Limitless Word
With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
Ezekiel 28:4 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures;
  • BSB By your wisdom and understanding you have gained your wealth and amassed gold and silver for your treasuries.
  • NKJV With your wisdom and your understanding You have gained riches for yourself, And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;
  • NASB “By your wisdom and understanding You have acquired riches for yourself And have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries.
  • NLT With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth— gold and silver for your treasuries.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

By his wisdom the prince amassed great riches, gold, and silver. It acknowledges his real ability while setting up the charge of pride.

Overview

The verse credits the ruler's genuine skill in building wealth through trade and shrewdness. Yet the point is that he took the credit himself, forgetting that every ability and increase comes from God. This misuse of God-given gifts, claiming them as one's own glory, lies at the heart of his condemnation.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Prov 18:11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
  • Deut 8:17–18And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
  • Prov 23:4–5Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
  • Ezek 29:3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
  • Hab 1:16Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
  • Zech 9:2–4And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.
  • Eccl 9:11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ezekiel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ezekiel 28:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EzekielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.

How Ezekiel 28:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.