Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 28:9
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I [am] God? but thou [shalt be] a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
9. but thou shalt be] Rather: whilst thou art man, and not God. The last clause “in the hand,” &c. is wanting in LXX.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee] Wilt thou continue thy pride and arrogance when the sword is sheathed in thee, and still imagine that thou art self-sufficient and independent?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A cutting taunt, or sarcasm: What will become of thy godship then? Wilt thou then dream of immortality and almighty power, when thine enemy is cutting thy throat?
Thou shalt be a man; appear thou to thyself and others to be a mortal, weak, conquered man, who dieth a sacrifice to the conquerors pride and cruelty.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. yet saythat is, still say;referring to Eze 28:2.
but, &c.But thyblasphemous boastings shall be falsified, and thou shalt be shown tobe but man, and not God, in the hand (at the mercy) of Him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God?…. When thou art in the enemies’ hands, and just going to be put to death, wilt thou then confidently assert thy deity, and to his face tell him that thou art God? surely thy courage and thy confidence, thy blasphemy and impiety, will leave thee then; a bitter sarcasm this! and so the pope of Rome, the antichristian beast, when taken, and just going to be cast into the lake of fire along with the false prophet, will not have the impudence to style himself God, or to call himself Christ’s vicar on earth:
but thou shalt be a man, and no god, in the hand of him that slayeth thee; that is, thou shalt appear to be a poor, weak, frail, mortal, trembling, dying man, when got into the hand of the enemy, and he is just going to put an end to thy life; where will be then thy boasted deity?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Thou shalt be a man.The future, added to the text by the words in italics, should be omitted. The original form is exactly the same as in Eze. 28:2, and should be so translated. In both cases the article is better omitted. The contrast between the weakness of man and the power of God is strongly brought out: yet thou art man, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9, 10. Thou shalt be a man Literally, thou art man (as Eze 28:2).
The deaths of the uncircumcised Here, as Dr. Plumptre says, we reach the climax of Hebrew scorn. As the uncircumcised were to the Israelites (1 Samuel 17; 1 Samuel 26; 1Sa 31:4), so should the king of Tyre, unhonored, unwept, with no outward marks of reverence, be among the great ones of the past who dwell in Hades (Eze 31:18; Eze 32:24). If Herodotus is right in saying that the ancient Phoenicians practiced circumcision, it adds a double sting to these words.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Will you yet say before him who slays you, ‘I am a god’. But you are a man and not a god in the hands of him who wounds you. You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers. For I have spoken it says the Lord Yahweh.”
His protestation to be a god will not help him when he meets his slayers. To them his exalted claims will mean nothing. To them he will be but a man who bleeds. And he will die an ignominious death at their hand, the hand of strangers. To an Israelite to die uncircumcised was to die in shame, it was the worst of all deaths for it indicated that men died outside the covenant.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 28:9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I [am] God? but thou [shalt be] a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
Ver. 9. Wilt thou say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? ] That will prove a poor plea, and thou wilt soon be confuted, as afterwards great Alexander confuted his flatterers, when, being wounded in fight, he showed them his blood.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
thou shalt be = thou [art].
GOD. Hebrew. ‘El. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
say: Eze 28:2, Dan 4:31, Dan 4:32, Dan 5:23-30, Act 12:22, Act 12:23
thou shalt: Psa 82:7, Isa 31:3
slayeth: or, woundeth
Reciprocal: Gen 3:5 – as gods 1Sa 17:44 – Come to me Psa 9:20 – may Psa 12:3 – tongue Pro 11:7 – General Pro 18:12 – destruction Pro 30:13 – General Isa 10:15 – the ax Isa 14:13 – I will ascend Isa 14:15 – thou Isa 37:23 – against whom Jer 4:30 – Though Jer 13:21 – wilt Eze 16:49 – pride Eze 22:14 – Thine heart Dan 7:4 – and a Dan 8:8 – when Zep 2:15 – I am 2Th 2:4 – and exalteth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE DOOM OF PRIDE
A man, and no God.
