It was the pride of Tyre that brought about her ruin, Ezekiel 28:1-2. Please note that Ezekiel 28:2-19 is often used to refer to the past history of Satan. Ezekiel 28:2 is used of Satan when he got above his station. Ezekiel 28:8 records Satan’s fall from heaven. Ezekiel 28:13 shows he was in Eden as recorded in Genesis 2-3.
In answer to this, we quickly note the context of Ezekiel 28 is clearly concerning, ‘the prince of Tyre’, Ezekiel 28:1. In Ezekiel 28:2, he is clearly shown to be a man, not a spirit being, who thought himself a god, Acts 12:20-25. Ezekiel 28:13 may be simply a reference that the Tyrians were prosperous because God had given them what they had. Eden is symbolic of that.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘According to Phoenician annals, the king of this time was Ithobal II (called Ithobalus II by Josephus). The prophecy has been dated shortly before the siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar (585-573 B.C.) during the reign of Ithobal II.’
Any man on earth who would set himself up as one to be worshipped has declared his own doom, 2 Kings 18:33-35 / Daniel 3:15 / Daniel 4:30 / Acts 14. Only God is to be worshipped, for it was He who created all things.
The city of Tyre, therefore, was to pay the price for the arrogance of its king. We would assume, however, that they would not have been punished because of their innocence in this matter. They evidently accepted him as a god and thus gave him worship.
Daniel was wiser than the king of Tyre, Ezekiel 28:3 / Daniel 1:20 / Daniel 2:20 / Daniel 2:48. This statement was a mockery of the king for his arrogant presumption that he would be as wise as God.
If the king claimed to be a god, then he would have to be omniscient, and thus no secret could be hidden from him, Ezekiel 28:3. The king’s self-deception was that his great acquisition of treasures led him to believe that he was as wise as Solomon, Ezekiel 28:4.
His wise trading skills had helped him to increase his wealth, Ezekiel 28:4, and as a result, he became very proud, Ezekiel 28:5 / Ezekiel 29:3 / 2 Kings 18:33-35 / Daniel 3:15 / Daniel 4:30 / Acts 12:21-23.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nowhere else in Scripture is pride set forth in this chapter as the destroying sin.’
But he went one step further; he thought he was as wise as a god, Ezekiel 28:6 / Genesis 3:5. His worldly wisdom to acquire riches was not a qualification for claiming to be a god.
So, because he claimed to be god, God would send a ruthless army against him in order to bring him down, Ezekiel 28:7. Nebuchadnezzar was one of the first of these foreigners, Ezekiel 28:7 / Ezekiel 26:7.
His enemies would kill him and destroy his city, and they would no longer be a powerful source in the areas, Ezekiel 28:7-8 / Ezekiel 27:26-34. And once he was brought down, he was asked if he would still claim to be a god, Ezekiel 28:9. The obvious answer is no, he would cease to claim such a position.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When you read Scripture, you find occasions when God judged arrogant rulers, such as Pharaoh, whom the Egyptians treated as a god, Exodus 5:2, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4, and Herod Agrippa, Acts 12. World leaders who ignore the Lord and act as if they are gods will all be exposed and judged.’
The king would die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners, Ezekiel 28:10 / Ezekiel 32:30 / 1 Samuel 17:26 / 1 Samuel 17:36.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Phoenicians practised circumcision, so to die the death of the uncircumcised meant to die like a barbarian.
Here we read of more lamentations for the king of Tyre because of the destruction of their nation, Ezekiel 28:11-12. The words, ‘the seal of perfection’, Ezekiel 28:12, literally reads, ‘the one sealing a plan’, implying that he was the one who took full responsibility for affixing his seal to the plans which resulted in Tyre’s glory.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Seals functioned as insignias of authority and authenticity. Possession of the seal of a superior was a mark of great honour, signifying that one had been deputised to sign documents on his or her behalf.’
He was thought to be full of wisdom, and he thought he was perfect in beauty, Ezekiel 28:12 / Ezekiel 28:2-5 / Ezekiel 27:3. This king had been in Eden, the garden of God, Ezekiel 28:13 / Genesis 3.
This probably refers to the fact that the Tyrians were prosperous because God had given them what they had. Eden is symbolic of that, Genesis 13:10 / Ezekiel 31:9.
Notice how healthy the king was, precious stones adorned him, carnelian, chrysolite, emerald, topaz, onyx, jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl, Ezekiel 28:13 / Exodus 28:17-20.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The stones listed in this verse are similar to those on the high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 28:17-20. The order is different here in Ezekiel, which includes only nine of the twelve stones of Exodus 28:17-20. The LXX inserts all twelve stones from Exodus 28 into Ezekiel 28:13.’
