Ezekiel 22 11

Ezekiel 22:11

ESV: One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.

KJV: And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

NIV: In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter.

NKJV: One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.

NLT: Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors' wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters.

Meaning

Ezekiel 22:11 powerfully indicts Jerusalem by detailing specific, egregious sexual sins pervasive within the city. The verse lists adultery, defilement of a daughter-in-law, and incest with a half-sister, presenting these acts not as isolated incidents but as characteristic abominations demonstrating a deep-seated moral decay. These transgressions represent fundamental breaches of God's covenant, the sacredness of family, and the purity required of His people.

Cross References

Context

Ezekiel chapter 22 presents a stark indictment against Jerusalem, depicted as a "city of blood" (v. 2) for its widespread corruption and sin. This chapter serves as a detailed justification for God's impending judgment and destruction of the city. The prophet catalogues an alarming list of transgressions encompassing judicial corruption, idolatry, violence, exploitation of the vulnerable, and profanation of sacred things. Verse 11 specifically highlights the moral degradation of the populace through deeply ingrained sexual perversions, which violated foundational covenant laws regarding family purity and marital fidelity. These acts were not only breaches of human law but direct affronts to God's holiness, defiling both the individuals and the land, making the city ripe for divine wrath. Historically, Judah's decline before the Babylonian exile was marked by both political instability and severe moral decay, including the assimilation of pagan practices which often involved ritual prostitution and perverted sexuality, though these verses detail more general societal corruption.

Word analysis

• One commits abomination (וְאִישׁ... עָשָׂה תּוֹעֵבָה, wə’îsh... ‘asá tô‘ēbāh):

  • תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah): A strong Hebrew term denoting something abhorrent, detestable, or utterly repugnant, especially to God. It goes beyond simple "sin" to describe acts that fundamentally contradict God's character and His created order. This term is frequently used for idolatry and grave sexual offenses, highlighting their severe offense to divine holiness.
  • This phrase indicates an individual act but points to a systemic issue.

• with his neighbor's wife:

  • Specifically denotes adultery. This violates the seventh commandment (Exod 20:14) and fundamentally breaks the marriage covenant, undermining the family unit and societal trust. It's an offense against God, the husband, and the wife herself.

• another lewdly defiles (וְאִישׁ אֶת־כַּלָּתוֹ חִנֵּף בְּזִמָּה, wə’îsh ’et-kallāthô ḥinnēf bəzimmāh):

  • חִנֵּף (ḥinnef): Means "to profane, pollute, defile." It's an intensive verb (Piel stem), suggesting deliberate and active defilement. It carries the nuance of rendering something impure or unholy.
  • בְּזִמָּה (bəzimmāh): "With lewdness," "with malicious intent," "scheming," "wickedness." This adverbial phrase amplifies the wickedness of the act, indicating it was done with premeditation and depraved desire, not out of accidental lapse.

• his daughter-in-law:

  • This describes sexual relations with one's son's wife, which is a prohibited act of incest (Lev 18:15; 20:12). This utterly shatters family boundaries and the sanctity of marriage, and is explicitly stated in Leviticus to bring capital punishment.

• another in you violates (וְאִישׁ אֶת־אֲחֹתוֹ... חִלֵּל־בּוֹ, wə’îsh ’et-’aḥōtô... ḥillēl-bô):

  • חִלֵּל (ḥillēl): Similar to ḥinnef, it means "to profane, defile, pollute, make unholy." It is another Piel intensive verb, emphasizing the gravity of the defilement, often implying a breach of a sacred trust or standard. The inclusion of בּוֹ ("in him") highlights the self-inflicted defilement of the perpetrator through such acts.

• his sister, his father's daughter:

  • This specifically defines incest with a half-sister through the father, which was strictly forbidden by God's law (Lev 18:9; 20:17; Deut 27:22). The phrase "his father's daughter" is precise, preventing misinterpretation and highlighting the depth of familial transgression. It represents a profound violation of the most fundamental social and moral structures.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife": Highlights the social and covenantal aspect of sin, destroying trust and breaking God's clear command. It implies a blatant disregard for communal standards and God’s law.
  • "another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law": This pairing emphasizes intentional, wicked defilement within the extended family, showing the corruption had reached even sacred familial bonds and personal morality. The active profaning verb and explicit 'lewdness' amplify the abhorrence.
  • "another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter": This group highlights incest, an absolute violation of innate familial purity and order. The "in you" directs the blame inwardly to the very heart of the city, underscoring that these severe acts are endemic, not foreign. The detailed identification of the sister ("his father's daughter") ensures the prohibition's specificity.
  • The cumulative effect of these detailed and shocking examples illustrates a pervasive and profound moral collapse within Jerusalem. The specific nature of the violations underlines a society that had completely abandoned the sanctity of family and the law of God.

Commentary

Ezekiel 22:11 provides a vivid glimpse into the profound moral corruption within Jerusalem that merited God's judgment. These three distinct categories of sexual sin—adultery, defiling a daughter-in-law, and incest—represent a wholesale dismantling of fundamental ethical boundaries established by God's covenant. The acts are described with intense verbs emphasizing active, deliberate defilement (ḥinnef, ḥillēl), underscored by the term to'evah (abomination) for the adulterous act and the explanatory bəzimmāh (with lewdness) for the second. Together, they demonstrate that sexual perversion had become ingrained, disrespecting marriage, desecrating family sanctity, and profaning the very concept of holiness God commanded. The inclusion of such detailed specific examples illustrates not just general immorality but a society where even the most basic tenets of human dignity and divine law were trampled, justifying the severity of God's impending wrath.

Bonus section

• The Depth of "Abomination": The recurring theme of to'evah throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy often linked these sexual sins directly to the detestable practices of the Canaanites whom Israel was to dispossess and whose customs they were explicitly commanded not to emulate (Lev 18:3, 24-30). Jerusalem’s participation in such acts was thus a complete reversal of their covenantal mandate to be a holy nation, separate from the nations around them.
• Significance of "In You": The phrase "another in you violates" emphasizes that these deeply immoral acts are not external threats or actions of foreign nations but are taking place within the very fabric of God's chosen city. This highlights Jerusalem's internal corruption, which made it a fitting object of God's judgment from within, not merely from without.
• The Purity Laws: These sexual prohibitions in Leviticus are integral to Israel's identity as a holy people. Breaking them was seen as a defilement that impacted not only the individuals but also the land itself, leading to the land "vomiting out" its inhabitants (Lev 18:25). Ezekiel emphasizes that Judah’s actions have reached that critical point, warranting expulsion from their land.

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