Ezek. 22 A catalogue of sins committed in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews because of them, Ezek. 22:1–16. God will burn them as dross in the furnace Ezek. 22:17–22. The general corruption of all orders of men, for which God’s wrath is poured out upon them, Ezek. 22:23–31.

Some would have the prophet here to be questioned, whether he would, and why he would, plead for such a city. Others, that God doth forbid him to plead for it, or be solicitous about it.

The city, Jerusalem, sheddeth, is shedding, blood; it is her present practice as well as her former, murders are committed by her, and it is said the city did it; it was done with public consent, and probably under pretext of judiciary process to colour it, as in Naboth’s case, and as they would…

Guilty in thy blood; greatly or deeply guilty. Thou has shed, in abundance, cruelly and perfidiously. Defiled thy self; as a polluted thing, loathsome to be seen or touched Thine idols; dunghill gods. Caused thy days to draw near; .

Those that be near; as the Idumeans or Edomites, who insulted over Jerusalem when it was taken, Ammonites, and Moabites, and Philistines. Those that be far from thee; the barbarous Medes, Iberians, Hyrcanians, &c., to whom thou shalt be carried captive, whose land is far off.

He was in Ezek. 23:2 commanded to show the Jews all their abominations. Now he is directed to begin with the greatest first, either those of the royal family, or else such as adhered close to the interest of them, and were advanced to places of great trust; or, who were heads of families.

In thee; in Jerusalem. Have they: it is plural, and agrees with princes, they whose better disposition, whose education and greatness, (beside the command of God,) should have advanced their venerable thoughts and deportment towards parents.

Thou, all the land, or thou, O Jerusalem, or thou, O Zedekiah, the chief of the princes; or else, having spoken of them all in the plural, he now changeth number, and so speaks to each in particular. Hast despised; hast had very low esteem of them, as if mean and ridiculous.

Men that carry tales; informers and trepanners, or persons that, corrupted with money, give in false witness against the innocent; and the princes of Israel had hand in it. They eat, offer sacrifice, on the mountains, and feast there, celebrating the honour of their idols: see Ezek. 18:6, Ezek.

Like wild Arabians, the worst of heathens, there have been and are some that incestuously defile their fathers’ bed. Humbled; it seems to imply a force and violence offered to the persons, whether virgins or married, whom at unseasonable time they forced to satisfy their lusts: forbidden Lev.

One, i.e. some, or the man of quality, state, and such as were of high degree, as the word is translated Ps. 62:9. Or what if it were translated as Ezek. 22:6, every one; it was grown a most general vice, as Jer. 5:8.

Judges, who should have saved, have sold the life of innocents; they who sat on God’s tribunal have acted the devil there, and murdered innocents, contrary to Ex. 23:8. Taken usury: see Ezek. 18:8.

Behold; hear therefore, and mark, ye wicked Jews. I have smitten mine hand, in testimony of my abhorrence of your ways, as threatening to punish you, and setting on the fierce Babylonian upon you to execute my just displeasure.

Can thine heart endure? this question is a vehement negation, thou canst by no means endure, withstand and repel the evils that are coming, or bear them when come. Will thy courage hold out, and conquer? Nay, it will be with thee as Ezek. 21:7, your hearts shall melt.

I will scatter thee, as the wind scatters chaff, among the heathen, the worst of the Babylonish vassals. And disperse thee in the countries; doubled for certainty of the thing.

Whereas I was thine inheritance, and thou enjoyedst all riches, delight, safety, peace, and honour in me, so long as thou wert a holy, obedient people; now that you are polluted, a very sink of all filthiness, for which I have cast thee off, and sent thee into captivity, there be to thyself what…

Not a few among many, but universally the whole house of Israel, the seed of him that was a prince with God, the covenant people of God, are strangely degenerate and corrupted, as if purer and richer metals should by worse and worse turn to dross.

Ye are all, from one end of the land to the other. I will gather you; from all parts thereof I will by a secret overruling providence bring you together into Jerusalem, as into a furnace where you may he melted and consumed.

They; founders, who melt down metals to prove them. Gather silver, & c.: if these different kinds of metals be to be gathered into one and the same furnace, it speaks the involving all promiscuously in the same afflictions; if it be meant as each distinct metal is tried by the fire in the furnace,…

These verses are an ingeminating of the same menaces, the more to affect the Jews with fear, and due apprehensions of their danger, and make them think of returning to God.

Thou; the land of Israel. Is not cleansed, nor rained upon; though God’s judgments have been as violent storms and floods, though they have been as hottest fires, yet neither thy filth hath been carried away, nor thy dross melted out of thee by them, still thou retainest both.

A conspiracy; a contrivance, or framing among themselves a design, to speak all alike flattering, smooth words, and give out promises of peace and safety, when there was no peace; they would have the Jews believe in little time the vessels of the Lord’s house, and the Lord’s people in Babylon,…

Her priests; God owns them not as his, they were priests that suited such a people. Priests; men by office bound to reverence the law, to study it, and to preserve it from men’s corruptions.

Her princes, as before, Ezek. 22:25–26. Princes; rulers of all sorts, who should have crushed oppressors and defended the oppressed. Wolves; creatures greedy, bloody, and crafty, resembling dogs that men make use of to defend their folds; so the authority which God had given to defend is by these…

Prophets; false prophets. Have daubed them; flattered their oppressing bloody princes in their ways of sin and violence. With untempered mortar; with promises and encouragements that, like ill tempered mortar, will deceive them, though all seems for the present smooth and safe.

The people of the land, the common people, have used oppression; greatly, continuedly, and cruelly oppressed one another, wronged each other by frauds and violence. Exercised robbery; on every occasion turned downright thieves and robbers.

I sought, very earnestly and diligently; spoken of God after the manner of man. A man; any one. Amongst them; among princes, prophets, priests, or people. That should make up the hedge; to repair the breach, and prevent further mischief.

Therefore, thus provoked by all, have I poured out mine indignation, as a flood to sweep them away. I have consumed them; kindled a fire against them, that will destroy them.