Ezekiel 22

The Sins of Jerusalem

¹Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

²“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.

³You shall say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!

⁴You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made! You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries.

⁵Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.

⁶“‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.

⁷In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow.

⁸You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.

⁹Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness among you.

¹⁰In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.

¹¹One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. Another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.

¹²In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord GOD.

¹³“‘“Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at the blood which has been shed within you.

¹⁴Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I will deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken it, and will do it.

¹⁵I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will purge your filthiness out of you.

¹⁶You will be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

Jerusalem as Dross in the Furnace

¹⁷The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

¹⁸“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the middle of the furnace. They are the dross of silver.

¹⁹Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem.

²⁰As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the middle of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there and melt you.

²¹Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you will be melted in the middle of it.

²²As silver is melted in the middle of the furnace, so you will be melted in the middle of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my wrath on you.’”

The Corruption of All Classes

²³The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

²⁴“Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.’

²⁵There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it.

²⁶Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them.

²⁷Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.

²⁸Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

²⁹The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.

³⁰“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

³¹Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads,” says the Lord GOD.

Previous Ezekiel 21

Next Ezekiel 23

God commands Ezekiel to pronounce judgment against Jerusalem for her extensive sins, cataloging crimes ranging from bloodshed and idolatry to social injustice and sexual immorality. Using the metaphor of a refining furnace, God declares that Jerusalem will be gathered and melted like impure metal, with all classes of society—from princes to prophets—having become corrupt. The chapter emphasizes that God's wrath will purify the city through judgment, scattering the people among nations until they acknowledge His sovereignty.

Context

This chapter continues Ezekiel's oracles against Jerusalem begun in chapter 21, providing specific justification for the coming destruction before moving to further judgment oracles in chapter 23.

Key Themes

Outline

1-5
The Bloody City Condemned God calls Jerusalem to account for her bloodshed and idolatry, making her a reproach among nations.
6-12
Catalog of Jerusalem's Sins A detailed list of crimes including violence, oppression of the vulnerable, sexual immorality, and corruption.
13-16
Divine Judgment Pronounced God declares He will scatter Jerusalem's inhabitants among nations and purge their filthiness.
17-22
The Furnace Metaphor Israel is compared to dross that will be gathered and melted in the furnace of God's wrath.
23-31
Universal Corruption All classes of society—princes, priests, prophets, and people—are indicted for their failures and sins.

The Sins of Jerusalem

22:1–22:16

prophecy rebuke wrathful

God commands Ezekiel to judge Jerusalem for its bloodshed, idolatry, and social injustices including oppression of the vulnerable and profaning of holy things. The city faces divine judgment and exile for its accumulated sins.

person_contrast

Jerusalem's catalog of sins uniquely combines ritual violations (idolatry, Sabbath profanation) with social crimes (bloodshed, oppression), making this one of Scripture's most comprehensive indictments linking ceremonial and ethical failures.

Jerusalem as Dross in the Furnace

22:17–22:22

prophecy wrathful

Using the metaphor of a furnace, God declares that Israel has become worthless dross and will be gathered into Jerusalem to be melted by divine wrath. This imagery emphasizes the purifying judgment coming upon the people.

person_contrast

Ezekiel transforms metallurgical terminology into theological judgment, using "dross" (סיגים) four times to describe Israel's spiritual worthlessness—a unique concentration of this technical smelting word in prophetic literature.

The Corruption of All Classes

22:23–22:31

prophecy rebuke wrathful

God condemns all levels of society - prophets, priests, princes, and people - for their corruption, violence, and oppression. Despite seeking someone to intercede, God finds no one and pours out judgment upon the land.

person_contrast

Ezekiel's systematic indictment progresses through four distinct social classes—prophets, priests, princes, and people—using identical Hebrew syntax ("her X have done Y") to emphasize universal corruption.