יחזקאל, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ט״ו

The King of Tyre is presented as a tragic figure who began his reign at the absolute height of greatness, only to experience a devastating fall brought on by his own moral and spiritual decay. Initially, the king was seen as an entirely complete and upright individual [מצודת ציון]. He possessed a flawless public image and was endowed with every possible virtue, even if these qualities were not strictly moral in nature [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This state of perfection characterized him from his very beginning. However, commentators agree that this starting point does not refer to the day of his physical birth. Rather, it marks the time when he reached true maturity, independence, and full understanding [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

This ideal existence continued uninterrupted until a deep flaw emerged, revealing a sin that stripped him of his worthiness and honor. The exact nature of this wrongdoing is viewed through several complementary lenses. One approach identifies the core issue as extreme arrogance, which eventually drove the king to declare himself a god [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

A different perspective shifts the focus to his relationship with God's people, suggesting that the king's ultimate failure was his malicious joy over the destruction of Jerusalem [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. This gloating was driven by intense greed, as he saw the fall of Jerusalem as a prime opportunity to expand his own empire's wealth and trade at the ruined city's expense.

Ultimately, this relentless pursuit of wealth and commercial dominance became his undoing. The thriving trade environment fostered widespread deceit, violence, and corruption throughout his city [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Because of this toxic combination of overwhelming pride, cruelty toward a fallen nation, and deep economic corruption, the king lost his high standing and spiritual privileges, bringing absolute ruin upon himself [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].