Yechezkel 22:30

30 And I sought for an ish among them, that should repair the gader (fence), and stand in the peretz (gap, breach) before Me on behalf of ha’aretz, that it might not be destroyed; but I found none.

Yechezkel 22:30 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 22:30

And I sought for a man among them
among the princes, priests, prophets, and people of the land, who acted the part as above described; for otherwise, no doubt, there were good people in the land, as Jeremiah, Baruch, and others, but not among these: that should make up the hedge;
that was broken down by the transgressions of the people, who exceeded all bounds of law and justice; one that would restrain them from sinning, and reform them, and set them a good example; one, as the Targum has it,

``whose works were good;''

a good man, that would endeavour by his influence to stop the breaking in of sin, and the consequences of it: and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy
it;
in the gap that sin had made, at which the Lord was entering as a man of war to destroy the transgressors; one that should present himself to the Lord on the behalf of the people; seek mercy for them, as the Targum; interpose between God and them, and act the part of an intercessor; pray for them, as Moses did for the people of Israel, that he would not destroy them; see ( Psalms 106:23 ) : but I found none;
no reformer of them, no repairer of the breach, nor restorer of paths, to dwell in; no intercessor for them, as Abraham for Sodom, Moses for Israel; or any, like Aaron, that stood between the living and the dead to stay the plague.

Yechezkel 22:30 In-Context

28 And her nevi’im have plastered them with [dissolving] mud plaster, seeing vain visions, and divining kazav (lies) unto them, saying, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, when Hashem hath not spoken.

29 The am ha’aretz have used oshek (oppression, extortion) and commmitted gazel (robbery), and have mistreated the oni and evyon; indeed, they have treated the ger without mishpat (justice).

30 And I sought for an ish among them, that should repair the gader (fence), and stand in the peretz (gap, breach) before Me on behalf of ha’aretz, that it might not be destroyed; but I found none.

31 Therefore have I poured out Mine za’am (indignation, rage) upon them; I have consumed them with the eish of My evrah (wrath); their own derech have I brought back upon their rosh, saith Adonoi Hashem.