Yechezkel 22

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.

6 Hinei, the nasi’im (rulers) of Yisroel, every one has used his zero’a (arm, power) for shefach dahm in thee.

7 In thee have they treated with contempt av and em in the midst of thee; they have dealt by oshek (oppression) with the ger (alien, proselyte); in thee have they mistreated the yatom and the almanah.

8 Thou hast despised Mine kadoshim, and hast profaned My Shabbatot.

9 In thee are anashim that slander to cause shefach dahm; and in thee are they who eat upon the harim; in the midst of thee they commit zimmah (lewdness).

10 In thee have they uncovered the ervat av (nakedness of their father, i.e., had incest with mother or stepmother), in thee have they raped her that had the teme’at haniddah (the uncleanness of the menstruation period).

11 And ish hath committed to’evah with his neighbor’s isha; and another hath lewdly made tameh his kallah (daughter-in-law); and another in thee hath raped his achot, his bat aviv.

12 In thee have they taken shochad (bribe) for shefach dahm; thou hast taken neshekh (usury) and tarbit (interest), and thou hast unjustly profited from thy neighbors by oshek (opression, extortion), and hast forgotten Me, saith Adonoi Hashem.

13 Hinei, therefore I have struck Mine palm at thy betza (dishonest gain) which thou hast made, and at thy bloodshed which hath been in the midst of thee.

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.

19 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; because ye are all become siggim, hineni, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Yerushalayim.

20 As they gather kesef, and nechoshet, and barzel (iron), and oferet (lead), and bedil (tin), into the midst of the kur (furnace), to blow the eish upon the ore to melt it down; so will I gather you in Mine af (anger) and in My chemah (wrath), and I will position you there, and melt you down.

21 Indeed, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the eish of My evrah (wrath), and ye shall be melted down in the midst therof.

22 As kesef is melted down in the midst of the kur (furnace), so shall ye be melted down in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I Hashem have poured out My chemah (wrath) upon you.

23 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

24 Ben adam, say unto her, Thou art eretz that is not metoharah (cleansed), nor rained upon in the Yom Za’am (Day of Indignation).

25 There is a kesher of her nevi’im in the midst thereof, like a roaring ari (lion) tearing the prey; they have devoured nefesh; they have taken the khosen (treasure, wealth) and precious things; they have made her many almanot (widows) in the midst thereof.

26 Her kohanim have done violence to My torah, and have profaned Mine kadoshim; they have put no difference between the kodesh and chol (common, profane), neither have they made a distinction between the tameh and the tahor, and have hid their eynayim from My Shabbatot, and I am profaned among them.

27 Her sarim in the midst thereof are like ze’evim (wolves) tearing the prey, to do shefach dahm, and to destroy nefashot, to get betza (dishonest gain).

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.

Yechezkel 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

The sins of Jerusalem. (1-16) Israel is condemned as dross. (17-22) As the corruption is general, so shall be the punishment. (23-31)

Verses 1-16 The prophet is to judge the bloody city; the city of bloods. Jerusalem is so called, because of her crimes. The sins which Jerusalem stands charged with, are exceeding sinful. Murder, idolatry, disobedience to parents, oppression and extortion, profanation of the sabbath and holy things, seventh commandment sins, lewdness and adultery. Unmindfulness of God was at the bottom of all this wickedness. Sinners provoke God because they forget him. Jerusalem has filled the measure of her sins. Those who give up themselves to be ruled by their lusts, will justly be given up to be portioned by them. Those who resolve to be their own masters, let them expect no other happiness than their own hands can furnish; and a miserable portion it will prove.

Verses 17-22 Israel, compared with other nations, had been as the gold and silver compared with baser metals. But they were now as the refuse that is consumed in the furnace, or thrown away when the silver is refined. Sinners, especially backsliding professors, are, in God's account, useless and fit for nothing. When God brings his own people into the furnace, he sits by them as the refiner by his gold, to see that they are not continued there any longer than is fitting and needful. The dross shall be wholly separated, and the good metal purified. Let those who suffer pains, or lingering sickness, and find that their hearts can scarcely bear these light and momentary afflictions, take warning to flee from the wrath to come; for if these trials are not sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the cleansing their hearts and hands from sin, far worse things will come upon them.

Verses 23-31 All orders and degrees of men had helped to fill the measure of the nation's guilt. The people that had any power abused it, and even the buyers and sellers find some way to oppress one another. It bodes ill to a people when judgments are breaking in upon them, and the spirit of prayer is restrained. Let all who fear God, unite to promote his truth and righteousness; as wicked men of every rank and profession plot together to run them down.

Chapter Summary

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.