The Meaning of Ezekiel 28:17 Explained

Ezekiel 28:17

KJV: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

YLT: High hath been thy heart, because of thy beauty, Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom because of thy brightness, On the earth I have cast thee, Before kings I have set thee, to look on thee,

Darby: Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

ASV: Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thine heart  was lifted up  because of thy beauty,  thou hast corrupted  thy wisdom  by reason of  thy brightness:  I will cast  thee to the ground,  I will lay  thee before  kings,  that they may behold  thee. 

What does Ezekiel 28:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord repeated the fact of His judgment and the reason for it, namely, the pride of the king. Yahweh had brought him down from his exalted position to the level of other ordinary people; he would no longer be god-like. He had also demonstrated His humiliation before the king"s peers, other kings, that they might observe and learn.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 28

1  God's judgment upon the prince of Tyrus for his sacrilegious pride
11  A lamentation of his great glory corrupted by Sidon
20  The judgment of Zion
24  The restoration of Israel

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 28:17 mean?

Was lifted up Your heart because of your beauty You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor To the ground I cast you before kings I laid you that they might gaze at you
גָּבַ֤הּ לִבְּךָ֙ בְּיָפְיֶ֔ךָ שִׁחַ֥תָּ חָכְמָתְךָ֖ עַל־ יִפְעָתֶ֑ךָ עַל־ אֶ֣רֶץ הִשְׁלַכְתִּ֗יךָ לִפְנֵ֧י מְלָכִ֛ים נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְרַ֥אֲוָה בָֽךְ

גָּבַ֤הּ  Was  lifted  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּבַהּ  
Sense: to be high, be exalted.
לִבְּךָ֙  Your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בְּיָפְיֶ֔ךָ  because  of  your  beauty 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יֳפִי  
Sense: beauty.
שִׁחַ֥תָּ  You  corrupted 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
חָכְמָתְךָ֖  your  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
עַל־  for  the  sake 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִפְעָתֶ֑ךָ  of  your  splendor 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יִפְעָה  
Sense: splendour, brightness, shining.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הִשְׁלַכְתִּ֗יךָ  I  cast  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
לִפְנֵ֧י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מְלָכִ֛ים  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נְתַתִּ֖יךָ  I  laid  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְרַ֥אֲוָה  that  they  might  gaze 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בָֽךְ  at  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular