Eze 22:25-29 | JFB | STEP | 25. conspiracy-- The false prophets have conspired both to propagate error and to oppose the messages of God's servants. They are mentioned first, as their bad influence extended the widest. prey-- Their aim was greed of gain, "treasure, and precious things" ( ; , ; ). made ... many widows-- by occasioning, through false prophecies, the war with the Chaldeans in which the husbands fell.

‏ Ezekiel 22:25-29

25. conspiracy--The false prophets have conspired both to propagate error and to oppose the messages of God's servants. They are mentioned first, as their bad influence extended the widest.

prey--Their aim was greed of gain, "treasure, and precious things" (Ho 6:9; Zep 3:3, 4; Mt 23:14).

made ... many widows--by occasioning, through false prophecies, the war with the Chaldeans in which the husbands fell.

26. Her priests--whose "lips should have kept knowledge" (Mal 2:7).

violated--not simply transgressed; but, have done violence to the law, by wresting it to wrong ends, and putting wrong constructions on it.

put no difference between the holy and profane, &c.--made no distinction between the clean and unclean (Le 10:10), the Sabbath and other days, sanctioning violations of that holy day. "Holy" means, what is dedicated to God; "profane," what is in common use; "unclean," what is forbidden to be eaten; "clean," what is lawful to be eaten.

I am profaned among them--They abuse My name to false or unjust purposes.

27. princes--who should have employed the influence of their position for the people's welfare, made "gain" their sole aim.

wolves--notorious for fierce and ravening cruelty (Mi 3:2, 3, 9-11; Joh 10:12).

28. Referring to the false assurances of peace with which the prophets flattered the people, that they should not submit to the king of Babylon (see on Eze 13:10; Eze 21:29; Jr 6:14; 23:16, 17; 27:9, 10).

29. The people--put last, after the mention of those in office. Corruption had spread downwards through the whole community.

wrongfully--that is, "without cause," gratuitously, without the stranger proselyte giving any just provocation; nay, he of all others being one who ought to have been won to the worship of Jehovah by kindness, instead of being alienated by oppression; especially as the Israelites were commanded to remember that they themselves had been "strangers in Egypt" (Ex 22:21; 23:9).