Ezekiel 22:21

Translation
King James Version
Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Yea, I will gather H3664 you, and blow H5301 upon you in the fire H784 of my wrath H5678, and ye shall be melted H5413 in the midst H8432 thereof.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, I will collect you and blow on you with the fire of my rage, and you will be melted down in it.
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Berean Standard Bible
Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted within the city.
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American Standard Version
Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
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World English Bible Messianic
Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
I wil gather you, I say, and blowe the fire of my wrath vpon you, and you shalbe melted in the mids thereof.
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Young's Literal Translation
And I have heaped you up, And blown on you in the fire of My wrath, And ye have been melted in its midst.
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See also
Ezekiel 22:20Ezekiel 22:22Jeremiah 21:12Psalms 21:92 Kings 25:9Ezekiel 20:47Ezekiel 20:48
In the KJVVerse 20,998 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 22:21 delivers a stark and terrifying declaration of Yahweh's impending and decisive judgment against the unrepentant city of Jerusalem. Employing the vivid metaphor of a smelting furnace, God reveals His active role in gathering His people into the crucible of His wrath, where He will intensify the judgment, not for their purification in this immediate context, but for their complete exposure and consumption by the intense heat of His righteous indignation due to their pervasive sin and rebellion.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 22:21 is situated within a powerful prophetic oracle against Jerusalem, specifically detailing the city's profound moral corruption and spiritual apostasy. The chapter opens with God declaring Jerusalem a "bloody city" that has shed innocent blood and defiled herself with idols, as articulated in Ezekiel 22:2. The verses immediately preceding, Ezekiel 22:17-20, introduce the vivid metaphor of a smelting furnace. Here, the people of Israel are depicted as dross—worthless impurities—gathered into the furnace (Jerusalem) to be melted by the fire of God's wrath. Verse 21 intensifies this imagery by explicitly stating God's direct agency in this process, highlighting the inevitability and severity of the judgment that will consume them. This serves as a climactic statement within the broader indictment of Jerusalem's sins, which include injustice, oppression, idolatry, and a complete disregard for God's law by all societal strata, from priests to princes and the common people, as detailed throughout Ezekiel 22.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecy of Ezekiel was delivered during the Babylonian exile (c. 593-571 BC), a period of immense national crisis for Judah. Jerusalem, though not yet fully destroyed when Ezekiel began his ministry, was under severe threat, and its eventual fall was imminent. The people, including those already exiled, clung to false hopes of a quick return and the city's invincibility. Ezekiel's message directly confronted this complacency, revealing the true spiritual state of Jerusalem as the root cause of their suffering. The imagery of smelting and refining metals was common in the ancient Near East, where metallurgy was a vital craft. People understood the process of heating ore to separate precious metals from worthless dross. This metaphor would have resonated deeply with Ezekiel's audience, conveying the thorough and destructive nature of God's judgment, as well as the complete exposure of their true spiritual condition. The "midst thereof" refers to Jerusalem itself, which God would make the furnace for their judgment.

