Ezekiel 22:31
in Ezekiel 22So I have poured out My indignation upon them and consumed them with the fire of My fury. I have brought their ways down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought upon their heads, saith the Lord Jehovah.
KJV
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verseTherefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them,.... Like a mighty torrent, carrying all before it: I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath; by the sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity: their own way have I recompensed on their heads, saith the Lord; brought just punishment upon them, such as their ways and works deserved; "the vengeance of their way,'' as the Targum.
This site's exposition
stand in the gap before me for the land
on Ezekiel 22:30-31
The Lord says he sought a man to make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, and found none. Clarke reads the figure from siege warfare, a breach in a city wall that one defender might have held, applied here to intercession.
This site's exposition
I have poured out My indignation upon them
Gill names the fire as sword, famine, pestilence and captivity. The past tense speaks of the fall of Jerusalem as already settled, though the city still stood when Ezekiel spoke. Their own ways came back on their heads.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 23 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, say to him: You are unclean land, not cleansed on the day of wrath. The conspiracy of the prophets within it, like a roaring lion seizing its prey: they have devoured souls, taken riches and precious things, multiplied widows within it. Its priests have despised my law and defiled my sanctuaries. They have not kept a distance between the holy and the profane, and they have not understood the difference between the unclean and the clean.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This prophet is authorized to judge the bloody city, the city of bloods. Jerusalem is so called, not only because she had been guilty of the particular sin of blood-shed, but because her crimes in general were bloody crimes ( ch. vii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
), have given it full scope, that it may come upon them in a full stream; yet, whatever God's wrath inflicts upon a people, it is their own way that is therein recompensed upon their heads, and God deals with them no worse, but even much better, than their iniquity deserves.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Therefore - Because of the profligacies already mentioned; because of the false worship so generally practiced; because of the false prophets tolerated; because of the unholy and profane priesthood; because of the oppressive princes; because of the unfaithful and deceiving prophets; because of the oppressions of petty officers; and because of the total corruption of manners in all ranks, places, offices, etc.: - Have I poured out mine indignation - consumed them with the fire of my wrath - Considering the above, has there not been sufficient reason why I should abandon such a people, and pour out upon them such a destructive storm of calamities?
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Dutch SheetsGive Him 15 daily devotional, "The Land is Being Healed" (October 21, 2025) (2025)
In these sobering verses from Ezekiel, God was unable to find anyone to release the necessary intercession and, tragically, had to send judgment.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ | vaeshpokh | and I have poured out | H8210 → | 114 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶם֙ | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| זַעְמִ֔י | za'mi | indignation my | H2195 → | 22 times |
| בְּאֵ֥שׁ | beesh | with [the] fire of | H784 → | 378 times |
| עֶבְרָתִ֖י | ʾevrati | wrath my | H5678 → | 34 times |
| כִּלִּיתִ֑ים | kilitim | I have made an end of them | H3615 → | 208 times |
| דַּרְכָּם֙ | darkam | conduct their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| בְּרֹאשָׁ֣ם | berosham | on own head their | H7218 → | 599 times |
| נָתַ֔תִּי | natati | I have requited | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| נְאֻ֖ם | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהֹוִֽה׃ פ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֤ךְand I have poured out
vaeshpokhH8210 →114 times
עֲלֵיהֶם֙on them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
זַעְמִ֔יindignation my
za'miH2195 →22 times
בְּאֵ֥שׁwith [the] fire of
beeshH784 →378 times
עֶבְרָתִ֖יwrath my
ʾevratiH5678 →34 times
כִּלִּיתִ֑יםI have made an end of them
kilitimH3615 →208 times
דַּרְכָּם֙conduct their
darkamH1870 →707 times
בְּרֹאשָׁ֣םon own head their
beroshamH7218 →599 times
נָתַ֔תִּיI have requited
natatiH5414 →2011 times
נְאֻ֖ם[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהֹוִֽה׃ פYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 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
Ezekiel 16:43Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but enraged Me with all these things, I will surely bring your deeds down upon your own head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 11:21
But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 16:22
And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your own blood.
- Psalms 78:42
They did not remember His power— the day He redeemed them from the adversary,
- Ezekiel 11:21
Through
Ezekiel 7:3The end is now upon you, and I will unleash My anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:30
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall.
- Ezekiel 5:13
And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD,…
- Ezekiel 18:30
Through
Ezekiel 9:10But as for Me, I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. I will bring their deeds down upon their own heads.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 7:4
I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am…
- Ezekiel 8:18
Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”
- Isaiah 65:6
Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,
- Ezekiel 7:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Dutch Sheets, Give Him 15 daily devotional, "The Land is Being Healed" (October 21, 2025); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.