Ezekiel 22:8 kjv
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:8 nkjv
You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:8 niv
You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:8 esv
You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:8 nlt
You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.
Ezekiel 22 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:8 | "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." | Command to sanctify the Sabbath |
| Lev 19:30 | "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD." | Command to reverence God's holy things and Sabbaths |
| Lev 26:1-2 | "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD." | Covenant blessings depend on observing Sabbaths |
| Deut 5:12 | "Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you." | Reiteration of Sabbath command in Deuteronomy |
| Neh 13:17-18 | Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them... "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us?" | Nehemiah rebukes Sabbath desecration as cause of exile |
| Isa 1:13-14 | Bring no more futile offerings... Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a burden to Me. | God rejects corrupted religious observance |
| Isa 58:13-14 | If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath... then you shall delight yourself in the LORD. | Blessings promised for Sabbath obedience |
| Jer 17:21-23 | "Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day... But they did not obey..." | Jeremiah warns of destruction for Sabbath breaking |
| Mal 1:6-7 | "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? ... 'You despise My name,' Says the LORD." | Despising God through polluted offerings |
| Mal 1:12-13 | "But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is defiled...' " | Priests profaning sacred offerings |
| Psa 78:41 | Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. | Rebellious hearts despising God |
| Prov 14:2 | He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. | Despising God shown through actions |
| Amos 8:5 | Saying: "When will the New Moon be over, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may offer wheat for sale?" | Eagerness to disregard Sabbath for profit |
| Hab 1:5 | "Look among the nations and watch! Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe..." | Prophecy of impending judgment for sin, including this |
| Zech 7:9-12 | "But they refused to heed... 'Yes, they made their hearts like flint, Refusing to hear the law and the words...'" | People's hardened hearts rejecting God's law |
| Matt 12:8 | "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." | Christ's authority over the Sabbath, fulfilling its intent |
| Mark 2:27 | "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." | Clarifies the human-centered purpose of Sabbath |
| Rom 2:22-24 | You who abhor idols, do you plunder temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? | Hypocrisy in dishonoring God while claiming piety |
| Heb 4:9 | There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. | Sabbath as a spiritual rest, fulfilled in Christ |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | Do you not know that you are the temple of God...? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. | Believers as God's new temple, to be kept holy |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. | Call to holiness for God's people |
| 2 Pet 2:21 | For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness... | Knowing God's truth but despising it is worse |
Ezekiel 22 verses
Ezekiel 22 8 Meaning
Ezekiel 22:8 confronts Jerusalem and its people with the direct charge of showing contempt for God's sacred elements and deliberately defiling His designated days of rest. This verse highlights a pervasive disregard for divine commands and the sanctity of things consecrated to God, signifying a profound spiritual rebellion and broken covenant.
Ezekiel 22 8 Context
Ezekiel chapter 22 delivers a scathing indictment against Jerusalem, specifically detailing a comprehensive list of moral, social, and religious transgressions that have polluted the city. Often referred to as "the bloody city" (Eze 22:2), Jerusalem is depicted as a cauldron of iniquity, marked by bloodshed, idolatry, oppression, and corruption at all levels of society—from princes to priests and prophets. Verse 8 falls within a sequence that catalogues the city's offenses, pinpointing religious desecration as a significant part of its deep-seated rebellion. Historically, this period predates Jerusalem's final fall and destruction by Babylon (586 BC), during a time when Judah, despite divine warnings, persistently neglected the Mosaic covenant. The prophet Ezekiel, ministering to the exiles in Babylon, underscores the justice of God's impending judgment by systematically exposing the nation's guilt and profound disrespect for God's sacred institutions and holy character.
Ezekiel 22 8 Word analysis
- You: Singular address, referring directly to the "bloody city" (Jerusalem) and implicitly to its inhabitants and leaders collectively responsible for these actions.
