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Commentary on Ezekiel 22 verses 23–31
Here is, I. A general idea given of the land of Israel, how well it deserved the judgments coming to destroy it and how much it needed these judgments to refine it. Let the prophet tell her plainly, "Thou art the land that is not cleansed, not refined as metal is, and therefore needest to be again put into the furnace. Means and methods of reformation have been ineffectual; thou art not rained upon in the day of indignation." This was one of the judgments which God brought upon them in the day of his wrath, he withheld the rain from them, Jer 14:4. Or, "When thou art under the tokens of God's displeasure, even in the day of indignation thou art not rained upon; thou hast not received instruction by the prophets, whose doctrine is said to descend as the rain." Or, "When thou art corrected thou art not cleansed; thy filth is not carried away as that in the streets is by a sweeping rain. Nay, though it be a day of indignation with thee, yet thy filthiness, which should be done away, has become more offensive, as that of a city is in dry weather, when it is not rained upon." Or, "Thou hast nothing to refresh and comfort thyself with in the day of indignation; thou art not rained upon by divine consolations." So the rich man in torment had not a drop of water, or rain, to cool his tongue.
II. A particular charge drawn up against the several orders and degrees of men among them, which shows that they had all helped to fill the measure of the nation's guilt, but none had done any thing towards the emptying of it; they are therefore all alike.
1.They have every one corrupted his way, and those who should have been the brightest examples of virtue were ringleaders in iniquity and patterns of vice.
(1.)The prophets, who pretended to make known the mind of God to them, were not only deceivers, but devourers (Eze 22:25), and hardened them in their wickedness both by their preaching, wherein they promised them impunity and prosperity, and by their conversation, in which they were as profligate as any. There is a conspiracy of her prophets against God and religion, against the true prophets and all good men; they conspired together to be all in one song, as Ahab's prophets were, to assure them of peace in their sinful ways. Note, The unity which is found among pretenders to infallibility, and which they so much boast of, is only the result of a secret conspiracy against the truth. Satan is not divided against himself. The prophets are in conspiracy with the murderers and oppressors, to patronise and protect them in their wickedness, and justify what they did with their false prophecies, provided they may come in sharers with them in the profits of it. They are like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they thunder out threats against those whose ruin is aimed at, terrify them, or make them odious to the people, and so make themselves masters, [1.] Of their lives: They have devoured souls, have been accessory to the shedding of the blood of many an innocent person, and so have made many to become sorrowful widows who were comfortable wives. They have persecuted those to death who witnessed against their pretensions to prophecy and would not be imposed upon by their counterfeit commission. Or, They devoured souls by flattering sinners into a false peace and a vain hope, and seducing them into the paths of sin, which would be their eternal ruin. Note, Those who draw men to wickedness, and encourage them in it, are the devourers and murderers of their souls. [2.] Of their estates. When Naboth is slain they take possession of his vineyard; They have seized the treasure and precious things, as forfeited; some way or other they had of devouring the widows' houses, as the Pharisees, Mat 23:14. Or, They got this treasure, and all these precious things, as fees for false and flattering prophecies; for he that puts not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him, Mic 3:5. It was said with Jerusalem when such men as these passed for prophets.
(2.)The priests, who were teachers by office, and had the custody of the sacred things, and should have called the false prophets to account, were as bad as they, Eze 22:26. [1.] They violated the law of God, which they should have observed and taught others to observe. They made no conscience of the law of the priesthood, but openly broke it, and with contempt, as Hophni and Phinehas. They did what they had a mind, with an express non obstante - notwithstanding to the word of God. And how should those teach the people their duty who lived in contradiction to their own? [2.] They profaned God's holy things, about which they were to minister, and which they ought to have restrained others from the profanation of. They suffered those to eat of the holy things who were unqualified by the law. The table of the Lord was contemptible with them. By dealing in holy things with such unhallowed hands they did themselves profane them. [3.] They did not themselves put a difference, nor did they show the people how to put a difference, between the holy and profane, the clean and the unclean, according to the directions and distinctions of the law. They did not exclude those from God's courts who were excluded by the law, nor teach the people to observe the difference the law had made between food clean and unclean, between times and places holy and common; but they lived at large themselves and encouraged the people to do so too. [4.] They hid their eyes from God's sabbaths; they took no care about them; it was all one to them whether God's sabbaths were kept holy or no; they neither gave countenance to those who observed them nor check to those who profaned them, nor did they themselves show any regard to them or veneration for them. They winked at those who did servile works on that day, and looked another way when they should have inspected the behaviour of the people on sabbath days. God's sabbaths have such a beauty and glory put upon them by the divine institution as may command respect; but they hid their eyes from them and would not see that excellency in them. [5.] By all this God himself was profaned among them; his authority was slighted, his goodness made light of, and the highest affront and contempt imaginable were put upon his holiness. Note, The profanation of the honour of the scriptures, of sabbaths and sacred things, is a profanation of the honour of God himself, who is interested in them.
