Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 22:6
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
6 12. Particular enumeration of Jerusalem’s sins
6. The “princes” are those of the royal house.
were to their power ] have been high-handed in thee, to shed. The meaning is not that they shed blood to the utmost of their power, but that they were arbitrary; their power, lit. arm, was the only law.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Render it: Behold the princes of Israel, each according to his might (literally arm) have been in thee in order to shed blood. They looked to might not right.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. Behold, the princes] Ye are a vile and murderous people, and your princes have been of the same character. Like people, like prince.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He was in Eze 23:2 commanded to show the Jews all their abominations. Now he is directed to begin with the greatest first, either those of the royal family, or else such as adhered close to the interest of them, and were advanced to places of great trust; or, who were heads of families.
Every one; not one to be found of a juster or more merciful temper.
To their power; according to their ability and opportunity.
To shed blood; for murdering all they hated, or that stood in their way.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. Rather, “The princes . .. each according to his power, were in thee, to shed blood” (asif this was the only object of their existence). “Power,”literally, “arm”; they, who ought to have been patterns ofjustice, made their own arm of might their only law.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Behold, the princes of Israel,…. Those that belonged to the royal family, or the nobles of the land, or the members of the grand sanhedrim of the nation:
everyone were in thee to their power to shed blood; everyone exerted himself to the uttermost, according to his ability, to shed blood, or cause it to be shed; everyone strove, as it were, who should shed most, to exceed each other in this abominable sin.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(6) Were in thee to their power.The tense is the same with that of the verbs in Eze. 22:7, and both should be translated alike; the order of the words should also be changed: The princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood. The rulers, who should have preserved order and administered justice, were foremost in deeds of violence. (See the instances of Manasseh, 2Ki. 21:16, and of Jehoiakim, 2Ki. 24:4.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. To their power Literally, each according to his arm.
“Behold the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. In you have they treated dismissively the authority of father and mother. In the midst of you they have dealt with the stranger by oppression. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow. You have despised my holy things and have profaned my sabbaths.”
Notice the ‘in you’ which is continually repeated in the following verses. God is speaking to Jerusalem and depicting why it is a condemned city because it shares in the sins of its inhabitants.
In it God’s commandments have been set at nought, and God’s law in Leviticus ignored. Murder was rife, with even their princes vying to demonstrate the level of their authority in terms of blood shed. The authority of parents (Exo 20:12; Lev 19:3; Lev 20:9), advocating restraint, has been set aside. Those on whom God called special favour, the stranger (Lev 19:33-34), the widows and the orphans (Exo 22:21-24), the defenceless, have been wronged and ill-treated. God’s holy things have been despised and treated as of little account. The sabbaths have been neglected and profaned (compare Lev 19:3). This was the condition of Jerusalem egged on by their leaders. No wonder it was ripe for judgment.
Eze 22:6 Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
Ver. 6. Behold the princes of Israel. ] Here beginneth the black bill or bed roll. And as in a fish corruption beginneth at the head, so in a nation at the rulers.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 22:6-12
6Behold, the rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood. 7They have treated father and mother lightly within you. The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you. 8You have despised My holy things and profaned My sabbaths. 9Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have committed acts of lewdness. 10In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. 11One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. 12In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me, declares the Lord GOD.
Eze 22:6-12 First Ezekiel lists (PERFECT TENSE) the continuing sins of Judah’s political leaders, especially the kings.
1. shed blood, Eze 22:6
2. treated fathers and mothers lightly, Eze 22:7
3. oppressed the alien, fatherless, and widows, Eze 22:7
Then he lists the sins of the nations (cf. Jer 7:5-11).
