Ezekiel 22:23-25
New English Translation
23 The Lord’s message came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that receives no rain[a] or showers in the day of my anger.’[b] 25 Her princes[c] within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows[d] within it.
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- Ezekiel 22:24 tc The MT reads: “that is not cleansed”; the LXX reads: “that is not drenched,” which assumes a different vowel pointing as well as the loss of a מ (mem) due to haplography. In light of the following reference to showers, the reading of the LXX certainly fits the context well. For a defense of the emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32. Yet the MT is not an unreasonable reading since uncleanness in the land also fits the context. A poetic connection between rain and the land being uncleansed may be feasible since washing with water is elsewhere associated with cleansing (Num 8:7; 31:23; Ps 51:7).
- Ezekiel 22:24 tn Heb “in a day of anger.”
- Ezekiel 22:25 tn Heb “a conspiracy of her prophets is in her midst.” The LXX reads “whose princes” rather than “a conspiracy of prophets.” The prophets are mentioned later in the paragraph (v. 28). If one follows the LXX in verse 25, then five distinct groups are mentioned in vv. 25-29: princes, priests, officials, prophets, and the people of the land. For a defense of the Septuagintal reading, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:720, n. 4.
- Ezekiel 22:25 tn Heb “her widows they have multiplied.” The statement alludes to their murderous acts.
Ezekiel 22:23-25
New International Version
23 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’(A) 25 There is a conspiracy(B) of her princes[a] within her like a roaring lion(C) tearing its prey; they devour people,(D) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(E) within her.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 22:25 Septuagint; Hebrew prophets
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