Ezekiel 22 10

Ezekiel 22:10 kjv

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

Ezekiel 22:10 nkjv

In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity.

Ezekiel 22:10 niv

In you are those who dishonor their father's bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean.

Ezekiel 22:10 esv

In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.

Ezekiel 22:10 nlt

Men sleep with their fathers' wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating.

Ezekiel 22 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Exo 20:14"You shall not commit adultery."Basic commandment against sexual sin.
Deut 5:18"Nor shall you commit adultery."Reinforcement of the covenant law.
Lev 18:7"You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father..."Specific prohibition against incest (father's wife).
Lev 18:8"...you shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife."Direct reference to incest with a stepmother.
Lev 18:19"You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual impurity."Direct prohibition of sex during menstruation.
Lev 20:10"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife..."Prescribed death penalty for adultery.
Lev 20:11"The man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness..."Incest and its punishment.
Lev 20:18"If a man lies with a woman having her sickness and uncovers her nakedness..."Punishment for sexual defilement during menstruation.
Deut 27:20"Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife..."Curse on those committing incest.
Prov 6:27-29Can a man carry fire in his bosom... So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife...Metaphorical warning against adultery's consequences.
Jer 5:7-8"When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of prostitutes."Prophetic condemnation of Judah's widespread immorality.
Jer 13:27"I have seen your detestable acts on the hills, your acts of fornication..."God's observation of Judah's sexual sin.
Hos 4:1-2"There is no faithfulness...no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery..."Israel's widespread moral breakdown.
Matt 5:27-28"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery..."Christ's expanded understanding of adultery.
1 Cor 5:1"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you... a man has his father's wife."Condemnation of incest in the New Testament church.
Gal 5:19"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality..."Listing of sinful acts condemned in the New Covenant.
Eph 5:3"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you..."Call to purity for believers.
Heb 13:4"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."Warning against defiling the marriage bed.
1 Pet 4:3"For the time that is past suffices for doing the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry."Repentance from past sins including immorality.
Jude 1:7"...like Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire..."Examples of cities judged for sexual sin.

Ezekiel 22 verses

Ezekiel 22 10 Meaning

Ezekiel 22:10 depicts the deep moral corruption within Jerusalem, specifically condemning various forms of illicit sexual conduct. It highlights the pervasive nature of sexual immorality, including incestuous relationships with a father's wife and violations of purity laws concerning women in their menstrual period. These acts were not isolated incidents but rampant transgressions against divine law, illustrating a profound disregard for the sacred covenant and societal order, thereby rendering the city spiritually defiled and deserving of God's severe judgment.

Ezekiel 22 10 Context

Ezekiel chapter 22 is a profound indictment of Jerusalem, presented as a "bloody city" consumed by various grave sins, serving as a preamble to the impending divine judgment and destruction. The chapter systematically lists the transgressions that permeate every level of society, from corrupt leaders to ordinary citizens, including idolatry, bloodshed, disrespect for parents, extortion, oppression of the vulnerable, and a pervasive disregard for God's laws. Verse 10 specifically hones in on the shocking moral depravity related to sexual sins—incest ("uncovered the nakedness of their fathers") and deliberate violation of ritual purity laws ("defiled her that was set apart for pollution"). These actions signify a total breakdown of the covenantal relationship with God and an utter disrespect for fundamental social and familial bonds. The prophet details these specific abominations to justify God's righteous wrath and the coming Babylonian exile as a direct consequence of Jerusalem's wickedness.

Ezekiel 22 10 Word analysis

  • In thee: Signifies that these sins are not external threats but deeply ingrained within Jerusalem's very fabric, manifesting from its internal corruption and pervading its society.
  • have they discovered nakedness: The Hebrew term is gillu `ervah (גִלּוּ עֶרְוָה), meaning "uncovered the nakedness." This is a common biblical euphemism for sexual intercourse, often illicit and violating established norms or laws, especially in the Levitical purity code (Lev 18, 20).
  • of their fathers: Refers to relations with a "father's wife" (`erwat 'aviv), signifying incest, a grievous transgression (Lev 18:7-8; 20:11; Deut 27:20). This specific sin represents a profound betrayal of family, patriarchal authority, and God's design for familial purity, breaking down foundational societal structures.
  • in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution: This refers to sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period. The Hebrew word for "pollution" or "unclean" in this context is niddah (נִדָּה), which specifically denotes ritual impurity due to menstruation (Lev 15:19-24). Such intercourse was explicitly forbidden (Lev 18:19; 20:18), rendering both parties ritually unclean and showing a deliberate defiance of the detailed purity laws given by God, indicating an absolute disregard for holiness and covenantal obligations.
  • Word-Group Analysis
    • "have they discovered nakedness of their fathers": This phrase highlights extreme sexual depravity that transgresses the most basic family boundaries, indicative of a society where even incestuous relations are rampant. It implies a moral environment devoid of honor and reverence for familial sanctity. This also demonstrates the breaking of natural laws, and covenant boundaries within a holy land.
    • "have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution": This emphasizes a contempt for God's detailed purity laws, especially concerning ritual uncleanness related to menstruation. The term "humbled" here implies shaming or violating, highlighting the act as an affront to both the woman's sacred state during niddah and to God's commandment. It underscores a conscious decision to desecrate sacred boundaries and demonstrates a profound lack of spiritual discernment. The acts of shame here would make her "unclean".

Ezekiel 22 10 Bonus section

The specified sins in Ezekiel 22:10 (incest with a father's wife, sex during menstruation) were not arbitrary prohibitions. They were explicit covenant violations, outlined with clear punishments in the Mosaic Law. Their prevalence in Jerusalem reveals a systematic, deliberate abandonment of God's covenant by His chosen people, contributing to the nation's spiritual defilement. The mention of niddah (menstruation) is particularly significant as it speaks to an awareness and then deliberate disregard of purity laws designed to promote reverence for life and sanctity, indicating a deep spiritual insensitivity to the Holy God. Such widespread sin was a testament to Jerusalem's moral decay, which mirrored and caused its inevitable political downfall and exile.

Ezekiel 22 10 Commentary

Ezekiel 22:10 powerfully portrays Jerusalem's severe moral decline through its specific focus on sexual perversions. The dual condemnation of incestuous relations with a "father's wife" and intercourse with a menstruating woman underscores a society that not only commits widespread sexual immorality but specifically defies the foundational and meticulous aspects of God's covenantal law. These acts are not merely sins; they are direct assaults on the sanctity of family and the divine regulations of purity, symbolizing Jerusalem's pervasive rebellion and self-defilement. This deep-seated corruption justified God's imminent judgment upon the city, serving as a stark warning of the consequences of forsaking divine ordinances and embracing unholy living.