Ezekiel 22:1-9

The Sins of Israel

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 "And 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 GOD, "A city ¹shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come, and that makes idols, contrary to her interest, for defilement!

4 "You have become ²guilty by the blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your day near and have come to your years; therefore * I have made you a ³reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands.

5 "Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of ill repute, full of ⁴turmoil.

6 "Behold, the ⁵rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood.

7 "They have ⁶treated father and mother lightly within you. The ⁷alien they have oppressed * in your midst; the ⁸fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you.

8 "You have ⁹despised My holy things and ¹⁰profaned My sabbaths.

9 "Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have ¹¹committed acts of lewdness.

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Ezekiel 22:1-9 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Ezekiel 22:6, 27; Ezekiel 23:37, 45
2. 2 Kings 21:16; Ezekiel 24:7, 8
3. Psalms 44:13, 14; Ezekiel 5:14, 15; Ezekiel 16:57
4. Isaiah 22:2
5. Isaiah 1:23; Ezekiel 22:27
6. Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 20:9; Deuteronomy 5:16; Deuteronomy 27:16
7. Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 24:17; Jeremiah 7:6; Zechariah 7:10
8. Exodus 22:22; Ezekiel 22:25; Malachi 3:5
9. Ezekiel 22:26
10. Ezek 20:13, 21, 24; Ezekiel 23:38, 39
11. Ezekiel 23:29; Hos 4:2, 10, 14

Footnotes 4

[a]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch
[b]. Lit "your"
[c]. Lit "days"
[d]. Lit "arm"