Ezekiel 28:21

Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, SET THY FACE AGAINST ZIDON - famous for its fishery (from a root [ tsuwd (H6679)], 'to fish'); and afterward for its wide-extended commerce: its artistic elegance was proverbial. Founded by Canaan's first-born (Genesis 10:15). Tyre was an offshoot from it, so that it was involved in the same overthrow by the Chaldeans as Tyre. It is mentioned separately, because its idolatry (the worship of Ashtaroth, "the goddess of the Zidonians," Tammuz or Adonis) infected Israel more than that of Tyre did (Ezekiel 8:1; Judges 10:6;...

20-26. The Zidonians were borderers upon the land of Israel, and they might have learned to glorify the Lord; but, instead of that, they seduced Israel to the worship of their idols. War and pestilence are God's messengers; but he will be glorified in the restoring his people to their former safety and prosperity. God will cure them of their sins, and ease them of their troubles. This promise will at length fully come to pass in the heavenly Canaan: when all the saints shall be gathered together, every thing that offends shall be removed, all griefs and fears for ever banished. Happy, then, is the church of God, and every living member of it, though poor, afflicted, and despised; for the Lord will display his truth, power, and mercy, in the salvation and happiness of his redeemed people....

Prophecy against Zidon. Zidon (mod. Saida) was more ancient than Tyre and was the original metropolis of Phoenicia Genesis 10:19, but in the times of Phoenician greatness it ever played a subordinate part. Only once Judges 10:12 do we find the “Zidonians” in conflict with Israel. The evil which they did was the seducing them to idolatry (compare Ezekiel 28:24), as in the case of Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians 1 Kings 16:31. The capture of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar increased the importance of Zidon, which was a wealthy and flourishing town when Artaxerxes Ochus destroyed it. It has rallied from

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 28:1 From the city the prophet passes to its ruler, who concentrated in himself whatever was most arrogant and boastful in the temper of his people. He is described here as a" prince," in Ezekiel 28:12 as "king," and the combination of the two words points probably to some peculiarity of the Tyrian constitution. "Prince" it will be remembered, is constantly used by Ezekiel of Zedekiah (Ezekiel 7:27; Ezekiel 12:20, _el al_.)._ _The King of Tyro at the time was Ithobal or Ethbaal III. (Josephus, 'Contra Apion,'...

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 place with a stern countenance, as before against Tyre; threatening it with ruin, and prophesying of it, in the following manner....

Ezekiel 28:1. The prince of Tyrus, or, as he is also called, the king, was, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Ithobalus, known in the Phoenician annals as Ithobaal II. He was the consummation of the pride and wealth of Tyrus; the terrible pride of the city headed up in him. His heart was so lifted up that he claimed to be a god and that he occupied the very seat of God. He boasted of greater wisdom than the wisdom of Daniel. He is a type of the final Antichrist, the man of sin. Behind the wicked prince and king, there is seen another power, Satan. Satan was the power behind the throne of the Tyrian king, as Satan is still the god of this age, who controls the kingdoms of the world. Inasmuch, then, as Tyrus is a type of the commercial glory of the world, its wealth and pride, foreshadowing the final great world-city or world-system, Babylon, the ruler of Tyrus, spoken of as prin...

EZEKIEL 28. TYRE'S FALL FROM HEAVEN. In a remarkable passage, Ezekiel now conceives the pride of Tyre as incarnate in her king. The detail is often obscure and difficult, reminiscent of a mythological background similar to Genesis 3. The commercial genius and success of Tyre flushed her with impious pride: she fancied herself divine. But her marvellous wisdom was only commercial wisdom; she had no instinct for the worship of anything but herself and her abounding prosperity: so the terrible Babylonians must come and lay them low in an unhonoured death (Ezekiel 28:1). A dirge is then sung over the fallen genius of Tyre, impersonated by her king. Once he had walked in the garden of God, fair, wise, and resplendent, companion of the cherubs who guard the holy abode; but for his pride he was hurled out of Paradise symbol of the ruin to which Tyre's commercial pride will bring her. (In...

SON OF MAN. See note on Ezekiel 2:1. ZIDON. Was not threatened with extinction, as Tyre was. See note on Ezekiel 26:2....

IV. THE RIVAL OF TYRE 28:20-24 TRANSLATION (20) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (21) Son of man, set your face against Sidon, and prophesy against her, (22) and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold I am against you, O Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of You; and they shall know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments in her, and manifest My holiness in her; (23) for I shall send into her pestilence and blood in her streets; and the slain shall fall in the midst of her, by the sword upon her on every side. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. (24) And there shall be no more for the house of Israel a pricking brier nor a piercing thorn of any that are round about them, who treated them with contempt; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. COMMENTS Not only would Tyre experience the wrath of the living God, her rival to the north would fall as well....

GOD'S JUDGMENT ON SIDON Sidon, the partner of Tyre in opposing Nebuchadrezzar, will be its partner in destruction (Ezekiel 28:20). The overthrow of the heathen nations will vindicate the supreme power of the God of Israel, will prepare the way for His people's restoration to their own land, and will ensure their security and peace in the future (Ezekiel 28:24). These last vv. have an important bearing on the significance of all Ezekiel's prophecies against the nations....