The Meaning of Ezekiel 22:18 Explained

Ezekiel 22:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: The house of Israel hath been to Me for dross, All of them are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, In the midst of a furnace -- dross hath silver been,

Darby: Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: they are all copper, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace: they are become the dross of silver.

ASV: Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross unto me: all of them are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 22:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 22

1  A catalogue of sins in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews in consequence
17  God will burn them as dross in his furnace
23  The general corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and the people

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 22:18 mean?

Son of man has become to Me the house of Israel - dross they [are] all bronze and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace dross from silver they have become -
בֶּן־ אָדָ֕ם הָיוּ־ לִ֥י בֵֽית־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [לסוג] (לְסִ֑יג) כֻּלָּ֡ם נְ֠חֹשֶׁת וּבְדִ֨יל וּבַרְזֶ֤ל וְעוֹפֶ֙רֶת֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ כּ֔וּר סִגִ֥ים כֶּ֖סֶף הָיֽוּ ס

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֕ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הָיוּ־  has  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֥י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בֵֽית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
[לסוג]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
(לְסִ֑יג)  dross 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּג 
Sense: a moving back or away.
כֻּלָּ֡ם  they  [are]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נְ֠חֹשֶׁת  bronze 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.
וּבְדִ֨יל  and  tin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּדִיל 
Sense: alloy, tin, dross.
וּבַרְזֶ֤ל  and  iron 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
וְעוֹפֶ֙רֶת֙  and  lead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹפֶרֶת  
Sense: lead.
בְּת֣וֹךְ  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
כּ֔וּר  of  a  furnace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כּוּר  
Sense: furnace, forge, smelting furnace or pot v.
סִגִ֥ים  dross 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּג 
Sense: a moving back or away.
כֶּ֖סֶף  from  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
הָיֽוּ  they  have  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation