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Ezekiel 22:6

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 22:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood.
Ezekiel 22:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 22

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that maketh idols against herself to defile her!
4Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a mocking to all the countries.
5Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee, thou infamous one [and] full of tumult.
6Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood.
7In 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.
8Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
9Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness.
← Ezekiel 22:5Ezekiel 22:7 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Behold, the princes of Israel, &c.] 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.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Rather, "The princes . . . each according to his power, were in thee, to shed blood" (as if this was the only object of their existence). "Power," literally, "arm"; they, who ought to have been patterns of justice, made their own arm of might their only law.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“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. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Every one - Not one to be found of a more merciful temper. To their power - According to their ability. Ezekiel 22:7”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“22:6-12 These charges against the people of Judah and their leaders were all drawn from God’s law, especially from Lev 18–20; 25:1-55. Israel’s many sins represented a wider failure to honor and trust the Lord and his commands. Such unfaithfulness to their covenant with the Lord could have only one result: The people of Israel would experience the covenant curses (Deut 8:19-20; 28:15-68).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“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; Zac 3:3 power: Heb. arm, Mic 2:1 Ezekiel 22:7”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 22 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification