The Meaning of Ezekiel 22:6 Explained

Ezekiel 22:6

KJV: Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

YLT: Lo, princes of Israel -- each according to his arm Have been in thee to shed blood.

Darby: Behold, the princes of Israel have been in thee to shed blood, each according to his power.

ASV: Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power, have been in thee to shed blood.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, the princes  of Israel,  every one  were in thee to their power  to shed  blood. 

What does Ezekiel 22:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In Ezekiel 22:6-12 Judah"s rulers are the main focus of indictment. The rulers of Israel had been guilty of shedding blood, each in his own sphere of authority, through the misuse of power (cf. Exodus 20:13). Evidently judicial murders were common (cf. 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Kings 24:4) as were child sacrifice ( Ezekiel 16:21; Ezekiel 20:26; Ezekiel 20:31; Ezekiel 23:37) and acts of personal violence.

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 22:6 mean?

Look the princes of Israel each one his power has used in you to shed blood
הִנֵּה֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֥ישׁ לִזְרֹע֖וֹ הָ֣יוּ בָ֑ךְ לְמַ֖עַן שְׁפָךְ־ דָּֽם

הִנֵּה֙  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י  the  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אִ֥ישׁ  each  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לִזְרֹע֖וֹ  his  power 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
הָ֣יוּ  has  used 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בָ֑ךְ  in  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
שְׁפָךְ־  shed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
דָּֽם  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.