Ezekiel 22:25

22:25 Her princes ¹  within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows ²  within it.

Ezekiel 22:28

22:28 Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash. ³  They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ when the Lord has not spoken.

[22:25]  ¹ tn Heb “a conspiracy of her prophets is in her midst.” The LXX reads “whose princes” rather than “a conspiracy of prophets.” The prophets are mentioned later in the paragraph (v. 28). If one follows the LXX in verse 25, then five distinct groups are mentioned in vv. 25-29: princes, priests, officials, prophets, and the people of the land. For a defense of the Septuagintal reading, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:720, n. 4.

[22:25]  ² tn Heb “her widows they have multiplied.” The statement alludes to their murderous acts.

[22:28]  ³ tn Heb “her prophets coat for themselves with whitewash.” The expression may be based on Ezek 13:10-15.