1 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 You, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? then cause her to know all her abominations. 3 You shall say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: A city that sheds blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her! 4 You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made; and you have caused your days to draw near, and are come even to your years: therefore have I made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. 5 Those who are near, and those who are far from you, shall mock you, you infamous one (and) full of tumult. 6 Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. 7 In you have they set light by father and mother; in the midst of you have they dealt by oppression with the foreigner; in you have they wronged the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths. 9 Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood; and in you they have eaten on the mountains: in the midst of you they have committed lewdness. 10 In you have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity. 11 One has committed abomination with his neighbor's wife; and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in you has humbled his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In you have they taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me, says the Lord Yahweh. 13 Behold, therefore, I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been in the midst of you. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries; and I will consume your filthiness out of you. 16 You shall be profaned in yourself, in the sight of the nations; and you shall know that I am Yahweh. 17 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: all of them are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it; so will I gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so you will be melted in its midst; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out my wrath on you. 23 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 24 Son of man, tell her, You are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained on in the day of indignation. 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in its midst, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in its midst. 26 Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in its midst are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, (and) to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, when Yahweh has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery; yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully. 30 I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. 31 Therefore have I poured out my indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought on their heads, says the Lord Yahweh.
This chapter contains a recital of the sins of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 22:1-12; for which God threatens it with severe judgments, Ezekiel 22:13-16, in order to purify it from the dross, Ezekiel 22:17-22. And as the corruption is general, pervading prophets, priests, princes, and people; so, it is declared, shall be the punishment, Ezekiel 22:23-31.
INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 22
In this chapter a catalogue or list of the sins of the Jews is given; a comparison of them to dross is made, and they are dealt with accordingly; and a complaint is lodged against all ranks and orders of men for their sins; on account of which, there being no intercessor for them, they are threatened with captivity and destruction. The prophet is ordered to judge them, and lay before them their abominable sins, Ezekiel 22:1, of which a long list is given, as murder, idolatry; contempt of parents; oppression of the stranger, fatherless, and widow; negligence of holy things; profanation of the sabbath; tale bearing, lewdness and uncleanness of various sorts; bribery, usury, extortion, and dishonest gain, Ezekiel 22:3 for which the Lord threatens to deal with them in a manner that would be intolerable to them; that he would carry them captive, and scatter them among the Heathen, Ezekiel 22:14, they are compared to dross, and as such should be gathered into a furnace, and melted down, Ezekiel 22:17, all ranks and orders of men are complained of, because of their sins, and threatened, Ezekiel 22:23, the prophets for their voraciousness, rapine, murder, and lies, Ezekiel 22:25, the priests, for their violation of the law, neglect of holy things, and profanation of the sabbath, Ezekiel 22:26, the princes, for their cruelty, murder, and dishonest gain, Ezekiel 22:27, the people of the land, for their oppression and robbery, Ezekiel 22:29, and there being none to stand in the gap for them, the Lord threatens to pour out his wrath upon them, and consume them, Ezekiel 22:30.
(v. 1-16) The sins of Jerusalem.
(Ezekiel 22:17-22) Israel is condemned as dross.
(Ezekiel 22:23-31) As the corruption is general, so shall be the punishment.
The Sins of Jerusalem and Israel
Ezekiel 22:1-16
To the prediction of the judgment in Ezekiel 21 there is appended another description of the sins of Jerusalem and Israel, by which this judgment is occasioned. The chapter contains three words of God, which are connected together both in substance and design, viz., (1) The blood-guiltiness and idolatry of Jerusalem accelerate the coming of the days when the city will be an object of scorn to all the world (vv. 1-16); (2) The house of Israel has become dross, and is to be melted in the fire of tribulation (Ezekiel 22:17-22); (3) All ranks of the kingdom - prophets, priests, princes, and people - are thoroughly corrupt, therefore has the judgment burst upon them (Ezekiel 22:23-31).
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.