Ezekiel 22 26

Ezekiel 22:26 kjv

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 22:26 nkjv

Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 22:26 niv

Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 22:26 esv

Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 22:26 nlt

Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.

Ezekiel 22 verses

Ezekiel 22 26 Meaning

Ezekiel 22:26 details the profound corruption of the priestly class in Judah, indicting them for failing their foundational responsibilities. They are accused of violating God's law and desecrating sacred items, indicating a severe moral and ritual negligence. Crucially, they neglected their divinely mandated role to differentiate between what is holy and common, and between what is clean and unclean, thereby blurring essential distinctions meant to preserve Israel's holiness. Their disregard extended to the Sabbaths, turning a blind eye to its observance. The cumulative effect of these failures was the profanation of God's holy name among His own people, making the spiritual decay evident and inexcusable.

Ezekiel 22 26 Context

Ezekiel 22 is a searing indictment of Jerusalem, metaphorically described as a "bloody city" (vv. 1-2) due to the widespread corruption and violence prevalent within it. The chapter systematically lists various transgressions by different segments of society: princes (rulers), people, prophets, and priests. This verse specifically targets the priests, holding them accountable for their spiritual negligence and moral failings. Historically, Jerusalem was facing the impending Babylonian exile (which had already begun in part), and Ezekiel's prophecy served as a divine explanation for this catastrophic judgment. The priestly class, meant to be guardians of God's Law and holiness, had instead become instruments of its decay, directly contributing to the spiritual pollution that invited divine wrath upon the nation. Their failure to teach and embody distinct categories of holy/common and clean/unclean symbolized the blurring of all moral boundaries, which underpinned the nation's apostasy.

Ezekiel 22 26 Word analysis

• Her priests (כֹּהֲנֶיהָ, kohaneha): Refers specifically to the Levitical priests in Judah, particularly Jerusalem. These were men chosen by God and consecrated for sacred service, responsible for mediating between God and His people, performing sacrifices, and teaching the Law (Torah). The use of "Her" (referring to the city/people) implies the priests belonging to Judah's established religious system, yet acting as corrupt individuals rather than faithful servants. Their position gave them significant authority and responsibility in maintaining the nation's spiritual purity.
• have violated (חָמְסוּ, hāmesū): This Hebrew verb often implies "doing violence to," "wronging," or "treating with cruelty." It's stronger than merely "breaking" or "transgressing." Here, it signifies a forceful, intentional, or destructive breach of the Law. The priests didn't just err; they inflicted violence upon the very fabric of God's instructions, twisting and distorting them, showing contempt for their sacred obligations.
• My law (תוֹרָתִי, tôratî): Refers to the divine instruction given through Moses, encompassing not just ceremonial regulations but also moral, civil, and ethical precepts. It's "My Law" – God's personal directive, emphasizing the direct affront to His authority. The priests were supposed to be the primary expositors and enforcers of this Law, but instead, they brutalized it.
• and profaned (וַיְחַלְּלוּ, wayechalləlū): This verb means to "defile," "make common," or "treat as profane." It specifically denotes the act of taking something holy and rendering it unholy or ordinary. This directly opposes the priestly function to distinguish and protect the holy.
• My holy things (קָדָשַׁי, qādāšāy): Encompasses everything consecrated to God: offerings, sacred vessels, the Temple itself, and by extension, holy times and persons (including themselves). Profaning these directly desecrated God's presence and reputation among His people, making His sacred economy useless and even contemptible. This was a direct attack on the ceremonial order.
• they have made no distinction (לֹא הִבְדִּילוּ, lō' hibhdîlū): This is a direct command from Lev 10:10. The verb hibhdîlū means to "separate," "distinguish," "make a difference." It highlights the primary educational and pastoral role of the priests to discern and teach the critical differences God established. Their failure here demonstrates a fundamental collapse of their theological and functional mandate.
• between the holy and the common (בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל, bên qōḏeš leḥōl): "Holy" (qōḏeš) refers to that which is set apart for God, dedicated to His sacred purposes, distinct from the mundane. "Common" (ḥōl) refers to the ordinary, the secular, that which is not consecrated. God established these categories as foundational to a covenant relationship, guiding human interaction with Him. Priests blurring this line implies an indiscriminate approach to life, ritual, and God Himself, dissolving reverence and respect.
• nor have they taught the difference (לֹא הוֹדִיעוּ, lō' hôḏî'û): Literally, "they did not make known" or "did not inform." This refers to their active teaching role. Priests were teachers (Deut 33:10), especially regarding what God permitted and forbade. Their failure wasn't just in their actions but in their instruction to the people. Ignorance permeated society because those meant to educate withheld knowledge.
• between the unclean and the clean (בֵּין טָמֵא לְטָהוֹר, bên ṭāmē' leṭāhôr): These categories related to ritual purity, impacting who could approach God or participate in communal worship. "Unclean" (ṭāmē') could be due to disease, contact with death, certain bodily discharges, or prohibited foods; it was not necessarily sin but required purification. "Clean" (ṭāhôr) implied ritual fitness. Teaching these distinctions prevented defilement of the sanctuary and community. Their neglect led to spiritual complacency and further profanation.
• and they have hidden their eyes (וּמֵעֵינַי הִסְתִּירוּ, ûmêʿênay histîrū): Literally, "and from My eyes they hid," meaning they intentionally disregarded, turned away from, or ignored. This implies a willful blindness, a conscious refusal to see or address. It's a proactive neglect, not mere oversight.
• from My Sabbaths (שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, šabbəṯôtay): The Sabbaths (plural) include the weekly Sabbath and other designated holy days or rest periods throughout the year (e.g., sabbatical year, year of Jubilee). These were sacred times of rest and worship, signifiers of God's covenant with Israel and reminders of His creative and redemptive work. Their neglect demonstrated a deep-seated rejection of God's authority over time and a betrayal of the covenant relationship. This constitutes a severe theological and practical sin, as Sabbath observance was central to Israelite identity and God's covenant.
• so that I am profaned among them (וָאֵחַל בְּתוֹכָם, wā’ēḥal bəṯôḵām): This is the devastating consequence. God Himself, His name, His honor, and His sacred character were rendered "profane" (ḥālal) by the priests' actions among the people. Their misconduct not only debased the holy things but projected an image of God that was less than holy, violating His own command for His name to be sanctified. This demonstrates a deep indictment of the spiritual leadership, whose failure made God's holy presence seem common and disrespected in the very place where He should have been honored. This is a powerful polemic against any belief that religious rituals performed by corrupt priests are acceptable or can stand in place of true holiness and adherence to divine law.

