John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 7:22

"My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret [place]; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it." — Ezekiel 7:22 (ASV)

Regarding the beginning of the verse, there is no ambiguity, for God pronounces that the Jews would be miserable, because he would avert his face from them. For in this their happiness consisted: that God, as he had promised, would watch over their safety. As long, therefore, as God chose to look upon them, their safety was certain, so that there was no fear of danger.

But when he no longer cared for them, these wretched ones were exposed to all calamities; thus they are said to be deprived of all protection when alienated from God. This, then, is one clause. Regarding what follows, commentators interpret it as referring to the sanctuary; and I do not greatly object to this, if anyone prefers this interpretation, but I interpret it more broadly.

For God, in my view, calls the land his hidden place, which was safe under his protection. For he says that he had extended wings under which he could hide the people (Exodus 19:4), and David prays that God would receive him within the hidden place of his tabernacle (Psalms 27:5). Since, therefore, the people were protected by the power of God, the land is deservedly called God’s hidden place, as an asylum, and it is appropriate to translate it this way.

Devastators, therefore, shall profane my asylum, because they shall enter in there, and shall profane it. He repeats the same word. Those who interpret it as the sanctuary restrict it to the holy of holies, for that is what they call the shrine or oracle from where the answers were given; and they call it an oracle, not from praying, but because they inquired there about secret things. But as I have said, that interpretation seems forced, though I will not quarrel with it, but I will show what I prefer.

The meaning is this: although God had spared the Jews for a long time—indeed, had them hidden, as it were, under his wings, and the land was, so to speak, a sacred asylum, since they were so hidden that they felt no injury from foreign enemies—yet this would profit them nothing. For God would throw down all bulwarks and give their enemies easy access, allowing them to break through and then profane and throw all things into confusion.