And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

And I sought among them for a man that might set up a hedge, and stand in the gap before me in favour of the land, that I might not destroy it: and I found none.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the fence, and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the fence, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

And I seek of them a man making a fence, And standing in the breach before Me, In behalf of the land, not to destroy it, And I have not found.

And I was looking for a man among them who would make up the wall and take his station in the broken place before me for the land, so that I might not send destruction on it: but there was no one.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

And I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

And I sought among them for a man who might set up a hedge, and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I might not destroy it; and I found no one.

The land might be said to perish for the lack of such interpositions as saved their forefathers when Moses "stood in the gap." This was a proof of the general corruption, that there was not in the city sufficient righteousness to save it from utter destruction. Prince, prophet, priest, all fail.

I sought for a man - I saw that there was a grievous breach made in the moral state and feeling of the people, and I sought for a man that would stand in the gap; that would faithfully exhort, reprove and counsel with all long-suffering and doctrine. But none was to be found!

And I sought for a man among them, that should (q) make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
(q) Who would show himself zealous in my cause by resisting vice, (Isaiah 59:16) also pray to me to withhold my plagues, (Psalm 106:23).

And I sought for a man among them,.... among the princes, priests, prophets, and people of the land, who acted the part as above described; for otherwise, no doubt, there were good people in the land, as Jeremiah, Baruch, and others, but not among these:
that should make up the hedge; that was broken down by the transgressions of the people, who exceeded all bounds of law and justice; one that would restrain them from sinning, and reform them, and set them a good example; one, as the Targum has it,
"whose works were good;''
a good man, that would endeavour by his influence to stop the breaking in of sin, and the consequences of it:
and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; in the gap that sin had made, at which the Lord was entering as a man of war to destroy the transgressors; one that should present himself to the Lord on the behalf of the people; seek mercy for them, as the Targum; interpose between God and them, and act the part of an intercessor; pray for them, as Moses did for the people of Israel, that he would not destroy them; see Psalm 106:23,
but I found none; no reformer of them, no repairer of the breach, nor restorer of paths, to dwell in; no intercessor for them, as Abraham for Sodom, Moses for Israel; or any, like Aaron, that stood between the living and the dead to stay the plague.

the hedge--the wall (see on Ezekiel 13:5); image for leading the people to repentance.
the gap--the breach (Psalm 106:23); image for interceding between the people and God (Genesis 20:7; Exodus 32:11; Numbers 16:48).
I found none-- (Jeremiah 5:1) --not that literally there was not a righteous man in the city. For Jeremiah, Baruch, &c., were still there; but Jeremiah had been forbidden to pray for the people (Jeremiah 11:14), as being doomed to wrath. None now, of the godly, knowing the desperate state of the people, and God's purpose as to them, was willing longer to interpose between God's wrath and them. And none "among them," that is, among those just enumerated as guilty of such sins (Ezekiel 22:25-29), was morally able for such an office.

I sought - God speaks after the manner of men. A man - Any one, among princes, prophets, priests, or people, to repair the breach. And stand - Interpose between a sinful people, and their offended God, and intreat for mercy. But - All were corrupted.