Ezekiel 22:23-31

23 Again the word of the LORD came to me:

24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’

25 There is a conspiracy of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.

26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.

28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken.

29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.

30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.

31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Ezekiel 22:23-31 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.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 24:13
• 2. Jeremiah 11:9
• 3. S Psalms 22:13
• 4. Hosea 6:9
• 5. Jeremiah 15:8; Jeremiah 18:21
• 6. Hosea 9:7-8; Zephaniah 3:4; Malachi 2:7-8
• 7. Ezekiel 42:20; Ezekiel 44:23
• 8. S Leviticus 20:25; Leviticus 10:10
• 9. S Leviticus 18:21; S Ezekiel 13:19
• 10. ver 8; S 1 Samuel 2:12-17; Jeremiah 2:8,26; Haggai 2:11-14
• 11. S Jeremiah 26:10; Zephaniah 3:3
• 12. Matthew 7:15
• 13. S ver 3; S Ezekiel 11:6; Ezekiel 33:25; Ezekiel 34:2-3; Micah 3:2,10
• 14. ver 13; S Genesis 37:24; S Isaiah 1:23; S Jeremiah 12:2; S Jeremiah 51:13; Ezekiel 33:31
• 15. S Ezekiel 13:10
• 16. S Lamentations 2:14; S Lamentations 4:13; S Ezekiel 21:29
• 17. S Eze 13:2,6-7
• 18. S Psalms 62:10
• 19. S Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9
• 20. S Isaiah 5:7
• 21. S Ezekiel 13:5
• 22. Psalms 106:23; S Isaiah 64:7; Jeremiah 5:1
• 23. Exodus 32:10; S Isaiah 30:27; S Lamentations 4:11
• 24. Ezekiel 16:43
• 25. Ezekiel 7:8-9; Ezekiel 9:10; Romans 2:8

Footnotes

• [a] Septuagint; Hebrew "prophets"