Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
Parallel translations
- WEB “You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.
- BSB “As for you, son of man, will you judge her? Will you pass judgment on the city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her abominations
- NKJV “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!
- NASB “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then inform her of all her abominations.
- NLT “Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God asks Ezekiel whether he will judge the 'bloody city' by confronting her with all her abominations. The prophet is to expose Jerusalem's sins plainly.
Overview
The Lord calls Jerusalem the 'bloody city' because of widespread violence and injustice within her. Ezekiel's task is to make her face the full reality of her abominations, since true conviction begins with honest exposure of sin. Naming sin clearly is an act of mercy meant to lead to repentance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Ezek 24:6Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
- Ezek 20:4Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
- Ezek 24:9Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
- Isa 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
- Hos 4:2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
- Nah 3:1Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
- Matt 27:25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
- 1 Tim 5:20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
- 2 Kgs 21:16Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
- Acts 7:52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
- 2 Kgs 24:3–4Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
- Ezek 8:9–17And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
- Jer 2:34Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
- Luke 11:50That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
- Matt 23:35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
- Ezek 16:1–63Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- Ezek 23:1–49The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
- Jer 2:30In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 22:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.