1.

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

the LORD Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . Ih

2.

Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.

son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .
judge = pronounce judgment on. See Ezekiel 20:4 ; Ezekiel 23:36 .
bloody city = city of bloods: bloods (plural of Majesty) much blood. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Sebjeet), App-6 , for great bloodshed: referring to those put to death for the truth's sake by the wicked rulers. So in Cr Ezekiel 3:4 , Ezekiel 6:12 , Eze 6:27 .
abominations = idolatries.

3.

Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.

the Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
idols = manufactured gods.

4.

Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.

days. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the judgment inflicted in them.
come even unto. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "hast entered the time of".
have I made thee a reproach . . . mocking . Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:37 ). These words occur nowhere else. App-92 .
heathen = nations.

5.

Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.

those : i.e. those cities,
much vexed = full of confusion.

6.

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

Behold . Figure of speech Asteriemes. App-6 .
princes = leaders.
to their = according to their.

7.

In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.

set light by, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 27:16 ).
dealt by oppression . . . vexed , &c. Ref to Pentateuch (Exodus 22:21 , Exodus 22:22 ). App-92 .

8.

Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

holy . See note on Exodus 3:6 .
profaned My sabbaths , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 19:30 ).

9.

In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.

men . Hebrew, plural of 'enesh. App-14 . Hebrew men of slander.
carry tales, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 19:16 ). App-92 .
eat upon the mountains : i.e. the idolatries practised on the mountains. Compare Ezekiel 18:6 ,

10.

In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

discovered , &c. Ref to Pent, (Leviticus 18:7 , Leviticus 18:8 , Leviticus 18:9 ; Leviticus 20:11 , Leviticus 20:17 ), App-92 .
set apart , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 18:13 ). App-92 .

11.

And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

committed abomination, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 18:20 ; Leviticus 18:20 , Leviticus 18:10 . Deuteronomy 22:22 ). App-92 . Compare Ezekiel 18:11 .
lewdly defiled , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 18:15 ; Leviticus 20:12 ).
humbled his sister . Ref, to Pentateuch (Leviticus 18:9 ; Leviticus 20:17 ).

12.

In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.

taken gifts , &c. Ref to Pentateuch (Exodus 23:8 . Deuteronomy 16:19 ; Deuteronomy 27:25 ).
taken usury, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 22:25 .Leviticus 26 . Deuteronomy 23:19 ). App-92 . Compare Ezekiel 18:8 .
hast forgotten Me. Reference to Pentateuch (Ezekiel 32:18 ),
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.

13.

Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

I have smitten Mine hand . See note on Ezekiel 21:17 .

14.

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

have spoken it . Compare Ezekiel 21:17 ; and Numbers 23:19 .

15.

And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

I will scatter , &c. Reference to Pentateuch, (Deuteronomy 4:27 ; Deuteronomy 28:25 , Deuteronomy 28:64 ). App-92 . Compare Ezekiel 12:14 , Ezekiel 12:15 .

16.

And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

shalt take thine inheritance = shalt be profaned in thyself (or on thine own account).

17.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

18.

Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.

brass = copper, or bronze,
furnace : or crucible.
dross. Lead put into the crucible with gold or silver causes the baser metals to retire, or form scoriae or dross at the sides of the crucible, leaving the pure gold or silver in the middle. But here the silver itself becomes the dross. Compare Ezekiel 22:12 .

19.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

20.

As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.

I will leave you there. The letter? (Pe-P) in ve hippihti, in being transferred from the ancient Hebrew into the modern square character, was probably mistaken for the? (Nun = N), being much alike. If so, "I will blow" became "I will leave"; and the words "you there" had to be necessarily supplied. By this change the correspondence of the two verses (20, 21) is restored: - Ezekiel 22:20 . Gather . . . blow . . . melt: Ezekiel 22:21 . Gather . ., blow . . . melt.

21.

Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.

22.

As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.

23.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24.

Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.

not cleansed = not to be rained upon.
nor rained upon = nor to receive fruitful showers.

25.

There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

prophets. Note the four classes here enumerated. See the Structure above; and verses: Ezekiel 22:26 , Ezekiel 22:28 , Ezekiel 22:28 .
souls . Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .

26.

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

put no difference , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 10:10 ; Leviticus 11:47 ; Leviticus 22:22 ). App-92 .

27.

Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

28.

And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

29.

The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

have vexed . . . have oppressed , &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 22:21 ; Exodus 23:9 . Leviticus 19:33 , etc.) App-92 .
poor. Heb: ani. See note on Proverbs 6:11 .

30.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
I found none . Compare Ezekiel 13:5 , and Jeremiah 5:1 .

31.

Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.