Ezekiel 22:3
in Ezekiel 22and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O city who brings her own doom by shedding blood within her walls and making idols to defile herself,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that maketh idols against herself to defile her!
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.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 22
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThen say thou, thus saith the Lord God,.... For though the prophet was to sit as judge, yet in the name of the King of kings, under whose authority he acted: the city sheddeth blood in the midst of it; openly and impudently, in the face of all, and in great abundance; even innocent blood, as the Targum has it: murders were frequent and common, either through quarrels, or through unrighteous judgments in courts of judicature: that her time may come; to fill up the measure of her iniquity, and to receive the just punishment of her sins.
This site's exposition
The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it
on Ezekiel 22:3-5
The city sheds blood in her own midst and makes idols to defile herself. Clarke reads the phrase that her time may come as judicial language, blood guilt hastening the very judgment the city fears. JFB notes the mockery from nations near and far answers Jerusalem's earlier fame.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 22, Verses 1 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: And you, son of man, do you not judge the city of blood, and show her all her abominations? And say: Thus says the Lord God: The city that sheds blood within herself, so that her time may come, and that has made idols against herself to defile herself. In your blood that was shed, you have sinned, and you have defiled yourself with your idols that you have made.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Her time - The time of ripeness in her sins, and of execution of judgments on her. To defile - For this does more defile them, and provoke God to wrath against them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
sheddeth blood . . . that her time may come--Instead of deriving advantage from her bloody sacrifices to idols, she only thereby brought on herself "the time" of her punishment. against herself-- (Pr 8:36).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Her time may come - Till now, it was my long-suffering; she has fulfilled her days - completed the time of her probation; has not mended, but is daily worse; therefore her judgment can linger no longer.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֤ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַר֙ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | O city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת | shofekhet | [which] sheds | H8210 → | 114 times |
| דָּ֛ם | dam | blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ | betokhah | in [the] midst of it | H8432 → | 418 times |
| לָב֣וֹא | lavo' | to come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עִתָּ֑הּ | ʾitah | time its | H6256 → | 296 times |
| וְעָשְׂתָ֧ה | veasetah | and it has made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| גִלּוּלִ֛ים | gilulim | idols | H1544 → | 48 times |
| עָלֶ֖יהָ | ʾaleiha | on itself | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְטָמְאָֽה׃ | letameah | to become unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֤הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַר֙he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
עִ֣ירO city
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת[which] sheds
shofekhetH8210 →114 times
דָּ֛םblood
damH1818 →360 times
בְּתוֹכָ֖הּin [the] midst of it
betokhahH8432 →418 times
לָב֣וֹאto come
lavo'H935 →2568 times
עִתָּ֑הּtime its
ʾitahH6256 →296 times
וְעָשְׂתָ֧הand it has made
veasetahH6213 →2628 times
גִלּוּלִ֛יםidols
gilulimH1544 →48 times
עָלֶ֖יהָon itself
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
לְטָמְאָֽה׃to become unclean
letameahH2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Peter 2:3In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:5
As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!
- Jude 1:15
to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
Through
Ezekiel 22:6See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood.
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 1:23
Through
Ezekiel 22:27Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 22:13
Now look, I strike My hands together against your unjust gain and against the blood you have shed in your midst.
- Ezekiel 22:13
Through
Ezekiel 23:37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 16:36
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood…
- Ezekiel 16:36
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.