- have despised (בָּזִיתָ - bazita): From the root בָּזָה (bazah), meaning "to treat with contempt," "to scorn," "to hold cheap," or "to consider as worthless." This implies a deliberate and active rejection, not mere neglect. It’s an attitude of disdain.
- My holy things (קָדָשַׁי - qadashai): Refers to all that God has declared sacred or set apart for Himself and His worship. This includes the Temple, offerings, tithes, sacrificial regulations, the priesthood, and anything consecrated to Him. The plural "things" indicates a wide range of objects and practices. They were not merely physical items but representations of God's holiness and His presence. Despising them was despising God Himself.
- and: Conjunction connecting two distinct yet related acts of rebellion, emphasizing a pervasive pattern of disrespect for God.
- profaned (חִלַּלְתֶּם - chillaltem): From the root חָלַל (chalal), meaning "to pollute," "to make common," "to defile," or "to desecrate." It is the opposite of sanctifying; taking something holy and stripping it of its sacred status by treating it as ordinary or impure. This often involved acting in direct contravention of ceremonial law or engaging in idolatrous practices within holy spaces.
- My Sabbaths (שַׁבְּתֹתַי - shabbetotai): The plural refers to multiple instances of Sabbath observance throughout the year and, more broadly, to the institution of the Sabbath day itself. The Sabbath (שַׁבָּת - shabbat) was a foundational sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Exod 31:13). Its observance symbolized God's creation, Israel's liberation from slavery, and their distinct identity as God's chosen people. Profaning it involved working, engaging in commerce, or violating its restful nature.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "You have despised My holy things": This phrase denotes an inward attitude of utter disdain and contempt directed at God's sacred institutions. It wasn't just accidental transgression but a fundamental lack of respect for what God designated as "holy," implying a devaluation of God's presence and character embedded within those things. It covers the entirety of Israel's ritual and cultic life.
- "and profaned My Sabbaths": This second part highlights an outward manifestation of the same inner contempt. Profaning the Sabbaths demonstrated a practical rejection of God's authority over time and His covenant sign. It revealed a deeper spiritual sickness where personal gain or worldly pursuits were prioritized over obedience to God's clear command for rest and spiritual focus. This violation directly impacts the relationship between God and His people, as the Sabbath was a mutual sign of their covenant.
Ezekiel 22 8 Bonus section
The phrase "My holy things" and "My Sabbaths" uses the possessive pronoun "My," emphasizing that these institutions belong solely to God. This underscores the severity of the offense: despising and profaning them is a direct affront to God's person, authority, and covenant relationship with Israel. The collective nature of the sins described throughout Ezekiel 22 indicates that these were not isolated incidents but a widespread cultural problem, affecting leaders, priests, and the common people. The profaning of holy things also implicitly contrasts Israel's behavior with the rigorous purity laws established by God, which emphasized the distinctness of the sacred from the common, and the pure from the impure, thereby showing a conscious abandonment of these core principles of their faith. The spiritual weight of these violations served as a crucial justification for the severity of God's judgment that followed, making it clear that His discipline was a just response to their deliberate unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 22 8 Commentary
Ezekiel 22:8 powerfully encapsulates Judah's spiritual depravity through two parallel indictments: despising God's holy things and profaning His Sabbaths. Despising (בָּזָה - bazah) signifies an internal attitude of scorn and treating God's sacred elements—like the Temple, sacrifices, and divine ordinances—as common or worthless. This reveals a heart far removed from reverence. Concurrently, profaning (חָלַל - chalal) the Sabbaths demonstrates the outward and active desecration of God's designated day of rest, a sign of His covenant and Israel's unique identity. This wasn't merely neglect but an intentional disregard, whether for personal gain (Amos 8:5) or outright rebellion. Together, these actions illustrate a pervasive rejection of God's holiness and His foundational commands, showcasing a profound breach of the covenant relationship and an active participation in their own impending judgment. It is a concise statement of systematic sacrilege and covenant infidelity.