The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "people of the land" here doesn't just mean commoners; it highlights how this deep corruption had seeped into every level of society, not just the leaders. It shows a community where injustice was so pervasive that even those with no official power resorted to cruelty and exploitation, especially against the most vulnerable.
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is delivering a fierce indictment against Jerusalem, listing the various sins that have brought God's judgment. This verse zeros in on the common people, describing their widespread greed and cruelty as they extort, rob, and oppress the vulnerable, including foreigners, without any sense of justice. This widespread corruption, affecting all levels of society, sets the stage for God's lament that no intercessor could be found to stand in the gap.
Ezekiel paints a grim picture of a society where fairness has completely collapsed. It wasn't just the leaders or a few bad apples – the corruption ran deep.
In Ezekiel 22:29, the prophet describes the 'people of the land' engaging in severe wrongdoing.
A Society Gripped by Greed
This wasn't a sudden breakdown, but a systemic rot affecting the entire community, from the powerful to the common people. The corruption had spread like a disease.
God's people had a unique responsibility towards foreigners living among them, a command rooted in their own history of suffering.
The phrase 'oppressed the stranger wrongfully' carries significant weight. The Law of Moses repeatedly commanded Israel to treat foreigners with fairness and kindness.
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Remembering Their Own Story
Understand the original words
ger · Hebrew Noun
A non-native resident in Israel who was under the legal protection of the community and subject to certain laws of the covenant.
The corruption described by Ezekiel wasn't just random wrongdoing; it was a deep-seated rot within Judah, marked by exploitation and injustice, especially towards the vulnerable. This systemic failure, occurring amidst escalating divine judgment culminating in exile, underscored their unfaithfulness to God’s covenant which demanded justice and care for the poor and marginalized.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event led to significant social upheaval and displacement, with remaining populations intermingling with foreign settlers.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem and deports King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the Judean elite, including many skilled workers and prophets like Ezekiel.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
After a prolonged siege, Babylon destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population (except for the poorest). This marks a catastrophic end to the Davidic monarchy and the covenant nation.
c. 593-571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel, living among the exiles in Babylon, delivers prophetic oracles. His messages condemn the unfaithfulness of Judah and pronounce judgment, while also offering glimpses of future restoration.
This passage directly warns against oppressing strangers, highlighting the ethical failure in Ezekiel's context and reminding Israel of their own history as sojourners.
Amos 5:10-12Amos powerfully condemns similar societal injustices, showing that the exploitation of the poor and the perversion of justice were recurring themes of prophetic denunciation.
Micah 3:2-3This passage echoes Ezekiel's indictment by describing leaders who 'flesh' their people and 'skin' the poor, revealing a systemic pattern of oppression across prophetic books.
Luke 3:14In the context of John the Baptist's preaching, soldiers are instructed not to extort money, showing that the call to justice and fair dealings extends even to secular occupations.
gillEzekiel 22:29: "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully."
The people of the land have used oppression,.... The common people, the more powerful among them, such as were in greatest authority in cities and towns, in neighbourhoods and families, the richest among them; these oppressed the poor, and those that were under them, the servants of them, and tenants to them, and who were not a…
ellicottEzekiel 22:29: "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully."
(29) The people of the land, — i.e. , the common people, not belonging to any of the above classes. In regard to their general corruption see Ezekiel 18
The phrase "people of the land" here doesn't just mean commoners; it highlights how this deep corruption had seeped into every level of society, not just the leaders. It shows a community where injustice was so pervasive that even those with no official power resorted to cruelty and exploitation, especially against the most vulnerable.
Ezekiel is delivering a fierce indictment against Jerusalem, listing the various sins that have brought God's judgment. This verse zeros in on the common people, describing their widespread greed and cruelty as they extort, rob, and oppress the vulnerable, including foreigners, without any sense of justice. This widespread corruption, affecting all levels of society, sets the stage for God's lament that no intercessor could be found to stand in the gap.
Ezekiel is delivering a fierce indictment against Jerusalem, listing the various sins that have brought God's judgment. This verse zeros in on the common people, describing their widespread greed and cruelty as they extort, rob, and oppress the vulnerable, including foreigners, without any sense of justice. This widespread corruption, affecting all levels of society, sets the stage for God's lament that no intercessor could be found to stand in the gap.
"The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice." — The phrase "people of the land" here doesn't just mean commoners; it highlights how this deep corruption had seeped into every level of society, not just the leaders. It shows a community where injus…
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Last reviewed October 2026