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Ezequiel 28:13
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from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
in Eden: Ezekiel 31:8, Ezekiel 31:9, Ezekiel 36:35, Genesis 2:8, Genesis 3:23, Genesis 3:24, Genesis 13:10, Isaiah 51:3, Joel 2:3, Revelation 2:7
every: Ezekiel 27:16, Ezekiel 27:22, Genesis 2:11, Genesis 2:12, Exodus 28:17-20, Exodus 39:10-21, Isaiah 54:11, Isaiah 54:12, Revelation 17:4, Revelation 21:19, Revelation 21:20
sardius: or, ruby
beryl: or, chrysolite
emerald: or, chrysoprase. the workmanship. Ezekiel 26:13, Isaiah 14:11, Isaiah 23:16, Isaiah 30:32
thou wast: Ezekiel 28:15, Ezekiel 21:30
Reciprocal: Exodus 28:9 - onyx Exodus 28:18 - diamond Exodus 39:6 - onyx stones Exodus 39:11 - a diamond Job 28:5 - fire Job 28:16 - onyx Job 28:19 - topaz Isaiah 14:12 - How art thou fallen Isaiah 37:12 - Eden Jeremiah 4:30 - Though Ezekiel 28:14 - stones Ezekiel 28:18 - defiled Amos 9:2 - climb Revelation 2:1 - walketh Revelation 4:3 - like a Revelation 21:11 - her
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God,.... Not only in Eden, but in the garden which was in Eden, and was of the Lord's immediate planting; and therefore called the garden of God, as well as because of its excellency, fragrancy, and delight; not that the king of Tyre was literally there, or ever dwelt in it; but his situation in Tyre was as safe, and as pleasant and delightful, as Adam's was in the garden of Eden, at least in his own imagination. So the Targum,
"thou delightest thyself with plenty of all good things and delectable ones, as if thou dwellest in the garden of God;''
in the mystical sense, this designs the church of God, which is an Eden, a garden, a paradise; see Song of Solomon 4:12 and where antichrist first appeared, and took his seat, and seated himself as if he was God, 2 Thessalonians 2:4:
every precious stone was thy covering; not only the covering of his head, his crown, was decked with jewels and precious stones of all sorts; but his clothes, the covering of his body, were adorned with them. So the Targum,
"all precious stones were set in order upon thy garments.''
Kimchi renders it "thine hedge", or "fence" o; and takes it to be an hyperbole, as if his house, or garden, or vineyard, were fenced with precious stones. This fitly describes the whore of Rome arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones,
Revelation 17:4. The pope's triple crown is stuck with them, and a cross of precious stones is upon his slipper, when he holds out his toe to be kissed:
the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold. Writers differ very much about these stones; and it is difficult to say what answer to the Hebrew words here used. The stone "sardius", or the sardine stone, is of a blood colour, commonly called a cornelian, and is found in Sardis and Sardinia, from whence some say it has its name. The "topaz" is a hard transparent stone, said to be of a beautiful yellow or gold colour by those who confound it with the chrysolite; otherwise the true topaz is of a fine green colour, as Pliny p and Isidore q; the best is what is found in Ethopia, Job 28:19. The "diamond" is a precious stone, the first in rank, value, hardness and lustre; the most perfect colour is the white. The "beryl" is a stone of a pale green colour, thought to be the diamond of the ancients: the word is "tarshish", and thought by some the "chrysolite". The "onyx" resembles a man's nail, from whence it has its name: the word "shoham" here used is supposed to mean the "sardonyx", a compound of the "sardian" and "onyx" stones. The "jasper" is a stone of various colours and spots, variegated like a panther; hence the Targum here renders it "pantherin"; the most valuable is the green spotted with red or purple. The "sapphire" is a stone of an azure colour or sky blue, exceeding hard and transparent. The "emerald" is of an exceeding fine green colour, very bright, and clear, and delightful to the eye; but is rather intended by the next word, as the "carbuncle" by this, which is a stone of the ruby kind, and very rare; see Isaiah 54:12. "Gold" is mentioned along with them, and last of all, as being less valuable; but chiefly because these stones were set in gold, as the Targum paraphrases it; these are nine of the stones which were in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest r, whom the king of Tyre might have knowledge of and imitate, as it is certain the pope of Rome does in some things:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created; either born into the world; or made a crowned king; against which time, drums, and pipes, and such like instruments of music, were prepared in Tyre, and at them made use of by way of rejoicing: and as this was literally true of the king of Tyre at his coronation, so of the bishop of Rome at his creation and inauguration, which is attended with bells ringing, drums beating, trumpets sounding; and so in mystical Babylon is heard, though the time is coming when it will not be heard, the voice of harpers, musicians, pipers, and trumpeters, Revelation 18:22.
o So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 14. 2. p Nat. Hist. l. 38. c. 8. q Origin. l. 16. c. 7. r Vid. Braunium de Vestitu Sacerdot. Heb. l. 2. c. 12-19.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The dirge of the prince of Tyre, answering to the dirge of the state. The passage is ironical; its main purpose is to depict all the glory, real or assumed, of “the prince of Tyrus,” in order to show how deplorable should be his ruin.
Ezekiel 28:12
To “seal the sum” is to make up the whole measure of perfection. Compare the Septuagint
Ezekiel 28:13
Thou hast been in Eden - “Thou” wast etc. The prince of Tyrus is ironically described as the first of creation; but at the same time the parallel is to be maintained in his fall from glory. Like Adam in the enjoyment of paradise, he shall be like Adam in his fall.
Every precious stone - All the stones here named are found in the High priest’s breastplate Exodus 28:17-20, but their order is different, and three stones named in Exodus (the third row) are wanting. The prophet may purposely have varied the description because the number twelve (that of the tribes of Israel) had nothing to do with the prince of Tyrus, and he wished to portray, not a high priest, but a king, having in view a figure which was to a Jew, especially to a priest, the very type of magnificence.
Tabrets - (or, drums) and “pipes” were a common expression for festivity and triumph.
Ezekiel 28:14
Thou art - Better,” Thou” wert. “the anointed cherub that covereth” In the temple the cherubim and all holy things were consecrated and anointed with oil (Exodus 30:26 ff). The prince of Tyre was also anointed as a sovereign priest - covering or protecting the minor states, like the cherubim with outstretched wings covering the mercy-Seat.
Thou wast upon the holy mountain - As the cherub was in the temple on the holy mountain, so the prince of Tyre was presiding over the island-city, rising like a mountain from the deep.
Stones of fire - i. e., bright and shining. Decked with bright jewels, the prince walked among jewels in gorgeous splendor.
Ezekiel 28:15
The “perfection” was false, unsuspected until the “iniquity” which lay beneath was found out.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ezekiel 28:13. Thou hast been in Eden — This also is a strong irony. Thou art like Adam, when in his innocence and excellence he was in the garden of Eden!
Every precious stone was thy covering — For a description of these stones Exodus 28:17.
