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Ezekiel 22

Ezekiel 22:18

The Refining Furnace · Ezekiel 22:17–22
Read Ezekiel 22

Translations

Modern
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are but the dross of silver.
Traditional
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Literal
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become to Me as dross; they are all bronze, and tin, and iron, and lead in the midst of a furnace; they have become the dross of silver.
Latin
Fili hominis, versa est mihi domus Israël in scoriam: omnes isti æs, et stannum, et ferrum, et plumbum in medio fornacis: scoria argenti facti sunt.

Original

Hebrew
English
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are but the dross of silver.

Notes

Ezekiel 22:17–22

Scattering was not the only part of God’s judgment. God would also gather the people of Judah into Jerusalem for judgment.

The prophet compared this gathering to metal placed into a furnace (a very hot oven used to melt metal). A worker gathers pieces of metal and puts them into the fire to melt and refine them.

But this fire would not make the people pure. Normally, a furnace removes waste material and leaves pure metal. In this case, the people were like worthless slag (waste left over after metal is melted). Since only waste would go into the fire, only melted waste would come out.

This judgment would not cleanse or restore the people. It would destroy everything in its path.

Ezekiel 22:1–31

Jerusalem was the holy city where God had placed his name. It was the spiritual center of Judah. The city represented God’s presence among his people.

But Jerusalem had become corrupt and unclean. Instead of honoring God, the city was full of violence and bloodshed. Because of this sin, God’s wrath (his just anger against sin) would come upon the city.

Events

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Ezekiel, Book of Furnace Minerals and Metals Son of Man

Topics

Backsliders: Backsliding of Israel Copper Brass: Characterised by Fusibility Dross: Figurative Lead: Lead Foundry Lead: Purified by Fire Metals: Freed from Dross by Fire Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of War and Other Judgments Silver: (Dross of) of the Wicked Silver: Refining of The Wicked are Compared to Brass and Iron The Wicked are Compared to Dross Tin: General Scriptures Concerning Wicked (People): Compared With: Bronze and Iron Wicked (People): Compared With: Dross