(3.)The princes, who should have interposed with their authority to redress these grievances, were as daring transgressors of the law as any (Eze 22:27): They are like wolves ravening the prey; for such is power without justice and goodness to direct it. All their business was to gratify, [1.] Their own pride and ambition, by making themselves arbitrary and formidable. [2.] Their own malice and revenge, by shedding blood and destroying souls, sacrificing to their cruelty all those that stood in their way or had in any thing disobliged them. [3.] Their own avarice; all they aim at is to get dishonest gain, by crushing and oppressing their subject. Lucri bonus est odor ex re qualibet. Rem, rem, quocunque modo rem - Sweet is the odour of gain, from whatever substance it ascends. Money, money, by fairness or by fraud, get money. But, though they had power sufficient to carry them on in their oppressive courses, yet how could they answer it both to their credit and to their consciences? We are told how (Eze 22:28): The prophets daubed them with untempered mortar, told them in God's name (horrid wickedness!) that there was no harm in what they did, that they might dispose of the lives and estates of their subjects as they pleased, and could do no wrong, nay, that in prosecuting such and such whom they had marked out they did God service; and thus they stopped the mouth of their consciences. They also justified what they did, to the people, nay, and magnified it as if it were all for the public good, and so saved their reputation, and kept their oppressed subjects from murmuring. Note, Daubing prophets are the great supporters of ravening princes, but will prove at last their great deceivers, for they daub with untempered mortar which will not hold, nor will the wall stand long that is built up with it. They pretend to be seers, but they see vanity; they pretend to be diviners, but they divine lies; they pretend a warrant from Heaven for what they say, and that it is all as true as gospel; they say, Thus saith the Lord God, but it is all a sham, for the Lord has not spoken any such thing.
(4.)The people that had any power in their hands learned of their princes to abuse it, Eze 22:29. Those that should have complained of the oppression of the subject, and have put in a claim of rights on behalf of the injured, that should have stood up for liberty and property, were themselves invaders of them: The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. The rich oppress the poor, masters their servants, landlords their tenants, and even parents their own children; nay, the buyers and sellers will find some way to oppress one another. This is such a sin as, when it is national, is indeed a national judgment, and is threatened as such. Isa 3:5, The people shall be oppressed every one by his neighbour. It is an aggravation of the sin that they have vexed the poor and needy, whom they should have relieved, and have oppressed the stranger and deprived him of his right, to whom they ought to have been not only just, but kind. Thus was the apostasy universal and the disease epidemical.
2.There is none that appears as an intercessor for them (v. 30): I sought for a man among them that should stand in the gap, but I found none. Note, (1.) Sin makes a gap in the hedge of protection that is about a people at which good things run out from them and evil things pour in upon them, a gap by which God enters to destroy them. (2.) There is a way of standing in the gap, and making up the breach against the judgments of God, by repentance, and prayer, and reformation. Moses stood in the gap when he made intercession for Israel to turn away the wrath of God, Psa 106:23. (3.) When God is coming forth against a sinful people to destroy them he expects some to intercede for them, and enquires if there be but one that does; so much is it his desire and delight to show mercy. If there be but a man that stands in the gap, as Abraham for Sodom, he will discover him and be well pleased with him. (4.) It bodes ill to a people when judgments are breaking in upon them, and the spirit of prayer is restrained, so that not one is found that will either give them a good word or speak a good word for them. (5.) When it is so, what can be expected but utter ruin? Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them (Eze 22:31), have given it full scope, that it may come upon them in a full stream; yet, whatever God's wrath inflicts upon a people, it is their own way that is therein recompensed upon their heads, and God deals with them no worse, but even much better, than their iniquity deserves.
