1-26
The Prince of Tyre
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1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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.
3Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you!
4By your wisdom and understanding you have gained your wealth and amassed gold and silver for your treasuries.
5By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has grown proud because of it.
6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you regard your heart as the heart 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.
8They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
9Will 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.
10You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. For I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.”
11Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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.
14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
15From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways—until wickedness was found in you.
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.
19All the nations who know you are appalled over you. You have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’”
20Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
21“Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.
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.’”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The prince of Tyre's heart is proud. He says, “I am a god,” and claims to sit in the heart of the seas like a god. His wisdom and understanding have made him rich, but wealth has lifted his heart and led him to claim divine status.
God says the prince is a man, not a god, and that foreigners will bring him down. The passage then addresses the king of Tyre with imagery of Eden, precious stones, a guardian cherub, and a mountain of God. In the lament, the king is portrayed as created in beauty and blameless until wickedness is found in him. He is driven from God’s mountain in disgrace.
What is clear is the accusation: beauty, wisdom, trade, and splendor became corrupt through pride and violence. The king profaned his sanctuaries by the unrighteousness of his trade, and God casts him down before kings so they can see his downfall.
Sidon also faces God’s judgment, with plague and bloodshed. Israel’s contemptuous neighbors will no longer be like painful thorns. God will gather His scattered people into the land given to Jacob, where they will live securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. He will show His holiness before the nations through this judgment and restoration.
Questions
1 What did the prince of Tyre claim?
AnswerHe claimed to be a god sitting in the heart of the seas.
2 What had made his heart proud?
AnswerHis wisdom, understanding, wealth, and successful trade had made his heart proud.
3 What caused his corruption?
AnswerHis heart grew proud of his beauty, and his splendor corrupted his wisdom. His trade was marked by violence and dishonesty.
4 What did God promise Israel?
AnswerGod promised to gather Israel, give them security, and make His holiness known among the nations.
What This Means for Us
The danger is not competence or prosperity but the story we tell ourselves about them. The prince turns gifts into evidence that he is beyond accountability.
When you succeed at something, remember the help you received and the limits you still have. Can you accept correction from someone with less experience or status? Skill should make us useful to others, not persuade us that ordinary accountability no longer applies.
Prayer
LORD, keep our gifts from becoming claims of self-sufficiency. Give us humility in prosperity, honesty about the harm our success may cause, and hope in Your promise to protect and restore Your people. Amen.
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