Ezekiel 22:8 — Word Study
WLCקָדָשַׁ֖י בָּזִ֑ית וְאֶת־ שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י חִלָּֽלְתְּ׃
BSAYou have despisedbâzâh■ [utterly rejected, held in contempt] My holy thingsqôdesh [sacred places, set-apart areas] andʼêth profanedchâlal■ [desecrated, made common] My Sabbathsshabbâth [days of rest, worship, and observance]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| קָדָשַׁ֖י | holy things my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בָּזִ֑ית | you have despised | Verb, Qal, perfect second person feminine singular |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י | sabbaths my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| חִלָּֽלְתְּ׃ | you have profaned | Verb, Piel, perfect second person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. |
| KJV | Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. |
| ASV | Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. |
| YLT | My holy things thou hast despised, And My sabbaths thou hast polluted. |
| WEB | You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths. |
| BBE | You have made little of my holy things, and have made my Sabbaths unclean. |
Where they part company is קָדָשַׁ֖י — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a conjunction and another main clause, emphasizing both actions taken against God.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּזָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 22:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Judgments Against Jerusalemgenerated
Ezekiel 22:8 occurs in a passage where God condemns the people of Jerusalem for their numerous sins. The prophet Ezekiel highlights the moral and spiritual decay of the city, pointing out specific transgressions such as the exploitation of the vulnerable and the disregard for sacred practices. This verse specifically addresses the contempt shown towards God's holiness and the profaning of the Sabbath, which were central to the covenant relationship between God and His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 22:26 | Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 20:13–21 | Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 23:38–39 | They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. |
| 4 | Leviticus 19:30 | You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD. |
| 5 | Amos 8:4–6 | Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קָדָשַׁ֖י, ka.da.Shaigenerated
The word קָדָשַׁ֖י (qodashai) is a construct form of the noun קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh), which means 'holy' or 'sacred.' It refers to things that are set apart for God, such as the temple and its furnishings. The parsing indicates it is a masculine plural noun with a suffix, indicating possession: 'My holy things.' This emphasizes that these sacred items belong to God and are to be treated with reverence.
The concept of holiness in the Hebrew Bible encompasses a sense of separation from the common and the profane. The people of Israel were called to maintain a distinction between the sacred and the ordinary, especially in their worship practices. By despising these holy things, they violated the covenant and disrespected God's presence among them.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is structured around two finite verbs: בָּזִ֑ית (you have despised) and חִלָּֽלְתְּ (you have profaned), which govern the two main clauses. The first clause addresses the holy things, while the second clause refers to the Sabbaths. This parallel structure emphasizes the weight of both actions.
Hebrew word order places the verbs at the forefront, highlighting the actions taken by the people. The use of the conjunction וְ (and) connects the two clauses, showing that both despising the holy things and profaning the Sabbaths are part of the same indictment against the people.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew קָדָשַׁ֖י is rendered as μου (mou), meaning 'my.' This choice indicates a direct connection to God's ownership of these sacred things, underscoring their importance.
The Greek word for חִלָּֽלְתְּ is ἐβεβήλουν (ebebēloun), which conveys a similar sense of profaning or desecrating. This translation aligns with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the seriousness of the act.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 22:8 states that the people of Israel have shown contempt for God's holy things and have desecrated His Sabbaths. This verse highlights the serious nature of their actions against the sacred practices that were meant to honor God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To despise God's holy things means to treat them with contempt or disregard, failing to recognize their sacredness and significance in worship.
The Sabbaths are important as they represent a time set apart for rest and worship, reflecting the covenant relationship between God and His people.
This verse underscores the theme of judgment in Ezekiel, where God calls out the people's sins and their failure to uphold the covenant.
Examples of holy things include the temple, sacred objects used in worship, and the Sabbath itself, which is a day dedicated to God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways might I be treating sacred things with contempt in my own life?
- How can I better observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship?
- What does it mean to me that God calls His things holy?
