Ezekiel – Chapter 28

Old Testament26 Verses

Chapter Summary

"And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" — so begins Ezekiel 28. The chapter centers on Daniel and Jacob. Across its 26 verses, two threads run through the text: wisdom for daily living and sin and divine judgment. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am God, and I sit in the chair of God in the heart of the sea: whereas thou art a man, and not God: and hast set thy heart as if it were the heart of God.

3Behold thou art wiser than Daniel: no secret is hid from thee.

4In thy wisdom and thy understanding thou hast made thyself strong: and hast gotten gold an silver into thy treasures.

5By the greatness of thy wisdom, and by thy traffic thou hast increased thy strength: and thy heart is lifted up with thy strength.

6Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up as the heart of God:

7Therefore behold, I will bring upon thee strangers: the strongest of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy beauty.

8They shall kill thee, and bring thee down: and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain in the heart of the sea.

9Wilt thou yet say before them that slay thee: I am God; whereas thou art a man, and not God, in the hand of them that slay thee?

10Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.

11And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre:

12And say to him: Thus saith the Lord God: Thou wast the seal of resemblance, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

13Thou wast in the pleasures of the paradise of God: every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, the topaz, and the jasper, the chrysolite, and the onyx, and the beryl, the sapphire, and the carbuncle, and the emerald: gold the work of thy beauty: and thy pipes were prepared in the day that thou wast created.

14Thou a cherub stretched out, and protecting, and I set thee in the holy mountain of God, thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire.

15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day of thy creation, until iniquity was found in thee.

16By the multitude of thy merchandise, thy inner parts were filled with iniquity, and thou hast sinned: and I cast thee out from the mountain of God, and destroyed thee, O covering cherub, out of the midst of the stones of fire.

17And thy heart was lifted up with thy beauty: thou hast lost thy wisdom in thy beauty, I have cast thee to the ground: I have set thee before the face of kings, that they might behold thee.

18Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thy iniquities, and by the iniquity of thy traffic: therefore I will bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, to devour thee, and I will make thee as ashes upon the earth in the sight of all that see thee.

19All that shall see thee among the nations, shall be astonished at thee: thou art brought to nothing, and thou shalt never be any more.

20And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

21Son of man, set thy face against Sidon: and thou shalt prophesy of it,

22And shalt say: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I come against thee, Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall execute judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.

23And I will send into her pestilence, and blood in her streets: and they shall fall being slain by the sword on all sides in the midst thereof: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

24And the house of Israel shall have no more a stumblingblock of bitterness, nor a thorn causing pain on every side round about them, of them that are against them: and they shall know that I am the Lord God.

25Thus saith the Lord God: When I shall have gathered together the house of Israel out of the people among whom they are scattered: I will be sanctified in them before the Gentiles: and they shall dwell in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.

26And they shall dwell therein secure, and they shall build houses, and shall plant vineyards, and shall dwell with confidence, when I shall have executed judgments upon all that are their enemies round about: and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.

Important Verses in Ezekiel 28

Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am God, and I sit in the chair of God in the heart of the sea: whereas thou art a man, and not God: and hast set thy heart as if it were the heart of God.

Ezekiel 28:2

Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up as the heart of God:

Ezekiel 28:6

And say to him: Thus saith the Lord God: Thou wast the seal of resemblance, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Ezekiel 28:12

And shalt say: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I come against thee, Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall execute judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.

Ezekiel 28:22

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Ezekiel was written with the exiles in Babylon, moved from despair to hope of restoration in view. Chapter 28 of 48 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 26 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Daniel and Jacob, the principal figures named in this chapter. The passage starts with these words: "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" It concludes: "And they shall dwell therein secure, and they shall build houses, and shall plant vineyards, and shall dwell with…" Read against its original backdrop, Ezekiel was deported to Babylon in 597 BC and prophesied among the exiles through astonishing visions: God's throne-chariot, the departure of His glory from the Temple, the valley of dry bones brought to life, and a new… The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: About 593-571 BC, in Babylon.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Ezekiel, priest and exile

When It Was Written

About 593-571 BC, in Babylon

Catholic Commentary

The prophet addresses Israel with a message rooted in covenant fidelity and the hope of restoration. A pivotal line is verse 2: "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am God, and I sit in the chair of God in…" The passage repeatedly touches on wisdom for daily living.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 2340). Here, Ezekiel's visions inform Catholic understanding of heaven and liturgy (CIC 1137). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize wisdom for daily living as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • True conversion means turning away from sin and returning to God with our whole heart.

People in This Chapter

Daniel1 mentionJacob1 mention

Reflection for Today

In Ezekiel Chapter 28, the Church invites us to listen attentively to God's Word within the broader narrative of judgment, restoration, and God's glory.

The Second Vatican Council reminded the faithful that Scripture should permeate Catholic spirituality (Dei Verbum, 21-26). Ezekiel Chapter 28 supports that call by drawing attention to purity of heart and interior conversion within the wider message that God will give His people a new heart.

Entrust your meditation to Mary, who pondered God's Word in her heart. Through her intercession, may the message of purity of heart and interior conversion bear fruit in humility, courage, and charity this day.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ezekiel Chapter 28 about?

Ezekiel 28 contains 26 verses. It opens with "And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:" and closes with "And they shall dwell therein secure, and they shall build houses, and shall plant vineyards, and shall dwell with…". The book as a whole is prophetic visions and oracles.

What is a key verse in Ezekiel 28?

One of the most significant verses is verse 2: "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am God, and I sit in the chair of God in the heart of the…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Ezekiel Chapter 28?

This chapter mentions Daniel, Jacob.

Who wrote Ezekiel and when?

The prophet Ezekiel, priest and exile. About 593-571 BC, in Babylon.

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