Ezekiel 22 21

Ezekiel 22:21 kjv

Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst therof.

Ezekiel 22:21 nkjv

Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.

Ezekiel 22:21 niv

I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.

Ezekiel 22:21 esv

I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it.

Ezekiel 22:21 nlt

I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you,

Ezekiel 22 verses

Ezekiel 22 21 Meaning

Ezekiel 22:21 signifies God's direct, intense, and inescapable judgment upon Jerusalem due to its profound sinfulness. Using the powerful metaphor of metallurgy, the verse depicts God as the divine Refiner who gathers the inhabitants of the city—likened to corrupted ore—and actively ignites and intensifies a purifying "fire of My wrath" around them. This divine heat is intended to "melt" away their impurities and wickedness, leading to a severe but necessary purging. It conveys both the justice of God in responding to pervasive iniquity and His sovereign control over the painful process of purification.

Ezekiel 22 21 Context

Ezekiel chapter 22 is a scathing prophetic indictment against Jerusalem, aptly named "the bloody city" (Ezek 22:2). It details a pervasive moral and spiritual decay, highlighting rampant idolatry, bloodshed, injustice, sexual immorality, and corruption among all levels of society—princes, priests, prophets, and the common people. God's gaze reveals a city where no one "stood in the gap" (Ezek 22:30).

Verses 17-22 specifically develop the powerful imagery of a refiner's furnace. God addresses Israel as "dross," comparing them to worthless metallic impurities mixed with precious metals (Ezek 22:18-19). He declares He will gather them into the metaphorical furnace of Jerusalem. Verse 21, then, describes God's direct and active role in igniting and intensifying this judgment. The historical context is the period leading up to the final destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon (circa 586 BCE). Ezekiel, an exiled priest, is relaying these messages to a rebellious people, emphasizing the certainty and severity of God's promised judgment due to their persistent sin and covenant violations. This refining process, though destructive to the wicked, also holds the long-term potential for purifying a remnant, reflecting a pattern seen throughout Israel's history.

Ezekiel 22 21 Word analysis

• Yes: (Hebrew: גַּם - gam) An emphatic particle here, stressing the certainty and divine resolve behind the actions that follow. It adds a weighty confirmation, translating to "Indeed" or "Certainly."
• I will gather you: (Hebrew: וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם - vĕqibbaṣtî ʾetḵem) "I will gather" (from qābaṣ) indicates a deliberate, sovereign act by God. In this context, it is not a gathering for blessing or protection, but a concentration of the inhabitants for judgment, much like collecting ore or dross for the smelting process (compare Ezek 22:19-20). God Himself initiates the confinement for judgment.
• and blow on you: (Hebrew: וְנָפַחְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם - vĕnāpaḥtî ʿalêḵem) "Blow" (from nāp̄aḥ) means to breathe out, to fan, or to stoke a fire. God is actively involved in intensifying the heat and force of the judgment. He is not passively observing but is directly causing the furnace of wrath to burn hotter.
• with the fire of My wrath: (Hebrew: בְּאֵשׁ חֲמָתִי - bĕʾēš ḥămāṯî)
  • fire: (Hebrew: אֵשׁ - ʾēš) A prevalent biblical symbol for divine judgment, purification, testing, and presence. Here, it denotes destructive, yet ultimately cleansing, power.
  • My wrath: (Hebrew: חֵמָה - ḥēmāh) Signifies a fierce, intense heat or burning anger. This is not arbitrary or irrational rage but righteous indignation and settled displeasure of God against sin, which has serious, determined consequences. It stems from God's holy character.
• and you will be melted: (Hebrew: וְנִתַּכְתֶּם - wĕnittaḵtem) "Melted" (from nātaḵ) refers to the liquefaction of metal under intense heat. This directly connects to the smelting imagery. It signifies the complete breakdown and dissolution of the sinful elements within the population, emphasizing a thorough, inescapable, and potentially transformative process. The suffering will be extreme.
• in its midst: (Hebrew: בְּתוֹכָהּ - bĕṯôḵāh) "In its middle" or "within it." Refers to being fully immersed and enveloped within the "fire of My wrath." This denotes the inescapability and completeness of the judgment; there is no outside to flee to, no part untouched. The purification, or destruction of the unpurifiable, occurs wholly within this divine crucible.

Words-group analysis

• "I will gather you and blow on you": This phrase underlines God's direct, personal agency and decisive action in judgment. He is the active force bringing the situation to a head and intensifying the painful process. It's a statement of sovereign will.
• "the fire of My wrath": This group merges a common symbol of divine judgment (fire) with God's emotion (wrath). It indicates that the impending tribulation is not random calamity but a divinely purposed outpouring of God's holy anger against sustained wickedness. The fire serves as an instrument of His just displeasure.
• "you will be melted in its midst": This phrase encapsulates the purpose and nature of the judgment: a total immersion in the heat of divine displeasure leading to a thorough melting. The "you" (Israel) experiencing the melting signifies the deep suffering and disintegration of their corrupt societal structures and individual lives, a process meant either to purify or to destroy those beyond purification.

Ezekiel 22 21 Bonus section

• The analogy of smelting in Ezekiel 22:17-22 extends beyond purification. In metallurgical practices of the time, dross (slag) was typically cast away as waste, having no value. The initial description of Israel as "all of them have become dross" (Ezek 22:19) suggests a level of corruption that, from a human perspective, might be beyond simple purification. God's judgment, while a form of refining, also implied a drastic purging where significant portions, being utter dross, would be consumed or removed entirely.
• This verse contributes to a broader prophetic theme found in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 1:25) and Malachi (e.g., Mal 3:2-3), where God's judgment is not merely punishment but a divine, intense cleansing process aimed at restoring His people to holiness. Ezekiel's portrayal is exceptionally harsh, given the dire state of Jerusalem's depravity.
• The personal pronouns—"I will gather you," "blow on you," "My wrath"—underscore that this is not fate or chance, but a deliberate, direct, and active work of God. It reinforces divine sovereignty over all historical events, particularly judgments against sin.

Ezekiel 22 21 Commentary

Ezekiel 22:21 starkly portrays the severity of divine judgment awaiting Jerusalem. Having detailed the city's myriad sins—idolatry, bloodshed, and injustice at every social level—God confirms His decisive intervention through a powerful, almost visceral, metallurgical metaphor. He does not merely permit judgment; He actively orchestrates it. God declares, "I will gather you," assembling the people into the city, which now functions as a furnace. He then personally "blows" upon them with "the fire of My wrath," implying an intensification of their suffering and the speed of its execution. This isn't a passive withdrawal of blessing but an active fanning of the flames of righteous indignation.

The phrase "fire of My wrath" speaks to God's holy anger against unrepented sin, an anger rooted in His perfect justice and holiness, not caprice. The intended outcome is to "melt" them "in its midst." This melting signifies a complete breaking down and dissolution of the hardened, impure elements within the society. For the rebellious, it means utter destruction; for a potential remnant, it's a painful process of purification, separating the precious from the worthless dross, leaving a core of spiritual truth. The intensity and pervasive nature of this judgment are highlighted by "in its midst"—implying an inescapable immersion where no one or nothing will be untouched by the cleansing heat. This verse, therefore, underlines God's unwavering commitment to holiness, His sovereign execution of justice, and His willingness to employ the most severe measures to purge evil and ultimately redeem a purified people, though the immediate cost is devastating.