  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Judgment and Wrath, portraying God as an active, righteous judge who will not tolerate persistent sin and rebellion. The "fire of my wrath" signifies the intense and consuming nature of His holy anger against widespread corruption, particularly the bloodshed and idolatry detailed in Ezekiel 22:3-12. Secondly, it highlights the Consequences of Sin, demonstrating that prolonged and unrepentant disobedience inevitably leads to severe divine repercussions. The "melting" signifies an unavoidable and complete exposure to God's judgment, a direct outcome of Jerusalem's pervasive unrighteousness. Thirdly, it emphasizes God's Sovereignty and Active Agency in history. The repeated "I will" ("I will gather you, and blow upon you, and ye shall be melted") asserts God's absolute control and intentionality in orchestrating this judgment, dispelling any notion that their suffering was merely random misfortune or solely the result of Babylonian power. This divine action is a demonstration of His commitment to justice and holiness, even if it means the destruction of His own chosen city, as seen in the broader narrative of Ezekiel.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • gather (Hebrew, kânaç', H3664): A primitive root meaning "to collect" or "to enfold." In this context, it signifies God's deliberate act of bringing the people together into a confined space—Jerusalem—for the purpose of judgment. It's not a gathering for protection or unity, but for concentrated exposure to His wrath, much like ore is collected into a furnace.
  • blow (Hebrew, nâphach', H5301): A primitive root meaning "to puff," "to inflate," or "to blow hard." This word vividly portrays God's active and forceful participation in intensifying the judgment. Just as a bellows blows air to fan a fire, God's "blowing" upon them with His wrath indicates His direct and powerful agency in escalating the destructive heat of the divine furnace.
  • wrath (Hebrew, ʻebrâh', H5678): Feminine of a root denoting "an outburst of passion," "anger," or "rage." This term emphasizes the intense, overflowing, and righteous indignation of God against the deep-seated wickedness of Jerusalem. It is a holy wrath, a just response to their persistent rebellion and spiritual defilement.
  • melted (Hebrew, nâthak', H5413): A primitive root meaning "to flow forth" or "to liquify." In the context of the furnace, it describes the process of metal becoming molten under extreme heat. This signifies the complete and inescapable dissolution of the people under the intensity of God's judgment, implying a thorough and devastating effect, leaving nothing solid or resistant.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Yea, I will gather you,": This opening clause emphasizes God's sovereign initiative and active role in the impending judgment. The "Yea" (or "Indeed") underscores the certainty and solemnity of the divine decree. God Himself will bring the people, represented by "you" (the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah), together into a confined space, preparing them for the intense experience of His judgment. This gathering is not for salvation but for the crucible of divine wrath.
  • "and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath,": This vivid imagery intensifies the metaphor of the furnace. God is not merely observing; He is actively fueling the flames. "Blow upon you" suggests the direct application of His power, like a bellows fanning a fire, making the "fire of my wrath" burn hotter and more fiercely. This highlights the personal and direct nature of God's righteous indignation against their sin, ensuring that the judgment is thorough and inescapable.
  • "and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.": This final clause describes the devastating outcome. "Melted" conveys the complete and utter dissolution of the people under the extreme heat of God's judgment, much like metal melting in a furnace. "In the midst thereof" refers to Jerusalem itself, which has become the crucible where this divine judgment is executed. It signifies that the judgment will be experienced by everyone within the city, thoroughly and without escape, as their spiritual impurities are consumed by the consuming fire of God's holiness.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 22:21 is rich in powerful literary devices that amplify its message of divine judgment. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically the Smelting Furnace Metaphor, which dominates the preceding verses and culminates here. The people of Israel are likened to base metals or dross, and Jerusalem is the furnace. God is the refiner, but in this context, the fire of His wrath is not primarily for purification but for consumption due to the severity of their sin. The action of God to "gather," "blow upon," and cause them to be "melted" extends this metaphor, making the divine judgment tangible and visceral. There is also a strong element of Personification in "the fire of my wrath," as God's wrath is depicted as an active force, capable of blowing and melting, almost as if it possesses its own agency, though it is clearly an extension of God's will. The intensity conveyed through "blow upon you" and "melted" also borders on Hyperbole, emphasizing the extreme and utterly destructive nature of the impending judgment, ensuring the audience grasps the severity of God's response to their pervasive wickedness.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 22:21 profoundly underscores the unyielding holiness and justice of God, revealing that His patience with sin has limits. It is a stark reminder that God is not indifferent to wickedness, especially when it becomes systemic and pervasive within His covenant people. The "fire of my wrath" is not capricious anger, but the righteous indignation of a holy God against profound moral corruption, idolatry, and injustice. This passage serves as a solemn warning that unrepentant sin inevitably invites severe divine consequences, demonstrating God's commitment to upholding His moral order, even if it means the painful purging or destruction of that which is defiled. It highlights the terrifying reality of encountering God's unmitigated wrath when His grace is continually spurned, emphasizing that His divine character demands a response to human rebellion.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 22:21 is a sobering passage that calls us to a profound self-examination regarding the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God. While the immediate context speaks to a specific historical judgment on ancient Jerusalem, the underlying principles are timeless and universally applicable. It reminds us that God is not to be trifled with; His character demands justice, and His wrath is a terrifying reality for those who persist in rebellion against His righteous standards. For us today, this should cultivate a deep reverence for God and a healthy, reverential fear of His judgment. It compels us to consider whether there are areas in our lives, or in our communities, where we are accumulating "dross"—idolatry, injustice, unrepentant sin, or spiritual apathy—that might invite God's refining, or even consuming, fire. This passage ultimately drives us to humble repentance, to turn away from anything that would provoke the holy wrath of God, and to wholeheartedly embrace the path of righteousness and obedience, knowing that true security and flourishing are found only in alignment with His perfect and holy will.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "dross" or impurities in my own life might be drawing God's righteous scrutiny?
  • How does the intensity of God's wrath in this verse deepen my understanding of His holiness and justice?
  • In what ways might I be complacent about sin, either personally or within my community, and what is God calling me to do about it?
  • How does this passage motivate me to live a life of greater repentance and obedience to God's commands?

