Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 22:25
[There is] a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
25. conspiracy of her prophets ] More probably with LXX., whose princes in the midst of her are like The prophets are spoken of Eze 22:28. The “princes” are those of the royal house, ch. Eze 19:1, Eze 21:12, Eze 22:6, Eze 45:8-9; those called “princes” in Eze 22:27 are the chiefs or heads of the people.
have taken the treasure ] i.e. by violence from others, Jer 20:5.
her many widows ] her widows many. Corn, their palaces, cf. ch. Eze 19:7, Jer 22:13-17. The change is unnecessary, Jer 15:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 25. There is a conspiracy] The false prophets have united together to say and support the same things; and have been the cause of the destruction of souls, and the death of many, so that widows, through their means, are multiplied in thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A conspiracy; a contrivance, or framing among themselves a design, to speak all alike flattering, smooth words, and give out promises of peace and safety, when there was no peace; they would have the Jews believe in little time the vessels of the Lords house, and the Lords people in Babylon, should be brought back, as Jer 28:1-4; and whereas Jeremiah faithfully told them that it would be no such thing, but that the rest of the vessels, and Zedekiah, and the people should be carried away into Babylon, they conspire against him, and such as he was, Jer 20:2; 26:8; 29:25,26, and persecute them with one consent and mind.
Of her prophets; hers, not Gods prophets, the false prophets, such as Hananiah, Jer 28:1,2.
In the midst thereof; of the land, but principally in Jerusalem, the metropolis, and residence of the court, where were such as loved to be flattered, and of whom flatterers might make gain.
Like a roaring lion, whom hunger enrageth, and maketh roar in most dreadful manner, as some observe of them, when they hunt their prey, and when they have seized and are tearing it; so did these false prophets with cruelty and fierceness pursue the true prophets, and such as believed their word, feared the judgments, and mourned for the sins of a self-ruining people.
They have devoured souls; have eat up, impoverished, and sucked dry, men that relieved and maintained them, the guise of all false prophets; or they have taken, in their complotting, and swallowed down whole the persons that disbelieved and opposed their lies.
Taken the treasure; they did not without reward tell their lies, nor would prophesy without a reward out of the treasures of those that advised with them; so they drained the people of their riches.
And precious things; either it is a further explication of what he had said, or possibly it may tell us, that where money was not to be had, these false prophets would demand something of value; and, if it were moneys worth, they were then for bartering the prophecies: so they gulled these sots.
Made her many widows; one while by raising persecutions, and cutting off husbands from their wives; another while, and which most agrees with the place, persuading, encouraging, and bewitching Zedekiah, and the princes, and people to hold out the war, and run all hazards and extremities of that siege, which filled Jerusalem with dead husbands and forlorn widows.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. conspiracyThe falseprophets have conspired both to propagate error and to oppose themessages of God’s servants. They are mentioned first, as theirbad influence extended the widest.
preyTheir aim wasgreed of gain, “treasure, and precious things” (Hos 6:9;Zep 3:3; Zep 3:4;Mat 23:14).
made . . . many widowsbyoccasioning, through false prophecies, the war with the Chaldeans inwhich the husbands fell.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof,…. Not of the prophets of the Lord, but of her prophets; such as were agreeable to her, the false prophets. The Targum renders it,
“a company of scribes;”
the interpreters of the law; these entered into a confederacy together against the true prophets, and agreed to prophesy the same things, to flatter the people with peace and prosperity, when sudden destruction was at hand:
like a roaring lion ravening the prey; that roars when hungry, and while it is tearing the prey in pieces; so these false prophets thundered out their menaces against the true prophets, and those that adhered to them; clamouring against them as enemies to the state; and threatening them with accusations to it; and carrying on a judicial process against them:
they have devoured souls; persecuted men to death, that would not give credit to their prophecies; and destroyed the souls of those that did, with their false doctrines and prophecies:
they have taken the treasure and precious things; of those they destroyed; or of others, for prophesying smooth things to them; filthy lucre being the principal thing they had in view:
they have made her many widows in the midst thereof; by persecuting their husbands to death for not believing their prophecies; or by persuading to hold out the siege, under a notion of deliverance; whereby the lives of many were lost by the sword, famine, and pestilence, to whose death they might be said to be accessary.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(25) A conspiracy of her prophets.The opposition of false prophets to the Divine measures for the reformation of the people is continually spoken of (comp. Ezekiel 13, Zep. 3:4, and many passages in Jeremiah) as among the most serious obstacles to the work of the true prophets: there is also frequent mention of them in history (1 Kings 22, &c), as they had been foretold from of old in prophecy (Deu. 18:20-22). Nothing, it may be observed, could have afforded more plausible excuse to the people for not obeying the Divine admonitions than an opposing Thus saith the Lord. The greed of the false prophets and the disastrous effects of their counsel are spoken of here in stronger terms than in any other passage.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like More probably, as the LXX., whose princes in the midst thereof are like. (Compare Eze 22:6-7; Eze 19:1; Eze 21:12.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured people. They take treasure and precious things. They have made her widows many in her midst.”