- How can I encourage others to respect the sacredness of worship and rest?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 22:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast despised mine holy things,.... The holy place, the temple, and the worship of it; holy persons, the priests that officiated there; holy sacrifices offered up by them; the holy word of God
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 22 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThou, all the land, or thou, O Jerusalem, or thou, O Zedekiah, the chief of the princes; or else, having spoken of them all in the plural, he now changeth number, and so speaks to each in particular. Hast despised; hast had very low esteem of them, as if mean and ridiculous. Mine holy things; all my institutions, temple sacrifices, feasts, and priests, &c. Profaned my sabbaths; spent them in profane work, or bestowed them upon idols and their service.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 22 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.Ver. 8. Thou hast despised mine holy things.] These are all foretokens of a perishing people. Emphasin habet quod dicit sancta mea, Sabbata mea. Shall that which hath the impress of God upon it be slighted, as his sabbaths, sacraments, ordinances? The holy God should in all his holy things be "sanctified in righteousness."
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 22 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. Thou hast despised] All my ordinances are not only neglected, but treated with contempt; and my Sabbaths profaned. There is not only no power of godliness among you, but there is no form.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Thou hast despised] Jerusalem or the community is addressed, cf. Ezekiel 22:26, ch. Ezekiel 20:13; Ezekiel 20:16, &c.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 22 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. Thou hast — That is, Jerusalem (Ezekiel 22:4). In the heat of his speech the prophet returns to the personal form of address. These sabbath breakers and oppressors and murderers are now the real representatives of Jerusalem.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths!
Tyndale line
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast polluted my Sabbaths.
Strictly literal
Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
My holy things thou hast despised, And My sabbaths thou hast polluted.
You have despised My holy things, || And you have defiled My Sabbaths.
My holy things thou didst despise, and my sabbaths thou didst profane.
You have despised my holy things and have profaned my Sabbaths.
From the Latin
Thou hast despised my sanctuaries, and profaned my sabbaths.
Simplified
You detest my holy things and violate my Sabbaths.
You have made little of my holy things, and have made my Sabbaths unclean.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads קָדָשַׁ֖י בָּזִ֑ית וְאֶת־ שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י חִלָּֽלְתְּ׃, while the Septuagint matches all five words. This indicates a strong agreement between the two texts in conveying the same message about the people's contempt for God's holiness.
קָדָשַׁ֖י בָּזִ֑ית וְאֶת־ שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י חִלָּֽלְתְּ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 22:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh) refers to the concepts of apartness, sacredness, and holiness. It can denote a sacred place or thing, such as the Most Holy Place or a sanctuary. The term emphasizes the idea of being set apart, whether in relation to God, places, or objects.
קֹ֫דֶשׁ 469 n.m. apartness, sacredness
base
H6944 קֹ֫דֶשׁ apartness, sacredness
6944 qodesh ko'-desh
from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract,
sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed
(thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing),
saint, sanctuary.
see HEBREW for 06942
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — holiness.
1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness
1a1) of God
1a2) of places
1a3) of things
1b) set-apartness, separateness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Most Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Most Holy Place" G0039H)
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — (Way of) Holiness.
Combined with de.rekh (דֶּ֫רֶךְ "Way" H1870H)
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Holy Place" G0039)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
בָזָה (bazah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to despise or hold in contempt. It can be used in different forms: Qal for direct action, Niphal for being despised, and Hiphil for causing someone to despise. The entries emphasize a sense of disdain and worthlessness associated with the term.
בָזָה vb. despise
Qal despise, regard with contempt
Niph.
despised
vile, worthless
despicable, contemptible
Hiph. so as to cause to despise their lords
base
H959 בָזָה despise
959 bazah baw-zaw'
a primitive root; to disesteem:--despise, disdain,
contemn(-ptible), + think to scorn, vile person.
בָּזָה (ba.zah) — to despise.
