Ezekiel 28:17

Ezekiel 28:17

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.

a. YLT: 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.

b. 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,

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Your heart was proud and lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I lay you before kings, that they might gaze at you.

d. Septuagint: Thy heart has been lifted up because of thy beauty; thy knowledge has been corrupted with thy beauty: because of the multitude of thy sins I have cast thee to the ground, I have caused thee to be put to open shame before kings.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Your heart became proud because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom because of your slendor. So i have thrown you to the ground And I have set you before kings to gaze upon you.

1. “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty…”

a. [Thine] heart [Strong: 3820 lêb, labe; a form of H3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything:—care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.]

b. [was] lifted up [Strong: 1361 gâbahh, gaw-bah'; a primitive root; to soar, i.e. be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty:—exalt, be haughty, be (make) high(-er), lift up, mount up, be proud, raise up great height, upward.

c. [because of thy] beauty 3308 yŏphîy, yof-ee'; from H3302; beauty:—beauty.] [This word is translated “beauty” 19 times in the OT.]

1). Ezekiel 28:12 describes Lucifer as “perfect in beauty” and it seems that his wisdom and his beauty were connected because the whole phrase reads, “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” 

a). [NKJV] "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”.

b). [NIV]  ”You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”.

c). The “sum” was that he was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”.

2). 1 Timothy declares that pride was the downfall of Lucifer. Lucifer became proud of the fact he was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

a). 1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

2. “…thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness…”

a. [thou hast] corrupted [Strong: 7843 shâchath, shaw-khath'; a primitive root; to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay, to be marred, be spoiled, be corrupted, be corrupt, be injured, be ruined, be rotted, to spoil, ruin, to pervert, corrupt, deal corruptly (morally), to spoil, ruin, destroy, to pervert, corrupt (morally).]

b. [thy] wisdom [Strong: 2451 chokmâh, khok-maw'; from H2449; wisdom

skill (in war), wisdom (in administration) shrewdness, wisdom, wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs), wisdom (ethical and religious).]

c. by reason of [Strong: 5921  chokmâh, khok-maw'; from H2449; 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,  upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards]

d. [thy] brightness [Strong: 3314 yiphʻâh, yif-aw'; from H3313; splendour, brightness, shining.]

1). Without exception every translation I looked at supported the view Lucifer was lifted up in pride because of his splendor, his brightness. The result was his wisdom his ability to administer his ministry was corrupted.

3. “…I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”

a. [I will] cast [thee] [Strong: 7993 shâlak, shaw-lak; a primitive root; to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively):—adventure, cast (away, down, forth, off, out), hurl, pluck, throw.]

b. to [Strong: 5921  chokmâh, khok-maw'; from H2449; 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,  upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards]

c. [the] ground [Strong: 776 ʼerets, eh'-rets; from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):—× common, country, earth, field, ground, land, × natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

d. [I will] lay [thee] [Strong: 5414 nâthan, naw-than'; a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):—add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, × avenge, × be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, × doubtless, × without fail, fasten, frame, × get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), × have, × indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), lie, lift up, make, O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, × pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), sing, slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, × surely, × take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, weep, willingly, withdraw, would (to) God, yield.]

e. before [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]

f. kings [Strong: 4428 melek, meh'-lek; from H4427; a king:—king, royal.]

g. [that they may] behold [thee] [Strong: 7200 râʼâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.]

1). Perhaps this takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment before he is cast into the lake of fire for eternity.