Yechezkel 22:3

3 Then say thou, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, The Ir has shefach dahm in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh gillulim (idols) against herself to make herself tameh (unclean).

Yechezkel 22:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 22:3

Then say thou, thus saith the Lord God
For though the prophet was to sit as judge, yet in the name of the King of kings, under whose authority he acted: the city sheddeth blood in the midst of it;
openly and impudently, in the face of all, and in great abundance; even innocent blood, as the Targum has it: murders were frequent and common, either through quarrels, or through unrighteous judgments in courts of judicature: that her time may come;
to fill up the measure of her iniquity, and to receive the just punishment of her sins. So the Targum,

``the time of her destruction:''

and maketh idols against herself, to defile herself;
being guilty, not only of murder, but of idolatry; she was an idol maker and an idol worshipper; and which was against herself, as well as against God; to her own ruin and destruction, as well as to his dishonour; and it is no wonder she should be defiled with such dunghill gods as these were, as the word used signifies. The Targum renders it, "in the midst of her"; and Kimchi interprets it, by "her", or "above her", upon the mountains and hills.

Yechezkel 22:3 In-Context

1 2 Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

2 Now, thou ben adam, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the ir hadamim (bloody city)? V’hoda’tah (thou shalt show, make to know, arraign) her all her to’avot (abominations).

3 Then say thou, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, The Ir has shefach dahm in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh gillulim (idols) against herself to make herself tameh (unclean).

4 Thou art become guilty by thy shefach dahm; and hast made thyself tameh in thine gillulim (idols) which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy shanot (years); therefore have I made thee a cherpah unto the Goyim, and a kallasa (mockery, laughingstock) to all countries.

5 Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock at thee, which art tameh hashem (defiled, unclean of name, reputation) and much in turmoil.