Deep Dive

Ezekiel 22:18

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“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are but the dross of silver.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 18

Here are three separate messages which God entrusts the prophet to deliver concerning Judah and Jerusalem, and all to the same purport, to show them their sins and the judgments that were coming upon them for those sins. I. Here is a catalogue of their sins, by which they had exposed themselves to shame and for which God would bring them to ruin (v. 1-16). II. They are here compared to dross, and are condemned as dross to the fire (Eze 22:17-22). III. All orders and degrees of men among them are here found guilty of the neglect of the duty of their place and of having contributed to the national guilt, which therefore, since none appeared as intercessors, they must all expect to share in the punishment of (Eze 22:23-31).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 18

בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… אָדָם (ʼâdâm, H120) — ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) בַּיִת (bayith, H1004) — a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.) יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl, H3478) — Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity סִיג (çîyg, H5509) — scoria נְחֹשֶׁת (nᵉchôsheth, H5178) — copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as… בְּדִיל (bᵉdîyl, H913) — alloy (because removed by smelting); by analogy, tin בַּרְזֶל (barzel, H1270) — iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement עוֹפֶרֶת (ʻôwphereth, H5777) — lead (from its dusty color) תָּוֶךְ (tâvek, H8432) — a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre כּוּר (kûwr, H3564) — a pot or furnace (as if excavated) כֶּסֶף (keçeph, H3701) — silver (from its pale color); by implication, money

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Isaiah 1:22rank 5

Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.

Psalms 119:119rank 5

All the wicked on earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies.

Isaiah 48:10rank 4

See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Proverbs 17:3rank 3

A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

Ezekiel 22:20rank 2

Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to melt with a fiery blast, so I will gather you in My anger and wrath, leave you there, and melt you.

Isaiah 1:25rank 2

I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.

Isaiah 31:9rank 2

Their rock will pass away for fear, and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 48:4rank 2

For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.

Commentaries

Original language

Cross-references

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