Ezekiel 22:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Hebrew term “sig” Simmachus translates as outgas, while Aquila’s first edition used στέμφυλον and γίγαρτον, both referring to grape pomace. In his second translation and in the Septuagint, the term is rendered mingling. The phrase “sordes et rurgamentum” signifies the impure refuse from the purification of metals, indicating that fire is used for the impending captivity or rather the threatened destruction of the city, so that, through the metaphor of melting, pure silver may remain, which is contaminated by mixing with copper, tin, iron, and lead. The latter three are composed of molten material and are purified by fire. Conversely, iron is softened and refined by the anvil and hammer, taking various forms as desired by the craftsman. Just as silver, tainted by those metals, is cast into the crucible to remove impurities and foreign substances for purity, so says He, I will gather you in the heart of Jerusalem and surround you with the siege of Babylon, igniting a fire to facilitate melting. The extreme heat of the flame represents what famine and pestilence will accomplish here: when I have kindled you with the fire of wrath, I will temper you, and I will limit the sorrow from your rejection of Me by bringing about your chastisement. This will serve the purpose that, when My wrath is unleashed upon you, the conclusion of your punishment will allow you to know Me, recognizing that I am the Lord, the ultimate judge and rewarder.

The title of the melting One is mentioned in several places, notably in Malachi and Isaiah, where one states: Behold, the Lord comes forth as a refining fire and like soap. He will sit to refine and purify like silver and gold and cleanse the sons of Levi (Malachi 3:2-3); while the other proclaims, and the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughters and sons of Zion and cleanse their blood from their midst with the spirit of judgment and with the spirit of burning (Isaiah 4:4). This meaning is echoed in the Psalms where it says, Test me, O Lord, and try me. You shall refine my heart and my emotions (Psalms 23:2).

What we describe concerning Jerusalem can also be related to the condition of souls that God created in purity: gold in wisdom and understanding, and silver in speech and eloquence to articulate what the mind perceives. As stated regarding silver, the words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over (Psalm 11:7). Similarly, gold and silver are referenced in the sixty-seventh Psalm, which mentions, If you lie among the borders, the wing of the dove is silvered, and her plumes are as a gleam of gold (Psalm 67:14). All glory belongs to the daughter of the king within (Psalm 44:14), who expresses in the Song of Songs, the king has brought me into his chamber (Song of Songs 1:3).

He who has rested in the tension between the two Covenants will receive the silvery wings of the dove and shimmer with the brilliance of gold in the heart’s treasury. In this light, it is understood that for sinners, and those deserving of God’s wrath, there will be a heaven of brass and an earth of iron, particularly regarding Egypt, from which the Lord will draw Israel as from an iron furnace. As Zechariah observes, wickedness sits upon a talent of lead (Zech. 5). In the Exodus song, it is stated, They sank like lead in the mighty waters (Exodus 15:10). They were overwhelmed by the heavy weight of their sins, expressing, A heavy burden has been laid upon me (Psalm 37:3). Just as counterfeit brass resembles gold, so tin is akin to silver, often indistinguishable to the uninformed. The impurities of heretical folly in gold and silver are frequently separated by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the judgment of the Lord, leaving behind only pure gold and silver. The prophet observes: I gave them silver and gold, and they fashioned Baal from it (Hosea 2:8). A similar sentiment is found: I have gone out with silver and gold, and there is no anguish among their tribes (Psalm 104:37). The ultimate purpose of all chastisement is the realization that He is the Lord. We also note the mention of tin in Zechariah’s writings, and its meaning has been elucidated elsewhere.

Consequently, he adds, “The silver is denied to their fathers, for the Lord has rejected them.” The term fur represents God's divine effectiveness, while fire signifies the word of instruction and purification, or the actual consequences of wrongdoing; both demonstrate the operation of divine power. Likewise, covach refers to prophetic teaching, and lead symbolizes punishment, as lead is introduced into molten silver to eliminate impurities, akin to how punishment is administered to the deserving so they may be purified from sin. Thus, God warns of these actions.