Ezekiel 22:26
in Ezekiel 22Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
KJV
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
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This verse in Ezekiel 22
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Holy" means, what is dedicated to God; "profane," what is in common use; "unclean," what is forbidden to be eaten; "clean," what is lawful to be eaten.
This site's exposition
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying
on Ezekiel 22:23-29
A second word indicts every order of leadership, prophets, priests who put no difference between the holy and the profane, princes, and the people. Henry reads the fourfold list as deliberate, since the very officers meant to guard holiness are named as its worst offenders.
This site's exposition
no distinction between the holy and the common
Leviticus 10:10 gave the priests this exact duty, to distinguish the holy from the common and the unclean from the clean. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown define the terms, holy as dedicated to God and common as ordinary use. The teachers had stopped teaching.
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 Awakening4 voices
My holy things - Sacrifices, and oblations. Put no difference - Neither have they in their practice, differenced holy and profane, nor in their teaching acquainted the people with the difference, nor in the exercise of their authority, separated the profane from the holy, either persons, or things. Hid their eyes - Despised, and would not see the holiness of the sabbaths.
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
Her priests have violated my law,....
God's sabbaths have such a beauty and glory put upon them by the divine institution as may command respect; but they hid their eyes from them and would not see that excellency in them. [5.] By all this God himself was profaned among them; his authority was slighted, his goodness made light of, and the highest affront and contempt imaginable were put upon his holiness.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Her priests - Even they whose lips should preserve knowledge, have not instructed the people: they have violated my law, not only in their private conduct, but in their careless and corrupt manner of serving in my temple.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּהֲנֶ֜יהָ | kohaneiha | priests its | H3548 → | 750 times |
| חָמְס֣וּ | chamesu | they have done violence to | H2554 → | |
| תוֹרָתִי֮ | torati | law my | H8451 → | 219 times |
| וַיְחַלְּל֣וּ | vaychalelu | and they have profaned | H2490 → | 143 times |
| קָדָשַׁי֒ | kadashai | holy things my | H6944 → | 469 times |
| בֵּֽין־ | bein- | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| קֹ֤דֶשׁ | kodesh | a holy thing | H6944 → | 469 times |
| לְחֹל֙ | lechol | and a profane thing | H2455 → | 7 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִבְדִּ֔ילוּ | hivdilu | they have made a distinction | H914 → | 42 times |
| וּבֵין־ | uvein- | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הַטָּמֵ֥א | hatame' | <the> unclean [thing] | H2931 → | 88 times |
| לְטָה֖וֹר | letahor | and a clean [thing] | H2889 → | 94 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הוֹדִ֑יעוּ | hodiu | they have made known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| וּמִשַׁבְּתוֹתַי֙ | umishabetotai | and from sabbaths my | H7676 → | 110 times |
| הֶעְלִ֣ימוּ | he'limu | they have hidden | H5956 → | |
| עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾeineihem | eyes their | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וָאֵחַ֖ל | vaechal | and I have been profaned | H2490 → | 143 times |
| בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ | betokham | in midst of them | H8432 → | 418 times |
כֹּהֲנֶ֜יהָpriests its
kohaneihaH3548 →750 times
חָמְס֣וּthey have done violence to
chamesuH2554 →
תוֹרָתִי֮law my
toratiH8451 →219 times
וַיְחַלְּל֣וּand they have profaned
vaychaleluH2490 →143 times
קָדָשַׁי֒holy things my
kadashaiH6944 →469 times
בֵּֽין־between
bein-H996 →407 times
קֹ֤דֶשׁa holy thing
kodeshH6944 →469 times
לְחֹל֙and a profane thing
lecholH2455 →7 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הִבְדִּ֔ילוּthey have made a distinction
hivdiluH914 →42 times
וּבֵין־and between
uvein-H996 →407 times
הַטָּמֵ֥א<the> unclean [thing]
hatame'H2931 →88 times
לְטָה֖וֹרand a clean [thing]
letahorH2889 →94 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הוֹדִ֑יעוּthey have made known
hodiuH3045 →945 times
וּמִשַׁבְּתוֹתַי֙and from sabbaths my
umishabetotaiH7676 →110 times
הֶעְלִ֣ימוּthey have hidden
he'limuH5956 →
עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔םeyes their
ʾeineihemH5869 →887 times
וָאֵחַ֖לand I have been profaned
vaechalH2490 →143 times
בְּתוֹכָֽם׃in midst of them
betokhamH8432 →418 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
Leviticus 10:10You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:14–16
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
- Leviticus 11:47
You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”
- Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
- Ezekiel 44:23
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
- Leviticus 20:25–26
You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart…
- 1 Peter 1:14–16
Through
Ezekiel 44:23They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
it leads to
- Leviticus 10:10–11
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
- 2 Timothy 2:24–25
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
- Leviticus 10:10–11
Through
Malachi 2:8But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 13:29
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
- Nehemiah 13:29
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; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
