Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou hast been in Eden. The King of Tyre is represented in his former high state (contrasted with his subsequent downfall), under images drawn from the primeval man in Eden, the type of humanity in its most God-like form.
The garden of God - the model of ideal loveliness (Ezekiel 31:8-9; Ezekiel 36:35). In the person of the King of Tyre a new trial, as it were, was made of humanity with the greatest earthly advantages; but, as in the case of Adam, the good gifts of God were only turned into ministers to pride and self.
Every precious stone was thy covering - so Havilah, connected with Eden by the river Pison, contained (Genesis 2:12) "gold, bdellium, and the onyx stone." So the King of Tyre was arrayed in jewel-bespangled robes, after the fashion of Oriental monarchs. The nine precious stones here mentioned answer to nine of the twelve (representing the twelve tribes) in the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 39:10-13; compare also the twelve precious stones which formed the twelve foundations to the new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:14; Revelation 21:19-21). Of the four rows of three in each the third is omitted in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the Septuagint In this, too, there is an ulterior reference to Antichrist, who is blasphemously to arrogate the office of our Divine High Priest, who "shall be a Priest upon His throne" (Zechariah 6:13).
The workmanship of thy tabrets - tambourines.
And of thy pipes - literally, holes in musical pipes or flutes.
Was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created - i:e., in the day of thine accession to the throne. Tambourines and all the marks of joy were ready prepared for thee ("in thee," i:e., with and for thee). Thou hadst not, like others, to work thy way to the throne through arduous struggles. No sooner created than, like Adam, thou wast surrounded with the gratifications of Eden. Fairbairn, for "pipes," translates 'females' (having reference to Genesis 1:27, "In the image of God created He him, male and female created He them"),
i.e., musician-women. 'The service of thy tambourines and of thy females was prepared with thee,' etc. Maurer explains the Hebrew not as to music, but as to the setting and mounting of the gems previously mentioned х nªqaabeykaa (H5345) tupeykaa (H8596)], 'The workmanship of thy bezels and thy settings was prepared for thee,' etc.