INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 28 This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of the prince of Tyre; a lamentation for the king of Tyre; a denunciation of judgments on Zidon, and a promise of peace and safety to Israel. The order given the prophet to prophesy of the ruin of the prince of Tyre, Eze... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME AGAIN UNTO ME,.... With another prophecy; as before against the city of Tyre, now against the king of Tyre: SAYING; as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, SAY UNTO THE PRINCE OF TYRE,.... Whose name was Ethbaal, or Ithobalus, as he is called in Josephus; for that this was Hiram that was in the days of Solomon, and lived a thousand years, is a fable of the Jewish Rabbins, as Jerom relates: this prince of Tyre is thought by some to be an emb... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD; THOU ART WISER THAN DANIEL,.... That is, in his own opinion; or it is ironically said. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it by way of interrogation, "art thou not wiser than Daniel?" who was now at the court of Babylon, and was famous throughout all Chaldea for his knowledg... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THY WISDOM AND WITH THY UNDERSTANDING THOU HAST GOTTEN THEE RICHES,.... Through skill in navigation and trade, for which the Tyrians and their princes were famous, they acquired great wealth: so antichrist, by carnal policy, and hellish subtlety, has amassed vast treasures together; the sale of... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THY GREAT WISDOM AND BY THY TRAFFIC,.... Or, "by thy great wisdom in thy traffic" i; through great skill in trade and commerce: HAST THOU INCREASED THY RICHES; to a very great degree, a prodigious bulk; so antichrist has done, especially through trafficking with the souls of men, which is one pa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Now follows the punishment threatened, because of all this pride, haughtiness, and blasphemy: BECAUSE THOU HAST SET THINE HEART AS THE HEART OF GOD; seeking thine own glory; setting up thyself above all others; assuming that to thyself which belongs to God; an... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THEREFORE, I WILL BRING STRANGERS UPON THEE,.... The Chaldean army, who not only lived at a distance from Tyre, but were unknown to them, not trading with them; nor are they mentioned among the merchants of Tyre: these, in the mystical sense, may design the angels that shall pour out the via... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL BRING THEE DOWN TO THE PIT,.... Or, "to corruption" k; to the grave, the pit of corruption and destruction; so antichrist shall go into perdition, into the bottomless pit from whence he came, Revelation 17:8: AND THOU SHALT DIE THE DEATHS OF THEM THAT ARE SLAIN IN THE MIDST OF THE SEAS;... [ Continue Reading ]
WILT THOU YET SAY BEFORE HIM THAT SLAYETH THEE, I AM GOD?.... When thou art in the enemies' hands, and just going to be put to death, wilt thou then confidently assert thy deity, and to his face tell him that thou art God? surely thy courage and thy confidence, thy blasphemy and impiety, will leave... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT DIE THE DEATHS OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED,.... Or the death of the wicked, as the Targum; the first and second death, temporal and eternal: the former BY THE HAND OF STRANGERS, the Chaldeans, in various shapes; and the latter will follow upon it: it may denote the various kinds of death which... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME,.... After the prophecy concerning the ruin of the prince of Tyre, the word of the Lord came to the prophet, ordering him to take up a lamentation on the king of Tyre: SAYING; as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE UP A LAMENTATION UPON THE KING OF TYRUS,.... Who is before called the prince of Tyre; and who he was Ezekiel 28:2, the bishop of Rome was first only a "nagid", a prince, ruler, governor, and leader in the church; afterwards he became a king, a head, even over other kings, princes, and states; p... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BEEN IN EDEN THE GARDEN OF GOD,.... Not only in Eden, but in the garden which was in Eden, and was of the Lord's immediate planting; and therefore called the garden of God, as well as because of its excellency, fragrancy, and delight; not that the king of Tyre was literally there, or ever... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART THE ANOINTED CHERUB THAT COVERETH,.... In allusion to the cherubim over the mercy seat, which covered it with their wings; and which, as the ark of the testimony and all the vessels of the tabernacle were anointed, were so likewise; in all probability the king of Tyre is called a "cherub" b... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU WAST PERFECT IN THY WAYS FROM THE DAY THAT THOU WAST CREATED,.... From the time that Tyre became a kingdom, or this king was set over it, everything was wisely conducted, and all things happily succeeded; so when the church of Rome was first formed in the times of the apostles, it was laid on a... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE MULTITUDE OF THY MERCHANDISE,.... With the several nations of the earth, who came to the markets and fairs of Tyre, and to whom she sent her goods: THEY HAVE FILLED THE MIDST OF THEE WITH VIOLENCE; or, as the Targum, "thy treasures are filled with rapine;'' with ill gotten goods, as the po... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE HEART WAS LIFTED UP BECAUSE OF THY BEAUTY,.... Riches, wealth, power, and authority; see Ezekiel 28:5, as the pope of Rome is, because of his dignity, the pomp and splendour of the Roman church, and the gaudy appearance it makes: THOU HAST CORRUPTED THY WISDOM BY REASON OF THY BRIGHTNESS; out... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST DEFILED THY SANCTUARIES BY THE MULTITUDE OF THINE INIQUITIES,.... Or, "thy palaces", as Kimchi; the palace of the king, and the palaces of the nobles, where much iniquity was committed, and which was the cause of their being defiled or destroyed by the Chaldeans; or it may design their sac... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THEY THAT KNOW THEE AMONG THE PEOPLE SHALL BE ASTONISHED AT THEE,.... At thy fall; that such a mighty city, and powerful prince, should be destroyed at once; that, from such a height of prosperity, they should be brought to so low an estate of adversity; this will be the astonishment of kings, m... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME,.... After the prophecy of the destruction of the prince and king of Tyre, concerning a neighbouring city: SAYING as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, SET THY FACE AGAINST ZIDON,.... An ancient city, near to Tyre, and in confederacy with it, greatly given to idolatry and superstition; and may design all the antichristian states in the communion of the church of Rome: AND PROPHESY AGAINST IT; the prophet is bid to look towards this pla... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 22 AND SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... The eternal Jehovah, the only true God, the Maker of heaven and earth; this is said by way of preface to the prophecy, and to assure of the fulfilment of it, as well as in opposition to the gods of the Zidonians: BEHOLD, I AM AGAINST THEE, O ZIDON; angr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL SEND INTO HER PESTILENCE, AND BLOOD INTO HER STREETS,.... The plague and the sword, which are two of God's sore judgments, and often go together; the pestilence slays them that are within, and the sword those the enemy meets with in the streets: AND THE WOUNDED SHALL BE JUDGED; that is,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE A PRICKING BRIER TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL,.... To the church of God, Jews or Gentiles, particularly to the Jews, who will now be converted; all the enemies of Christ and his people will now be destroyed, who have been very grievous and distressing to them by their furious pe... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, WHEN I SHALL HAVE GATHERED THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL,.... Not at the return of them from captivity in Babylon; for the ten tribes or house of Israel did not then return; though there might some few of those tribes, as a pledge of what would be hereafter; but in the latter day, upo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL DWELL SAFELY THEREIN,.... There being none to make them afraid, all their enemies being destroyed, and they also under the protection of Christian princes: AND THEY SHALL BUILD HOUSES AND PLANT VINEYARDS; signifying their continuance in their land, and their enjoyment of the blessing... [ Continue Reading ]