Ezekiel Chapter 28

Jun 5

Ezekiel 28

Against Satan, King of Tyre

Ezekiel 28 continues the word of judgment against Tyre, but the focus shifts from the city itself to its ruler and then to the spiritual power behind that ruler. The chapter first addresses the prince of Tyre, a proud human ruler whose riches, wisdom, and commercial success made his heart rise up as if he were a god. Then the prophecy moves beyond any mere earthly king and speaks to the king of Tyre in language that reaches back to Eden, the holy mountain of God, and the anointed cherub who fell through pride. This is one of the clearest Old Testament passages concerning Satan’s original glory, pride, corruption, and judgment. The chapter then turns briefly to Sidon and closes with a promise that God will gather Israel, remove the painful thorn of hostile nations, and cause His people to dwell securely in the land He gave to Jacob. The uploaded notes emphasize the pride of the prince of Tyre, the deeper satanic power behind Tyre’s arrogance, the judgment of Sidon, and the future restoration of Israel in her own land.

The lamentation for the prince of Tyre.

1. Ezekiel 28:1-5, The sins of the prince of Tyre.

Ezekiel 28:1, The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 28:2, 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:

Ezekiel 28:3, Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

Ezekiel 28:4, With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

Ezekiel 28:5, By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

The word of the LORD came again unto me continues the series of judgments against Tyre. Ezekiel 26 announced Tyre’s fall, Ezekiel 27 lamented Tyre’s commercial shipwreck, and now Ezekiel 28 exposes the pride of Tyre’s ruler and the deeper spiritual pride behind the kingdom.

Say unto the prince of Tyrus means the prophecy now turns from the city to its ruler. Historically, this may refer to the ruler of Tyre in Ezekiel’s day, commonly identified with Ithobal II. Yet the prince also represents the arrogant leadership and spirit of Tyre as a whole.

Because thine heart is lifted up identifies the root sin. Pride was the heart of Tyre’s ruler. His wealth, wisdom, maritime security, and commercial power inflated his view of himself.

Thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas shows the blasphemous self-exaltation of the prince. Tyre sat in the sea and seemed secure, wealthy, and untouchable. Her ruler began to think like a god. He claimed divine status and security.

Yet thou art a man, and not God is the LORD’s answer to his pride. The prince of Tyre may imagine himself enthroned among the gods, but God declares reality. He is a man. He is mortal. He is accountable.

This is a repeated biblical lesson. Proud rulers may speak and act as if they are divine, but God exposes them as men.

Pharaoh spoke proudly against the LORD.

Exodus 5:2, And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Sennacherib spoke proudly against the God of Israel.

2 Kings 18:33, Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

2 Kings 18:34, Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

2 Kings 18:35, Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

Nebuchadnezzar also fell into pride before God humbled him.

Daniel 4:30, The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

Daniel 4:31, While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

Herod was judged when he accepted divine praise.

Acts 12:21, And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

Acts 12:22, And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

Acts 12:23, And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Though thou set thine heart as the heart of God shows that the issue was not merely political arrogance, but inward self-deification. The prince had a creature’s heart, but he set it as if it were divine. Pride always lies about the distance between Creator and creature.

Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel is spoken with irony. Daniel was already known for God-given wisdom and ability to understand secrets. The prince of Tyre considered himself superior in wisdom, as though no secret could be hidden from him.

Daniel’s wisdom was from God and was recognized even in Babylon.

Daniel 1:20, And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

Daniel 2:20, Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

Daniel 2:21, And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

Daniel 2:22, He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

Daniel 2:48, Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel is a contrast to Tyre’s prince. Daniel had wisdom and honor, but he gave glory to God. The prince of Tyre used wisdom and riches as fuel for pride.

With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches shows that the prince had real ability. God does not deny that he was intelligent in trade. The problem was not wisdom, commerce, or riches in themselves. The problem was pride produced by them.

Hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures points to Tyre’s vast wealth. The prince’s treasury was full, and his heart rose with it.

By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches shows the link between Tyre’s commercial genius and her ruler’s pride. Tyre knew how to trade, profit, and accumulate wealth. But commercial success without humility before God became spiritually deadly.

Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches summarizes the sin. Riches became a ladder for pride. The wealth that should have reminded him of accountability made him imagine himself divine.

The New Testament warns that riches can tempt men into pride and false security.

1 Timothy 6:17, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

2. Ezekiel 28:6-10, Judgment upon the prince of Tyre.

Ezekiel 28:6, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;

Ezekiel 28:7, 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.

Ezekiel 28:8, 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.

