Ezekiel chapter 22

vs 11

Yeah, that's all pretty foul. Can I just point out that the women are not blamed in any of those scenarios. It's the man who gets the active verb. I may be pointing this out in advance of the next chapter.

vs 12

The extortion, the usury, the bribes and the bloodshed, it's all terrible, but it ends with a mammoth blow - you have forgotten God.

Lucky for them, God is good at jogging people's memories.

vs 13

This whole idea of striking hands together - Ezekiel did it himself at some point in time, if I recall. I don't quite get it, but I guess a loud clap could be a shocking sort of movement, and probably had some special meaning back then.

vs 14

Another rhetorical question, the answer to which I thinks is clearly 'no' this time. Cleverly counterpointed by the clear 'yes' by God about his judgment coming.

vs 15

Two of these are punishments - the putting an end to uncleanness, I suppose could be seen as a punishment (killing them would still leave them unclean, as corpses, but they don't have to worry about it so much), but it's also a renewing thing. God's punishment will refine them, like the proverbial fire.

vs 16

But they have to be fully defiled first, it seems. It's going to be quite a defiling.

vs 17

Once again, the word comes!

vs 18

So not silver, mind you, only the dross that you melt away to get to the silver.

vs 19

Why is God gathering them all into Jerusalem? You'll see.

vs 20

I know nothing about smelting, but apparently you gather a bunch of stuff into a pot. Being melted by God does not sound fantastically comfortable. Especially being melted by his anger and wrath. Those are not happy melting powers.