Ezekiel 16ASV
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Ezekiel16

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Again the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations;

3and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite.

4And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

5No eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, for that thy person was abhorred, in the day that thou wast born.

6And when I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live.

7I caused thee to multiply as that which groweth in the field, and thou didst increase and wax great, and thou attainedst to excellent ornament; thy breasts were fashioned, and thy hair was grown; yet thou wast naked and bare.

8Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Jehovah, and thou becamest mine.

9Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

10I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with sealskin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and covered thee with silk.

11And I decked thee with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

12And I put a ring upon thy nose, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

13Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil; and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper unto royal estate.

14And thy renown went forth among the nations for thy beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord Jehovah.

15But thou didst trust in thy beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy whoredoms on every one that passed by; his it was.

16And thou didst take of thy garments, and madest for thee high places decked with divers colors, and playedst the harlot upon them: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

17Thou didst also take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with them;

18and thou tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them, and didst set mine oil and mine incense before them.

19My bread also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou didst even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, saith the Lord Jehovah.

20Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Were thy whoredoms a small matter,

21that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them?

22And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast weltering in thy blood.

23And it is come to pass after all thy wickedness (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord Jehovah),

24that thou hast built unto thee a vaulted place, and hast made thee a lofty place in every street.

25Thou hast built thy lofty place at the head of every way, and hast made thy beauty an abomination, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredom.

26Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbors, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy whoredom, to provoke me to anger.

27Behold therefore, I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, that are ashamed of thy lewd way.

28Thou hast played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet thou wast not satisfied.

29Thou hast moreover multiplied thy whoredom unto the land of traffic, unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

30How weak is thy heart, saith the Lord Jehovah, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an impudent harlot;

31in that thou buildest thy vaulted place at the head of every way, and makest thy lofty place in every street, and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest hire.

32A wife that committeth adultery! that taketh strangers instead of her husband!

33They give gifts to all harlots; but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and bribest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredoms.

34And thou art different from other women in thy whoredoms, in that none followeth thee to play the harlot; and whereas thou givest hire, and no hire is given unto thee, therefore thou art different.

35Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of Jehovah:

36Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness uncovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers; and because of all the idols of thy abominations, and for the blood of thy children, that thou didst give unto them;

37therefore behold, I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them against thee on every side, and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

38And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring upon thee the blood of wrath and jealousy.

39I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thy vaulted place, and break down thy lofty places; and they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take thy fair jewels; and they shall leave thee naked and bare.

40They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

41And they shall burn thy houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt also give no hire any more.

42So will I cause my wrath toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

43Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord Jehovah: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness with all thine abominations.

44Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.

45Thou art the daughter of thy mother, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children: your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

46And thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

47Yet hast thou not walked in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast more corrupt than they in all thy ways.

48As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

49Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

51Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters by all thine abominations which thou hast done.

52Thou also, bear thou thine own shame, in that thou hast given judgment for thy sisters; through thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou also confounded, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

53And I will turn again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them;

54that thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be ashamed because of all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.

55And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

56For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,

57before thy wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, that do despite unto thee round about.

58Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith Jehovah.

59For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

60Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

61Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

62And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah;

63that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 16.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: A parable showing the first low estate of the Jewish nation, its prosperity, idolatries, and punishment. (1-63).

vv1-58

In this chapter God's dealings with the Jewish nation, and their conduct towards him, are described, and their punishment through the surrounding nations, even those they most trusted in. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death, educated, espoused, and richly provided for, but afterwards guilty of the most abandoned conduct, and punished for it; yet at last received into favour, and ashamed of her base conduct. We are not to judge of these expressions by modern ideas, but by those of the times and places in which they were used, where many of them would not sound as they do to us. The design was to raise hatred to idolatry, and such a parable was well suited for that purpose.

vv59-63

After a full warning of judgments, mercy is remembered, mercy is reserved. These closing verses are a precious promise, in part fulfilled at the return of the penitent and reformed Jews out of Babylon, but to have fuller accomplishment in gospel times. The Divine mercy should be powerful to melt our hearts into godly sorrow for sin. Nor will God ever leave the sinner to perish, who is humbled for his sins, and comes to trust in His mercy and grace through Jesus Christ; but will keep him by his power, through faith unto salvation.