Ezekiel 28:9, Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.

Ezekiel 28:10, Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God repeats the reason for judgment. The ruler of Tyre exalted himself inwardly before he was brought down outwardly. God judges pride at the heart level.

I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations means foreign invaders would come against Tyre. These strangers would not respect Tyre’s glory, wealth, or claims of divinity. Historically, Babylon began this judgment under Nebuchadnezzar, and later conquerors continued it.

They shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom means the very splendor Tyre boasted in would be attacked. Her wisdom had produced wealth and beauty, but the sword would expose how powerless that beauty was before God’s judgment.

They shall defile thy brightness means Tyre’s radiance, dignity, and royal splendor would be profaned. What looked glorious would be humiliated.

They shall bring thee down to the pit points to death and judgment. The ruler who thought he sat in the seat of God in the midst of the seas would be brought down to the pit.

Thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas fits Tyre’s maritime identity. The proud sea ruler would die like the slain in the very realm where he boasted.

Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? is the cutting question. Will the prince still claim deity when a sword is at his throat? Death is the great teacher of creatureliness. Gods do not die. Men do.

But thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee repeats the LORD’s verdict. In the hand of the killer, the prince’s humanity will be exposed. His wealth cannot make him divine. His wisdom cannot make him immortal. His island throne cannot make him God.

Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers means he will die a shameful death. The Phoenicians practiced circumcision, so to die the death of the uncircumcised was to die dishonored, outside covenant dignity, and like a barbarian in disgrace.

For I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD gives the certainty of the sentence. The prince’s word about himself is false. The LORD’s word about him is final.

B. The lamentation for the king of Tyre.

1. Ezekiel 28:11-15, The glory of the privilege of the king of Tyre.

Ezekiel 28:11, Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 28:12, 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.

Ezekiel 28:13, 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.

Ezekiel 28:14, 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.

Ezekiel 28:15, Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus marks a shift from the prince of Tyre to the king of Tyre. The prince in verses 1-10 is clearly a human ruler. But the description of the king in verses 11-19 goes beyond any merely human ruler. He is described as having been in Eden, as the anointed cherub, created perfect, and present on the holy mountain of God. This points to the spiritual power behind Tyre’s pride: Satan himself.

Scripture elsewhere shows that earthly kingdoms can have spiritual powers behind them. Isaiah 14 speaks to the king of Babylon in language that rises beyond a mere human king.

Isaiah 14:12, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to-the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14:13, For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above-the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Isaiah 14:14, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Isaiah 14:15, Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Daniel 10 also shows spiritual princes behind earthly empires.

Daniel 10:12, Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set-thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come-for thy words.

Daniel 10:13, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael,-one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Daniel 10:20, Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight-with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty describes a being of extraordinary original excellence. This is not the self-flattery of the human prince, but God’s description of what this being was before his fall. Satan was created with wisdom and beauty. Evil did not begin because God made something evil. It began when a good creature corrupted the gifts God gave him.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God reaches back to Genesis 3. No king of Tyre personally lived in Eden. Satan was there in the form of the serpent, deceiving Eve and opposing God’s word.

Genesis 3:1, Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And-he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:4, And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Genesis 3:5, For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,-and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

The New Testament identifies the serpent with Satan.

Revelation 12:9, And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which-deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Every precious stone was thy covering shows Satan’s original splendor. He was adorned with beauty by God. The list of precious stones suggests glory, dignity, and perhaps priestly association, because several of these stones appear in the high priest’s breastplate.

Exodus 28:17, And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall-be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

Exodus 28:18, And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

Exodus 28:19, And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

Exodus 28:20, And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set-in gold in their inclosings.

The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created may indicate musical capacity and beauty connected to heavenly worship. Satan was created with gifts, splendor, and possibly music associated with his original station. His gifts were not self-created. They were prepared in him by God.

There is heavenly song and worship in Scripture.

Job 38:7, When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Revelation 5:9, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open-the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,-and tongue, and people, and nation;

Revelation 15:3, And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb,-saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King-of saints.

Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth identifies this being as a cherub, one of the exalted angelic beings associated with the throne and glory of God. The cherubim appeared earlier in Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God.

Ezekiel 1:5, Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance;-they had the likeness of a man.

Ezekiel 10:20, This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar;-and I knew that they were the cherubims.

The cherubim also covered the mercy seat, the symbolic throne of God in the tabernacle.

Exodus 25:20, And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings,-and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

Exodus 37:9, And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy-seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

I have set thee so means Satan did not earn or seize his original position. God established him. His place, wisdom, beauty, adornment, and authority were gifts from the Creator.

Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God points to the heavenly mountain, the divine dwelling and throne realm. Hebrews speaks of the heavenly Zion.

Hebrews 12:22, But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly-Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire indicates freedom and privilege in the presence of God’s fiery holiness. Whether this refers to fiery heavenly stones, angelic beings, or the burning glory around God’s throne, the point is clear: Satan once had extraordinary nearness to divine glory.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created means Satan was created good. His fall was not because God created evil in him. He was perfect in his created ways.

Till iniquity was found in thee identifies the beginning of evil in this created being. Iniquity was not forced into him from outside. It was found in him. Pride corrupted what God had made beautiful.

2. Ezekiel 28:16-19, The pride and iniquity of the king of Tyre.

Ezekiel 28:16, 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.

Ezekiel 28:17, 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.

Ezekiel 28:18, 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.

Ezekiel 28:19, 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.

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned blends the language of Tyre’s commercial sin with the deeper sin of Satan. Tyre’s commerce was filled with greed, exploitation, and violence. Satan’s own rebellion was a kind of corrupt trafficking in glory, influence, deception, and ambition. He sought exaltation, and violence followed.

Jesus describes Satan as a murderer and liar from the beginning.

John 8:44, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He-was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.-When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father-of it.

Jesus also contrasts His own mission with the thief’s destructive work.

John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I-am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God means Satan’s sin results in expulsion from his privileged place. The holy mountain cannot permanently house a profane rebel.

Jesus spoke of Satan’s fall.

Luke 10:18, And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

There is also a future casting down of Satan from heavenly access to the earth.

Revelation 12:7, And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Revelation 12:8, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Satan will later be bound in the bottomless pit.

Revelation 20:1, And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Revelation 20:2, And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,-and bound him a thousand years,

Revelation 20:3, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him,-that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must-be loosed a little season.

Finally, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:10, And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the-beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire means the covering cherub’s privileged access to fiery glory will be removed. The one who once covered in holy service becomes profane through rebellion.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty gives the inner cause of Satan’s fall. Beauty became the occasion for pride. Instead of receiving beauty as a gift from God, he turned inward in self-exaltation.

Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness means his wisdom became twisted by splendor. Pride corrupts perception. The brighter he appeared to himself, the darker his wisdom became.

This agrees with the broader biblical principle that God resists the proud.

Proverbs 3:34, Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

James 4:6, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto-the humble.

1 Peter 5:5, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to-another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee means Satan’s humiliation will be public. The one who exalted himself will be displayed in defeat. The kings and nations influenced by him will one day see his ruin.

Isaiah describes the astonishment of those who see the fall of Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:16, They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man-that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Isaiah 14:17, That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of-his prisoners?

Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities applies directly to Tyre’s temples and more deeply to the sacred privilege Satan corrupted. What God gave for holy service was defiled by rebellion.

By the iniquity of thy traffick shows that Tyre’s greed and Satan’s self-exalting trade in glory are connected. Both treat what is given by God as fuel for selfish exaltation.

Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee means judgment comes from within as well as from without. Pride carries the seed of its own destruction. The fire arises from the corrupted center.

I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee speaks of complete humiliation. The glory that once shone becomes ashes. For Tyre, this had historical fulfillment in destruction by conquerors. For Satan, it points to final defeat and judgment.

All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee means the fall will shock those who admired or feared this power.

Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more means the judgment will be fearful and final. Tyre as a proud power would vanish from its former glory, and Satan’s final doom will be absolute.

C. The prophecy against Sidon.

1. Ezekiel 28:20-23, God glorified through His judgment on Sidon.

Ezekiel 28:20, Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 28:21, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it,

Ezekiel 28:22, 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.

Ezekiel 28:23, 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.

The word of the LORD came unto me introduces the judgment against Sidon, another Phoenician harbor city near Tyre. Tyre has received the longer prophecy, but Sidon also stands accountable before the LORD.

Set thy face against Zidon means Ezekiel must speak directly against Sidon. Sidon had ancient roots and was associated with Canaanite power and idolatry.

Sidon’s origin is traced to Canaan.

Genesis 10:15, And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

1 Chronicles 1:13, And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,

Sidon was known as a great city in Joshua’s day.

Joshua 11:8, And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great-Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they-left them none remaining.

Joshua 19:28, And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon;

Sidon is often mentioned with Tyre in the prophets.

Isaiah 23:1, The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so-that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

Isaiah 23:2, Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea,-have replenished.

