Ezekiel 28:1-10
New English Translation
A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre
28 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince[a] of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Your heart is proud[b] and you said, “I am a god;[c]
I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”—
yet you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are godlike.[d]
3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel;[e]
no secret is hidden from you.[f]
4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself;
you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
5 By your great skill[g] in trade you have increased your wealth,
and your heart is proud because of your wealth.
6 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because you think you are godlike,[h]
7 I am about to bring foreigners[i] against you, the most terrifying of nations.
They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom,[j]
and they will defile your splendor.
8 They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die violently[k] in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you—
though you are a man and not a god—
when you are in the power of those who wound you?
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised[l] by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 28:2 tn Or “ruler” (NIV, NCV).
- Ezekiel 28:2 tn Heb “lifted up.” sn See Prov 16:5.
- Ezekiel 28:2 tn Or “I am divine.”
- Ezekiel 28:2 tn Heb “and you made your heart/mind (לֵב, lev) like the heart/mind of gods.”
- Ezekiel 28:3 sn Or perhaps “Danel” (so TEV), referring to a ruler known from Canaanite legend. See the note on “Daniel” in 14:14. A reference to Danel (preserved in legend at Ugarit, near the northern end of the Phoenician coast) makes more sense here when addressing Tyre than in 14:14.
- Ezekiel 28:3 sn The tone here is sarcastic, reflecting the ruler’s view of himself.
- Ezekiel 28:5 tn Or “wisdom.”
- Ezekiel 28:6 tn Heb “because of your making your heart like the heart of gods.”
- Ezekiel 28:7 sn This is probably a reference to the Babylonians.
- Ezekiel 28:7 tn Heb “they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom.”
- Ezekiel 28:8 tn Heb “you will die the death of the slain.”
- Ezekiel 28:10 sn The Phoenicians practiced circumcision, so the language here must be figurative, indicating that they would be treated in a disgraceful manner. Uncircumcised peoples were viewed as inferior and unclean. See 31:18 and 32:17-32, as well as the discussion in D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:99.
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