As the text stands it declares that the prophets, who should have been such a force for good as they brought the word of Yahweh to His people, had instead become like ravening lions, using their position to ‘raven their prey’. The word ‘conspiracy’ is telling. This must signify that they had formed a conspiracy together to prophesy to the leaders, in Yahweh’s name, what they wanted to hear, enabling them ‘in His name’ to ‘devour people’, steal their possessions, and dispose of many who got in their way, leaving their distressed widows behind (compare Jer 15:8). It was an ungodly combination of false preachers and evil leadership.
It is possible, however, that we are to read here rather ‘whose princes in the midst of her’ (which would be ’aser nesi’eha) as in LXX rather than ‘a conspiracy of her prophets (qeser nebi’eha). I never like altering the text without very solid reasons but this change could be supported by two factors. It would mean that we have five separate classes condemned, royal princes (nasi), priests, prophets, aristocracy (sarim) and landed gentry (people of the land, which would include all full citizens), rather than prophets being mentioned twice (Eze 22:28). Furthermore the activities mentioned fit better with princes than with prophets.
But against this change is the question as to how such a distinctive change would take place and not be spotted. The fact is that God may have had the princes in mind but have been more angry that His prophets had misused their status in assisting them by prophesying falsely in their favour. LXX may again have been interpretative rather than literal. And it is difficult to see why the Hebrew text would have been changed in this way by a scribe, even by accident.
But in either case we are to see here the leadership, possibly assisted by the official prophets, misusing their authority and status for selfish and evil purposes, like roaring lions devouring the weak, by dispossessing people, by heavy taxes, by wrong confiscation of goods, by false penalties and by general dishonesty.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 22:25 [There is] a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Ver. 25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets. ] They are all agreed to deceive the people and to persecute the true prophets. Here we have a lively description of the present Popish clergy.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
prophets. Note the four classes here enumerated. See the Structure above; and verses: Eze 22:26, Eze 22:28, Eze 22:28.
souls. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a conspiracy: Eze 13:10-16, 1Ki 22:11-13, 1Ki 22:23, Jer 5:30, Jer 5:31, Jer 6:13, Lam 2:14, Lam 4:13, 2Pe 2:1-3
like: Eze 22:27-29, Isa 56:11, Hos 6:9, Mic 3:5-7, Rev 13:11, Rev 13:15
ravening: That is, from the Saxon reafian, seizing and devouring it with eagerness and rapacity.
they have devoured: Eze 13:19, Jer 2:30, Jer 2:34, Mat 23:14, Mar 12:40, Luk 20:47, Rev 17:6, Rev 18:13
Reciprocal: Gen 49:27 – at night Neh 9:26 – wrought Pro 4:17 – General Isa 43:27 – and thy Jer 5:5 – but these Jer 8:12 – therefore Jer 9:12 – for Jer 10:21 – the pastors Jer 11:9 – General Jer 20:5 – I will deliver Jer 23:1 – pastors Jer 23:11 – both Jer 23:14 – in the Jer 26:7 – General Jer 32:32 – they Jer 44:3 – of their Eze 9:9 – The iniquity Eze 13:2 – prophesy against Eze 13:18 – hunt souls Eze 19:7 – and the land Eze 22:28 – prophets Eze 33:29 – because Eze 34:3 – ye kill Hos 4:2 – swearing Mic 3:10 – build up Zion Mic 6:12 – the rich Hab 1:4 – for Zep 1:17 – because Zep 3:3 – princes Zec 11:5 – possessors Mat 7:15 – are Luk 11:39 – ravening Luk 16:14 – who Joh 10:8 – came 1Pe 5:8 – devour
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 22:25. These were the false prophets who joined with other leading men in a conspiracy to defraud the people. They had practiced their wicked devices for personal gain even to the shedding of innocent blood.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
22:25 [There is] a conspiracy {n} of her prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst of her.
(n) The false prophets have conspired together to make their doctrine more probable.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord proceeded to indict three categories of leaders in Judah (cf. Zep 3:3-4). False prophets had conspired to take advantage of the people like a wild lion tears its prey. Some translations have "princes" instead of "prophets," following the Septuagint, but the Hebrew word is nebi’eyha, "her prophets." Evidently the change was made to distinguish four groups of leaders rather than repeating reference to the prophets (Eze 22:28) and because princes were in position to practice the sins mentioned. These leaders had eaten up people’s lives and had stolen their possessions. They had even been responsible for the deaths of many men and for many women becoming widows. They probably slew the men by assuring them that if they went into battle against the Babylonians they would succeed, and following this advice the men died in battle leaving many widows in the land. Jeremiah, on the other hand, had counseled submission to the Babylonians.