Eze 28:9
I. At the time of this prophecy Ethbaal was King of Tyrethe representative of the Phnician Sun-Deity, whose name he bore. Like Herod, he was tempted, in the pride of his heart, to claim the honour which belongs to God alone. He sat on the throne of God, in the midst of the seas. No precious stone from the bed of ocean or the mines of earth was withheld from him. As the cherubim covered the ark with outspread wings, so did he cover the interests of Tyre. He seemed to stand as the beau-ideal of humanity, on the very sapphire pavement described in Exodus (Eze 24:10; Eze 24:17). But his beauty, of which he was so conscious, caused his heart to be lifted up to his ruin, and the brightness of his glory dazzled his eyes, so that God cast him to the ground as a warning of the terrible consequences of pride.
II. We are strongly reminded, in this marvellous description, of Adam, standing in his native innocence and beauty in Eden; and especially of Satan, before his fall.Behind the figure of the King of Tyre rises that of the prince or god of this world, when as yet he was the unfallen son of the morning. The creature may be placed in the most favourable circumstances that can be imaginedas, for instance, in Eden, the garden of God, or even in heaven itselfbut he cannot remain there if his heart becomes its own centre, or lifted up with pride. We cannot stand for a moment unless we are indwelt by the Spirit of God. The records of the world are full of those who thought they could stand, but who fell, because they had not made God their strength. But the Israel of God shall dwell safely, and shall know the Lord. O blessed day, when we shall rest for ever with God, knowing Him even as we are known!
Illustration
It is a historical parable. The kings of Tyre are first personified as one individual, an ideal manone complete in all material excellence, perfect manhood. And then this ideal man, the representative of whatever there was of greatness and glory in Tyre, and in whom the Tyrian spirit of self-elation and pride appear in full efflorescence, is ironically viewed by the prophet as the type of humanity in its highest states of existence upon earth. All that is best and noblest in the history of the past he sees in imagination meeting in this new beau-ideal of humanity. It was he who in primeval time trod the hallowed walks of paradise, and used at will its manifold treasures, and regaled himself with its corporeal delights. It was he who afterwards appeared in the form of a cherubideal compound of the highest forms of animal existencetype of humanity in its predestined state of ultimate completeness and, glory; and as such, had a place assigned him among the consecrated symbols of Gods sanctuary in the holy mount, and the immediate presence of the Most High. Thou thinkest, thou ideal man, thou quintessence of human greatness and pridethou thinkest that manhoods divinest qualities, and most honourable conditions of being, belong peculiarly to thyself, since thou dost nobly peer above all, and standest alone in thy glory. Let it be so. But thou art still a man, and, like humanity itself in its most favoured conditions, thou hast not been perfect before God: thou hast yielded thyself a servant to corruption, therefore thou must be cast down from thine excellency, thou must lose thy cherubic nearness to God, etc. So that the cry which the prophet would utter through this parabolical history in the ears of all is, that man in his best estatewith everything that art or nature can bring to his aidis still corruption and vanity. The flesh can win for itself nothing that is really and permanently good; and the more that it can surround itself with the comforts and luxuries of life, the more only does it pamper the godless pride of nature, and draw down upon itself calamity and destruction.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Eze 28:9. The king of Tyrus was very boastful and tried to beiteve that no being was as good as he. The Lord represents him as being so vain that be would even maintain his superiority while in tbe presence of the force that had him in subjection.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 28:9. Wilt thou yet say Or, Wilt thou then say, before him that slayeth thee, I am God Nothing can be more finely expressed than this: the prince of Tyrus thought himself, as a god, as invincible, as secure from all harm; God therefore, by his prophet, asks him here if he would have these proud thoughts, if he would think of himself as a god, when he found himself in his enemys power, just going to be slain. The question is most sharp and cutting: it sets the folly of his insolent pride in the strongest light; for surely he could not boast of being a god, when he was to fall by the sword of a man; and whatever proud thoughts he now entertained of himself, they certainly would be changed when he saw the sword of his enemy lifted up to slay him. So Plutarch tells us of Alexander, that he vainly affected to be thought Jupiters son, and next in honour to Bacchus and Hercules: yet when he saw the blood run out of a wound he had received, which at the same time gave him much pain, he confessed that was not such blood as Homer said issued from the immortal gods. Lib. 2, De Alexandri fortuna. This whole chapter, as well as the foregoing one, is exceedingly fine, both as to the style and composition.