The designation "king of Tyre" appears in Ezekiel 28, where God addresses two distinct figures: the "prince of Tyre" in verses 1-10 and the "king of Tyre" in verses 11-19. The prince is identified as the human ruler of the city, a man who in his pride declared, "I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas," though God reminds him plainly, "you are a man, and not a god." His downfall came through his own wisdom and wealth gained by trade, which led to arrogance and self-exaltation. For this, God brought "strangers" and "the most terrible of the nations" against him, causing him to "die the death of the slain in the midst of the seas" and "the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of aliens." By contrast, the prophecy concerning the "king of Tyre" describes someone far beyond any human ruler. This figure is said to have been "in Eden, the garden of God," and to have been "the anointed cherub who covers." Because these descriptions cannot apply to a mortal man, this section is understood to refer to the unseen, spiritual power behind Tyre's human leadership—Satan the Devil, who operated as the true ruler influencing the city from behind the scenes. Thus, the "prince" represents the visible, human government of Tyre, while the "king" represents the invisible spiritual authority animating that government's pride and corruption. This distinction is significant because it reveals that Tyre's sins—pride, greed, self-exaltation, and commercial exploitation of the weak—mirror the very character of the spiritual power behind them. The people of Tyre, led by their prince, reflected the attitude of their unseen king. Their arrogance, wealth from trade, and particularly their cruelty in profiting from Judah's downfall—selling captives into slavery to the Greeks—embodied the same spirit of self-deification and contempt for others attributed to the "king of Tyre." God's judgment therefore falls not merely on human wickedness but on the deeper spiritual pride that inspired it. This connection reinforces the broader lesson drawn from Tyre's destruction: pride, greed, and gloating over the misfortunes of others invite divine judgment, whether in a human ruler, a nation, or the spiritual power influencing them. Tyre's leaders, like their unseen "king," exalted themselves and rejoiced in others' calamity instead of showing compassion, and God's wrath came upon them for it. The account becomes a warning against emulating either the prince's arrogance or the king's pride, and instead calls for humility, compassion, and love even toward enemies—qualities entirely opposite to the spirit that destroyed Tyre.

The word of the Lord came saying to take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre. Thus says the Lord God that this one was the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. This one was in Eden the garden of God with every precious stone as a covering including the sardius topaz and diamond beryl onyx and jasper sapphire turquoise and emerald with gold. The workmanship of timbrels and pipes was prepared in the day of creation. This one was the anointed cherub who covers established on the holy mountain of God and walking back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. This one was perfect in ways from the day of creation till iniquity was found. By the abundance of trading this one became filled with violence within and sinned. Therefore this one was cast as a profane thing out of the mountain of God and destroyed as a covering cherub from the midst of the fiery stones. The heart was lifted up because of beauty and wisdom was corrupted for the sake of splendor. This one was cast to the ground laid before kings that they might gaze. Sanctuaries were defiled by the multitude of iniquities by the iniquity of trading. Therefore fire was brought from the midst that devoured and turned to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw. All who knew this one among the people are astonished and this one has become a horror and shall be no more forever. This set of verses is addressed to both the former archangel that served at the very throne of God but also in part to a physical king of Tyre. Whether referring to the former archangel or the physical minion both follow the same pattern of prideful corruption of what God can give in wisdom and beauty to enhance creation. By the abundance of trading this one became filled with violence within and sinned and therefore was cast as a profane thing out of the mountain of God. Regardless of whether referring specifically to the former archangel or those following the pattern this world's pattern of prideful corruption is where growth occurs but set apart by God to follow the way of God and not this world's way.

The lamentation over the king of Tyre identifies this figure as having been the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, described as the mark at the top of created beings. From the day of creation this one remained perfect in ways until iniquity was found within, an iniquity identified as pride that swelled up and broke the seal. This account of the broken seal serves to illustrate the possibility that iniquity can likewise affect the seal placed upon believers through the Holy Spirit. The same principle of preservation and marking that appears with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee, promise, and preparation for redemption is shown to be vulnerable when sinful actions such as bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and evil speaking grieve the Spirit. The example therefore underscores the requirement to work with the Spirit so that the mark of God remains intact, allowing acceptance before the one who judges rather than a mere critic.