(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.
(Verse 23 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, say to him: You are unclean land, not cleansed on the day of wrath. The conspiracy of the prophets within it, like a roaring lion seizing its prey: they have devoured souls, taken riches and precious things, multiplied widows within it. Its priests have despised my law and defiled my sanctuaries. They have not kept a distance between the holy and the profane, and they have not understood the difference between the unclean and the clean. They have turned their eyes away from my sabbaths, and I have been defiled among them. Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves tearing the prey to shed blood, and to destroy souls, and to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them without tempering the mortar, seeing vain things, and divining lies unto them, saying: Thus saith the Lord God: whereas the Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have done violence to the needy and poor, and have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought among them a man who would interpose a wall, and stand opposite me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, and I did not find one. So I poured out my indignation upon them, I consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I repaid their deeds upon their heads,’ says the Lord God. A diligent listener could inquire about the impurities that violate the purity of silver, and have been mixed with copper, lead, tin, and iron. Therefore, what is expressed there under the image of a city and a furnace, is proclaimed as under the likeness of land that is not irrigated and does not receive rain. We should understand those rains about which it is written: I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isa. V, 6); we expect when a temporary and late rain is given to us, about which it is written: You will separate voluntary rain, O God, for your inheritance (Ps. LXVII, 10). But it is a day of fury, which each person procures for themselves with a multitude of sins. We desire to know what the scum of the city is, which is the hardness and foulness of the earth, full of thorns and briers. The conspiracy, he says, of the Prophets, or according to the LXX, the leaders in the midst of it having the likeness of a lion, about which Peter writes: Our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about (I Peter V, 8). This lion and all its companions do not seek to devour bodies, but souls, and they receive rewards and judge everything by money. That this indeed happened to the people of the Jews at that time is beyond doubt. For the Lord brought evil upon them because of the priests, and the rulers, and the prophets. But in our Jerusalem we often see this: those who, according to the Seventy, devour souls in power, and accept payment to make many widows who have lost the Lord as their spouse. However, this is the faction and conspiracy of these prophets, that they may be each other's supporters and do all things for the sake of filthy gain. The priests who should be the leaders of the temple, from whose mouth the knowledge of the Law is sought, violate the sanctuaries, and there is no distinction between the holy and the profane except for money. They turn their eyes away from the Sabbath, and they do not recognize the rest of God which is in the knowledge of the Scriptures; neither do they say with the prophet: Open my eyes, and I will consider the wonders of your law (Psalm 118:18). Nor do they say what the Apostle says: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). Among such prophets and priests, the Lord's mediator is defiled, of whom it is written: But there stands among you one whom you do not know (John 1:26). Therefore, prophets or leaders are compared to lions. But the princes whom we understand to be of a lower rank imitate the rapaciousness of wolves, so that they shed not the blood of bodies, but of souls, and they greedily pursue gains, not at all satisfied with that: 'They who serve the altar, live by the altar' (1 Corinthians 9:13); but after they have approached the ministry of God, they gather the riches of Croesus. Even those prophets who foretell future events anointed them without moderation, as we have already said, of the prophesying prophets, who anointed a wall without the mixture of plaster, which is dissolved by rain. They see such things as empty, and not so much prophesy as they divine falsehood, saying to the miserable land: 'Thus says the Lord, the Lord promises this', when the Lord has not spoken to them. But the people of the land are not of God, but rather imitators of earthly works, rulers and priests, who by deceit and power do all things: not oppressing the rich, but rather the poor, of whom it is written: 'But the poor cannot endure a threat.' And: The redemption of a man's soul, by his own wealth (Prov. XIII, 8). They also oppressed the stranger and foreigner, who had not yet become a citizen of the Church, but only a listener, and who had the beginnings of faith, with slander: so that after they had gone through the sea and the dry land, they would make him a proselyte and make him a child of hell. Among such a multitude of vices and crimes, I sought for a man who could resist my anger, and who could stand against my fire and my burning, like Moses, and Aaron, and Samuel; but I could not find one. And he spoke to Moses, saying: Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them (Exodus 32:10). And because I could not find anyone who resisted and held me back, I poured out my indignation upon them, and consumed them, not without measure and judgment, but to repay their ways upon their own heads, attributing their own sins to them as authors, or certainly to the heads of the people, the leaders, princes, and prophets, of whom none dared to resist the angry Lord, and for whose sake the land remained barren and desolate, not deserving to receive the rain of the Lord.