1) to despise, hold in contempt, disdain
1a) (Qal) to despise, regard with contempt
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be despised
1b2) to be despicable
1b3) to be vile, worthless
1c) (Hiphil) to cause to despise
Also means: ba.zoh (בָּזֹה "to despise" H0960)
V-Qal-Perf-2fs — Verb · Qal · perfect second person feminine singularHVqp2fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · particleHC/To
שַׁבָּת (shabbath) refers to the Sabbath, a day of rest observed weekly, as well as the Day of Atonement and the sabbath year. It may also denote a week or the produce that grows during the sabbath year. The word is derived from a root meaning 'intermission.'
שַׁבָּת 111 n.f. and m. Sabbath
sabbath
day of atonement
sabbath year
= week (?)
= produce in sabbath year (growing of itself)
base
H7676 שַׁבָּת Sabbath . sabbath
. day of atonement
. sabbath year
. = week (?)
. = produce in sabbath year (growing of itself)
7676 shabbath shab-bawth'
intensive from 7673; intermission, i.e (specifically) the
Sabbath:--(+ every) sabbath.
see HEBREW for 07673
שַׁבָּת (shab.bat) — Sabbath.
Sabbath
1a) sabbath
1b) day of atonement
1c) sabbath year
1d) week
1e) produce (in sabbath year)
N-cp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word חָלַל (*chalal*) is built from a primitive root meaning to bore or pierce, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to wound, to play the flute, and to profane or defile. It can refer to both physical actions, like piercing, and moral or ritual violations, such as polluting oneself or breaking a covenant. The lexicons note various grammatical forms and uses, but do not indicate significant disagreement.
חָלַל vb. bore, pierce
Qal my heart is pierced (wounded) within me
Pi. in the hand of the ones wounding thee
Pu. pierced by the sword
Po‛el his hand pierced the fleeing serpent
Po‛al pierced, wounded because of our transgressions
base
[חלל] vb. denom. play the pipe, pipe
Qal as well the singers as the pipe-players
Polel dancers
Pi. and the people piped with pipes
base
[חָלַל] vb. pollute, defile, profane
Niph.
reflex. pollute, defile oneself
Pass., be polluted, defiled
Pi.
defile, pollute
violate the honour of, dishonour
violate a covenant
treat a vineyard as common
Pu. my great name which is profaned among the nations
Hiph.
I will not let my holy name be profaned any more.
he shall not violate his word
begin
Hoph. then it was begun (= men began) to call on the name of י׳
base
H2490a חָלַל bore, pierce H2490b חלל vb. denom. play the pipe, pipe H2490c חָלַל pollute, defile, profane
2490 chalal khaw-lal'
a primitive root (compare 2470); properly, to bore, i.e. (by
implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane
(a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin
(as if by an "opening wedge"); denom. (from 2485) to play (the
flute):--begin (X men began), defile, X break, defile, X eat
(as common things), X first, X gather the grape thereof, X
take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast
as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain,
wound.
see HEBREW for 02470
see HEBREW for 02485
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to bore.
1) to wound (fatally), bore through, pierce, bore
1a) (Qal) to pierce
1b) (Pual) to be slain
1c) (Poel) to wound, pierce
1d) (Poal) to be wounded
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to play flute.
(Piel) to play the flute or pipe
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to profane/begin: begin.
: begin
1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to profane oneself, defile oneself, pollute oneself
1a1a) ritually
1a1b) sexually
1a2) to be polluted, be defiled
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to profane, make common, defile, pollute
1b2) to violate the honour of, dishonour
1b3) to violate (a covenant)
1b4) to treat as common
1c) (Pual) to be profaned (of name of God)
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to let be profaned
1d2) to begin
1e) (Hophal) to be begun
חָלַל (cha.lal) — to profane/begin: profane.
: profane
1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin
1a) (Niphal)
V-Piel-Perf-2fs — Verb · Piel · perfect second person feminine singularHVpp2fs