Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
Ezekiel's lament over the king of Tyre reaches its turning point here: a creature full of beauty and wisdom admires his own gifts, and pride ruins him. The words sound too large for any human ruler, so readers ask who is really in view.
Who the lament addresses
The chapter first addresses the "prince" of Tyre. From verse 11 the title changes to "king." One writer keeps both the historical man and a deeper figure in view.
William KellyThere is more difficulty about verses 11-19. Is it the same person or a different one? I am inclined to think it is the same one historically. But a deeper reference to Satan's fall is built into it. This may be one reason why the Spirit of God changes "prince" into "king."
The heart lifted up
The verse names an inward cause, not an outside attack. James Boyd traces the devil's fall to pride of heart, and notes what no unfallen being ever does.
James BoydHe is a fallen creature who is occupied with anything but God. No unfallen being is found contemplating his own excellency. Pride of heart was the cause of the fall of the devil. I suppose we may take Ezekiel 28 as having reference to him. He is spoken of as full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Every precious stone was his covering. But this is what is said to him: his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, and he had corrupted his wisdom because of his brightness. Whatever he was, he was God's handiwork, and the glory all belonged to God, but he gave the glory to himself.
Privilege marks the fall
The beauty and the brightness were real gifts. One writer shows how those gifts shaped the fall, and draws a principle that reaches past this one figure.
J. N. DarbyBut all these advantages were the occasion of his fall, and they marked its character. For the privileges we enjoy always mark the character of our fall. From where have we fallen? That is the question. We had the privilege and failed there, and that is what degrades our condition.
Wisdom turned into subtlety
The verse says the wisdom was corrupted, not removed. Mawson follows that wisdom into what it became, and where Scripture first shows him at work.
J. T. MawsonWhen he fell from his high place, the wisdom of this great being was corrupted into devilish subtlety. Scripture first introduces him as the serpent, the deceiver (Gen. 3). By that subtlety Satan deceived Eve and turned the man and the woman into sinners against God. By that same subtlety he is blinding men and women today.
The "brightness" in the verse was never his own. Samuel Ridout shows where such light comes from, and what boasting does to it.
Samuel Ridout"God is light," and His hosts are hosts of light; they shine in a glory that is not their own... Let any of these sons of the morning boast in themselves, and their brightness would grow dim. Of God it must always be said, "who dwells in unapproachable light." His light goes beyond that of all His creatures, however high they stand.
What went wrong at the root
Darby names the moment iniquity appeared in him, and what he lost then.
J. N. DarbyNote, the iniquity was found in him — it was "looking at his own beauty." Lord, keep us from this! For how vile to attribute this beauty to ourselves! And yet we should all have this devilish tendency, except as we are kept... Dependence was lost, and what had been a natural quality became a power of evil.
Cast down and exposed
The verse does not stop at the cause. God throws him down and puts him on show before kings. One writer follows what that did to a spirit that had felt secure.
J. N. DarbyHe exalted himself against God, and he was cast out as unholy from the mountain of God. His spirit, secure and independent, was humbled when he was cast to the ground. His nakedness is shown to all, and his folly will in the end be clear to all.
Why God does not show us our own beauty
If self-admiration ruined the highest creature, how does God deal with us now? Frederick Grant says He keeps our own excellence out of our sight.
Frederick W. GrantSo with the dealing of the Spirit of God with us individually. Do we imagine that He is going to display us to our own eyes "radiant with all the excellencies of Christ"? It would indeed be dangerous: "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (Ezek. 28:17), it was said long ago. "Lest, being lifted up with pride," says the apostle, "he fall into the condemnation of the devil." (1 Tim. 3:6.)
Summary
- Given — the beauty, the wisdom and the brightness were God's handiwork; the glory all belonged to Him.
- Gazed at — the fall began inside him, as he looked at his own beauty. No unfallen creature does that.
- Corrupted — dependence was lost. A natural quality became a power of evil, and wisdom turned into the subtlety of the serpent.
- Cast down — he exalted himself against God, so God humbled him to the ground and showed his folly to all.
- Guarded — God does not display our beauty to our own eyes, so that we do not fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Tim. 3:6).