Ezekiel 27:3 “Say to Tyre, This is what Adonay YHWH says: Tyre, you used to brag about your perfect beauty“

The Hebrew word for Tyre is Sor H6865 – ṣōr, meaning “a rock”.

Tyre, which is in Lebanon, is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for over 4,700 years. Situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Tyre was the leading city of the Phoenician civilization in 969 BC. It was a world capital for some 2,000 years, deriving its rule from domination of the seas. The Phoenicians, speaking Semitic languages, did not refer themselves as “Phoenicians” but rather called themselves “Kenaʿani”, meaning ‘Canaanites‘. Tyre is thought to be one of the oldest cities on the Phoenician coast, established long before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan.

Ezekiel predicted Tyre’s violent future and destruction at a time when it was still a dominant power. History testifies that all this is precisely what happened. Ezekiel 27 and 28 is like a funeral song and judgement on Tyre. But what is interesting, is the verses talking about the king of Tyre, who was “in” the garden of Eden, who was a Cherubim (Ezekiel 28:12-13). But in verse 2, an address is made to the prince of Tyre. When YHWH addresses the kings of Israel, He also addresses them as princes or rulers, like back in Ezekiel 19. But then YHWH Himself is the King of Israel. This chapter reflects the king-prince relationship, and this king of Tyre, the spiritual force ruling this city, was also the fallen Cherub from the garden of Eden.

The previous verses addressed to the prince of Tyre, thinks he is a god himself, but YHWH reminds him, “Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god”, which is exactly the influence satan has on men. To satan YHWH says in verse 17, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground”

Click here for previous posts about ha-Satan and the Hebrew meaning.