Ezekiel 28 contains three distinct oracles. The first (vv. 1-10) addresses the ruler (nagid) of Tyre, condemning his claim to be a god enthroned in the heart of the seas. The second (vv. 11-19) is a lamentation over the king (melek) of Tyre — the extraordinary passage describing an exalted being who was 'in Eden, the garden of God,' adorned with precious stones, anointed as a guardian cherub on the holy mountain, who fell through pride and commercial violence. This passage has been read as either a polemic against Tyrian royal mythology (drawing on Canaanite myths of a primeval divine being who fell from heaven) or as an allusion to a cosmic fall predating human history — the text supports both readings. The third oracle (vv. 20-26) turns to Sidon and concludes with a promise that Israel will dwell securely once her contemptuous neighbors are judged.
The lament over the king of Tyre (vv. 11-19) is one of the most theologically debated passages in the Hebrew Bible. The imagery — Eden, the garden of God, precious stones (paralleling the high priest's breastplate), the anointed guardian cherub, the holy mountain of God, walking among stones of fire — exceeds any possible description of a human Tyrian king and draws on ancient Near Eastern mythology about a primeval divine being who was expelled from the divine assembly. In Jewish tradition, the passage is read as a polemic against Tyrian royal pretension, borrowing mythological language to mock the king's self-deification. In Christian tradition (especially since the Church Fathers), it has been read alongside Isaiah 14:12-15 as describing the fall of Satan — an angelic being who fell through pride. We rendered the Hebrew faithfully without forcing either reading, preserving the mythological language that makes both interpretations possible. The gemstone list in verse 13 partially parallels the twelve stones of the high priestly breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20), suggesting priestly symbolism — the figure was adorned for worship before he was expelled for corruption.
The shift from nagid ('ruler, prince') in verse 2 to melek ('king') in verse 12 may indicate two different addresses to the same figure, or a shift from the historical ruler to a mythological archetype behind the throne. We preserved the Hebrew distinction without harmonizing. The phrase mimshach hakeruv hasokek (v. 14) is one of the most debated phrases in Ezekiel — mimshach may mean 'anointed' (from mashach), 'measured/vast' (from mashach in a different sense), or is textually corrupt. We render 'anointed guardian cherub' as the most widely attested reading. The nine stones in verse 13 (MT) versus twelve stones (LXX, which adds three to match the high priestly breastplate) is a significant textual variant — we follow the MT's nine but note the LXX reading. The word tokh ('midst') in 'you walked in the midst of the stones of fire' (v. 14) is spatially ambiguous — among, between, or through. We render 'among' to preserve the ambiguity.
Isaiah 14:12-15 (the fall of the 'Day Star, son of Dawn') forms a diptych with this passage — both describe a figure of exalted status who fell through pride. Genesis 2-3 (Eden, the garden of God, the cherubim) provides the backdrop for the Eden imagery. Exodus 28:17-20 (the high priestly breastplate) parallels the gemstone list. Revelation 12:7-9 and Luke 10:18 ('I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven') reflect the later Christian reading of this passage as describing Satan's fall. The oracle against Sidon (vv. 20-23) connects to Joel 3:4-8 and Zechariah 9:2. The promise of secure dwelling for Israel (vv. 25-26) anticipates Ezekiel 34:25-28 and 37:25-27.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
The word of the LORD came to me:
KJV The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם אֱמֹר֙ לִנְגִ֣יד צֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה יַ֗עַן גָּבַ֤הּ לִבְּךָ֙ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣ל אָ֔נִי מוֹשַׁ֧ב אֱלֹהִ֛ים יָשַׁ֖בְתִּי בְּלֵ֣ב יַמִּ֑ים וְאַתָּ֥ה אָדָ֛ם וְלֹא־אֵ֖ל וַתִּתֵּ֥ן לִבְּךָ֖ כְּלֵ֥ב אֱלֹהִֽים׃
"Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre: This is what the Lord GOD says — Because your heart has become proud and you have said, 'I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas' — yet you are a man and not a god, though you have set your heart as though it were the heart of a god —
KJV Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Distinguished from melek ('king') in verse 12. Nagid emphasizes appointed leadership; melek emphasizes royal authority. The shift between terms may signal a move from the historical ruler to a mythological archetype.
הִנֵּ֥ה חָכָ֛ם אַתָּ֖ה מִדָּֽנִיֵּ֑אל כָּל־סָת֖וּם לֹ֥א עֲמָמֽוּךָ׃
Indeed, you are wiser than Daniel! No secret is hidden from you!
KJV Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
בְּחָכְמָ֥תְךָ֖ וּבִתְבוּנָתְךָ֑ עָשִׂ֤יתָ לְּךָ֙ חָ֔יִל וַ֨תַּ֔עַשׂ זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף בְּאוֹצְרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
By your wisdom and understanding you have made wealth for yourself and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries.
