The prophecy concerning the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28 has sparked much debate over whether it refers to Satan or not. On one side, some argue that the language describing the king’s perfection and being in Eden seems to go beyond any mere human king. On the other side, others contend that the entire prophecy is addressed to the king of Tyre and there is no explicit indication of a shift to address Satan. While there are good arguments on both sides, several factors suggest Ezekiel 28 does ultimately point to Satan.
Overview of Ezekiel 28
Ezekiel 28 can be divided into two major sections – a prophecy against the prince/ruler of Tyre (v. 1-10) and a lament over the king of Tyre (v. 11-19). In the first section, Ezekiel is commanded to speak against the ruler of Tyre, who had become arrogant and self-deceived because of the wealth and wisdom he possessed. Ezekiel announces God’s judgment on this ruler for thinking he is a god, when he is just a man who will be killed by foreigners (v. 1-10).
The second section, the lament over the king of Tyre, is more cryptic and debated. Ezekiel is commanded to “take up a lament” concerning the king of Tyre and say to him several things (v. 12):
- He is described as “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (v. 12)
- He was in “Eden, the garden of God” and adorned with precious stones (v. 13)
- He was an “anointed guardian cherub” blameless from the day he was created (v. 14)
- He was on the holy mountain of God and walked among the fiery stones (v. 14)
- He was perfect in all his ways from the day he was created until unrighteousness was found in him (v. 15)
- He became filled with violence and sinned, so God cast him out as profane from the mountain of God (v. 16)
- His heart became proud because of his beauty, he corrupted his wisdom because of his splendor, and he will be cast to the ground (v. 17)
Because of the lofty descriptions of this king, exceeding any mortal man, many interpret this passage as referring to Satan’s fall. However, others argue it continues the prophecy against the human king of Tyre who had pridefully considered himself a god.
Arguments for Referring to Satan
There are several reasons many interpret Ezekiel 28:11-19 as referring to Satan behind the earthly king of Tyre:
- Descriptions exceed any human king – Being the “signet of perfection” and “full of wisdom” as well as being “perfect in beauty” seem to go beyond any human limitations. Even if these are exaggerated descriptions of an arrogant earthly king, calling him a guardian cherub in Eden and on the holy mountain of God (v. 13-14) imply more than a human.
- Parallels with Isaiah 14 – Isaiah 14 is another prophetic passage, against the king of Babylon this time, that many also interpret as referencing Satan represented by the earthly king. Since both Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 concern prideful kings who sought to become like God but were instead cast out of heaven, many see a parallel reference to Satan in both.
- No explicit shift back to the king of Tyre – Unlike the clear shift from the ruler (v. 1-10) to the king (v. 11-19), there is no explicit shift back. This suggests that Ezekiel continues addressing the non-human entity from v. 11-19 rather than shifting back to only the human king.
- Parallels in the New Testament – Some details such as being perfect from creation until iniquity was found in him parallel New Testament descriptions of Satan (Ezekiel 28:15; 1 Timothy 3:6). His presence in Eden also fits the Genesis account of Satan tempting Adam and Eve as the serpent (Genesis 3).
- Church history interpretation – Many historical commentators from the early church onward have interpreted this passage as referring to Satan despite some debate.
Arguments Against Referring to Satan
However, there are also reasons many Bible scholars do not think Ezekiel 28:11-19 refers to Satan:
- No explicit identification with Satan – Unlike the clearer reference to Satan in the New Testament (Revelation 12:7-9), there is no explicit mention of Satan or identification of the king of Tyre with Satan.
- Continued address to the king – The entire passage maintains a consistent address to “the king of Tyre” without shifting to address Satan directly. This suggests it is still in reference to the human king.
- Exaggerated descriptions – The lofty descriptions can be understood as intentionally exaggerated references to the arrogance and pride of the king of Tyre who considered himself a god, not a literal description of a celestial being cast out of heaven.
- Apocalyptic genre – Ezekiel contains much apocalyptic, symbolic imagery that is not intended to be literal descriptions. This section may describe the lofty arrogance of the king using such imagery.
- Satan not clearly identified in Old Testament – Unlike the New Testament, Satan is not clearly identified by name in the Old Testament. This makes the case weaker that Ezekiel would be implicitly referring to Satan.
- Other historical interpretations – While many have interpreted Ezekiel 28 as referring to Satan, other historical interpretations treat it as only addressing the human king of Tyre.
Key Considerations
With good arguments on both sides, a few considerations are helpful in evaluating which view is most persuasive:
- The lofty descriptions, including cherub imagery, seem to go beyond references to any human king.
- There is a lack of explicit transition back to the earthly king after verse 11.
- Parallels with Isaiah 14 suggest a pattern of referring to Satanic spiritual powers behind earthly rulers.
- New Testament parallels provide greater canonical support for seeing Satan here.
- There is a motif in Scripture of Satan working through prideful human leaders.
At the same time, factors such as the lack of an explicit identification with Satan and the consistent address to the king of Tyre are important to consider. There are also poetic elements that must be discerned from literal descriptions.
In the end, while the passage is not as explicit as some other biblical references to Satan, the preponderance of evidence points toward Ezekiel using the king of Tyre to allude to the spiritual entity of Satan. This view makes the best sense of the lofty descriptions and parallels both within the Old Testament and connecting to the New Testament.
Yet at the same time, this passage does not give clear details about Satan not found elsewhere. The emphasis still seems to primarily be on announcing judgment on the prideful rule of the human king of Tyre who thought he was a god. Seen this way, the allusions to Satan behind this king need not be taken as literal descriptions of Satan’s origins so much as using this sinister spiritual being to characterize the arrogance of Tyre’s king.
Key Passages
Some key passages that are relevant to interpreting Ezekiel 28:
Ezekiel 28:1-19
The entire prophecy against the prince and king of Tyre that is debated whether the king section refers to Satan or not.
Isaiah 14:12-15
A prophetic oracle against the king of Babylon that also may allude to Satan’s fall in Eden through lofty imagery exceedingly any human king.
Genesis 3
Places Satan in the Garden of Eden as the serpent who tempted Eve. Some connect this to the description of the king of Tyre being in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13).
Revelation 12:7-9
Explicitly describes Satan as “that ancient serpent…who deceives the whole world” who was “thrown down to the earth” from heaven. Ezekiel 28 may allude to this, but Revelation gives clearer details.
1 Timothy 3:6
Warns against pride leading to the same condemnation as the devil, similar to Ezekiel 28:15 describing iniquity being found in the perfect king of Tyre.
Conclusion
The prophecy against the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28 uses lofty, mysterious language to describe his judgment. Debate continues over whether this also points to the spiritual entity of Satan. However, the preponderance of evidence favors the view that Ezekiel references the story of Satan’s rebellion and arrogance through allusion in order to criticize the self-deification of the king of Tyre. Connections to other parts of Scripture strengthen this interpretation. At the same time, Ezekiel 28 on its own gives few clear details about Satan’s origins and should be read in light of the clearer revelation about Satan found elsewhere in Scripture.
