Ezekiel 7:22

Translation
King James Version
My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it.
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KJV (with Strong's)
My face H6440 will I turn H5437 also from them, and they shall pollute H2490 my secret H6845 place: for the robbers H6530 shall enter H935 into it, and defile H2490 it.
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Complete Jewish Bible
I will turn my face away from them; then [Bavel] will profane my secret place, robbers will enter and profane it.
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Berean Standard Bible
I will turn My face away from them, and they will defile My treasured place. Violent men will enter it, and they will defile it.
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American Standard Version
My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret place; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it.
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World English Bible Messianic
My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret place; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
My face will I turne also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the destroyers shall enter into it, and defile it.
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Young's Literal Translation
And I have turned My face from them, And they have polluted My hidden place, Yea, come into it have destroyers, and polluted it.
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See also
Jeremiah 18:17Psalms 74:18Psalms 74:23Psalms 74:10Psalms 74:11Ezekiel 39:23Ezekiel 39:24
In the KJVVerse 20,600 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 7:22 delivers a stark pronouncement of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, revealing God's deliberate withdrawal of His protective presence and favor from His people. This withdrawal directly facilitates the desecration of His most sacred dwelling, the Temple, specifically the Holy of Holies, by invading foreign forces. The verse powerfully underscores the severe consequences of Israel's persistent idolatry, moral corruption, and covenant unfaithfulness, signaling the definitive end of divine forbearance and the onset of comprehensive, inescapable judgment.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 7:22 is embedded within a relentless and urgent prophecy of judgment against the entire land of Israel, with a particular focus on Jerusalem, due to its pervasive sin. The chapter dramatically opens with the repeated declaration, "An end is come, the end is come; it watches for thee; behold, it is come" Ezekiel 7:6, establishing the finality and immediacy of God's impending wrath. This verse follows vivid descriptions of widespread violence, rampant idolatry, and profound moral decay that have provoked God's righteous fury. The divine act of "turning away" His face and the subsequent defilement of "my secret place" (the Temple's Holy of Holies) represent a climactic expression of this judgment, directly preceding the lament over the destruction and the scattering of the people in the latter part of the chapter, as seen in Ezekiel 7:23. Furthermore, this physical desecration is presented as the culmination of God's spiritual departure, a theme powerfully introduced in earlier visions where God's glory is depicted departing the Temple in stages, notably in Ezekiel 10.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecy contained in Ezekiel 7 was delivered during the tumultuous period of the Babylonian exile, specifically after the first deportation of Judah's elite in 597 BC, but prior to the catastrophic final destruction of Jerusalem and its cherished Temple in 586 BC. The "robbers" mentioned in the verse are unequivocally the Babylonian armies, serving as the divinely appointed instruments of God's judgment. For the ancient Israelites, the Temple in Jerusalem was far more than a mere edifice; it was considered the literal dwelling place of Yahweh, the tangible sign of His covenant presence among His chosen people. The Holy of Holies, referred to as "my secret place," represented the zenith of sanctity, accessible only to the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement. Its defilement by foreign, pagan invaders constituted the ultimate affront, a profound theological and national catastrophe that signaled God's utter rejection of His people's unholy practices and the definitive breaking of the covenant. This act of temple desecration was a common and devastating practice in ancient Near Eastern warfare, where conquering armies would intentionally defile the temples of vanquished deities to assert the supremacy of their own gods.
  • Key Themes: This verse profoundly contributes to several overarching themes prevalent in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it powerfully articulates the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Justice, demonstrating that God is not confined or bound by a physical structure, even His own Temple, if His people persist in rebellion; He will unfailingly execute righteous judgment. Secondly, the chilling phrase "My face will I turn also from them" vividly underscores the theme of Divine Withdrawal, a terrifying consequence of covenant unfaithfulness, standing in stark contrast to the blessing of God lifting His countenance upon His people, as beautifully expressed in the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:26. Thirdly, the profanation of the Temple emphasizes the Holiness of God and the severe repercussions of its violation. The Temple, originally consecrated as a sanctuary of purity, had been internally defiled by the people's pervasive idolatry and abominable practices, as graphically depicted in Ezekiel 8, leading inexorably to its eventual physical desecration by foreign invaders. This starkly illustrates that outward religious observance, devoid of inward purity and genuine devotion, is an abomination in the sight of a holy God.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • face (Hebrew, pânîym', H6440): This word literally denotes "the face," but its theological significance is immense, often representing God's presence, favor, attention, or direct engagement. When God declares, "My face will I turn... from them," it signifies a deliberate and judicial withdrawal of His protective gaze, His blessing, and His intimate communion. It is an act of divine abandonment, leaving His people exposed and vulnerable to the full, unmitigated consequences of their persistent sin. This turning away implies a cessation of divine intervention on their behalf.
  • pollute/defile (Hebrew, châlal', H2490): This primitive root carries the primary meaning "to bore" or "to wound," but figuratively, it extends to "to profane," "desecrate," or "make common." It describes the act of stripping away holiness, treating something sacred as ordinary, unclean, or contemptible. In Ezekiel 7:22, its repeated use ("pollute" and "defile") emphasizes the totality and severity of the violation of the Temple's sanctity by the foreign invaders, reducing it from a holy sanctuary to a common, desecrated place, mirroring the spiritual defilement already committed by Israel.
  • secret place (Hebrew, tsâphan', H6845): This word means "to hide (by covering over)," "to hoard," or "to reserve." In this specific context, "my secret place" unequivocally refers to the Holy of Holies (the Debir), the innermost sanctuary of the Jerusalem Temple. This was the most sacred area, veiled from public view, where the Ark of the Covenant resided, and where God's presence was uniquely and powerfully manifested. Its profanation by outsiders represents the ultimate insult to God's holiness and the complete, catastrophic breakdown of the covenant relationship between God and His people.

