Ezekiel 22:1-6

Israel's Shedding of Blood

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 "And you, 1son of man, 2will you judge, will you judge 3the bloody city? 4Then declare to her all her abominations.
3 You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that 5her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself!
4 You have become guilty 6by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought 7your days near, the appointed time of[a] your years has come. 8Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries.
5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; 9your name is defiled; 10you are full of tumult.
6 "Behold, 11the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.

Ezekiel 22:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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, Eze 22:1,2, 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, Eze 22:3-13 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, Eze 22:14-16, they are compared to dross, and as such should be gathered into a furnace, and melted down, Eze 22:17-21, all ranks and orders of men are complained of, because of their sins, and threatened, Eze 22:23,24, the prophets for their voraciousness, rapine, murder, and lies, Eze 22:25,28, the priests, for their violation of the law, neglect of holy things, and profanation of the sabbath, Eze 22:26, the princes, for their cruelty, murder, and dishonest gain, Eze 22:27, the people of the land, for their oppression and robbery, Eze 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, Eze 22:30,31.

Cross References 11

  • 1. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 2. See Ezekiel 20:4
  • 3. [Ezekiel 16:38; Ezekiel 23:37; Ezekiel 24:6; 2 Kings 21:16]; See Ezekiel 7:23
  • 4. Ezekiel 16:2; Ezekiel 20:4
  • 5. Ezekiel 21:25, 29
  • 6. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 7. [See ver. 3 above]
  • 8. See Ezekiel 5:14
  • 9. [Isaiah 1:21]
  • 10. Isaiah 22:2
  • 11. ver. 27

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until
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