Ezekiel Chapter 28 · Verse 18
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
Original Language Analysis
חִלַּ֖לְתָּ
Thou hast defiled
H2490
חִלַּ֖לְתָּ
Thou hast defiled
Strong's:
H2490
Word #:
5 of 18
properly, to bore, i.e., (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin
מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑יךָ
thy sanctuaries
H4720
מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑יךָ
thy sanctuaries
Strong's:
H4720
Word #:
6 of 18
a consecrated thing or place, especially, a palace, sanctuary (whether of jehovah or of idols) or asylum
וָֽאוֹצִא
therefore will I bring forth
H3318
וָֽאוֹצִא
therefore will I bring forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
7 of 18
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙
from the midst
H8432
מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙
from the midst
Strong's:
H8432
Word #:
9 of 18
a bisection, i.e., (by implication) the center
הִ֣יא
H1931
הִ֣יא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
10 of 18
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
אֲכָלַ֔תְךָ
of thee it shall devour
H398
אֲכָלַ֔תְךָ
of thee it shall devour
Strong's:
H398
Word #:
11 of 18
to eat (literally or figuratively)
וָאֶתֶּנְךָ֤
thee and I will bring
H5414
וָאֶתֶּנְךָ֤
thee and I will bring
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
12 of 18
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
14 of 18
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
לְעֵינֵ֖י
in the sight
H5869
לְעֵינֵ֖י
in the sight
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
16 of 18
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
Cross References
Malachi 4:3And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.Revelation 18:8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.Ezekiel 28:16By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.Ezekiel 28:2Son 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:
Historical Context
Tyre's 'sanctuaries' likely refer to temples to Melqart (Tyrian Baal) and Astarte, mixed with commercial halls. Phoenician religion intertwined with commerce—prosperity was seen as divine favor. Archaeological excavations show Tyrian temples contained treasury rooms, suggesting worship had become transactional. This corrupted worship system would be destroyed along with the city.
Questions for Reflection
- How does commercial success tempt us to corrupt worship by making it transactional?
- What does fire emerging 'from the midst' teach about sin's self-destructive nature?
- How can legitimate business become 'iniquity of traffick'?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities—This section (28:11-19) shifts from Tyre's king to a figure some interpret as Satan's fall, though primarily addressing Tyre's prince. חִלַּלְתָּ מִקְדָּשֶׁיךָ (ḥillaltā miqdāshêkā, 'you have profaned your sanctuaries') suggests corrupting holy places through עֲוֺנֶיךָ (ăwōnekhā, 'your iniquities').
By the iniquity of thy traffick—בְּעֶוֶל רְכֻלָּתְךָ (bĕʿewel rĕkhullātĕkhā, 'by the injustice of your trade'). Commerce itself became corrupt: dishonest scales, exploitation, greed. Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee—God brings אֵשׁ מִתּוֹכֶךָ (ʾēsh mittôkhekhā, 'fire from within you'). Judgment emerges from Tyre's own corruption, consuming from inside out. Self-destruction through accumulated sin is a consistent biblical principle (Galatians 6:7-8).