Verse Breakdown

  • "My face will I turn also from them": This clause reveals God's deliberate and decisive act of withdrawal. It is a judicial turning away, signifying the cessation of His protective presence, divine favor, and direct involvement in Israel's defense. This is not an act of ignorance or indifference, but a conscious, righteous decision by God to abandon a people who have persistently abandoned Him through their idolatry, unfaithfulness, and rebellion. It powerfully implies that the covenant relationship, which guaranteed divine protection and blessing, has been irrevocably broken by Israel's actions, leaving them exposed to their enemies.
  • "and they shall pollute my secret [place]:" This clause describes the direct and devastating consequence of God's withdrawal. "They" refers to the foreign invaders, specifically the Babylonian armies, who are acting as instruments of God's judgment. "My secret [place]" is the Holy of Holies within the Temple, the most sacred space on earth, where God's presence was uniquely manifested. To "pollute" (or profane) it means to treat it as common, to strip it of its inherent holiness, and to violate its sanctity. This profanation is not merely a physical act but a profound theological statement: God permits the desecration of His earthly dwelling because His people have already spiritually defiled it through their pervasive sin and idolatry.
  • "for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it." This final clause provides the specific means by which the "secret place" will be polluted. The "robbers" (Hebrew: pᵉrîyts, H6530, meaning "violent," "tyrant," or "destroyer") are the invading Babylonian armies. Their "entering" into the Holy of Holies, a space forbidden to all but the High Priest, and their subsequent "defilement" of it, underscores the complete collapse of Israel's security and the utter humiliation of their religious institutions. This act symbolizes the ultimate judgment: God's own sanctuary, the most potent symbol of His covenant and presence, is handed over to pagan defilement because of His people's persistent rebellion and spiritual prostitution.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 7:22 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of impending and inescapable judgment. The phrase "My face will I turn also from them" is a powerful example of Anthropomorphism, attributing a human characteristic (turning one's face) to God to make His actions comprehensible to human understanding. This specific anthropomorphism signifies divine abandonment and the withdrawal of favor, standing in stark contrast to the blessing of God "lifting up His countenance" upon His people. The "secret [place]" functions as a potent Symbolism for the Temple, and more specifically, the Holy of Holies, representing the very presence and holiness of God among His people. Its promised defilement is a symbolic representation of the complete breakdown of the covenant relationship and the spiritual defilement that Israel had already perpetrated. The use of "robbers" is a form of Metonymy, where the instrument (the robbers/Babylonian army) stands for the action or consequence (the destruction and defilement of the Temple). The entire verse is steeped in profound Irony, as the very place meant to be a sanctuary of holiness, protection, and divine presence becomes the site of ultimate desecration due to the people's unholiness and unfaithfulness.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 7:22 profoundly articulates the theological principle that divine presence, protection, and blessing are inextricably linked to covenant faithfulness. God's turning away His face is the ultimate expression of His righteous judgment against persistent idolatry, moral corruption, and spiritual rebellion. It powerfully demonstrates that God's unwavering holiness demands a response of purity, devotion, and obedience from His people. When this is absent, even the most sacred symbols or places—like the Temple, which was the visible sign of His covenant presence—cannot shield them from the inevitable consequences of their rebellion. The defilement of the "secret place" underscores the profound truth that God is not confined to a physical building, and His glory can and will depart from a people who consistently profane His name and His dwelling place through their sin. This serves as a stark warning that outward religious observance, devoid of inward spiritual integrity and genuine heart devotion, is an abomination to the Lord, leading to divine judgment rather than blessing.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 7:22 serves as a timeless and deeply sobering reminder of God's unwavering holiness and the severe consequences of spiritual compromise and unfaithfulness. While we no longer have a physical Temple like the one in ancient Jerusalem, the New Testament profoundly teaches that individual believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and collectively, the Church is being built together as God's spiritual dwelling place. This profound truth calls us to a radical reverence for God's presence within us and among us. Persistent sin, especially idolatry—which can manifest as anything that usurps God's rightful place in our hearts and affections—can lead to a perceived sense of God's withdrawal, a diminished awareness of His manifest presence, and a loss of His tangible blessing in our lives. This powerful verse challenges us to meticulously examine our own hearts, our personal lives, and our church communities, ensuring that we are not inadvertently profaning God's dwelling place through unholy living, spiritual apathy, or the worship of created things. It compels us to diligently pursue holiness, purity, and wholehearted devotion, guarding our spiritual lives and relationships from anything that would defile the sacred space God has made within us and among us.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what areas of my life might I be inadvertently "turning God's face away" through unconfessed sin, spiritual compromise, or a lack of genuine devotion?
  • How does the New Testament concept of individual believers as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" deepen my understanding of personal holiness and purity, and my responsibility to guard my heart?
  • What "idols" or competing allegiances might be subtly defiling the "secret place" of my heart, hindering my intimate communion with God and diminishing His manifest presence?
  • How can I cultivate a greater reverence for God's indwelling presence in my daily life, and how should this understanding shape my participation in the corporate worship and fellowship of the Church?

