The Meaning of Ezekiel 22:3 Explained

Ezekiel 22:3

KJV: Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.

YLT: and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city is shedding blood in its midst, For the coming in of its time, And it hath made idols on it for defilement.

Darby: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in her midst, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.

ASV: And 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!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then say  thou, Thus saith  the Lord  GOD,  The city  sheddeth  blood  in the midst  of it, that her time  may come,  and maketh  idols  against herself to defile  herself. 

What does Ezekiel 22:3 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 22:3 mean?

And say thus says the Lord GOD the city sheds blood in her own midst that may come her time and she makes idols within herself to defile herself
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה עִ֣יר שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת דָּ֛ם בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ לָב֣וֹא עִתָּ֑הּ וְעָשְׂתָ֧ה גִלּוּלִ֛ים עָלֶ֖יהָ לְטָמְאָֽה

וְאָמַרְתָּ֗  And  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּ֤ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַר֙  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֔ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
עִ֣יר  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת  sheds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
דָּ֛ם  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ  in  her  own  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
לָב֣וֹא  that  may  come 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עִתָּ֑הּ  her  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
וְעָשְׂתָ֧ה  and  she  makes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
גִלּוּלִ֛ים  idols 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גִּלּוּלִים  
Sense: idols.
עָלֶ֖יהָ  within  herself 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְטָמְאָֽה  to  defile  herself 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.