(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.
(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.'
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 22:23 functions as a crucial introductory prophetic formula, signaling the authoritative commencement of a new divine oracle from Yahweh to the prophet Ezekiel. This concise yet weighty statement firmly establishes that the subsequent message is not of human origin but a direct, unadulterated revelation from the sovereign God, thereby setting the stage for a profound and detailed indictment against the pervasive corruption, moral decay, and spiritual apostasy within Jerusalem, emphasizing the divine imperative behind the impending judgment.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 22:23 primarily employs the literary device of a Prophetic Formula. This standardized phrase, "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying," is a recurring motif throughout prophetic literature, serving as an unmistakable signal of Divine Revelation. Its consistent use establishes the Authority and Veracity of the message that follows, leaving no doubt that the content originates directly from God. This formula also functions as a Framing Device, clearly delineating the beginning of a new oracle or a distinct segment of divine communication within the broader narrative. The repetition of this formula throughout Ezekiel's book, and indeed across other prophetic books, underscores the Continuity of God's communication with His people and the consistent nature of His engagement with human affairs, reinforcing that His messages are intentional, purposeful, and demand a response.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 22:23 profoundly underscores the active, communicative nature of God, who does not remain distant but sovereignly intervenes in human history, particularly in moments of profound moral decay and impending judgment. This verse confirms the biblical understanding that God initiates revelation, choosing and commissioning His messengers to deliver His authoritative word. It highlights the principle that God's judgment is not arbitrary but is preceded by clear warnings and declarations of His righteous standards, emphasizing His justice alongside His desire for His people to know His will. The consistent coming of "the word of the LORD" to Ezekiel throughout his ministry reinforces the truth that God's covenant with Israel included His ongoing guidance, instruction, and ultimately, accountability.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 22:23, though brief, carries immense weight for our understanding of God's interaction with humanity and the nature of His Word. It reminds us that the Bible is not merely ancient literature, human wisdom, or a collection of moral teachings, but the very "word of the LORD"—divinely inspired, authoritative, and living. This foundational truth calls us to approach Scripture with reverence, humility, and an eager expectation to hear God speak directly to our hearts and circumstances. In a world saturated with human opinions, fleeting truths, and conflicting narratives, this verse anchors us to an unchanging source of divine wisdom and moral clarity. It compels us to consider whether we truly listen when God speaks, whether through the written Word, the Holy Spirit's prompting, or the preached Word. Just as Ezekiel was a conduit for God's truth to a rebellious people, we too are called to be attentive to God's voice and, in our own spheres, to reflect His truth and righteousness. The severity of the message that follows this introductory verse also serves as a stark reminder that God takes sin seriously and that His warnings are ultimately for our good, urging us towards repentance and a life aligned with His holy character.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the phrase "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying" in biblical prophecy?
Answer: This phrase is a crucial prophetic formula, frequently appearing in the Old Testament, especially in books like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Hosea. Its significance is multi-layered:
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Ezekiel 22:23 itself is an Old Testament prophetic formula, its Christ-centered fulfillment lies in the ultimate and perfect revelation of God's "Word" in the person of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament "word of the LORD" that "came" to the prophets was a partial and progressive revelation, preparing the way for the full and final Word. John 1:1 declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This "Word" (Logos) is Jesus, who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), making the invisible God visible and knowable. Thus, the divine communication that "came" to Ezekiel finds its culmination in Christ, who is not merely a messenger of God's word, but the very embodiment of God's eternal Word. Through Jesus, God has spoken His most complete and definitive message to humanity (Hebrews 1:1-2), revealing His character, His plan of salvation, and His ultimate judgment. All the warnings, judgments, and promises conveyed through the prophets ultimately point to the redemptive work of Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, offering salvation and reconciliation to those who believe (Romans 10:4). Therefore, the authoritative "word of the LORD" that came to Ezekiel foreshadows the coming of the living Word, Jesus, through whom God's ultimate truth, grace, and judgment are fully revealed and enacted.