Ezekiel 28:15 kjv
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:15 nkjv
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
Ezekiel 28:15 niv
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Ezekiel 28:15 esv
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.
Ezekiel 28:15 nlt
"You were blameless in all you did
from the day you were created
until the day evil was found in you.
Ezekiel 28 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:31 | "God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." | God's perfect initial creation. |
| Deut 32:4 | "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice." | God's own perfect nature. |
| Ps 18:30 | "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true." | God's blameless path. |
| Gen 6:9 | "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation." | Human concept of tamim (blameless). |
| Job 1:1 | "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright." | Another use of tamim. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!... " | Satan's fall from high position due to pride. |
| Luke 10:18 | "He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”" | Jesus' testimony to Satan's swift fall. |
| John 8:44 | "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth..." | Satan's early perversion, departure from truth. |
| 1 Jn 3:8 | "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning." | Satan's original, enduring sin. |
| 2 Pet 2:4 | "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned..." | Divine judgment on sinning angels. |
| Jude 6 | "And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority..." | Angels' abandonment of their assigned place. |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin..." | Humanity's fall, echoing a prior spiritual fall. |
| Jam 1:13-15 | "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire... gives birth to sin..." | Origin of sin through internal desire. |
| Ps 101:2 | "I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart." | Longing for a blameless walk. |
| Col 1:16 | "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible..." | Christ as Creator of all beings, including angels. |
| Rev 12:7-9 | "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon... and the great dragon was thrown down." | War leading to the expulsion of Satan. |
| Hab 1:13 | "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong..." | God's pure nature, incapable of originating evil. |
| Jer 17:9 | "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" | Internal origin of sin in creatures. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Moral principle often applied to Satan's fall. |
| Gen 3:1-6 | "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast... She took of its fruit and ate..." | The first act of unrighteousness and temptation in the created world. |
| Prov 28:13 | "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." | Principle of righteousness vs. unrighteousness. |
Ezekiel 28 verses
Ezekiel 28 15 Meaning
This verse describes a radical transformation from an initial state of flawless integrity to one marred by moral corruption. It establishes that the entity addressed, the "King of Tyre" (interpreted allegorically as Satan), was originally created in perfect condition, demonstrating blameless conduct. However, at a definable point, unrighteousness arose within this being, marking its deviation from its perfect created nature and purpose. It speaks to the origin of evil in a created, yet highly exalted, spiritual being.
Ezekiel 28 15 Context
Ezekiel 28 contains a lamentation concerning the "King of Tyre." While superficially addressed to an earthly Phoenician ruler, the descriptive language far transcends human capabilities and existence. Phrases like dwelling in "Eden, the garden of God," being an "anointed guardian cherub," and being on the "holy mountain of God" indicate that this oracle delves into a spiritual realm, largely interpreted as an allegorical reference to Satan. Historically, Tyre was a powerful and wealthy city, renowned for its maritime trade, and its ruler embodied a profound sense of self-importance and pride, seeing himself almost as a god. Ezekiel, prophesying during the Babylonian exile, uses this earthly figure as a conduit to address a spiritual archetype, contrasting human hubris with divine sovereignty. This verse is key as it details the original perfect state and the subsequent, internal corruption of this spiritual entity, providing profound insight into the origin of evil and the nature of the "anointed cherub's" fall.
Ezekiel 28 15 Word analysis
- You (אַתָּה - ʼatāh): A direct second-person singular pronoun. In context, primarily refers to the "King of Tyre," but functions as a direct address to the exalted, yet ultimately fallen, spiritual being behind the earthly king.
- were blameless (תָּמִים - tāmîm): Signifies "perfect," "complete," "whole," "without blemish," or "having integrity." This refers to an uncorrupted and faultless state at the time of creation, both morally and constitutionally. It implies excellence in quality and conformity to God's intended design, not necessarily immutability to evil.
- in your ways (בִּדְרָכֶיךָ - bid'rākheykā): Pertains to "your conduct," "your character," or "your moral course of life." It highlights that the entity's actions and overall behavior were in perfect alignment with its created nature.
- from the day (מִיּוֹם - miyyôm): Establishes the beginning point in time for this state of blamelessness. It emphasizes that this perfection was present from the very start of the entity's existence.
- you were created (הִבָּרְאָךְ - hibbāre'āḵ): From the root bārāʼ (to create, to fashion). The Niphal infinitive construct here means "at your being created." It strongly affirms that this being was a creation of God, not an eternal, uncreated, or co-equal entity, establishing its finite nature and ultimate subservience to the Creator.
- till (עַד - ʿad): A preposition meaning "until" or "up to." It marks a definitive point in time, indicating a stark boundary or transition from one state to another. This is crucial for understanding a change occurred.
- unrighteousness (עַוְלָה - ʿawlāh): Translates to "iniquity," "perversity," "injustice," "wrongdoing." It describes moral distortion, a twisting of what is right, contrasting sharply with the prior state of tamim. This is a comprehensive term for moral evil and deviation from divine standards.
- was found (נִמְצָא - nimṣāʾ): A Niphal (passive) perfect verb meaning "it was found," "it appeared," or "it manifested." It does not imply an external imposition but rather an internal emergence or discovery of corruption originating from within the entity, suggesting a volitional turning.
Word-Group analysis
- "You were blameless in your ways": This phrase asserts an initial, pristine state of moral and functional perfection inherent in the entity's being and manifested in its conduct. It points to God's original creation being inherently good and righteous.
- "from the day you were created": This segment firmly anchors the entity's existence in creation by God, affirming it as a creature with a specific origin. It establishes a perfect genesis, meaning any subsequent fault arose post-creation.
- "till unrighteousness was found in you": This critically marks the moment of dramatic fall and corruption. The word "till" signifies a cessation of the blameless state, and "found in you" strongly suggests an internal origination of evil, indicating a volitional turning or self-corruption rather than a flaw in creation or an external influence at its root.
Ezekiel 28 15 Bonus section
- The Hebrew word tāmîm (blameless) implies not just innocence but also completeness and functional perfection, a state congruent with God's creative pronouncements of "good" and "very good" in Genesis 1. This means the being was perfectly designed for its purpose.
- The nature of "unrighteousness" (ʿawlāh) here denotes an active twisting or perversion of what is upright and just. It's not a mere passive imperfection but a deep moral defect.
- The verb nimṣāʾ (was found) indicates a discovery or manifestation, and within a spiritual entity, this manifestation signals that the moral deviation became active and apparent, indicating an internal process of corruption.
- This verse underpins the theological understanding that sin's origin is not in God, nor is it inherent in creation itself, but rather arises from the free will of intelligent creatures who turn away from their created uprightness.
Ezekiel 28 15 Commentary
Ezekiel 28:15 provides a foundational statement regarding the genesis of evil within a created being, transcending its immediate application to the King of Tyre. It highlights an original state of unblemished perfection ("blameless in your ways"), intrinsic to the entity from the moment of its creation. This perfection was comprehensive, encompassing both moral character and conduct. Crucially, the verse indicates that this blamelessness persisted "till unrighteousness was found in you." The transition marked by "till" is a decisive turning point, where a departure from this perfect state occurred. The phrase "was found in you" implies an internal emergence; unrighteousness was not inherently present at creation nor imposed from an external force, but rather originated through a moral perversion or a wilful choice made within the created being itself. This powerfully affirms that God created all things good, and evil is a corruption introduced by a created will.