Ezekiel 28:2

New Life Version

"Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord God says, "Because your heart is proud, you have said, ‘I am a god. I sit in the seat of gods, with the seas around me.' Yet you are a man and not God, even if you think you are as wise as God.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘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.

Hebrew Names Version
Son of man, tell the prince of Tzor, Thus says the Lord GOD: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God;-

King James Version
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God ; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

English Standard Version
"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God : "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—

New American Standard Bible
"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'The Lord GOD says this: "Because your heart is haughty And you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas'; Yet you are a mortal and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God—

New Century Version
"Human, say to the ruler of Tyre: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Because you are proud, you say, "I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the middle of the seas." You think you are as wise as a god, but you are a human, not a god.

Amplified Bible
"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your heart is lifted up And you have said and thought, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods In the heart of the seas'; Yet you are [only] a man [weak, feeble, made of earth] and not God, Though you [imagine yourself to be more than mortal and] think your mind is as [wise as] the mind of God—

World English Bible
Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God;-

Geneva Bible (1587)
Sonne of ma, say vnto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saieth the Lord God, Because thine heart is exalted, & thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God in ye mids of the sea, yet thou art but a man & not God, and though thou didest thinke in thine heart, that thou wast equall with God,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your heart is lifted up And you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas'; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God—

Legacy Standard Bible
"Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh,"Because your heart is loftyAnd you have said, ‘I am a god;I sit enthroned in the seat of godsIn the heart of the seas';Yet you are a man and not God,Although you make your heart like the heart of God—

Berean Standard Bible
"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.

Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, son of man, tell the king of Tyre that I am saying: You are so arrogant that you think you're a god and that the city of Tyre is your throne. You may claim to be a god, though you're nothing but a mere human.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai Elohim says: ‘Because you are so proud and have said, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of God, surrounded by the sea"; yet you are a man, not God, even though you think that you think like God.

Darby Translation
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit [in] the seat of God, in the heart of the seas, (and thou art a man, and not God,) and thou settest thy heart as the heart of God:

Easy-to-Read Version
"Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: "‘You are very proud! And you say, "I am a god! I sit on the seat of gods in the middle of the seas." "‘But you are a man and not God! You only think you are a god.

George Lamsa Translation
Son of man, say to the king of Tyre, Thus says the LORD God: Because your heart is lifted up and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas; and yet you are a man, and not God, though you think of your heart as though it were the heart of God;

Good News Translation
"Mortal man," he said, "tell the ruler of Tyre what I, the Sovereign Lord , am saying to him: Puffed up with pride, you claim to be a god. You say that like a god you sit on a throne, surrounded by the seas. You may pretend to be a god, but, no, you are mortal, not divine.

Lexham English Bible
"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because your heart was haughty, and you said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of the gods, I sit in the heart of the seas!' But you are a human, not a god, and you gave your heart to be like the heart of a god.

Literal Translation
Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, So says the Lord Jehovah, Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of theseas; yet you are a man, and not God,though you give your heart as the heart of gods.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou sonne of man, tell the prynce of Tyre: Thus saieth the LORDE God: because thou hast a proude hert and hast sayde: I am a God, I haue my seate in the myddest off the see like a god: where as thou art but a man & not God, & yet stondest in thine owne coceate, that thou art God:

American Standard Version
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God, though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God;—

Bible in Basic English
Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the Lord has said: Because your heart has been lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I am seated on the seat of God in the heart of the seas; but you are man and not God, though you have made your heart as the heart of God:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord GOD: because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God, though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God--

King James Version (1611)
Sonne of man, say vnto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted vp, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seate of God in the middest of the seas; yet thou art a man and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou sonne of man, tel the prince of Tyre, thus sayth the Lorde God: Because thou hast a proude heart, and hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seate of God, in the mids of the sea: wher as thou art but a man, and not God, though thou set thyne heart as the heart of God.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou, son of man, say to the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord; Because thine heart has been exalted, and thou hast said, I am God, I have inhabited the dwelling of God in the heart of the sea; yet thou art man and not God, though thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God:

English Revised Version
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God, though thou didst set thine heart as the heart of God:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide, Sone of man, seie thou to the prince of Tire, The Lord God seith these thingis, For thin herte was reisid, and thou seidist, Y am God, and Y sat in the chaier of God, in the herte of the see, sithen thou art man and not God, and thou yauest thin herte as the herte of God; lo!

Update Bible Version
Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God;-

Webster's Bible Translation
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] a god, I sit [in] the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou [art] a man, and not God, though thou settest thy heart as the heart of God:

New English Translation
"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: "‘Your heart is proud and you said, "I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas"— yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike.

New King James Version
"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, "Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, "I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,' Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god

New Living Translation
"Son of man, give the prince of Tyre this message from the Sovereign Lord : "In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.' But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god.

