Ezekiel 22:18 kjv
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Ezekiel 22:18 nkjv
"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver.
Ezekiel 22:18 niv
"Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver.
Ezekiel 22:18 esv
"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver.
Ezekiel 22:18 nlt
"Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over ? a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead.
Ezekiel 22 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God as Refiner / Judge | ||
| Psa 12:6 | ...words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth.. | God's word refined and true. |
| Prov 17:3 | The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD | God tests hearts like a refiner. |
| Isa 1:25 | I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take.. | God's intent to purge Jerusalem's impurities. |
| Jer 6:29 | The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder | Similar metallurgy metaphor for judgment. |
| Mal 3:2-3 | But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he | Messiah as a refiner's fire. |
| Zech 13:9 | ...I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them | Refining judgment for remnant. |
| 1 Pet 1:7 | That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that.. | Faith tested like gold by fire. |
| Deut 4:20 | But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, | God' rescued Israel from "furnace" of Egypt. |
| Israel's Corruption / Worthlessness | ||
| Isa 1:4-6 | Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers... | Describes Israel's widespread corruption. |
| Jer 6:28 | They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass.. | Identifies Israel as base metals, corrupted. |
| Ezek 22:2-12 | Son of man, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt show her all. | Preceding verses list Jerusalem's sins. |
| Ezek 22:25-28 | Her prophets are like roaring lions... priests have violated my law... | Specific corruption of leaders. |
| Hos 4:1-2 | There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By | Lack of fundamental righteousness. |
| Amos 2:6-7 | Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,.. | Sins leading to God's judgment. |
| Zeph 3:1-2 | Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She | Jerusalem's spiritual defiance. |
| Rom 3:9-12 | What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before | Universal human sinfulness. |
| Tit 1:15 | Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and | Defilement affects inward state. |
| Divine Judgment / Wrath | ||
| Ezek 22:19-21 | Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, | God gathering them into the furnace for wrath. |
| Zeph 1:18 | Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the.. | God's wrath cannot be escaped. |
| Mal 4:1 | For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the | Coming judgment will consume the wicked. |
| Matt 3:12 | Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and | John the Baptist on Messiah's judgment. |
| Heb 12:29 | For our God is a consuming fire. | God's essence includes judgment. |
| Rev 18:8 | Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and | Judgment on symbolic Babylon, parallels here. |
Ezekiel 22 verses
Ezekiel 22 18 Meaning
Ezekiel 22:18 proclaims God's indictment against the house of Israel (referring specifically to Judah at that time), declaring them to have utterly corrupted themselves. Through the metaphor of metallurgy, God views His people not as pure silver or valuable metal, but as mere dross and base metals—brass, tin, iron, and lead—mixed together and worthless. This imagery conveys their deep spiritual degeneracy and signifies their readiness for the divine "furnace" of judgment and refining.
Ezekiel 22 18 Context
Ezekiel chapter 22 details the manifold sins and moral depravity prevalent in Jerusalem, particularly among its leaders and people, that are driving God's impending judgment. It functions as a direct indictment, itemizing acts of idolatry, injustice, bloodshed, corruption, and defiance of God's Law. The immediate verses (17-22) depict God's profound displeasure using the strong metallurgical analogy. Ezekiel 22:18 introduces this comparison, declaring the entire "house of Israel" to be worthless dross and base metals, no longer fitting for use as pure silver. Historically, this prophecy was given during the period leading up to or in the early stages of the Babylonian exile, when Judah's moral decline had reached its peak, necessitating God's severe chastisement to purify or destroy.
Ezekiel 22 18 Word analysis
- Son of man (אדם בן - ben adam): A consistent title for Prophet Ezekiel throughout his book. It highlights his human, mortal nature in contrast to the divine revelations he receives, emphasizing that this message is from God conveyed through a human vessel.
- the house of Israel (בית ישראל - beit Yisrael): Refers to the entire Israelite nation, but in Ezekiel's immediate context, it primarily means the kingdom of Judah, as the northern kingdom (Israel) had already fallen centuries earlier. It signifies the covenant people, emphasizing their widespread apostasy.
- is to me become dross (היתה לי לסיגים - hayetah li lesigim): Literally "she has become to me dross." The word for "dross" (סיגים - sīgim) refers to the impurities, waste, or slag separated from a precious metal during refining. This statement powerfully reveals God's internal assessment of His people's spiritual value—they are no longer pure but filled with corruption in His sight.
- all they are brass (כלם נחשת - kullam nechoshet): "All of them are copper/bronze." Nechoshet (נחשת) often refers to copper or bronze, a common, relatively cheap, and less valuable metal compared to silver or gold. This signifies their debasement and lack of true worth in God's eyes, not just a portion of them but collectively.
- and tin (ובדיל - u'vedil): Bedil (בדיל) is a soft, low-melting-point metal. It's often associated with alloys used to strengthen other metals, but here, in the context of dross, it represents a worthless impurity easily separated or a base, diluted quality.
- and iron (וברזל - u'varzel): Barzel (ברזל), iron, is strong and durable, but within this context of precious metals and dross, it signifies a coarse, non-precious component of the corrupt mixture, lacking spiritual value.
- and lead (ועפרת - ve'opheret): Ophereth (עפרת), lead, is a heavy, soft, and base metal. In ancient metallurgy, lead was sometimes used as a flux to draw out impurities during smelting. Here, it can represent the extreme weight of their corruption, or paradoxically, an element that itself became part of the worthless dross, demonstrating a complete inversion of value.
- in the midst of the furnace (בתוך כור - be'tokh kur): The kur (כור) is a refining furnace. This signifies an impending or present process of intense trial and judgment, orchestrated by God, meant either for purification (as in pure silver) or for exposure and destruction of the impurities (the dross and base metals). It points to a crucible of suffering and divine wrath.
- they are even the dross of silver (סיגי כסף - sigey kessef): This powerful final phrase underscores the profound deception and deep-seated corruption. Israel, as God's chosen, was meant to be precious silver. However, they have not merely become like common metals; they are the impurities derived from what should have been pure silver. It implies a corruption of something intrinsically good, emphasizing their internal worthlessness and their utter failure to maintain the purity of their covenant relationship.
Ezekiel 22 18 Bonus section
The metallurgical process alluded to here—smelting metals and separating dross—was a common practice in ancient times and well-understood by Ezekiel’s audience. The distinct characteristic of dross is that it separates from the pure metal, either rising to the surface to be skimmed off or settling to the bottom. In God's judgment, this dross (representing the unrepentant, corrupted elements of Israel) would either be purged entirely or rendered useless. This process, while painful and destructive for the dross, can lead to the purification of the valuable material if any remains. The mix of "brass, tin, iron, and lead" with "dross of silver" highlights not just general sinfulness but a thorough dilution of their spiritual identity and purpose as God's covenant people, making them profoundly unacceptable in His sight.
Ezekiel 22 18 Commentary
Ezekiel 22:18 delivers a stark divine verdict: Israel, God's chosen, is not merely flawed, but is entirely devoid of spiritual purity in His sight. The rich metallurgical imagery is profoundly illustrative; the nation, once intended to shine as precious silver, has become a worthless, mixed alloy of common, base metals and dross. This pervasive impurity signals a comprehensive spiritual decay—encompassing all facets of society and every individual—leaving no part untouched by corruption. God views them as fit only for the purifying fires of the "furnace," symbolizing the intense judgment (like the Babylonian exile) necessary to either purge the wickedness or fully expose and consume it. The severity of their moral failings leaves God with no option but severe refinement, reflecting His unyielding standard of holiness and His justice against their rampant iniquity and false spiritual value.