1. despised YHWH’s holy things, Eze 22:8
2. profaned YHWH’s sabbaths, cf. Eze 20:13; Eze 20:16; Eze 20:21; Eze 20:24; Eze 23:38
3. lied (i.e., slandered, cf. Lev 19:16), Eze 22:9
4. worshiped idols (i.e., shed blood and eaten at mountain shrines, fertility worship, cf. Eze 18:6; Eze 18:11), Eze 22:9
a. committed acts of lewdness, Eze 22:9
b. uncovered their father’s nakedness (sexual contact with mother or another of his father’s wives, cf. Leviticus 18), Eze 22:10
c. sex with women during menstrual period (cf. Lev 18:19), Eze 22:10
d. sex with neighbor’s wife (cf. Lev 18:20; Lev 20:10), Eze 22:11
e. lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law (cf. Lev 20:12), Eze 22:11
f. humbled his sister (or half sister), his father’s daughter (cf. Lev 20:17), Eze 22:11
5. took money to commit murder (cf. Deu 27:25), Eze 22:12
6. loaned money with interest (cf. Eze 18:13; Lev 25:36-37; Deu 23:19-20; Pro 28:8), Eze 22:12
7. took advantage of neighbors, Eze 22:12
8. forgot YHWH (cf. Eze 23:35; Deu 6:12; Deu 8:11; Deu 8:14; Isa 17:10), Eze 22:12
The Mosaic Covenant and common decency had been lost to Canaanite fertility worship. Ezekiel tries to embarrass Judah by using shocking language related to their fertility worship (cf. Eze 16:27; Eze 16:43; Eze 16:58; Eze 22:9; Eze 22:11; Eze 23:21; Eze 23:27; Eze 23:29; Eze 23:35; Eze 23:44; Eze 23:48-49; Eze 24:13)!
Eze 22:7 treated their father and mother lightly See Exo 20:12; Exo 21:17; Lev 20:9; and Deu 27:16.
the widow See Exo 22:22-24 and Deu 24:17; Deu 27:19.
Eze 22:9 slanderous men See Lev 19:16.
Eze 22:10 uncover their fathers’ nakedness This seems to refer to sexual intercourse with a former wife, stepmother, or concubine (cf. Lev 18:7-8; Lev 20:11; Deu 22:30; Deu 27:20).
Behold. Figure of speech Asteriemes. App-6.
princes = leaders.
to their = according to their.
Eze 22:6-12
Eze 22:6-12
“Behold the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood. In thee have they set light by father and mother; in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the sojourner; in thee have they wronged the fatherless and the widow. Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee have they eaten upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness. In thee have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was unclean in her impurity. And one hath committed abominations with his neighbor’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. In thee have they taken bribes to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.”
“Some of the sins listed here relate to violations of the Decalogue, but the most of them relate to chapters 17-26 of the Book of Leviticus, where is recorded the so-called `Holiness Code.'” We appreciate the exceedingly significant observation of McFadyen here: “Although most of the evils listed here are social wrongs, it is significant that the low morality is traced to false religion.” Amen! The false notion that the prophets of God were concerned only with social wrongs has made many of the comments of radical critics worthless, because, “All sin, in the final analysis, is nothing but a failure on the part of men to maintain the correct relation with the Heavenly Father.” “The First and Great Commandment is to love God” (Mar 12:28-31).
The student is referred to our commentaries on the Pentateuch and upon the Minor Prophets for a discussion of the sacred laws violated by these various sins. Despite the “princes of Israel” being cited here as the perpetrators of such atrocious evils, it may not be doubted that all of the people were equally as sinful. It is amazing that “even the princes” were the notoriously guilty ones. Naboth was murdered and his vineyard confiscated by Jezebel the Queen, Tamar was raped and dishonored by her brother Amnon, a prince of Israel, indeed, the first son of king David by Ahinoam. Reuben, one of the Twelve patriarchs “uncovered his father’s nakednesss” by his adultery with one of Jacob’s concubines.
It is of interest that this latter sin does not seem to have been very unusual, because of the plural “fathers” in 5:10. In the New Testament, it is stated that the taking of one’s step-mother was an evil, “found not even among the Gentiles” (1Co 5:1).
The disobedience and despising of father and mother always accompany the ruin of any culture. In the final hardening of Israel, in the times of Christ, the religious leaders of Israel, namely the Pharisees, taught that children, under pretense of respect to the Corban, had the right to despise and neglect their parents; and Our Lord specifically condemned them for their teaching. Their old evils of the times of Ezekiel were still practiced in the days shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
“They have eaten upon the mountains …” (Eze 22:9). This refers to the widespread worship indulged by the Israelites in their participation in the licentious orgies of the “high places,” where the ancient Canaanite gods of fertility were shamelessly worshipped by Israel.
“Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood …” (Eze 22:9) Cooke tells us that, “It was a common practice of those times to get rid of persons obnoxious to those in power by the device of false accusations. Plumptre agreed, citing the case of, “Naboth in 1Ki 21:10, as an example.
“They have forgotten me, saith Jehovah …” (Eze 22:12). “Social morality always depends upon the remembrance of God. In the last analysis, all correct human behavior is derived from the recognition of Almighty God as the giver of life and the only legitimate regulator of human actions. Why is it wrong to kill? This is true only because man is created in God’s image, and God has forbidden it. Apart from the knowledge of God, it is not a sin to kill, to steal, to commit adultery, or to do any other deed that pleases the doer. Apart from the knowledge and remembrance of God, there is no such thing as either “right” or “wrong.” It must indeed be feared that in our culture today, this fundamental criterion for determining what is right or wrong has been obscured by the increasing unbelief of our times.
the princes: Eze 22:27, Neh 9:34, Isa 1:23, Jer 2:26, Jer 2:27, Jer 5:5, Jer 32:32, Dan 9:8, Mic 3:1-3, Mic 3:9-11, Zec 3:3
power: Heb. arm, Mic 2:1
Reciprocal: 2Ch 36:14 – all the chief Job 31:39 – caused the owners thereof to lose their life Psa 94:21 – condemn Ecc 5:8 – regardeth Ecc 7:29 – they Isa 3:5 – the people Isa 59:7 – and they Jer 3:5 – thou hast spoken Jer 26:10 – the princes Eze 24:6 – Woe Eze 33:25 – and shed Mic 6:12 – the rich Mic 7:3 – do Zep 3:3 – princes Mal 3:5 – the sorcerers Luk 18:2 – which Gal 5:19 – Adultery
Eze 22:6. The princes or leading men in Israel (Judah) used their advantage of position and prestige to carry out their personal wicked designs. Such a course included the shedding of innocent blood of which they were frequently accused by the inspired prophets and other teachers.
Eze 22:6-12. Behold, the princes of Israel, &c. Probably the members of the great sanhedrim, or the kings counsellors and chief officers, are here intended; every one in thee Not one to be found of a more merciful temper; to their power According to their ability; to shed blood Every one of the princes committed acts of violence, and shed blood, as far as he had it in his power to do it. In thee have they set light by father and mother Disobedience to, or slighting of parents, is unnatural and brutish in itself, and had, in particular, a curse denounced against it by Gods law, Deu 27:16; so that it is here placed next to murder in the catalogue of their sins. Thou hast despised my holy things, &c. Thou hast paid no proper regard to my holy temple, mine altars, sacrifices, feasts, and other things consecrated to my service, nor to the pure worship I appointed; but hast defiled and profaned them all by worshipping of idols together with me, and mingling heathen rites with the forms of worship which I ordered. The sabbaths, which I appointed to be set apart for my honour, thou hast, in great measure, employed in the worship and to the honour of false gods. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood
Who raise calumnies and depose falsehoods even so far as to take away the lives of innocent persons. In thee they eat upon the mountains Thy inhabitants sacrifice, and feast upon the sacrifices, in the mountains, in honour of idols or false gods. In the midst of thee they commit lewdness And that in the most scandalous instances. In thee have they discovered their fathers nakedness Have defiled their fathers beds, or taken their mothers-in-law for wives, called by St. Paul, such fornication as is not named among the Gentiles. In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood Thy judges have taken bribes, not only to pervert justice, but even to take away the lives of the innocent.
In Eze 22:6-12 Judah’s rulers are the main focus of indictment. The rulers of Israel had been guilty of shedding blood, each in his own sphere of authority, through the misuse of power (cf. Exo 20:13). Evidently judicial murders were common (cf. 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 24:4) as were child sacrifice (Eze 16:21; Eze 20:26; Eze 20:31; Eze 23:37) and acts of personal violence.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)