Ezekiel 22

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” Naming Moreover keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD , The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made…” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include dealt, father, fatherless. Its relationship to verses 6 and 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they…” The line’s distinctive content terms include blood, carry, commit. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

“In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.” The line’s distinctive content terms include apart, discovered, fathers. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath…” The line’s distinctive content terms include blood, dishonest, gain. Its relationship to verses 12 and 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of…” The line’s distinctive content terms include consume, countries, disperse. Its relationship to verses 14 and 16 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD .” The line’s distinctive content terms include heathen, inheritance, know. Its relationship to verses 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, word. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“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…” Naming Israel and Son keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD ; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon…” The line’s distinctive content terms include gather, melt, anger. Its relationship to verses 19 and 21 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, word. Its relationship to verses 22 and 24 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.” Naming Son and Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured…” The line’s distinctive content terms include midst, conspiracy, devoured. Its relationship to verses 26 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and…” Naming Her keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get…” Naming Her keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have…” The line’s distinctive content terms include exercised, land, needy. Its relationship to verses 28 and 30 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I…” The line’s distinctive content terms include destroy, hedge, land. Its relationship to verses 29 and 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.