KJV With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
בְּרֹ֤ב חָכְמָתְךָ֙ בִּרְכֻ֣לָּתְךָ֔ הִרְבִּ֖יתָ חֵילֶ֑ךָ וַיִּגְבַּ֥הּ לְבָבְךָ֖ בְּחֵילֶֽךָ׃
By your great wisdom in trade you have multiplied your wealth, and your heart has grown proud because of your wealth.
KJV By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
לָכֵ֕ן כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה יַ֗עַן תִּתְּךָ֤ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֙ כְּלֵ֣ב אֱלֹהִ֔ים
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have set your heart as though it were the heart of a god,
KJV Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
לָכֵ֗ן הִנְנִ֤י מֵבִיא֙ עָלֶ֣יךָ זָרִ֔ים עָרִיצֵ֖י גוֹיִ֑ם וְהֵרִ֤יקוּ חַרְבוֹתָם֙ עַל־יְפִ֣י חָכְמָתְךָ֔ וְחִלְּל֖וּ יִפְעָתֶֽךָ׃
I am bringing foreigners against you, the most ruthless of the nations. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor.
KJV Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
לַשַּׁ֖חַת יוֹרִד֑וּךָ וָמַ֕תָּה מְמוֹתֵ֥י חָלָ֖ל בְּלֵ֥ב יַמִּֽים׃
They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.
KJV They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.
הֶאָמֹ֤ר תֹּאמַר֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אָ֔נִי לִפְנֵ֖י הֹרְגֶ֑ךָ וְאַתָּ֥ה אָדָ֛ם וְלֹא־אֵ֖ל בְּיַ֥ד מְחַלְּלֶֽיךָ׃
Will you still say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you? You are a man, not a god, in the hands of those who wound you.
KJV Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou art a man, and not God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
מוֹתֵ֧י עֲרֵלִ֛ים תָּמ֖וּת בְּיַד־זָרִ֑ים כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י דִבַּ֔רְתִּי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
You will die the death of the uncircumcised, by the hand of foreigners — for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD."
KJV Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
The word of the LORD came to me:
KJV Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם שָׂ֤א קִינָה֙ עַל־מֶ֣לֶךְ צ֔וֹר וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ לּ֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה אַתָּ֗ה חוֹתֵ֤ם תָּכְנִית֙ מָלֵ֣א חָכְמָ֔ה וּכְלִ֖יל יֹֽפִי׃
"Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him: This is what the Lord GOD says — You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
KJV Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Distinguished from nagid ('ruler') in verse 2. The shift to melek may signal a move to a mythological register — the cosmic king-archetype behind the earthly ruler.
A unique phrase in the Hebrew Bible. The seal (chotem) was the most personal and valuable object an ancient Near Eastern person possessed. To be the 'seal of perfection' is to be the finished, authenticated masterwork.
בְּעֵ֨דֶן גַּן־אֱלֹהִ֜ים הָיִ֗יתָ כָּל־אֶ֨בֶן יְקָרָ֤ה מְסֻכָתֶ֙ךָ֙ אֹ֣דֶם פִּטְדָ֞ה וְיָהֲלֹ֗ם תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ שֹׁ֙הַם֙ וְיָ֣שְׁפֵ֔ה סַפִּ֣יר נֹ֔פֶךְ וּבָרֶ֖קֶת וְזָהָ֑ב מְלֶ֨אכֶת תֻּפֶּ֤יךָ וּנְקָבֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔ךְ בְּי֥וֹם הִבָּרַאֲךָ֖ כּוֹנָֽנוּ׃
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald — and gold. The craftsmanship of your settings and mountings was prepared in you on the day you were created.
KJV Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Eden means 'delight' or 'abundance.' The garden of God is the place of unmediated divine presence — the same garden described in Genesis 2-3, here serving as the original dwelling of this exalted being.
The same verb used in Genesis 1:1. This being was directly created by God — a divine masterwork, not a product of natural generation.
אַ֨תְּ כְּר֔וּב מִמְשַׁ֖ח הַסּוֹכֵ֑ךְ וּנְתַתִּ֗יךָ בְּהַ֨ר קֹ֤דֶשׁ אֱלֹהִים֙ הָיִ֔יתָ בְּת֥וֹךְ אַבְנֵי־אֵ֖שׁ הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃
You were an anointed guardian cherub; I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the stones of fire.
KJV Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
In Ezekiel's own vision (chs. 1 and 10), the cherubim are the living creatures who bear God's throne. Here, the king of Tyre is identified as (or compared to) one of these throne-guardians — a being of the highest rank in the divine court.
If from mashach ('to anoint'), this cherub was consecrated for a specific role — anointing in the Hebrew Bible is always an act of divine appointment to sacred service.
תָּמִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בִּדְרָכֶ֔יךָ מִיּ֖וֹם הִבָּרְאָ֑ךְ עַד־נִמְצָ֥א עַוְלָ֖תָה בָּֽךְ׃
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until wickedness was found in you.
