English Standard Version
Ezekiel 22:27
27Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
Ezekiel 22:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
- New International Version (NIV)Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!
Context of Ezekiel 22:27
25The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26Her 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 taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord God,' when the Lord has not spoken. 29The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
Read all of Ezekiel 22Ezekiel 22:27 word by word
שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ כִּזְאֵבִ֖ים טֹ֣רְפֵי טָ֑רֶף לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם֙ לְאַבֵּ֣ד נְפָשׁ֔וֹת לְמַ֖עַן בְּצֹ֥עַ בָּֽצַע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Her princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- like wolvesזְאֵבze'êb · wolfH2061
- raveningטָרַףţâraph · to tearH2963
- the preyטֶ֫רֶףţereph · preyH2964
- to shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- to destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- to getבָּצַעbâtsa‛ · to cut off: to gainH1214
- dishonest gainבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
Cross-references for Ezekiel 22:27
- Ezekiel 22:6"Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.
- Ezekiel 19:3And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men.
- Ezekiel 45:9"Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord God.
- Isaiah 1:23Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them.
- Hosea 7:1when I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria, for they deal falsely; the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside.
- Micah 3:2you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people and their flesh from off their bones,
- Micah 7:8Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
- Zephaniah 3:3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
- James 2:6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
- Ezekiel 22:13"Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst.
- Matthew 21:13He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
- James 5:1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 22:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Her princes - Are as bad as her priests; they are rapacious, and grievously oppress the people by unjust impositions in order to increase their revenues.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23-31Verses 23-31 The sixth word of judgment. The special sins of princes, priests, and people. Ezekiel 22:26 Violated - Better as in margin; to offer “violence” to the Law is to misinterpret it. It was the special office of the priests to keep up the distinction between “holy” and “unholy,” “clean” and “unclean” Leviticus 10:10. Ezekiel 22:28 See the marginal reference note. Ezekiel 22:30 The land might be said to perish for the lack of such interpositions as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-31Verses 23-31 All orders and degrees of men had helped to fill the measure of the nation's guilt. The people that had any power abused it, and even the buyers and sellers find some way to oppress one another. It bodes ill to a people when judgments are breaking in upon them, and the spirit of prayer is restrained. Let all who fear God, unite to promote his truth and righteousness; as wicked men of every rank and profession plot together to run them down.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-29This list of Jerusalem’s sins focuses on the wrongdoings of Judah's leaders (compare Zephaniah 3:3–4). princes: The princes and other leaders abused their power by killing innocent people and taking their wealth. The priests sinned by failing to teach the law, preventing people from distinguishing between holy and unholy, clean and unclean. The prophets shared false visions instead of true messages from God. As a result, the people wandered away from God…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. princes--who should have employed the influence of their position for the people's welfare, made "gain" their sole aim. wolves--notorious for fierce and ravening cruelty (Mi 3:2, 3, 9-11; Joh 10:12).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 22:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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