Bible Commentary

Ezekiel 28:13

Ezekiel 28:13

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God,.... Not only in Eden, but in the garden which was in Eden, and was of the Lord's immediate planting; and therefore called the garden of God, as well as because of its excellency, fragrancy, and delight; not that the king of Tyre was literally there, or ever dwelt in it; but his situation in Tyre was as safe, and as pleasant and delightful, as Adam's was in the garden of Eden, at least in his own imagination.

So the Targum,"thou delightest thyself with plenty of all good things and delectable ones, as if thou dwellest in the garden of God;''in the mystical sense, this designs the church of God, which is an Eden, a garden, a paradise; see So 4:12 and where antichrist first appeared, and took his seat, and seated himself as if he was God, :every precious stone was thy covering; not only the covering of his head, his crown, was decked with jewels and precious stones of all sorts; but his clothes, the covering of his body, were adorned with them.

So the Targum,"all precious stones were set in order upon thy garments.''Kimchi renders it "thine hedge", or "fence" ; and takes it to be an hyperbole, as if his house, or garden, or vineyard, were fenced with precious stones.

This fitly describes the whore of Rome arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones, Re 17:4. The pope's triple crown is stuck with them, and a cross of precious stones is upon his slipper, when he holds out his toe to be kissed:the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold.

Writers differ very much about these stones; and it is difficult to say what answer to the Hebrew words here used. The stone "sardius", or the sardine stone, is of a blood colour, commonly called a cornelian, and is found in Sardis and Sardinia, from whence some say it has its name.

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