FAQ

Does God still act with such intense "wrath" today?

Answer: While God's character is unchanging, the manifestation of His wrath varies across dispensations. In the Old Testament, particularly with Israel, divine judgment often involved direct, temporal, and national consequences, as seen in the destruction of Jerusalem. In the New Testament, while God's wrath against sin remains a fundamental truth (e.g., Romans 1:18), its ultimate outpouring is often reserved for the eschatological judgment (e.g., Revelation 14:10). For believers in Christ, the wrath due to their sin has been fully borne by Jesus on the cross (Romans 5:9). However, God's righteous displeasure can still manifest in consequences for disobedience, and His refining fire can still work to purify His people (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Is the "melting" in this verse for purification or destruction?

Answer: In the immediate context of Ezekiel 22:21 and the preceding verses (Ezekiel 22:17-20), the "melting" primarily signifies a consuming, destructive judgment due to the overwhelming wickedness of Jerusalem. The people are explicitly called "dross," implying worthlessness and impurity that is to be burned away, not refined into something valuable. While fire in other biblical contexts can symbolize purification (e.g., Malachi 3:2-3), here, the intensity and the context of unrepentant sin strongly lean towards a devastating, consuming judgment rather than a redemptive refining process for the city as a whole.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 22:21, with its terrifying imagery of God's consuming wrath against sin, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in two profound and interconnected ways. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the immense cost and absolute necessity of Christ's atoning sacrifice. The "fire of my wrath" that threatened to melt unrepentant humanity was fully absorbed and endured by Jesus on the cross. He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bearing the full brunt of divine judgment so that all who believe in Him might be spared from this consuming fire (Romans 5:9). His agonizing cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", echoes the experience of being utterly exposed to the Father's righteous indignation against sin, a wrath that we deserved but that He bore in our stead. Secondly, while Christ bore the wrath for believers, this passage also foreshadows His future role as the righteous Judge who will, at the end of the age, execute divine judgment upon all unrepentant wickedness. The same Jesus who offered Himself as a sacrifice will return in glory to separate the righteous from the unrighteous, and those who have rejected Him will face the consuming fire of God's presence (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Thus, Ezekiel 22:21 points us to both the saving work of Christ on the cross and His future role as the one who will perfectly administer God's justice, ensuring that every sin is either atoned for or justly punished.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 22 verses 17–22

The same melancholy string is still harped upon, and various turns are given it, to make it affecting, that it may be influencing. The prophet must here show, or at least it is here shown him, that the whole house of Israel has become as dross and that as dross they shall be consumed. What David has said concerning the wicked ones of the world is here said concerning the wicked ones of the church, now that it is corrupt and degenerate (Psa 119:119): Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross.