FAQ

What does "My face will I turn also from them" mean in this context?

Answer: This phrase signifies God's deliberate and judicial withdrawal of His protective presence, divine favor, and intimate communion from His people. It is an act of divine abandonment, not out of indifference or powerlessness, but as a righteous judgment for their persistent rebellion, pervasive idolatry, and profound covenant unfaithfulness. It means God will no longer intervene to protect them from their enemies or shield them from the natural consequences of their sin, thereby leaving them exposed to destruction. This stands in stark contrast to the blessing of God "making His face shine upon you" found in Numbers 6:25, which denotes favor and blessing.

What is "my secret place" referring to, and why is its defilement so significant?

Answer: "My secret place" refers specifically to the Holy of Holies (the Debir) within the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the innermost sanctuary, the most sacred space on earth, where the Ark of the Covenant resided and where God's glorious presence was uniquely and powerfully manifested. Its defilement by foreign invaders was profoundly significant because it symbolized the ultimate breakdown of the covenant relationship. It represented God's permission for His own earthly dwelling to be desecrated, a direct consequence of His people's spiritual defilement and abominable practices within the Temple itself, as graphically detailed in Ezekiel 8:5-18. This act represented the complete loss of divine protection and the ultimate humiliation for Israel.

Who are the "robbers" mentioned in the verse?

Answer: The "robbers" (Hebrew: pᵉrîyts, meaning "violent," "tyrant," or "destroyer") refer to the invading Babylonian armies. God, in His absolute sovereignty and righteous judgment, used these foreign, pagan forces as direct instruments to execute His wrath upon Judah for their unfaithfulness and rebellion. Their entry into and defilement of the Temple was the physical manifestation of the spiritual defilement that Israel had already brought upon God's house through their idolatry and sin. This act served as the fulfillment of numerous prophecies of judgment, such as those found in Jeremiah 25:9-11.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 7:22, with its stark portrayal of God's turning away from a defiled Temple and a rebellious people, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a repeated act of judgment, but in the radical redefinition and ultimate purification of God's dwelling and presence. The Old Testament Temple, though sacred and divinely ordained, was ultimately a shadow and a temporary representation of the true sanctuary. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ declares Himself the new and perfect Temple, the very dwelling place of God among humanity, boldly stating, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" John 2:19. His body, broken and "profaned" by human sin on the cross, was the ultimate "secret place" that endured the full weight of defilement. Yet, it was through this very act of sacrifice that He cleansed humanity from sin and opened a new and living way into God's presence, tearing the veil of the Temple. Furthermore, through Christ's redemptive work, individual believers become the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Church collectively is built together as a holy temple in the Lord, where God's Spirit dwells. Thus, while God turned His face from a rebellious Israel and allowed their physical Temple to be defiled, in Christ, He has definitively turned His face towards humanity, offering reconciliation, forgiveness, and a permanent indwelling of His Spirit. The judgment foreshadowed in Ezekiel finds its profound resolution in the cross, where the ultimate defilement (sin) was dealt with once for all, allowing God's presence to dwell not in a stone building, but eternally in the hearts of His redeemed people, purchased by the precious blood of the Lamb.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 7 verses 16–22

We have attended the fate of those that are cut off, and are now to attend the flight of those that have an opportunity of escaping the danger; some of them shall escape (Eze 7:16), but what the better? As good die once as, in a miserable life, die a thousand deaths, and escape only like Cain to be fugitives and vagabonds, and afraid of being slain by every one they meet; so shall these be.

