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Ezekiel

About this book
Chapter 28

1 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “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. 3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you.⁠ 4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself; you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. 5 By your great skill in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart is proud because of your wealth. 6 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you think you are godlike, 7 I am about to bring foreigners against you, the most terrifying of nations. They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, and they will defile your splendor. 8 They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die violently in the heart of the seas. 9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you—though you are a man and not a god—when you are in the power of those who wound you? 10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” 11 The Lord’s message came to me: 12 “Son of man, sing a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You were the sealer of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God.⁠ Every precious stone was your covering, the ruby, topaz, and emerald, the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; your settings and mounts were made of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared.⁠ 14 I placed you there with an anointed guardian cherub; you were on the holy mountain of God;⁠ you walked about amidst fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your behavior from the day you were created, until sin was discovered in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I defiled you and banished you from the mountain of God—the guardian cherub expelled you from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. I threw you down to the ground; I placed you before kings, that they might see you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade, you desecrated your sanctuaries. So I drew fire out from within you; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth before the eyes of all who saw you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are shocked at you; you have become terrified and will be no more.’” 20 The Lord’s message came to me: 21 “Son of man, turn toward Sidon and prophesy against it. 22 Say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look, I am against you, Sidon, and I will magnify myself in your midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I execute judgments on her and reveal my sovereign power in her.⁠ 23 I will send a plague into the city and bloodshed into its streets; the slain will fall within it, by the sword that attacks it from every side. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. 25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them.⁠ Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

Texts in conversation

Compare Leviticus 25:18 and Ezekiel 28:26

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Leviticus 25 connects obedience to the Torah with the promise of living securely in the land, including agricultural production. Ezekiel echoes this when describing Israel’s restoration, saying those who return live securely and enjoy the land’s produce.

Passages

Leviticus 25:18

Hebrew Bible
16 The more years there are, the more you may make its purchase price, and the fewer years there are, the less you must make its purchase price, because he is only selling to you a number of years of produce. 17 No one is to oppress his fellow citizen, but you must fear your God, because I am the Lord your God. 18 You must obey my statutes and my regulations; you must be sure to keep them so that you may live securely in the land. 19 “‘The land will give its fruit, and you may eat until you are satisfied, and you may live securely in the land. 20 If you say, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow and gather our produce?”
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

Ezekiel 28:26

Hebrew Bible
24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. 25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ezekiel

References

"... the series of theophanies contain elements associated with Israel’s possession of the promised land. Many of the descriptions focus on issues of fertility; the emphasis is on the positive changes to the environmental conditions of Palestine. The area will no longer experience “cold or frost.” The appearance of frost would signal the end of the growing season; therefore, the implication is the growing season continues. Further, “cold and frost” may also refer to a ‘killing frost’ that would reduce the yield of the olive tress or kill the trees. This situation will no longer occur either. There will be perpetual light, which means an extension to the growing season ... The result of the series of theophanies is security and peace ... ‘The idea of living, lying down, or dwelling “in security” is a recurrent component of the divine promise, particularly as it appears in Deuteronomy 12:10; in the archaic poem of Deuteronomy 33 (verses 12 and 28), in the Holiness Code (Leviticus 25:18, 19; 26:5) in Jeremiah (23:6; 32:37; 33:16) and in Ezekiel (28:26; 34:25-28: 38:8, 14; 39:26). A perusal of these passages shows two relevant aspects of “dwell in security.” First, it is used variously for Israel, Jerusalem, and returning exiles; thus its use here for Jerusalem would probably mean a Jerusalem symbolizing all Israel. Second, it is part of covenant language, part of the blessings that accrue to the people who obey Yahweh’ ..."
Anne Moore, Moving beyond Symbol and Myth: Understanding the Kingship of God of the Hebrew Bible through Metaphor, StBibLit 99 (New York: Peter Lang, 2009), 177–178.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Leviticus 25:18 and Ezekiel 28:26

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