The Meaning of Ezekiel 28:13 Explained

Ezekiel 28:13

KJV: Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

YLT: In Eden, the garden of God, thou hast been, Every precious stone thy covering, Ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle, and gold, The workmanship of thy tabrets, and of thy pipes, In thee in the day of thy being produced, have been prepared.

Darby: thou wast in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the chrysolite, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the carbuncle, and the emerald, and gold. The workmanship of thy tambours and of thy pipes was in thee: in the day that thou wast created were they prepared.

ASV: Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou hast been in Eden  the garden  of God;  every precious  stone  [was] thy covering,  the sardius,  topaz,  and the diamond,  the beryl,  the onyx,  and the jasper,  the sapphire,  the emerald,  and the carbuncle,  and gold:  the workmanship  of thy tabrets  and of thy pipes  was prepared  in thee in the day  that thou wast created. 

What does Ezekiel 28:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This king had been in Eden, the garden of God, or Ezekiel was comparing him to someone who had been there. Some authorities believe Ezekiel had Adam in view, but the comparison with Adam quickly breaks down in the passage. Much less likely are the views that the tower of Babel or the Flood is in view or that the prophet was thinking of an ideal man. Eden, the garden of God, is probably a figurative way of describing the blessing that this ruler had enjoyed at God"s hand (cf31:9; Genesis 13:10). If we take the statement literally, this must refer to someone who was in the Garden of Eden, probably Satan. The description of this ruler covered with precious gems and gold indicates the extent of his wealth. The suggestion that Israel"s high priest is in view here because he bore such precious stones on his shoulders and breastpiece is farfetched. There are no other connections with the high priest in this passage. God had prepared this king for this privileged destiny from the time that He had created him (cf. Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17).
"The concept of the Garden of Eden presents one of the major difficulties in interpreting this section as Tyre"s literal human king. A possible solution may be found in understanding ancient Near Eastern temples. These ancient temples normally encompassed a large enclosure with a garden, not just a building (cf. van Dijk, p117). If the term for "God" in this phrase is understood as "god," then perhaps "Eden, a garden of a god," was an expression used metaphorically to describe the splendor of the temple complex of Melkart, the "king of the city" (which was the meaning of the god"s name), with whom Tyre"s human king was seeking identity. Though this interpretation is a hypothesis (as are all others), normal cultural hermeneutics may aid in the explanation of the text and should not be ignored. It is readily admitted that this phrase "you were in Eden, the garden of God" is the most difficult obstacle to the interpretation of the king of Tyre as the literal king of the city. The above, however, is certainly a plausible understanding of the phrase." [1]

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 28:13 mean?

In Eden the garden of God You were every stone [was] precious your covering the sardius topaz and diamond Beryl onyx and jasper Sapphire turquoise and emerald and with gold the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes for you on the day you were created Was prepared
בְּעֵ֨דֶן גַּן־ אֱלֹהִ֜ים הָיִ֗יתָ כָּל־ אֶ֨בֶן יְקָרָ֤ה מְסֻכָתֶ֙ךָ֙ אֹ֣דֶם פִּטְדָ֞ה וְיָהֲלֹ֗ם תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ שֹׁ֙הַם֙ וְיָ֣שְׁפֵ֔ה סַפִּ֣יר נֹ֔פֶךְ וּבָרְקַ֖ת וְזָהָ֑ב מְלֶ֨אכֶת תֻּפֶּ֤יךָ וּנְקָבֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔ךְ בְּי֥וֹם הִבָּרַאֲךָ֖ כּוֹנָֽנוּ

בְּעֵ֨דֶן  In  Eden 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדֶן 
Sense: the first habitat of man after the creation; site unknown.
גַּן־  the  garden 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָיִ֗יתָ  You  were 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֶ֨בֶן  stone  [was] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
יְקָרָ֤ה  precious 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: יְקִפָּאֹון 
Sense: valuable, prized, weighty, precious, rare, splendid.
מְסֻכָתֶ֙ךָ֙  your  covering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מְסֻכָה  
Sense: covering.
אֹ֣דֶם  the  sardius 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹדֶם  
Sense: ruby, carnelian (redness).
פִּטְדָ֞ה  topaz 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פִּטְדָה  
Sense: topaz or chrysolite.
וְיָהֲלֹ֗ם  and  diamond 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָהֲלֹם  
Sense: a precious stone (known for its hardness).
תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ  Beryl 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תַּרְשִׁישׁ  
Sense: a precious stone or semi-precious gem.
שֹׁ֙הַם֙  onyx 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁהַם  
Sense: a precious stone or gem.
וְיָ֣שְׁפֵ֔ה  and  jasper 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָשְׁפֵה  
Sense: jasper (a precious stone).
סַפִּ֣יר  Sapphire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַפִּיר  
Sense: sapphire, lapis lazuli.
נֹ֔פֶךְ  turquoise 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נׄפֶךְ  
Sense: a precious stone in the high priest’s breastplate.
וּבָרְקַ֖ת  and  emerald 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּרֶקֶת 
Sense: a gem, precious stone, emerald (Josephus).
וְזָהָ֑ב  and  with  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
מְלֶ֨אכֶת  the  workmanship 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
תֻּפֶּ֤יךָ  of  your  timbrels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כְּתֹף 
Sense: timbrel, tambourine.
וּנְקָבֶ֙יךָ֙  and  pipes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶקֶב  
Sense: groove, socket, hole, cavity, settings.
בָּ֔ךְ  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
בְּי֥וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הִבָּרַאֲךָ֖  you  were  created 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
כּוֹנָֽנוּ  Was  prepared 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.