Ezekiel 28:17 kjv
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Ezekiel 28:17 nkjv
"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.
Ezekiel 28:17 niv
Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Ezekiel 28:17 esv
Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
Ezekiel 28:17 nlt
Your heart was filled with pride
because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted
by your love of splendor.
So I threw you to the ground
and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
Ezekiel 28 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 28:17 | "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings." | Ezekiel 28:12-17 (account context) |
| Isaiah 14:13 | "You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high...’" | Parallel description of pride |
| Luke 10:18 | "He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'" | Jesus' view on Satan's fall |
| 1 Timothy 3:6 | "and he must not be a recent convert, lest he become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil." | Warning against pride |
| Revelation 12:9 | "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." | Satan's expulsion |
| Proverbs 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Principle of pride's consequence |
| Isaiah 2:11 | "The eyes of man shall be humbled, and the pride of man shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day." | God's exaltation above all pride |
| Ezekiel 31:10 | "Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it is lofty in stature, and its crown has reached the clouds, and its height has reached unto the trees of the forest, none of the trees of Eden envies it..." | Cause of tree of Lebanon's fall |
| Ezekiel 31:14 | "...so that none of the trees of Eden that are in the garden of God envy it, nor its luxuriant foliage; nor do the trees of well-watered valleys vie with it for height, for all are given to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit." | Downfall of the proud |
| Matthew 11:23 | "And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades." | Judgment on exalted cities |
| Jeremiah 51:57 | "And I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her officials, her commanders, and her soldiers; they shall fall into a deathly sleep and not wake, declares the Lord." | Judgment on prideful rulers |
| Psalm 107:40 | "he pours contempt on princes and causes them to wander in trackless wastes" | Humiliation of leaders |
| Jude 1:6 | "And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" | Angels who rebel |
| Daniel 4:30 | "The king spoke, and said, 'Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?'" | Nebuchadnezzar's pride |
| Daniel 4:37 | "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble." | Nebuchadnezzar humbled |
| Revelation 18:7 | "In the same way she adorned herself and received luxuries. So give her a torment and sorrow. For she said in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, I shall not see sorrow.’" | Babylon's pride and judgment |
| Genesis 3:14 | "The Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and over all wild animals; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.'" | Serpent's fall |
| John 12:31 | "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out." | Judgment on the world's ruler |
| Romans 9:22 | "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?" | Vessels of wrath |
| 1 Corinthians 4:5 | "...and he will bring to light the desires of hearts. And then each one will receive his commendation from God." | God's ultimate judgment |
Ezekiel 28 verses
Ezekiel 28 17 Meaning
This verse describes the outcome of pride and corruption, leading to a fall from a position of elevated status. It signifies divine judgment upon those who have been lifted up through blessing or empowerment but then act with wickedness, resulting in their utter ruin and insignificance.
Ezekiel 28 17 Context
Ezekiel chapter 28 is a prophecy directed towards the king of Tyre. While the initial part of the chapter (verses 1-10) speaks directly about the human king of Tyre and his sinful actions, verses 11-19 shift to an allegorical depiction of a superior being's fall. This passage is widely understood by many biblical scholars to be a commentary on the origin and fall of Satan. The king of Tyre, due to his exceptional beauty, wisdom, and prosperity, is presented as a representation of this ultimate fallen angelic being. The context highlights how a position of great privilege, beauty, and divine favor can be corrupted by pride, leading to downfall and public disgrace. The surrounding prophecies in Ezekiel also address divine judgment on nations surrounding Israel, such as Sidon and the Philistines, making the judgment on Tyre, and by extension the origin of evil, part of a broader theme of God's sovereignty over all nations and His righteous judgment.
Ezekiel 28 17 Word Analysis
- "Your heart" (לִבְּךָ, lib-beka) - Refers to the inner being, the seat of thought, emotion, and will. In this context, it signifies the internal source of his corrupt pride.
- "was lifted up" (גָּדַל, gad-al) - Means to be great, to grow, to become arrogant. It describes an increase in self-importance and exaltation of oneself.
- "because of your beauty" (מִיָּפְיֶךָ, mi-yif-ye-kha) - Directly attributes the cause of his elevation to his own physical attractiveness or the splendor of his position.
- "you corrupted" (שִׁחֵת, shi-khet) - Signifies to spoil, destroy, pervert, or ruin. It points to a deliberate action of demeaning or debasing something valuable.
- "your wisdom" (חָכְמָתְךָ, chak-mat-kha) - Refers to his intelligence, skill, and discernment. This valuable attribute was misused or tarnished.
- "for the sake of your splendor" (מִבְּרִיקֶךָ, mib-re-qe-kha) - Connects the corruption of his wisdom to his dazzling appearance or brilliant possessions. The dazzling exterior masked inner decay.
- "I cast you" (וְאַשְׁלִיכְךָ, ve-ash-likh-ka) - A strong verb indicating throwing or casting down with force. It emphasizes God's direct action of judgment.
- "to the earth" (אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, el-ha-aretz) - The place of lowliness, mortality, and humility, a stark contrast to the elevated position implied.
- "I made you" (וְאָשִׁיתְךָ, ve-a-shit-kha) - Another term for God's active disposal or appointment.
- "a spectacle" (מַמְתַּק, mam-tak is not in the Hebrew text, but the meaning implies something for amazement or to be exhibited) - The original Hebrew conveys being set out or displayed, to be seen.
- "before kings" (לִפְנֵי, lif-nei + מְלָכִים, me-lakh-im) - His fall was public, a display to earthly rulers who might have admired him.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty": This phrase encapsulates the essence of pride stemming from external perfections. It shows how internal character can be warped by what is visible and admired by others.
- "you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor": This highlights the perversion of true insight. His intelligence, instead of guiding him toward humility or acknowledging his Creator, was used to maintain or enhance his outward glory, leading to his ruin.
- "I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings": This describes a decisive act of divine judgment. The being once in high glory is publicly degraded, becoming an example of God's power to humble the proud.
Ezekiel 28 17 Bonus Section
The application of this prophecy to Satan is a common and well-supported interpretive tradition among Christian scholars. The imagery of the "covering cherub" in the preceding verses (Ezekiel 28:13-14) lends itself to this understanding, describing a celestial being placed in Eden's perfection. The utter downfall described here mirrors accounts of Satan's initial rebellion and expulsion from God's presence. The phrase "I cast you to the earth" can be seen as echoing Genesis 3:14 where the serpent (identified with Satan) is cursed and cast down. This verse serves as a powerful theological statement about the origin of sin and evil being rooted in pride within God's creation, illustrating that even the most perfect beings are subject to God's authority and judgment when they rebel against Him.
Ezekiel 28 17 Commentary
The fall described here is not merely a loss of position but a profound reversal and public humiliation. The beauty and wisdom, gifts from God, were perverted into tools for self-exaltation. This led to a definitive divine act of casting down, transforming someone from a figure of admiration to an object lesson for earthly rulers. It underscores the principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This passage is often applied to Satan's rebellion and fall from his high estate in heaven, driven by his pride in his own perfection and wisdom. The consequences are not hidden but made manifest for all to see, serving as a testament to God's sovereignty and justice. The transformation from glory to public disgrace is complete, leaving him stripped of former magnificence.