I. See here how the wretched degeneracy of the house of Israel is described. That state, in David's and Solomon's time, had been a head of gold; when the kingdoms were divided it was as the arms of silver. But now, 1. It has degenerated into baser metal, of no value in comparison with what it formerly was: They are all brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, which some make to signify divers sorts of sinners among them. Their being brass denotes the impudence of some in their wickedness; they are brazen-faced, and cannot blush; their shoes had been iron and brass (Deu 33:25), but now their brow is so, Isa 48:4. Their being tin denotes the hypocritical profession of piety with which many of them cover their iniquity; they have a specious show, but no intrinsic worth. Their being iron denotes the cruel disposition of some, and their delight in war, according to the character of the iron age. Their being lead denotes their dulness, sottishness, and stupidity: though soft and pliable to evil, yet heavy and not movable to good. How has the gold become dross! How has the most fine gold changed! So is Jerusalem's degeneracy bewailed, Lam 4:1. Yet this is not the worst; these metals, though of less value, are yet of good use. But, 2. The house of Israel has become dross to me. So she is in God's account, whatever she is in her own and her neighbours' account. They were silver, but now they are even the dross of silver; the word signifies all the dirt, and rubbish, and worthless stuff, that are separated from the silver in the washing, melting, and refining of it. Note, Sinners, and especially degenerate professors, are in God's account as dross, vile, and contemptible, and of no account, as the evil figs which could not be eaten, they were so evil. They are useless and fit for nothing; of no consistency with themselves and no service to man.