Words-group analysis:

• Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things: This pairing demonstrates an attack on both the intellectual (Torah) and the physical/ritual (holy things) aspects of divine order. The violence against the law shows contempt for divine instruction, while the profanation of holy things shows contempt for divine presence. It undermines both knowledge and experience of God.
• they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, nor have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean: This twin failure highlights the utter neglect of the priests' central pedagogical and ritual duty. Not only did they personally fail to discern and apply God's boundaries (holy/common, clean/unclean), but they also failed to instruct the people in these essential life-distinctions, leading to a spiritually illiterate populace that could not discern righteousness from wickedness in their daily lives. This breakdown implies the loss of ethical and theological discernment in the entire community.
• and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them: The active "hiding of eyes" from the Sabbaths illustrates a deliberate and visible rejection of one of God's most foundational covenant signs. The result is the direct profanation of God's name – not by overt blasphemy, but by the systemic failure of His appointed leaders, which cheapened His holiness in the eyes of the people and the nations. The implication is that priestly neglect isn't just internal sin but a public testimony that dishonors God.

Ezekiel 22 26 Bonus section

The concept of "profaning" God's name (וָאֵחַל בְּתוֹכָם) carries significant weight. It isn't merely the external actions that defile, but the internal condition that causes God's character and glory to be diminished or misrepresented among His own people. The priests, through their conduct, presented God as someone whose laws could be disregarded and whose holiness was optional. This echoes similar condemnations in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Malachi, pointing to a recurring pattern of religious leadership corruption in pre-exilic and post-exilic Judah. The severity of God's response (the exile) underscores the vital importance of holiness and obedience, particularly from those who claim to represent Him. This also sets a prophetic stage for a renewed priesthood or a new covenant that establishes holiness truly, eventually pointing to Christ's perfect priesthood (Heb 7).

Ezekiel 22 26 Commentary

Ezekiel 22:26 delivers a grave indictment of the priestly class, whose pervasive corruption was a primary catalyst for Judah's moral decay and God's ensuing judgment. Their threefold failure - violating God's law, profaning sacred objects, and neglecting the crucial distinction between holy/common and clean/unclean – reveals a total abandonment of their divinely mandated duties. The core of their priestly function was to act as stewards and teachers of holiness, upholding God's standards and educating the people in divine truth. By blurring essential categories and actively disregarding the Sabbath, they stripped God's Law of its power and His holy things of their reverence. The ultimate consequence was not merely local misconduct but the global profanation of God's name, signifying a complete systemic breakdown that alienated Israel from its covenant Lord. This serves as a perpetual warning about the immense responsibility of spiritual leadership and the dire consequences when such leadership fails to uphold the sacred trust.