Yechezkel 22:16

16 And thou shalt defile thyself in the sight of the Goyim, and thou shalt know that I am Hashem.

Yechezkel 22:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 22:16

And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight
of the Heathen
No longer be the inheritance of God, but their own; and not have God to be their portion and inheritance, but themselves; and a poor portion and inheritance that must be, being in captivity, poverty, and distress; enjoying neither their civil nor religious liberties, as heretofore; it would be now manifest to the Heathens that they were forsaken of God, and left to themselves. Some render it, "and thou shalt be profaned, or polluted in thyself" ^F5; shalt be known to be so to thyself, as well as appear so to others. The Targum is,

``I will be sanctified in thee before the people:''

and thou shalt know that I am the Lord;
able to do what I say; faithful to my word; omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent; and this thou shalt not only know, but own and acknowledge, when these calamities take place, and have their effect.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Kb tlxnw) "et prophana effecta in te", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "prophana efficeris", Piscator; "et polluta eris in te", Grotius; "et prophnata eris in te", Starckiss; "et prophanaberis in te", Cocceius.

Yechezkel 22:16 In-Context

14 Can thine lev stand firm, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I Hashem have spoken it, and will do it.

15 And I will scatter thee among the Goyim, and disperse thee throughout the countries, and will remove thy tum’a (uncleanness) out of thee.

16 And thou shalt defile thyself in the sight of the Goyim, and thou shalt know that I am Hashem.

17 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

18 Ben adam, Bais Yisroel is to Me become sig (dross, smelting waste product); all they are nechoshet, and bedil (tin), and barzel (iron), and oferet (lead), in the midst of the kur (furnace); they are even the siggim (drosses) of kesef.