Isaiah 23:4, Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying,-I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

Jeremiah 47:4, Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus-and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of-Caphtor.

Joel 3:4, Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all-the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily-will I return your recompence upon your own head;

Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon is the central threat. Like Tyre, Sidon faces the worst possible opposition: the LORD Himself.

I will be glorified in the midst of thee means God will display His glory in Sidon through judgment. If a nation will not glorify God by obedience, it may be forced to display His glory through judgment.

They shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her gives the repeated purpose of these oracles. The nations will know Yahweh, not merely Israel. Judgment reveals His sovereignty.

And shall be sanctified in her means God will be shown as holy in Sidon. His holiness is displayed when He judges sin.

I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets describes the forms of judgment. Disease and bloodshed will strike Sidon.

The wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side means the city will be surrounded and struck. The sword will come from every side.

They shall know that I am the LORD closes the Sidon oracle with the same purpose. Sidon’s judgment will reveal the LORD.

2. Ezekiel 28:24, Blessing to Israel in the judgments upon neighboring nations.

Ezekiel 28:24, 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.

There shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn means the hostile neighboring nations will no longer continually wound Israel. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and the other enemies around Israel had been like thorns and briers, constantly piercing and troubling God’s people.

The language recalls the warning about the nations that remained in the land.

Numbers 33:55, But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come-to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in-your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Joshua also warned Israel in similar terms.

Joshua 23:13, Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from-before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in-your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

Of all that are round about them, that despised them identifies the surrounding nations as those who treated Israel with contempt. God may judge Israel, but the nations have no right to despise His covenant people.

They shall know that I am the Lord GOD means Israel will also learn from these judgments. The LORD’s dealings with the nations will reveal that He is both Yahweh, the covenant God, and Adonai, the sovereign Master.

3. Ezekiel 28:25-26, The promise to restore Israel.

Ezekiel 28:25, 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.

Ezekiel 28:26, 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.

When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered looks beyond immediate judgment to restoration. Israel had been scattered for covenant unfaithfulness, but the LORD promises to gather them again.

This promise agrees with the earlier covenant promise in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 30:1, And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the-curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither-the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

Deuteronomy 30:2, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command-thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

Deuteronomy 30:3, That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return-and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

It is also repeated by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 23:3, And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them,-and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

Jeremiah 32:37, Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger,-and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I-will cause them to dwell safely:

Ezekiel had already spoken this promise, and will expand it later.

Ezekiel 11:17, Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble-you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:24, For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will-bring you into your own land.

And shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen means God will display His holiness through Israel’s restoration. The nations saw Israel judged for sin, and they will also see Israel restored by covenant mercy.

Then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob is explicit. The land belongs to Israel because God gave it to Jacob. Exile did not cancel the gift. Judgment did not erase the promise. From a literal, dispensational, premillennial understanding, this points beyond the partial return from Babylon to the full future restoration of Israel in the land under Messiah.

The land promise goes back to the patriarchs.

Genesis 28:13, And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy-father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and-to thy seed;

And they shall dwell safely therein promises security. The post-exilic return under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah was real but not complete in this sense, because the people did not dwell in full covenant peace and security. The full promise awaits the kingdom restoration when Israel is gathered, cleansed, and secured under the reign of Messiah.

They shall build houses, and plant vineyards gives concrete signs of settled blessing. Houses and vineyards mean stability, peace, ownership, and long-term dwelling.

Yea, they shall dwell with confidence repeats the security promise. Israel will not merely return in fear. She will dwell confidently when God’s work is complete.

When I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them means Israel’s peace is connected to God’s judgment on hostile nations. The thorns and briers must be removed.

They shall know that I am the LORD their God closes the chapter with covenant restoration. The nations will know the LORD through judgment. Israel will know the LORD through judgment, mercy, gathering, land restoration, and secure dwelling.

Ezekiel 28 exposes pride at every level. The prince of Tyre exalted himself as a god because riches and wisdom lifted up his heart. The king of Tyre reveals the deeper satanic pattern behind such pride: a created being, full of wisdom and beauty, corrupted by self-exaltation and cast down from privilege. Sidon too would be judged, and the surrounding nations would no longer be pricking briers and grieving thorns to Israel. Yet the chapter ends not with Satan, Tyre, or Sidon, but with Israel’s restoration. The LORD will gather the house of Israel, sanctify Himself in them before the nations, bring them into the land given to Jacob, and cause them to dwell safely. Pride falls, Satan is judged, nations are humbled, but the covenant purpose of God stand

Clayton Taylor https://taylorbiblestudy.com