God had set the king of Tyre in his position as the king, Ezekiel 28:13 / Exodus 9:16 / Romans 9:17 / Romans 13:1-4. He was anointed as a guardian cherub by God, Ezekiel 28:14, which probably means that God had allowed him to reign as king. He was on the holy mount of God and walked among the fiery stones, Ezekiel 28:14.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘As the cherub was in the temple on the holy mountain, so the prince of Tyre was presiding over the island-city, rising like a mountain from the deep. Stones of fire, i.e., bright and shining. Decked with bright jewels, the prince walked among jewels in gorgeous splendour.’
Stuart, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The lament God inspires Ezekiel to sing over the king of Tyre contains a series of metaphorical references to the story of the Garden of Eden and to the Mountain of God. The king is compared to a guardian angel at the mountain and, in a way, to Adam himself in the garden. The comparisons are not exact, but imagistic overtones and general allusions rather than straight one-for-one correspondences to the garden story. The allusions to the mountain of God, e.g., Ezekiel 28:14 / Ezekiel 28:16, reflect a poetic theme in the Old Testament in which the mountain represents God’s abode.’
It appears that the king behaved in a good manner in the past, and then he turned wicked, Ezekiel 28:15. It appears that the more trade he did, the more the king became, Ezekiel 28:16.
As a result of his sin, Ezekiel 28:16, God would bring him down. He was a leader that God raised up in order to accomplish His purpose among His people. But when the sin of materialism took control of his life, he was taken out by God.
Once again, we are told that he was proud, Ezekiel 28:17, and because of his pride, God is going to bring him down, Proverbs 3:34 / James 4:6 / 1 Peter 5:5, and make a spectacle of him, that is, humiliate him in the presence of other kings, Ezekiel 28:17.
The king sinned when he traded; he desecrated his own sanctuaries, Ezekiel 28:18, which meant he was making clean things unclean, Ezekiel 28:16. The people would actually learn a lesson from the fall of the king of Tyre. He exalted himself among the people as a god. However, he was brought down, Ezekiel 28:18.
Though they may not have recognised that it was God who brought him down, they certainly learned that one as the great king of Tyre could be no god, for he was brought down by another king who was more powerful than he, and he would cease to exist, Ezekiel 28:19.
God now turns his attention to Sidon, Ezekiel 28:20-21 / Joshua 11:8 / Joshua 19:28 / Genesis 10:15 / 1 Chronicles 1:13, which was around twenty miles from Tyre. God will punish them in order to display His glory and holiness, then they would know that He is the LORD, Ezekiel 28:22.
Sidon is also to perish by pestilence and sword, and people will die in the street, Ezekiel 28:23 / Ezekiel 6:11-12 / Ezekiel 14:21. This will be sixteen years from now, after Nebuchadnezzar has laid a thirteen-year siege against Tyre. Then they would know that He is the LORD, Ezekiel 28:23.
They were being punished because they were malicious neighbours to God’s people, Ezekiel 28:24 / Genesis 12:3. Again, notice the words, they would know that He is the LORD, Ezekiel 28:24. Since Tyre and Sidon were sister cities, they were considered in prophecy together.
What affected one, affected the other, Isaiah 23:1-2 / Mark 7:24-26 / Acts 12:20. Ezekiel and the other prophets spoke against both Tyre and Sidon. They proclaimed that they would fall. Once they fell, God’s prophets were proved to be sent from God, who alone can know the future.
The nations that surrounded Israel continually plagued them throughout their history. But this would come to an end, for these nations would be terminated by God. This was done when the Medo-Persian Empire assumed control of all the former possessions of the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Notice the fall of Sidon will be complete annihilation; in contrast, the Lord’s people are to be healed, Ezekiel 28:25-26. When God brought His people back to the land of Palestine, Ezekiel 28:25 / Deuteronomy 30:3 / Jeremiah 23:3 / Ezekiel 11:17 / Ezekiel 36:24, the people who were already in the land, and the territory of all neighbouring nations, were under the authority of the Medo-Persian Empire.
They could not rise up against the returned remnant of Israel, lest they be seen as rising up against the Medo-Persian authority that was in control of all of Palestine and the surrounding regions.
For this reason, the Jews dwelt safely in the land, Ezekiel 28:26, that God had promised to His servant Jacob, Genesis 35:12 / Genesis 12:7 / Genesis 26:3, when they returned, for they were under the protection of the Medo-Persians, Ezra 1 / Nehemiah 10. God’s holiness would be set apart in their minds as the only true and living God, Ezekiel 28:25 / Ezekiel 28:22 / Ezekiel 20:41.