I. They shall have no comfort or satisfaction in their own minds, but be in continual anguish and terror; for, wherever they go, they carry about with them guilty consciences, which make them a burden to themselves. 1. They shall be always solitary and under prevailing melancholy; they shall not be in the cities, or places of concourse, but all alone upon the mountains, not caring for society, but shy of it, as being ashamed of the low circumstances to which they are reduced. 2. They shall be always sorrowful. Those have reason to be so that are under the tokens of God's displeasure; and God can make those so that have been most jovial and have set sorrow at defiance. Those that once thought themselves as the lions of the mountains, so daring were they, now become as the doves of the valleys, so timid are they, and so dispirited, ready to flee when none pursues and to tremble at the shaking of a leaf. They are all of them mourning (not with a godly sorrow, but with the sorrow of the world, which works death), every one for his iniquity, that is, for those calamities which they now see their iniquity has brought upon them, not only the iniquity of the land, but their own: they shall then be brought to acknowledge what they have each of them contributed to the national guilt. Note, Sooner or later sin will have sorrow of one kind or other; and those that will not repent of their iniquity may justly be left to pine away in it; those that will not mourn for it as it is an offence to God shall be made to mourn for it as it is a shame and ruin to themselves, to mourn at the last, when the flesh and the body are consumed, and to say, How have I hated instruction! Pro 5:11, Pro 5:12. 3. They shall be deprived of all their strength of body and mind (Eze 7:17): All hands shall be feeble, so that they shall not be able to fight, or defend themselves, and all knees shall be weak as water, so that they shall neither be able to flee nor to stand their ground; they shall feel a universal colliquation: their knees shall flow as water, so that they must fall of course. Note, It is folly for the strong man to glory in his strength, for God can soon weaken it. 4. They shall be deprived of all their hopes and shall abandon themselves to despair (Eze 7:18); they shall have nothing to hold up their spirits with; their aspects shall show what are their prospects, all dreadful, for they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, as having no expectation ever to wear better clothing. Horror shall cover them, and shame, and baldness, all the expressions of a desperate sorrow, Isa 17:11. Note, Those that will not be kept from sin by fear and shame shall by fear and shame be punished for it; such is the confusion that sin will end in.

II. They shall have no benefit from their wealth and riches, but shall be perfectly sick of them, Eze 7:19. Those that were reduced to this distress were such as had had abundance of silver and gold, money, and plate, and jewels, and other valuable goods, from which they promised themselves a great deal of advantage in times of public trouble. They thought their wealth would be their strong city, that with it they could bribe enemies and buy friends, that it would be the ransom of their lives, that they could never want bread as long as they had money, and that money would answer all things; but see how it proved. 1. Their wealth had been a great temptation to them in the day of their prosperity; they set their affections upon it, and put their confidence in it. By their eager pursuit of it they were drawn into sin, and by their plentiful enjoyment of it they were hardened in sin; and thus it was the stumbling-block of their iniquity; it occasioned their falling into sin and obstructed their return to God. Note, There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin. The gaining of the world is the losing of their souls; it makes them proud, secure, covetous, oppressive, voluptuous; and that which, it well used, might have been the servant of their piety, being abused, becomes the stumbling-block of their iniquity. 2. It was no relief to them now in the day of their adversity; for, (1.) Their gold and silver could not protect them from the judgments of God. They shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not serve to atone his justice, or turn away his wrath, nor to screen them from the judgments he is bringing upon them. Note, Riches profit not in the day of wrath, Pro 11:4. They neither set them so high that god's judgments cannot reach them nor make them so strong that they cannot conquer them. There is a day of wrath coming, when it will appear that men's wealth is utterly unable to deliver them or do them any service. What the better was the rich man for his full barns when his soul was required of him, or that other rich man for his purple, and scarlet, and sumptuous fare, when in hell he could not procure a drop of water to cool his tongue? Money is no defence against the arrests of death, nor any alleviation to the miseries of the damned. (2.) Their gold and silver could not give them any content under their calamities. [1.] They could not fill their bowels; when there was no bread left in the city, none to be had for love or money, their silver and gold could not satisfy their hunger, nor serve to make one meal's meat for them. Note, We could better be without mines of gold than fields of corn; the products of the earth, which may easily be gathered from the surface of it, are much greater blessings to mankind than its treasures, which are with so much difficulty and hazard dug out of its bowels. If God give us daily bread, we have reason to be thankful, and no reason to complain, though silver and gold we have none. [2.] Much less could they satisfy their souls, or yield them any inward comfort. Note, The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, much less he that loses it. (3.) Their gold and silver shall be thrown into the streets, either by the hands of the enemy, who shall have more spoil than they care for or can carry away (silver shall be nothing accounted of; they shall cast that in the streets; but the gold, which is more valuable, shall be removed and brought to Babylon); or they themselves shall throw away their silver and gold, because it would be an incumbrance to them and retard their flight, or because it would expose them and be a temptation to the enemy to cut their throats for their money, or in indignation at it, because, after all the care and pains they had taken to scrape it together and hoard it up, they found that it would stand them in no stead, but do them a mischief rather. Note, The world passes away, and the lusts thereof, Jo1 2:17. The time may come when worldly men will be as weary of their wealth as now they are wedded to it, when those will fare best that have least.

