Bible Glide

Ezekiel 28 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Ezekiel 28 speaks against the pride of Tyre's ruler and king, then turns to Sidon and to Israel's future hope. The chapter shows how wealth, beauty, and power can lead to ruin when they are set against the Lord. It also ends with a promise of gathering, safety, and restored life for God's people.

What happens in Ezekiel 28?

The chapter begins with a message to the ruler of Tyre, who has grown proud and claimed a godlike status. God announces judgment through invading nations, exposing the ruler's weakness and bringing him down. A lament then describes the king of Tyre in striking language of beauty, wisdom, and a privileged place, yet also of corruption, violence, and downfall through pride. The chapter closes with a prophecy against Sidon, followed by a promise that God will gather Israel, show his holiness among them, and give them secure dwelling in their land.

Ezekiel 28 continues the section of judgments against foreign powers surrounding Israel. It follows the lament over Tyre in chapter 27 and extends the warning to Tyre's rulers before moving to Sidon. The final verses shift from judgment to restoration, looking ahead to Israel's return and secure life under God's rule.

  • Pride and downfallHuman pride, especially when tied to success and status, leads to humiliation before God.
  • God's judgmentThe Lord acts against arrogant nations and rulers to show his holiness and authority.
  • Restoration and securityAfter judgment, God promises to gather his people and give them peace in their land.
  • What does this chapter say about the danger of pride in success and influence?
  • Why does God speak so strongly against Tyre and Sidon in this passage?
  • How do the final verses shape hope for Israel after the judgments described earlier?

Read the full text of Ezekiel 28 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Ezekiel 28

A Prophecy against the Ruler of Tyre

1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says:

Your heart is proud,

and you have said,

‘I am a god;

I sit in the seat of gods

in the heart of the sea.’

Yet you are a man and not a god,

though you have regarded your heart

as that of a god.

3Behold, you are wiser than Daniel;

no secret is hidden from you!

4By your wisdom and understanding

you have gained your wealth

and amassed gold and silver

for your treasuries.

5By your great skill in trading

you have increased your wealth,

but your heart has grown proud

because of it.

6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:

Because you regard your heart

as the heart of a god,

7behold, I will bring foreigners against you,

the most ruthless of nations.

They will draw their swords

against the beauty of your wisdom

and will defile your splendor.

8They will bring you down to the Pit,

and you will die a violent death

in the heart of the seas.

9Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’

in the presence of those who slay you?

You will be only a man, not a god,

in the hands of those who wound you.

10You will die the death of the uncircumcised

at the hands of foreigners.

For I have spoken,

declares the Lord GOD.”

A Lament for the King of Tyre

11Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

12“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘You were the seal of perfection,

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13You were in Eden,

the garden of God.

Every kind of precious stone adorned you:

ruby, topaz, and diamond,

beryl, onyx, and jasper,

sapphire, turquoise, and emerald.

Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold,

prepared on the day of your creation.

14You were anointed as a guardian cherub,

for I had ordained you.

You were on the holy mountain of God;

you walked among the fiery stones.

15From the day you were created

you were blameless in your ways—

until wickedness was found in you.

16By the vastness of your trade,

you were filled with violence, and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace

from the mountain of God,

and I banished you, O guardian cherub,

from among the fiery stones.

17Your heart grew proud of your beauty;

you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor;

so I cast you to the earth;

I made you a spectacle before kings.

18By the multitude of your iniquities

and the dishonesty of your trading

you have profaned your sanctuaries.

So I made fire come from within you,

and it consumed you.

I reduced you to ashes on the ground

in the eyes of all who saw you.

19All the nations who know you

are appalled over you.

You have come to a horrible end

and will be no more.’”

A Prophecy against Sidon

20Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,21“Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.

22And you are to declare that this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,

and I will be glorified within you.

They will know that I am the LORD

when I execute judgments against her

and demonstrate My holiness through her.

23I will send a plague against her

and shed blood in her streets;

the slain will fall within her,

while the sword is against her on every side.

Then they will know that I am the LORD.

24For the people of Israel will no longer face a pricking brier or a painful thorn from all around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

The Restoration of Israel

25This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to My servant Jacob.26And there they will dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.’”

Save notes and ask about Ezekiel 28

Create a free account to keep highlights and notes across devices, or open Bible Glide Chat with this passage already attached.