The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 117

ptJA1,ishment. 11 Thus saith the Lord God . . . Behold, I will bring strangers upon thee," etc. (ver. 7), God himself, in the operations of his providence, would thus bring down his pride or heart and vain-glorious boasting. 3. The in6truments of thii punish- ment. "I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations." The Chaldeans were strangers to the Tyriane. They are not mentioned (in eh. xxvii.) amongst the peoples who traded with Tyre, They were a people of a strange language, and their nrmy was drawn from countries which were strange to the proud people of the island- city. And they were " terrible." They were powerful and violent beyond all others in that age-the dread conquerors of all whom they assailed. They came agains\ Tyre, and, after long persistence, humbled the proud city, 4. The consequence of this punishment. 11 Wilt thou say before him that elayeth thee, I am God ? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him that woundeth thee" ( ver. 9). The proud boasting of the Prince of 'fyre would be effectually silenced. He would learn not only that·he was not a god, sitting in the seat of God, but a man, whose honour could be laid in the dust, and who could be slain by a world-power mightier than that in which he had gloried. God will certainly bring dow11 the pride of those who exalt themselves against him. "The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord a.lone shall be exalted" (Isa.. ii. 11). This was strikingly exemplified in Phare.oh (cf. Exod. v. 2; xii. 29-32), in Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. iv. 29-37), a11d in Herod (Acts xii. 21-23).. 5. The certainty of this punish- ment. 11 I have spoken it, saith the Lord God" (ver, 10). A.11d his word did not fail of fulfilment. CONCLUSION, Learn : 1. The danger of prosperity generating pride. " When flowers are full of heaven-descended dews, they always hang their heads; but men hold theirs the higher the more they receive, getting proud as they get full" (Beecher). Let the prosperous guard against this danger. 2. The certainty of pride meeting with punish- ment. (Cf. PB. cxuviii. 6 ; Prov. xi. 2 ; xvi. 5, 18; xviii. 12 ; xxix. 23; Matt. xx:iii. 12; Jas. iv. 6.}-W. J. Ver.<. 11-19.-Man in impressive aspects. "Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the King of Tyrus," etc. This lamentation for the Prince of Tyre presents considerable difficulties to the expositor. It has been interpreted from various points of view, which we need not discuss here. Different meanings also have been assigned to many of its clauses. Two things of great importance to a correct understandiug of it, however, seem to us quite clear, 1. That in the King of Tyre here we have the representation of an idea.I person, who stands for the Tyria.n monarchy. "The kings of Tyre," says Fairbairn, "are personified as one individual, an ideal man-one complete in all material excel- lence, perfect manhood." 2. That a deep vein of irony runs through the description of the perfections and splendours of this ideal prince. "This ideal man, the representative of whatever there was of greatness and glory in Tyre, and in whom the Tyrian spirit of self-elation and pride appears in full efflorescence, is ironically viewed by the prophet ns the type of humanity in its highest states of existence upon earth. .All that is best and noblest in the history of the past he sees in imagination meeting in this new beau-ideal of humanity." Thiij irony implies that the Prince of Tyre had a very exaggerated sense of bis own greatness and glory; otherwise it would be pointless and inapt. This paragraph presents to us man in three impressive aspects. l. MAN IN A MOST EXALTED CONDITION AND MOST FELICITOUS CIBCUMBTANOES, (Vere. 12-15.) 1. Here is a most ea;alted condition. This condition is V!ll'iously described. "Thou sealest up the sum" (ver. 12). "To seal means to seal up and close that which is complete (cf. Dan. ix. 24; Job ix. 7). To eenl the sum is to make up the whole measure of perfection." The King of Tyre is said to be "full of wisdom." In our homily on the foregoing paragraph we noticed that he boasted of his wisdom (cf. vere. 3-5). He was probably praised and flattered because of it. With truth Greenhill observes, "When princes know a little in anything, they are applauded and magnified for knowing men; but if they have got some deeper insight into things than others, then they are deified." This king is also represented as" perfect in brauty." In form and features, in expression and action, he deemed himself perfect. Or the Tyrians regarded their monarchy as perfect in its order and power and splendgur.  120 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. tou. nvm. 1-26.