Ezekiel 22:17 kjv
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 22:17 nkjv
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ezekiel 22:17 niv
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 22:17 esv
And the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 22:17 nlt
Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 22 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 22:17 | Son of man, the house of Israel is to me like dross. | Directly relates to Israel's corruption |
| Jeremiah 6:30 | They are rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them. | Echoes the idea of being rejected as worthless |
| Isaiah 1:22 | Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. | Similar imagery of impurity and dilution |
| Psalm 119:119 | You have made me, through your commandments, wiser than my enemies. | Contrasts divine wisdom with human corruption |
| Proverbs 25:4 | Take away the dross from the silver, and a silversmith shall produce a beautiful vessel. | Highlights the process of refinement and worth |
| Malachi 3:3 | He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver... | Connects refining with divine judgment |
| Romans 1:23 | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator... | Illustrates corrupt thinking and practice |
| 1 Peter 1:7 | so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found... | Compares faith to precious metals tested by fire |
| Revelation 3:18 | I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich... | Advises buying refined gold from Christ |
| Matthew 13:43 | Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. | Depicts the righteous shining like refined gold |
| 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 | ... If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest... | Discusses building with different materials, subject to fire |
| Isaiah 6:6-7 | Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said, "Behold this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away and your sin atoned for." | Illustrates divine purification through fire |
| Jeremiah 5:11-13 | For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly faithless to me, declares the Lord... Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, because they have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people will be wood, and it will consume them. | Prophetic judgment likened to consuming fire |
| Ezekiel 3:18-20 | If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to give him life, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he turns not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. | Role of the prophet in warning the wicked |
| Hosea 8:5 | The Lord your God has rejected the calf of Samaria... | Specific rejection of idols and their worship |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." | God's special election leads to accountability |
| Lamentations 4:1 | How the city of rightousness has become a harlot! It was once full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in it, but now it is occupied by murderers. | Vivid description of Jerusalem's fall and corruption |
| Micah 3:11 | Her heads give judgment for a bribe; her priests teach for a price; her prophets practice divination for money... | Denounces corruption among leadership |
| Nahum 3:1 | Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! | Describes Nineveh, but applicable to corrupted nations |
| Zechariah 7:9-10 | Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness, and compassion, each to his brother, ... do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against his brother in his heart. | Commands righteous judgment and compassion |
| Zephaniah 3:1-4 | Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the dominating city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave no bone till the morning. Her prophets are frivolous, faithless men; her priests have profaned what is holy, they have done violence to the law. | Similar condemnation of a city's moral corruption |
| John 3:20-21 | For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been worked in God. | Light exposes wickedness; truth brings exposure |
| James 4:11-12 | Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. If you fulfill the law, you are not a hearer only but a doer of the word. | Encourages mutual respect and obedience to God's law |
Ezekiel 22 verses
Ezekiel 22 17 Meaning
This verse describes the Lord's rejection of Israel due to their deep-seated corruption and moral decay. They are likened to dross, the impure residue left after metals are refined. Their "dross" refers to their wicked actions and corrupt hearts, which have rendered them spiritually worthless in the eyes of God.
Ezekiel 22 17 Context
Ezekiel chapter 22 portrays Jerusalem's profound corruption, extending to all levels of its society. God expresses His indignation at the city's moral degradation, sexual immorality, bloodshed, and deceit. The people have violated the covenant, profaned the sacred, and shown no regard for justice or mercy. This verse specifically highlights that Israel, as a nation and a community, has become utterly worthless in God's sight due to their pervasive sin. The impending judgment and exile are a consequence of their persistent wickedness and rejection of God's ways. The historical context is the period leading up to and during the Babylonian exile, a time when God was executing judgment on Judah for its unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 22 17 Word Analysis
- Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם - ben-adam): A common address by God to the prophet Ezekiel. It signifies both his humanity and his commissioned role as a messenger.
- the house of Israel (בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל - beit-Yisra'el): Refers collectively to the nation of Israel, emphasizing their identity as God's covenant people.
- is to me (לִי - li): Denotes a personal relationship and assessment by God Himself.
- like dross (לְסִיגִים - lesigim): The crucial word here. "Sugg" (סוּג) refers to refuse, scum, or dross – the impurities skimmed off molten metal during refining. It signifies worthlessness, impurity, and rejection after testing. This imagery powerfully conveys God's view of Israel's moral and spiritual state. They have been tested, like metal, but instead of being purified, their impurity (dross) has become manifest and has rendered them unfit.
Word Group Analysis
- "the house of Israel is to me like dross": This phrase encapsulates God's direct, evaluative statement about the entire nation. It's not just individual actions, but the collective identity and state of Israel that has become repugnant due to the accumulated sin and impurity that outweigh any inherent value. It signifies a complete spiritual failure after the "refining" process of covenantal living and the Law.
Ezekiel 22 17 Bonus Section
The concept of dross is critical in understanding the purifying power of God. While here it signifies rejection, the imagery of refining silver (Malachi 3:3) or gold by fire is used elsewhere to describe God's process of purging sin and testing the faith of His people. This verse, therefore, stands as a consequence of rejecting that purifying process. Israel's persistent clinging to sin made them the dross to be removed, rather than gold refined. This can be seen as a fulfillment of the warning in Deuteronomy 28 regarding the consequences of disobedience, where God's favor would be replaced by judgment. The imagery resonates with the idea that God desires a pure people, and anything that pollutes that purity, if unrepented, will ultimately be discarded.
Ezekiel 22 17 Commentary
This verse serves as a stark indictment of Israel's spiritual and moral condition. The analogy of "dross" emphasizes that, despite their identity as God's chosen people, their pervasive sin had rendered them impure and valueless in God's sight. The impurity isn't just a surface issue but represents a deep-seated corruption that testing and judgment (like refining metal) only serve to reveal and ultimately discard. This reflects the seriousness of covenantal disobedience and the consequence of allowing sin to become the defining characteristic of a nation. The prophetic message aims to expose this reality and warn of impending judgment, while also holding out a future hope of purification for the remnant.