II. How the woeful destruction of this degenerate house of Israel is foretold. They are all gathered together in Jerusalem; thither people fled from all parts of the country as to a city of refuge, not only because it was a strong city, but because it was the holy city. Now God tells them that their flocking into Jerusalem, which they intended for their security, should be as the gathering of various sorts of metal into the furnace or crucible, to be melted down, and to have the dross separated from them. They are in the midst of Jerusalem, surrounded by the forces of the enemy; and, being thus enclosed, 1. The fire of God's wrath shall be kindled upon this furnace, and it shall be blown, to make it burn fiercely and strongly, Eze 22:20, Eze 22:21. God will gather them in his anger and fury. The blowing of the fire makes a great noise, so will the judgments of God upon Jerusalem. When God stirs up himself to execute judgments upon a provoking people, from the consideration of his own glory and the necessity of making some examples, then he may be said to blow the fire of his wrath against sin and sinners, to heat the furnace seven times hotter. 2. The several sorts of metal gathered in it shall be melted; by a complication of judgments, as by a raging fire, their constitution shall be dissolved, they shall lose all their former shape and strength, and shall be utterly unable to stand before the wrath of God. The various sorts of sinners shall be melted down together, and united in a common overthrow, as brass and lead in the same furnace, as trees are bound in bundles for the fire. They came together into Jerusalem as a place of defence, but God brought them together there as unto a place of execution. 3. God will leave them in the furnace (Eze 22:20): I will gather you into the furnace and will leave you there. When God brings his own people into the furnace he sits by them, as the refiner by his gold, to see that they be not continued there any longer than is fitting and needful; but he will bring these people into the furnace, as men throw dross into it, which they design shall be consumed, and therefore are in no care about it, but leave it there. Compare with this Hos 5:14, I will tear and go away. 4. Hereby the dross shall be wholly separated and the good metal purified, the impenitent shall be destroyed and the penitent reformed and fitted for deliverance. Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer, Pro 25:4. This judgment shall do that in the house of Israel for the doing of which other methods had been tried in vain, and reprobate silver shall they no more be called, Jer 6:30.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–22. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Vers. 17 seqq.) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, the house of Israel has become like dross to me. All of them, copper, tin, iron, and lead, are in the midst of the furnace; they have become silver dross. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become like dross, behold, I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem as a gathering of silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead in the midst of the furnace, to kindle a fire in it for melting. Thus I will gather in my fury and in my wrath and I will rest and melt you, and I will kindle you in the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst, like silver melted in the midst of a furnace. So you shall be in its midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have poured out my indignation upon you. The Hebrew word Sig (), Symmachus translates as dross, Aquila's first edition as grape stone and γίγαρτον, which signifies both grape seed and grape stalk. But the second translation of it, and the Septuagint's rendering, means a blending. Furthermore, it signifies dross, filth, and the waste of metals; so that subsequently, with the nearby captivity, or rather the impending destruction of the city, fire is applied: so that during the process of blending, pure silver remains, which had been mixed with and defiled by copper, tin, iron, and lead: three of which, copper, tin, and lead, are fusible substances, and are dissolved by fire. But truly, iron between the anvil and the hammer becomes soft and thin, and takes on various forms, according to the will of the craftsman. Just as, therefore, silver, which the aforementioned metals have tarnished, is put into the furnace, so that, with the impurities and foreign materials removed, it may remain pure, thus, he says, I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem, and I will surround Babylon with siege, in order to kindle in you a fire for refining. And just as there the immense heat of flames is present, here hunger and pestilence will do the same: so that after I have gathered you and set you on fire with the fire of fury, then I will rest, and with the punishment of your contempt, I will restrain the pain. And I will do all this, so that after I have poured out my indignation upon you, the end of your torment may be known to me; and you shall know that I am the Lord, the judge of all and the avenger. And as for what is said to be a refiner, we read in many places, but especially in Malachi and Isaiah, of whom one says: 'Behold, the Lord will come like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap, and he will sit refining and purifying like gold and silver, and he will refine the sons of Levi.' (Mal. III, 1, 3). Moreover, the Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion and cleanse the blood from their midst, with the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning (Isa. IV, 4). And I believe this to sound like what is said in the Psalms: Examine me, O Lord, and test me (Ps. XXV, 2). After which it is said: Burn my kidneys and my heart, so that all the harmful fluids of the loins may be dried up, along with their wicked deeds, and the coverings that have been placed (Ps. XXV, 2). What we understand about Jerusalem, let us understand also about the state of souls, which were created pure by God: they have received gold in sense and wisdom, and silver in speech and eloquence, so that they may express with words what they have conceived in their minds. We read of silver: The speech of the Lord is pure speech; silver tried in a furnace of earth, refined seven times.\nSimilarly, the seventy-seventh psalm mentions gold and silver, where it is written: If you sleep among the nations wilees, and the wings of a silver dove, and its back parts are in greenness, or in the color of gold.\nFor all the glory of the daughter of the king is within, which speaks in the Song of Songs: The king has brought me into his chamber. He who has slept and rested between two Testaments will immediately assume the silver wings of a dove, and with gold in the treasure of his heart, he will shine with radiant light. I believe this has the meaning that for sinners and those who have earned the offense of God, the sky is made of brass and the earth is made of iron, especially the land of Egypt, from which the Lord brought forth Israel, as if from a fiery furnace. In Zechariah, also, wickedness sits upon a talent of lead (Zech. V). And in the Song of Exodus it is said: They were submerged like lead in violent waters (Exod. XV, 10). For they were burdened with the weight of their sins, and they could say: Heavy burdens are weighing down on me (Ps. XXXVII, 6). However, just as the appearance of gold deceitfully imitates the likeness of adulterated copper, so does tin simulate the whiteness of silver, which the simple and rustic cannot easily discern. And it often happens that gold and silver, mixed with heretical wickedness, are separated by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the judgment of the Lord, and pure gold and silver remain, of which the prophet says: I gave them silver and gold, but they made Baal out of them (Hosea II, 8). To whom is it similar: 'I led them out with silver and gold, and there was no feeble one among their tribes' (Psalm 104, 37). Let the end of all punishments be to know that the Lord himself is God. We read about a tin stone, or a tin mass, in Zechariah (Zechariah 4), which we have interpreted in its proper place.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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