Ezekiel 22:18
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Original Language Analysis
בֶּן
Son
H1121
בֶּן
Son
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
1 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
אָדָ֕ם
of man
H120
אָדָ֕ם
of man
Strong's:
H120
Word #:
2 of 17
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
הָיוּ
H1961
הָיוּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
3 of 17
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
בֵֽית
the house
H1004
בֵֽית
the house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
5 of 17
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 17
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
כֻּלָּ֡ם
H3605
כֻּלָּ֡ם
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
8 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
נְ֠חֹשֶׁת
all they are brass
H5178
נְ֠חֹשֶׁת
all they are brass
Strong's:
H5178
Word #:
9 of 17
copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e., coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver)
וּבְדִ֨יל
and tin
H913
וּבְדִ֨יל
and tin
Strong's:
H913
Word #:
10 of 17
alloy (because removed by smelting); by analogy, tin
וּבַרְזֶ֤ל
and iron
H1270
וּבַרְזֶ֤ל
and iron
Strong's:
H1270
Word #:
11 of 17
iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement
בְּת֣וֹךְ
in the midst
H8432
בְּת֣וֹךְ
in the midst
Strong's:
H8432
Word #:
13 of 17
a bisection, i.e., (by implication) the center
Cross References
Isaiah 1:22Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:Psalms 119:119Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.Isaiah 48:10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.Proverbs 17:3The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.
Historical Context
Ancient metallurgy involved heating ore in furnaces to separate precious metals from impurities. The dross floated to the surface and was skimmed off as refuse. Ezekiel's audience, familiar with this process, would grasp the severity: they were the discarded waste, not the refined product. This imagery appears elsewhere (Isaiah 1:22, Jeremiah 6:28-30, Malachi 3:2-3), but Ezekiel's version is most severe—total rejection.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'base metals' have replaced genuine godliness in your spiritual life?
- How does understanding that covenant privilege without faithfulness makes us 'dross' affect your view of religious identity?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross (ben adam hayu li beit-Yisrael le'sigim, בֶּן־אָדָם הָיוּ לִי בֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְסִגִים). The term sigim (סִגִים) means "dross" or "slag"—the worthless impurities removed during metal refining. Israel, intended to be refined silver (precious metal for God's use), had become entirely waste material. This inverts the expected metaphor: instead of refining producing pure silver, the entire nation proved to be impurities with no precious metal remaining.
All they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. The list of base metals—nechoshet (נְחֹשֶׁת, brass/bronze), bedil (בְּדִיל, tin), barzel (בַּרְזֶל, iron), oferel (עוֹפֶרֶת, lead)—describes the worthless residue left after smelting. The phrase "dross of silver" (siggei kaseph, סִגֵּי כָסֶף) is devastating: they are not even useful metals, only the waste byproduct. Israel's covenant privilege meant nothing without covenant faithfulness.