Ezekiel 22:11
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The shocking detail here isn't just the types of sin, but the relationships involved, revealing how deeply broken the community had become. These aren't just random acts, but violations of the closest family ties—neighbor, father-in-law, and even siblings—showing a profound disregard for the very foundations of society and God's design. This highlights that their "forgetting God" (as the commentaries note) led to a complete breakdown of human decency.
Ezekiel is exposing Jerusalem’s deep corruption, detailing how people have completely disregarded God's law. This verse specifically lists shocking acts of sexual sin—adultery, incest with a daughter-in-law, and even incest with one's own sister—all happening openly within the city. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a society that has forgotten God and abandoned any sense of morality, leading directly to the judgment God is about to bring upon them.
Ezekiel paints a grim picture of Jerusalem's moral decay. The sins listed here aren't just personal failings; they're symptoms of a city falling apart.
The prophet Ezekiel calls out a series of deeply disturbing sins within Jerusalem. He highlights:
These weren't isolated incidents but reflections of a pervasive spiritual sickness. When the very foundations of family and relationships are broken, it signals a society that has lost its way and forgotten God.
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Why would people commit such horrific acts? Ezekiel hints at a deeper cause that goes beyond mere temptation or poor choices.
While Ezekiel lists specific immoral acts like adultery and incest, the underlying cause is a profound 'forgetting of God.'
When people lose their reverence for the Divine, they begin to disregard the moral boundaries God has established. These boundaries aren't arbitrary rules; they are designed to protect individuals, families, and communities. Ignoring them is a symptom of spiritual amnesia – a dangerous condition where the Creator and His truth are pushed aside.
As a result, 'natural' inhibitions break down, and people are given over to their base desires, leading to the societal decay that Ezekiel witnesses.
Understand the original words
tōʿēbāh · Hebrew Noun
A term used in Scripture to describe acts, practices, or rituals that are morally detestable, repugnant, or idolatrous to God. It often refers to grave violations of God's covenant law, particularly concerning sexual immorality and idolatry.
zimmāh · Hebrew Noun
Refers to shameful, depraved, or wanton conduct. In a biblical context, it denotes a brazen disregard for moral boundaries, often associated with sexual sin or moral corruption.
ṭāmēʾ · Hebrew Verb
To make ritually or morally impure. It signifies the corruption of something consecrated to God or the violation of sacred moral standards, rendering the person or object unfit for God's presence.
ʿānāh · Hebrew Verb
To act violently, force, or treat with abuse. It signifies the violation of a person's body or boundaries, particularly in a sexual context, demonstrating a complete lack of reverence for the divine image in others.
The dire moral and spiritual decay described in Ezekiel 22, including incest and adultery, wasn't just a sign of personal failing but a symptom of a society that had deeply forgotten God, especially poignant as these words were spoken during the Babylonian exile when Jerusalem's fate was sealed.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its population and the intermingling of populations.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports elites and skilled workers from Jerusalem, including Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
More Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, are exiled to Babylon following a revolt against Babylonian rule.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This event marks the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 571 BC
Ezekiel's Visions Conclude
Ezekiel delivers his final recorded prophecies, bringing closure to his ministry during the Babylonian exile.
This passage in Leviticus outlines the specific prohibitions against incest and adultery that Ezekiel is referencing, showing the deep historical roots of these sins and God's clear commands against them.
Romans 1:24-27Paul describes a similar downward spiral into sexual immorality and perversion when people turn away from God, mirroring the spiritual abandonment that leads to the acts described in Ezekiel.
Jeremiah 5:7-8Jeremiah also condemned Judah for adultery and idolatry, highlighting how widespread these sins were among the people, just as Ezekiel points out in Jerusalem.
Matthew 15:19Jesus speaks about how evil thoughts and sexual immorality come from the heart, emphasizing that these outward actions are rooted in an internal corruption that grieves God.
gillEzekiel 22:11: "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."
And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife,.... The sin of adultery, which is an abominable sin; it is so to God, and it should be so to man: or, "a man hath committed" (c); some man of note, a great man; for this sin prevailed among the princes and nobles: or "everyone"; it being…
pulpitEzekiel 22:11: "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."
Verses 11 ,12. - The list of sins follows on the lines of Leviticus 18:9, 15. (For those in Ver. 12, see notes on Ezekiel 18:12.) It is to be remarked, however, that the prophet does not confine himself to the mere enumeration of specific sins. These are traced to their source in that "forgetting G…
The shocking detail here isn't just the types of sin, but the relationships involved, revealing how deeply broken the community had become. These aren't just random acts, but violations of the closest family ties—neighbor, father-in-law, and even siblings—showing a profound disregard for the very foundations of society and God's design. This highlights that their "forgetting God" (as the commentaries note) led to a complete breakdown of human decency.
Ezekiel is exposing Jerusalem’s deep corruption, detailing how people have completely disregarded God's law. This verse specifically lists shocking acts of sexual sin—adultery, incest with a daughter-in-law, and even incest with one's own sister—all happening openly within the city. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a society that has forgotten God and abandoned any sense of morality, leading directly to the judgment God is about to bring upon them.
Ezekiel is exposing Jerusalem’s deep corruption, detailing how people have completely disregarded God's law. This verse specifically lists shocking acts of sexual sin—adultery, incest with a daughter-in-law, and even incest with one's own sister—all happening openly within the city. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a society that has forgotten God and abandoned any sense of morality, leading directly to the judgment God is about to bring upon them.
"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." — The shocking detail here isn't just the types of sin, but the relationships involved, revealing how deeply broken the community had become. These aren't just random acts, but violations of the cl…
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