Ezekiel 22:12
In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just list sins; it shows how they're interconnected, building from bribery to murder, and from usury to ruthless extortion. What's truly striking is the ultimate root: all this greed and violence stems from "forgetting" God, revealing that our deepest disloyalty isn't just breaking rules, but turning our backs on our Creator.
Ezekiel is painting a grim picture of Jerusalem, calling it a "city of bloodshed" because of the rampant injustice and violence within its walls. This verse highlights specific sins: corrupt judges taking bribes to condemn the innocent, and people exploiting their neighbors through exorbitant interest and sheer oppression. All these actions stem from a fundamental forgetfulness of God and His commands.
Justice is supposed to be blind, but here it seems to have taken money! What happens when people in power twist judgment for profit?
Corruption at the Core
Ezekiel calls Jerusalem a "bloody city." In this verse, the prophet points to a specific, horrifying reason: judges are taking bribes. These aren't just petty payoffs; they are gifts taken specifically "to shed blood." This means bribes were accepted to condemn innocent people to death. Imagine a courtroom where the scales of justice are tipped by greed, leading directly to a life-or-death sentence. This corruption wasn't just a minor flaw; it was a fundamental rot that undermined the very foundation of society and God's covenant with His people.
Greed's Many Faces
The verse expands this theme beyond the courtroom. It describes taking "interest and profit" and gaining from neighbors by "extortion." This isn't just about corrupt judges; it's about a widespread culture of greed. Whether it's through illegal loans with exorbitant interest (usury) or outright oppression and theft, people were exploiting each other. The heart of the problem is an insatiable desire for gain, leading to the suffering and ruin of others.
Amidst all the cheating and cheating, there's a deeper, more devastating sin being committed. What is it, and why is it so serious?
The Root of All Evil
The verse culminates with a powerful declaration: "but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD." All the bribery, extortion, and injustice aren't isolated incidents. They stem from a profound forgetfulness of God. When people forget who God is – His holiness, His justice, His love, His commands – they lose their moral compass.
Consequences of Forgetfulness
Forgetting God means forgetting His laws and His character. It means no longer valuing His presence or seeking His wisdom. This spiritual amnesia allows greed and self-interest to take root and flourish. The people of Jerusalem were so consumed by their pursuit of earthly gain that they completely lost sight of the divine source of all true life and righteousness. This is the ultimate betrayal: turning away from the One who gives life and instead chasing fleeting, destructive worldly possessions.
Ezekiel delivers this scathing indictment from exile in Babylon, confronting the deep-seated corruption and moral decay within Jerusalem that ultimately led to its utter destruction. The prophet highlights how internal injustice and a forgetting of God made the city ripe for judgment, underscoring the dire consequences of societal breakdown.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, marking a devastating loss of national sovereignty and a scattering of its people.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, deporting some of its elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This begins a period of increasing Babylonian influence.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This event deeply impacted Ezekiel's prophetic ministry.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and intensifying the exile for the remaining Jewish population.
This passage also condemns bribery, specifically in legal settings, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of this injustice and how it perverts justice, just as Ezekiel describes.
Micah 6:10-12Micah echoes Ezekiel's condemnation of greed and exploitation, denouncing those who amass wealth through dishonest means and oppression, showing this was a persistent societal ill.
Jeremiah 7:5-7Jeremiah warns the people of Jerusalem against oppression and injustice, asserting that God's judgment will come upon them if they continue these practices and fail to uphold justice for the vulnerable.
Deuteronomy 32:18This verse speaks of forgetting the 'Rock' who gave them life, directly paralleling Ezekiel's message that the people have forgotten the Lord God, which is the root cause of their corrupt behavior.
Romans 1:29-31Paul lists many sins that align with those described in Ezekiel, including greed, extortion, and injustice, showing that the spiritual condition of forgetting God leads to a broad spectrum of societal breakdown.
cambridgeEzekiel 22:12: "In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD."
12 . taken gifts ] i.e. bribes, said of judges, Exodus 23:8 ; Isaiah 1:23 ; Micah 3:11 —Cf. ch. Ezekiel 18:13 , Ezekiel 23:35 . by extortion ] oppression , or violence, as Ezekiel 22:7 . The vices here enumerated follow one another without any strict connexion. 1. The despotic conduct of the pri…
pooleEzekiel 22:12: "In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD."
Judges, who should have saved, have sold the life of innocents; they who sat on God’s tribunal have acted the devil there, and murdered innocents, contrary to Exodus 23:8 . Taken usury: see Ezekiel 18:8 . Greedily gained of thy neighbours; with unsatiable thirst of gain torn to pieces and devour…
The verse doesn't just list sins; it shows how they're interconnected, building from bribery to murder, and from usury to ruthless extortion. What's truly striking is the ultimate root: all this greed and violence stems from "forgetting" God, revealing that our deepest disloyalty isn't just breaking rules, but turning our backs on our Creator.
Ezekiel is painting a grim picture of Jerusalem, calling it a "city of bloodshed" because of the rampant injustice and violence within its walls. This verse highlights specific sins: corrupt judges taking bribes to condemn the innocent, and people exploiting their neighbors through exorbitant interest and sheer oppression. All these actions stem from a fundamental forgetfulness of God and His commands.
Ezekiel is painting a grim picture of Jerusalem, calling it a "city of bloodshed" because of the rampant injustice and violence within its walls. This verse highlights specific sins: corrupt judges taking bribes to condemn the innocent, and people exploiting their neighbors through exorbitant interest and sheer oppression. All these actions stem from a fundamental forgetfulness of God and His commands.
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c. 550 BC
Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great unites the Medes and Persians, establishing a new, vast empire that would eventually conquer Babylon. This shift in power offers a glimmer of hope for the exiles.
"In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD." — The verse doesn't just list sins; it shows how they're interconnected, building from bribery to murder, and from usury to ruthless extortion. What's truly striking is the ultimate root: all this gree…