New Revised Standard
Mortal, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God : Because your heart is proud and you have said, "I am a god; I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas," yet you are but a mortal, and no god, though you compare your mind with the mind of a god.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Son of man Say to the Prince of Tyre. Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh - Because lofty, is thy heart and thou hast said A GOD, am I, In the seat of God, have I taken my seat In the heart of the seas; Whereas thou art a man, and not a GOD, But hast set thy heart as the heart of God:

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Revised Standard Version
"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you consider yourself as wise as a god--

Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart hath been high, And thou dost say: A god I [am], The habitation of God I have inhabited, In the heart of the seas, And thou [art] man, and not God, And thou givest out thy heart as the heart of God,

Contextual Overview

¹ The Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² "Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord God says, "Because your heart is proud, you have said, ‘I am a god. I sit in the seat of gods, with the seas around me.' Yet you are a man and not God, even if you think you are as wise as God. ³ You are wiser than Daniel. There is no secret that is hidden from you. ⁴ By your wisdom and understanding you have gathered riches for yourself. You have gathered gold and silver for your store-houses. ⁵ By all your wisdom in trade you have added to your riches, and your heart has become proud because of them. ⁶ So the Lord God says, ‘Because you think you are as wise as God, ⁷ I will bring strangers against you, those who have the hardest hearts of all the nations. With their swords they will destroy the beauty of your wisdom and your greatness. ⁸ They will bring you down to the grave. You will die the death of those who are killed on the sea. ⁹ Will you still say, "I am a god," in front of those who kill you? You will be only a man and not a god in the hands of those who kill you. ¹⁰ You will be killed by strangers, and will die the death of one who has not gone through the religious act of My people. For I have spoken,' says the Lord God."'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the prince: Josephus states, on the authority of Menander, who translated the Phoenician annals into Greek, and Philostratus, that this prince was Ithobal.

Because: Ezekiel 28:5, Ezekiel 28:17, Ezekiel 31:10, Deuteronomy 8:14, 2 Chronicles 26:16, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Isaiah 2:12, Daniel 5:22, Daniel 5:23, Habakkuk 2:4, 1 Timothy 3:6, 1 Peter 5:5

I am: Ezekiel 28:6, Ezekiel 28:9, Genesis 3:5, Acts 12:22, Acts 12:23, Revelation 17:3

I sit: Ezekiel 28:12-14, Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 14:14, Daniel 4:30, Daniel 4:31, 2 Thessalonians 2:4

in the midst: Heb. in the heart, Ezekiel 27:3, Ezekiel 27:4, Ezekiel 27:26, Ezekiel 27:27, *marg.

yet: Ezekiel 28:9, Psalms 9:20, Psalms 72:6, Psalms 72:7, Isaiah 31:3

thou set: Ezekiel 28:6, 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Reciprocal: Judges 7:2 - Mine own 1 Samuel 17:44 - Come to me 2 Kings 19:22 - exalted thy voice 2 Chronicles 32:25 - his heart Job 40:11 - behold Psalms 12:3 - tongue Psalms 73:6 - Therefore Psalms 87:4 - this man Psalms 119:21 - rebuked Psalms 138:6 - but the proud Proverbs 30:13 - General Isaiah 2:17 - the loftiness Isaiah 10:13 - For he saith Isaiah 23:2 - the isle Isaiah 23:8 - the crowning Isaiah 37:23 - against whom Isaiah 47:7 - thou saidst Isaiah 47:10 - Thy wisdom Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Jeremiah 48:7 - because Jeremiah 50:32 - the most proud Ezekiel 11:5 - Thus have Ezekiel 16:49 - pride Ezekiel 26:17 - strong Ezekiel 28:14 - upon Ezekiel 28:18 - defiled Ezekiel 29:3 - My river Daniel 4:4 - was Daniel 7:4 - and a Daniel 11:12 - his heart Zephaniah 2:15 - I am Zechariah 9:4 - he will Mark 7:24 - Tyre Luke 14:9 - and thou 1 Corinthians 4:7 - why Galatians 6:14 - that I James 3:5 - so Revelation 18:7 - much she

Cross-References

Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of Abraham's camels and left. He took with him all kinds of gifts from Abraham. Then he went to the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia.

Genesis 24:29
Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. And Laban ran outside to the man at the well.

Genesis 24:50
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "This thing comes from the Lord. We cannot speak for or against it.

Genesis 25:20
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, and the sister of Laban the Syrian.

Genesis 28:5
Then Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother.

Genesis 28:15
See, I am with you. I will care for you everywhere you go. And I will bring you again to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done all the things I promised you."

Genesis 28:20
Then Jacob made a promise. He said, "If God will be with me and take care of me as I go, and if He will give me food to eat and clothes to wear,

Genesis 29:1
Then Jacob went on his way and came to the land of the people of the east.

