Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834], at sacred-texts.com
Ezekiel Chapter 22
The fourth word of judgment Ezek. 22:1-16. The sins which have brought ruin upon Jerusalem are the sins which disgraced the pagan inhabitants of Canaan, whom the Israelites were to cast out (compare Lev. 18). The commission of like sins would insure like judgment.
Thy days, - i. e., of judgment; "thy years," i. e., of visitation (compare Eze 20:25, Eze 20:39).
A reproach ... a mocking - Judah shall be like the Ammonites Eze 21:28.
i. e., Countries near and afar oft shall mock thee, saying, "Ah! defiled in name; Ah! full of turbulence!"
Render it: Behold the princes of Israel, each according to his might (literally "arm") have been in thee in order to shed blood. They looked to might not right.
Set apart for pollution - Or, "unclean by reason of impurity" Lev 12:2.
Thou shalt take ... - Better as in the margin. Thou shalt by thine own fault forfeit the privileges of a holy nation.
The fifth word of judgment. The furnace. In the besieged city the people shall be tried and purged.
Dross - A frequent metaphor which denotes not only the corruption of the people, who have become like base metal, but also a future purification whereby, the "dross" being burned away, the remnant of good may appear.
The sixth word of judgment. The special sins of princes, priests, and people.
Violated - Better as in margin; to offer "violence" to the Law is to misinterpret it. It was the special office of the priests to keep up the distinction between "holy" and "unholy," "clean" and "unclean" Lev 10:10.
See the marginal reference note.
The land might be said to perish for the lack of such interpositions as saved their forefathers when Moses "stood in the gap." This was a proof of the general corruption, that there was not in the city sufficient righteousness to save it from utter destruction. Prince, prophet, priest, all fail.