Cross References

Ezekiel 16
v45Ezekiel 16:3thematic

Repeats the parentage theme: 'thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.'

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v61Ezekiel 36:31thematic

Direct parallel of remembering evil ways and feeling shame/loathing when God's grace is restored.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v3Genesis 15:16thematic

Jerusalem's spiritual parentage is linked to the Amorites, whose sins were filling up.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v4Hosea 2:3thematic

Hosea similarly uses the metaphor of birth, nakedness, and exposure to describe Israel's early history.

Supported by JFB

v16Hosea 2:8thematic

Israel took God's gifts of silver, gold, and agricultural abundance and offered them to idols.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v22Hosea 2:3thematic

Verbally echoes Israel's original helpless, naked, and unswaddled state at birth.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

The Mosaic law prescribing death by stoning for women committing adultery.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v43Ezekiel 16:22thematic

Direct parallel concerning Israel's failure to remember the days of her youth.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v51Jeremiah 3:11thematic

Verbal and conceptual parallel: backsliding Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v60Leviticus 26:42thematic

God promises to remember His covenant despite Israel's failures and breaches.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

The famous New Covenant promise, contrasting with the broken Old Covenant ('not by thy covenant').

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v62Ezekiel 16:60thematic

Immediate context where God promises to establish an everlasting covenant despite Israel's unfaithfulness.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v63Romans 3:19thematic

Parallel to 'never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame'—every mouth stopped before God.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v3Isaiah 51:1thematic

Contrasts their biological 'diggings' in Canaan with their call to look to Abraham and Sarah.

Supported by JFB

v3Ezekiel 16:45thematic

Later in this same sermon, Jerusalem is explicitly called the daughter of a Hittite mother.

Supported by JFB

v3Joshua 24:2thematic

Joshua notes Abraham's ancestors served other gods, grounding the 'Amorite/Hittite' pagan pedigree.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Exodus 1:15-22thematic

The historical background of Israel's infancy, where Pharaoh ordered newborn boys cast out.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v6Ezekiel 20:5-10thematic

Ezekiel's prose account of Israel's early state and idolatry in Egypt before God delivered them.

Supported by John Calvin

v10Psalms 45:13thematic

Describes the glorious bridal garments provided for the king's daughter, echoing Jerusalem's royal dressing.

Supported by JFB

v20Psalms 106:37thematic

Explicit historical parallel of Israel sacrificing their sons and daughters to Canaanite demons.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Ezekiel 16:20thematic

Directly links to the immediate context of sacrificing God's own children to idols.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v22Jeremiah 2:2thematic

Parallels Israel's early history and covenant relationship in the 'days of thy youth'.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v33Hosea 8:9thematic

Contrast of Ephraim hiring lovers with standard harlots receiving hire.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

Parallels the judgment of exposed nakedness before former lovers due to persistent whorings.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v37Ezekiel 23:25thematic

Identifies the former political lovers as the direct instruments of God's severe judgment.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v46Ezekiel 16:61thematic

Identifies the elder and younger sisters when God establishes the covenant.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v46Ezekiel 23:4thematic

Explicit sisterly representation where Samaria is named Aholah and Jerusalem Aholibah.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v54Ezekiel 16:52thematic

Elaborates on bearing shame and being confounded in comparison to sisters Sodom and Samaria.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v60Jeremiah 31:31-34fulfillment

The ultimate establishment of the promised 'everlasting covenant' in gospel times.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v61Ezekiel 20:43thematic

Parallel language of remembering ways, being ashamed, and loathing self after restoration.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v61Jeremiah 31:19thematic

Depicts Ephraim being instructed, repenting, smiting his thigh, and being thoroughly ashamed.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v61Ezekiel 36:32thematic

Reiterates that God's grace is not for their sakes, urging shame and confusion.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v61Ezekiel 16:46thematic

Identifies the elder and younger sisters (Samaria and Sodom) referenced in verse 61.

Supported by JFB

v63Ezra 9:6thematic

Ezra's prayer embodying the exact shame, confusion, and inability to lift up his face.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v63Job 40:4thematic

Job lays his hand upon his mouth in silenced humility before God's majesty.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v8Malachi 2:14thematic

Covenants are described in terms of a marriage relationship, of which God is witness.

Supported by JFB