KJV Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
The word used for unblemished sacrificial animals and for Noah ('Noah was a righteous man, tamim in his generation,' Genesis 6:9). It indicates wholeness and integrity, not merely the absence of wrongdoing.
בְּרֹ֣ב רְכֻלָּתְךָ֗ מָל֧וּ תוֹכְךָ֛ חָמָ֖ס וַתֶּחֱטָ֑א וָאֶחַלֶּלְךָ֙ מֵהַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים וָֽאַבֶּדְךָ֙ כְּר֣וּב הַסּוֹכֵ֔ךְ מִתּ֖וֹךְ אַבְנֵי־אֵֽשׁ׃
Through the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I cast you as profane from the mountain of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the stones of fire.
KJV By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
The same word that described the pre-flood world (Genesis 6:11, 'the earth was filled with chamas'). Here, trade-generated violence fills the being internally — chamas is not just external acts but an internal corruption.
גָּבַ֤הּ לִבְּךָ֙ בְּיָפְיֶ֔ךָ שִׁחַ֥תָּ חָכְמָתְךָ֖ עַל־יִפְעָתֶ֑ךָ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ הִשְׁלַכְתִּ֗יךָ לִפְנֵ֧י מְלָכִ֛ים נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְהַבִּ֥יט בָּֽךְ׃
Your heart grew proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. I threw you to the ground; I made you a spectacle before kings.
KJV Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
מֵרֹ֣ב עֲוֹנֶ֗יךָ בְּעֶ֙וֶל֙ רְכֻלָּתְךָ֔ חִלַּ֖לְתָּ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑יךָ וָאוֹצִ֨א אֵ֤שׁ מִתּוֹכְךָ֙ הִ֣יא אֲכָלַ֔תְךָ וָאֶתֶּנְךָ֥ לְאֵ֖פֶר עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־רֹאָֽיִךְ׃
By the magnitude of your iniquities, by the dishonesty of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries. So I brought fire from within you, and it consumed you; I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who watched.
KJV Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
כָּל־יוֹדְעֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּֽעַמִּ֔ים שָׁמְמ֖וּ עָלֶ֑יךָ בַּלָּה֣וֹת הָיִ֔יתָ וְאֵינְךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
All who knew you among the peoples are appalled at you. You have become an object of horror, and you will be no more — forever.
KJV All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
The word of the LORD came to me:
KJV Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שִׂ֥ים פָּנֶ֖יךָ אֶל־צִיד֑וֹן וְהִנָּבֵ֖א עָלֶֽיהָ׃
"Son of man, set your face toward Sidon and prophesy against it.
KJV Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it,
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנְנִ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ צִיד֔וֹן וְנִכְבַּדְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכֵ֑ךְ וְיָדְע֞וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה בַּעֲשׂוֹתִ֤י בָהּ֙ שְׁפָטִ֔ים וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֖י בָּֽהּ׃
Say: This is what the Lord GOD says — I am against you, Sidon, and I will gain glory in your midst. They will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments against her and display my holiness through her.
KJV And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.
From kavod ('glory, weight'). God gains kavod — makes his weight and significance visible — through the judgment of Sidon. His glory is not enhanced but revealed.
וְשִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי בָ֜הּ דֶּ֗בֶר וָדָם֙ בְּח֣וּצוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְנִפְלַ֤ל חָלָל֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ בְּחֶ֖רֶב עָלֶ֣יהָ מִסָּבִ֑יב וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
I will send pestilence into her and blood into her streets. The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her from every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
KJV For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֨ה ע֜וֹד לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל סִלּ֤וֹן מַכְאִיב֙ וְק֣וֹץ מַכְאִ֔ב מִכֹּל֙ סְבִ֣יבֹתָ֔ם הַשָּׁאטִ֖ים אוֹתָ֑ם וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּ֥י אֲנִ֛י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
There will no longer be a piercing brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from any of their neighbors who treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.
KJV And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה בְּקַבְּצִ֣י אֶת־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִן־הָ֤עַמִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָפֹ֣צוּ בָ֔ם וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֣י בָ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְעַבְדִּ֥י לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃
This is what the Lord GOD says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will display my holiness through them in the sight of the nations. They will dwell on their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.
KJV Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.
וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עָלֶ֣יהָ לָבֶ֡טַח וּבָנ֨וּ בָתִּ֜ים וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֗ים וְיָשְׁבוּ֙ לָבֶ֔טַח בַּעֲשׂוֹתִ֣י שְׁפָטִ֔ים בְּכֹ֛ל הַשָּׁאטִ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם מִסְּבִיבוֹתָ֑ם וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּ֥י אֲנִ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
They will dwell there securely; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will dwell in security when I execute judgments against all their neighbors who treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."
KJV And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.
From batach ('to trust'). Security in the prophets is not the absence of enemies but the presence of God's protection — dwelling without fear because one trusts in the covenant God.