The Meaning of Ezekiel 22:29 Explained

Ezekiel 22:29

KJV: 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.

YLT: The people of the land have used oppression, And have taken plunder violently away, And humble and needy have oppressed, And the sojourner oppressed -- without judgment.

Darby: The people of the land use oppression and practise robbery; and they vex the poor and needy, and oppress the stranger wrongfully.

ASV: The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery; yea, they have vexed the poor and needy, and have oppressed the sojourner wrongfully.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 22:29 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people (ordinary citizens) also oppressed one another and stole from each other. They took advantage of the poor, the needy, and travelers illegally.
"One hardly could read such a list of crimes that so thoroughly pervaded society of Ezekiel"s day without seeing the parallel to the Western world at the close of the twentieth century. The latter years of this century have been marked by decadence, moral and spiritual decay, loss of integrity, violence, and injustices that mirror what Ezekiel must have witnessed. Such a crisis calls for renewed spiritual and moral leadership that is the by-product of genuine spiritual renewal." [1]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 22

1  A catalogue of sins in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews in consequence
17  God will burn them as dross in his furnace
23  The general corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and the people

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 22:29 mean?

The people of the land have used oppressions and committed robbery and the poor and needy mistreated and the stranger they oppress outside wrongfully
עַ֤ם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ עָ֣שְׁקוּ עֹ֔שֶׁק וְגָזְל֖וּ גָּזֵ֑ל וְעָנִ֤י וְאֶבְיוֹן֙ הוֹנ֔וּ וְאֶת־ הַגֵּ֥ר עָשְׁק֖וּ בְּלֹ֥א מִשְׁפָּֽט

עַ֤ם  The  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עָ֣שְׁקוּ  have  used 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשַׁק  
Sense: to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort.
עֹ֔שֶׁק  oppressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁק  
Sense: oppression, extortion, injury.
וְגָזְל֖וּ  and  committed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּזַל  
Sense: to tear away, seize, plunder, tear off, pull off, rob, take away by force.
גָּזֵ֑ל  robbery 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּזֵל  
Sense: robbery, something plundered.
וְעָנִ֤י  and  the  poor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
וְאֶבְיוֹן֙  and  needy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
הוֹנ֔וּ  mistreated 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יׄונָה 
Sense: to oppress, suppress, treat violently, maltreat, vex, do wrong.
הַגֵּ֥ר  the  stranger 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
עָשְׁק֖וּ  they  oppress 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשַׁק  
Sense: to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort.
בְּלֹ֥א  outside 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
מִשְׁפָּֽט  wrongfully 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.