Ezekiel 22:3 kjv
Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
Ezekiel 22:3 nkjv
Then say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself.
Ezekiel 22:3 niv
and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols,
Ezekiel 22:3 esv
You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself!
Ezekiel 22:3 nlt
and give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: O city of murderers, doomed and damned ? city of idols, filthy and foul ?
Ezekiel 22 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 22:3 | "And you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘A city of bloodshed in your midst, whose time has come, into whose midst you have put your filth and your plague!’" | Context of divine judgment on Jerusalem |
| Genesis 4:8 | Cain murders Abel. | Early instance of bloodshed and violence |
| Deuteronomy 19:10 | "so that innocent blood may not be shed in your land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and so that you may be guiltless of bloodshed." | God's law against shedding innocent blood |
| Psalm 106:38 | "They defiled their sanctuary and profaned my sabbaths." | Connects sin to defilement |
| Isaiah 1:21 | "How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers." | Parallel indictment against Jerusalem |
| Jeremiah 2:34 | "Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of innocent poor; you did not find them by some breach. Yet in all these you say, ‘I am innocent; your anger is turned away from me.’" | Accusation of innocent blood on skirts |
| Jeremiah 7:11 | "Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD." | Jerusalem as a place of corruption |
| Micah 3:10 | "who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity." | Similar accusation of bloodshed for gain |
| Matthew 23:35 | "so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar." | Jesus condemns Jerusalem for shedding blood |
| Luke 11:51 | Echoes Matthew 23:35, condemning Jerusalem | Jesus condemns Jerusalem for shedding blood |
| Acts 7:52 | Accusation against Jewish leaders for rejecting prophets | Rejection of messengers leading to judgment |
| Romans 3:16 | "The way of peace they do not know." | Describes the results of unrighteousness |
| James 5:4 | "Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out..." | Cry of injustice and withheld wages |
| Revelation 18:24 | "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth." | Babylon (symbolic of evil systems) judged for bloodshed |
| 2 Kings 21:16 | Manasseh's sins, including innocent blood. | Example of severe historical sin |
| 2 Chronicles 24:24 | Joash, for executing Zechariah, God's prophet. | Specific instance of shedding innocent blood |
| Psalm 5:6 | "You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." | God's hatred for bloodshed |
| Jeremiah 22:3 | "Thus says the LORD: ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been plundered, and do no wrong, no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place'" | Call to justice to prevent bloodshed |
| Proverbs 6:16-17 | "There are six things that the LORD hates, yes, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood..." | Things God hates, including shedding blood |
| Ezekiel 32:2 | Lament for Pharaoh, described with imagery of downfall | Metaphorical language of ruin |
| Ezekiel 14:3 | Idols in their hearts, leading to seeking idols of God | Idolatry as a core sin |
Ezekiel 22 verses
Ezekiel 22 3 Meaning
This verse describes Jerusalem as a place steeped in violence and bloodshed, where the innocent suffer greatly. It highlights the city's deep moral corruption and its people's cruelty towards one another, leading to their inevitable judgment.
Ezekiel 22 3 Context
Ezekiel 22 is a comprehensive indictment against Jerusalem. The chapter details a litany of sins committed by the city and its people. This includes injustice, corruption, disregard for the Law, mistreatment of the vulnerable (fatherless, widows), desecration of the Sabbath and sanctuaries, and sexual immorality. The accumulated guilt, characterized by violence and bloodshed, brings the city to the point of facing God's righteous judgment and destruction. The verse in question pinpoints bloodshed as a primary manifestation of this pervasive wickedness.
Ezekiel 22 3 Word Analysis
And you shall say (וַאֲמַרְתֶּם, wa’amartem): The imperfect verb form indicates a continuous command or pronouncement, a declaration that is to be made.
Thus says the Lord GOD (כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִָה, koh amar Adonai YHWH): This is a standard prophetic formula, asserting the divine origin and authority of the message. “Adonai YHWH” is a compound divine title emphasizing God’s sovereignty and eternal power.
A city of bloodshed (עִיר דָּמִים, ‘ir damim): This is a noun phrase directly labeling Jerusalem. The plural form "damim" (blood) is intensive, signifying abundant or flowing blood, not just a single instance. It speaks to a systemic issue of violence.
in your midst (בְּקִרְבֵּךְ, beqirbekh): Emphasizes that the violence is internal, within the very heart of the city and its population. It's not an external enemy, but their own people.
whose time has come (אֲשֶׁר בָּא, ’asher ba’): Indicates that the appointed time for judgment has arrived. This aligns with biblical concepts of appointed times for divine action, both for salvation and judgment.
into whose midst (אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹכְךָ, ’asher betokh): Repeats the idea of inwardness, highlighting the depth of corruption within the city.
you have put (נָתַתָּ, natata): The Qal perfect verb signifies a completed action or a state resulting from actions.
your filth (טוּמְאָתֵךְ, tum’atekh): Refers to uncleanness, moral pollution, and ceremonial impurity. This includes the shedding of innocent blood as an ultimate form of impurity.
and your plague (וּנְגַעַךְ, unegakh): Can mean a plague, a stroke, or a disease. Here it likely signifies the calamitous consequences and divine punishment that has afflicted the city due to its sin, or a self-inflicted plague of corruption.
Group Analysis: "city of bloodshed in your midst, whose time has come, into whose midst you have put your filth and your plague!"This entire phrase paints a vivid picture of Jerusalem as a cesspool of violence and corruption, with its judgment being both deserved and imminent due to the internal and pervasive nature of its sin. The repetition of "in your midst" (בְּקִרְבֵּךְ, בְּתוֹכְךָ) underscores that the source of the problem is within the city itself.
Ezekiel 22 3 Bonus Section
The prophetic emphasis on bloodshed in Ezekiel reflects a deeper spiritual truth about the sanctity of life, which God esteems highly. The act of shedding innocent blood not only pollutes the land but also cries out to God for vengeance, as seen in the account of Abel. Jerusalem's spiritual pollution was so profound that it was metaphorically likened to a plague, an outward manifestation of its inward decay. The repeated emphasis on "in your midst" underscores that divine judgment often begins at the house of God, or His chosen city, when it abandms His ways and embraces wickedness. The prophecy here is not merely historical but carries an eternal principle regarding accountability for sin.
Ezekiel 22 3 Commentary
Jerusalem, the chosen city, had become notorious for its internal violence and pervasive sin. This verse acts as a stern declaration of divine condemnation. The repeated use of "blood" signifies more than just physical violence; it represents systemic injustice and the moral contamination that renders the city utterly unfit. The phrase "whose time has come" conveys a sense of inevitable, divinely ordained reckoning for its accumulated transgressions. The "filth and plague" further illustrate the debilitating and self-destructive nature of their wicked deeds, leading directly to God's judgment. This verse is a stark reminder that places and people set apart for God must uphold His standards, lest they face His severe displeasure.