Genesis 31:18
He took away all his animals, all the riches he had gathered and all the cattle he had gathered in Paddan-aram. And he left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 32:10
I have not earned any of the loving-kindness and faith which You have shown to your servant. For I had crossed this Jordan with only my walking stick. And now I have become two large groups.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre,.... Whose name was Ethbaal, or Ithobalus, as he is called in Josephus; for that this was Hiram that was in the days of Solomon, and lived a thousand years, is a fable of the Jewish Rabbins, as Jerom relates: this prince of Tyre is thought by some to be an emblem of the devil; but rather of antichrist; and between them there is a great agreement, and it seems to have a prophetic respect to him:

thus saith the Lord God, because thine heart is lifted up: with pride, on account of his wisdom and knowledge, wealth and riches, as later mentioned:

and thou hast said, I am a god; this he said in his heart, in the pride of it, and perhaps expressed it with his lips, and required divine homage to be given him by his subjects, as some insolent, proud, and haughty monarchs have done; in which he was a lively type of antichrist, who shows himself, and behaves, as if he was God, taking upon him what belongs to God; pardoning the sins of men; opening and shutting the gates of heaven; binding men's consciences with laws of his own making, and dispensing with the laws of God and man; and calling himself or suffering himself to be called God, and to be worshipped as such; :-:

I sit in the seat of God; in a place as delightful, safe and happy, as heaven itself, where the throne of God is; so antichrist is said to sit in the temple of God, in the house and church of God; where he assumes a power that does not belong to him, calling himself God's vicegerent, and Christ's vicar; see 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and the Arabic version here renders it "in the house of God": it follows,

in the midst of the seas; surrounded with them as Tyre was, and lord of them as its king was; sending his ships into all parts, and to whom all brought their wares; thus the whore of Rome is said to sit upon many waters, Revelation 17:2:

yet thou art a man, and not God; a frail, weak, mortal man, and not the mighty God, as his later destruction shows; and as the popes of Rome appear to be, by their dying as other men; and as antichrist will plainly be seen to be when he shall be destroyed with the breath of Christ's mouth, and the brightness of his coming:

though thou set thine heart as the heart of God; as if it was as full of wisdom and knowledge as his; and thinkest as well of thyself, that thou art a sovereign as he, and to be feared, obeyed, and submitted to by all.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The prophecy against the prince of Tyre. Throughout the east the majesty and glory of a people were collected in the person of their monarch, who in some nations was worshipped as a god. The prince is here the embodiment of the community. Their glory is his glory, their pride his pride. The doom of Tyre could not be complete without denunciation of the prince of Tyre. Idolatrous nations and idolatrous kings were, in the eyes of the prophet, antagonists to the true God. In them was embodied the principle of evil opposing itself to the divine government of the world. Hence, some of the fathers saw upon the throne, not simply a hostile monarch, but “the Prince of this world, spiritual wickedness (or wicked spirits) in high places.” Whenever evil in any way domineers over good, there is a “prince of Tyrus,” against whom God utters His voice. The “mystery of iniquity is ever working, and in that working we recognize the power of Satan whom God condemns and will destroy.

Ezekiel 28:2

Thou hast said, I am a god - Compare Ezekiel 29:3; Daniel 4:30; Acts 12:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

I sit in the seat of God - Words denoting the speaker’s pride; but the situation of the island-city, full of beauty, in the midst of the blue water of the Mediterranean, gives force to the expression. Compare the words describing the lot of Tyre as having been in Eden Ezekiel 28:13.

Thou art a man - Rather, thou art man.

Ezekiel 28:3

Thou art wiser than Daniel - The passage is one of strong irony. Compare Ezekiel 14:14; Daniel 6:3.

Ezekiel 28:9

But thou shalt be a man - Rather, yet art thou man.

Ezekiel 28:10

The uncircumcised - The pagan idolaters as opposed to the covenant-people.

The prophecy against the prince of Tyre. Throughout the east the majesty and glory of a people were collected in the person of their monarch, who in some nations was worshipped as a god. The prince is here the embodiment of the community. Their glory is his glory, their pride his pride. The doom of Tyre could not be complete without denunciation of the prince of Tyre. Idolatrous nations and idolatrous kings were, in the eyes of the prophet, antagonists to the true God. In them was embodied the principle of evil opposing itself to the divine government of the world. Hence, some of the fathers saw upon the throne, not simply a hostile monarch, but “the Prince of this world, spiritual wickedness (or wicked spirits) in high places.” Whenever evil in any way domineers over good, there is a “prince of Tyrus,” against whom God utters His voice. The “mystery of iniquity is ever working, and in that working we recognize the power of Satan whom God condemns and will destroy.

Ezekiel 28:2

Thou hast said, I am a god - Compare Ezekiel 29:3; Daniel 4:30; Acts 12:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

I sit in the seat of God - Words denoting the speaker’s pride; but the situation of the island-city, full of beauty, in the midst of the blue water of the Mediterranean, gives force to the expression. Compare the words describing the lot of Tyre as having been in Eden Ezekiel 28:13.

Thou art a man - Rather, thou art man.

Ezekiel 28:3

Thou art wiser than Daniel - The passage is one of strong irony. Compare Ezekiel 14:14; Daniel 6:3.

Ezekiel 28:9

But thou shalt be a man - Rather, yet art thou man.

Ezekiel 28:10

The uncircumcised - The pagan idolaters as opposed to the covenant-people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 28:2. Say unto the prince of Tyrus — But who was this prince of Tyrus? Some think Hiram; some, Sin; some, the devil; others, Ithobaal, with whom the chronology and circumstances best agree. Origen thought the guardian angel of the city was intended.

I am a god — That is, I am absolute, independent, and accountable to none. He was a man of great pride and arrogance.