III. God's temple shall stand them in no stead, Eze 7:20-22. This they had prided themselves in, and promised themselves security from (Jer 7:4; Mic 3:11); but this confidence of theirs shall fail them. Observe, 1. The great honour God had done to that people in setting up his sanctuary among them (Eze 7:20): As for the beauty of his ornament, that holy and beautiful house, where they and their fathers praised God (Isa 64:11), which was therefore beautiful because holy (it was called the beauty of holiness, and holiness is the beauty of its ornament; it was also adorned with gold and gifts) - as for this, he set it in majesty; every thing was contrived to make it magnificent, that it might help to make the people of Israel the more illustrious among their neighbours. He built his sanctuary like high palaces, Psa 78:69. It was a glorious high throne from the beginning, Jer 17:12. But, 2. Here is the great dishonour they had done to God in profaning his sanctuary; they made the images of their counterfeit deities, which they set up in rivalship with God, and which are here called their abominations and their detestable things (for so they were to God, and so they should have been to them), and these they set up in God's temple, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him. And therefore, 3. It is here threatened that they shall be deprived of the temple, and it shall be no succour to them: Therefore have I set it far from them, that is, sent them far from it, so that it is out of the reach of their services and they are out of the reach of its influences. Note, God's ordinances, and the privileges of a profession of religion, will justly be taken away from those that despise and profane them. Nay, they shall not only be kept at a distance from the temple, but the temple itself shall be involved in the common desolation (Eze 7:21); the Chaldeans, who are strangers, and therefore have no veneration for it, who are the wicked of the earth, and therefore have an antipathy to it, shall have it for a prey and for a spoil; all the ornaments and treasures of it shall fall into their hands, who will make no difference between that and other plunder. This was a grief to the saints in Zion, who complained of nothing so much as of that which the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary (Psa 74:3); but it was the punishment of the sinners in Zion, who, by profaning the temple with strange gods, provoked God to suffer it to be profaned by strange nations, and to turn his face from those that did it as if he had not seen them and their crimes and from those that deprecated it as not regarding them and their prayers. Let the soldiers do as they will; let them enter into the secret place, into the holy of holies, as robbers; let them strip it, let them pollute it; its defence has departed, and then farewell all its glory. Note, Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness who will not be governed by the power of godliness.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–22. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 22) And I will turn my face away from them: and they will violate my sanctuary: and emissaries will enter it (as the Septuagint rashly translated, or as Symmachus and Theodotio, bursting in, and pestilential), and they will defile it. For, he says, because of the previous abominations of the people, I will turn my face away from them and I will not judge them worthy in my eyes: then they will violate my sanctuary, which signifies the Holy of Holies, for which the Septuagint translated visitation (to demonstrate the presence of God in holy places) and the impious and pestilent ones of the earth will burst in: which, except for the priests and the high priest alone, no one else dared to enter. What we know, both from the Babylonians, and from King Antiochus and Gnaeus Pompeius, and finally from what happened under Vespasian and Titus, when the temple was captured and destroyed, and all the things that the following prophet's speech encompasses. God also turns His face away from our evil deeds: and because His face is turned away, the secret of God is violated, so that the pestilential may enter for the priests and saints of God, and contaminate everything: so that the place that should have been holy becomes a place of uncleanness, according to the Gospel saying: 'My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves' (Matthew 21:13).
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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