Keraia
Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 16:27

Jerusalem’s Unfaithfulness · Ezekiel 16:1–34
Read Ezekiel 16

Translations

Modern
Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.
Traditional
Behold, 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, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.
Literal
And behold, I stretched out My hand against you, and I diminished your portion, and I gave you over to the appetite of those hating you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your way of prostitution.
Latin
Ecce ego extendam manum meam super te, et auferam justificationem tuam, et dabo te in animas odientium te filiarum Palæstinarum, quæ erubescunt in via tua scelerata.

Original

Hebrew
English
Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.

Notes

Ezekiel 16:26–29

Jerusalem eagerly sought close relationships with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia. These political alliances cost a great deal of money. They also failed to bring the help and protection that the leaders expected.

Even if these agreements had brought clear political benefits, they would still have been wrong. They showed that Jerusalem did not trust the Lord. Instead of depending on him, the city looked to other nations for safety.

These alliances also led to another serious problem. Israel began to worship the gods of those nations. Political dependence slowly became spiritual unfaithfulness.

Ezekiel 16:1–63

In Ezekiel 16, Jerusalem is described as an unfaithful wife and a prostitute. This language is very strong. Even in English, the chapter can be difficult to read. In its ancient setting, it would have sounded even more shocking.

Ezekiel used graphic language to show how serious Judah’s sin was. He did not try to make his message softer or more polite. He spoke in a direct and forceful way.

This strong language is the main point of the chapter. Ezekiel wanted the people to feel how terrible their sin was in God’s sight. The shocking description helped them understand that God’s judgment was not unfair.

If Ezekiel had used softer words, the people might not have understood the full seriousness of their sin. The strong picture was necessary to show why God’s judgment was justified (that is, right and fair).

Ezekiel 15:1–24:14

This section includes eight metaphors, each showing from a different angle the certainty of Jerusalem's upcoming judgment. The images are of:

  1. a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15);

  2. a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16);

  3. a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17);

  4. Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18);

  5. a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19);

  6. a sword (Ezekiel 21);

  7. two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and

  8. a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).

Events

Places

Philistia: An ancient people and region in Canaan

Glossary

Adultery Bride of Christ Ezekiel, Book of High Place Hittites Sexual Immorality

Topics

High Places: Licentious Practices At High Places: The Jews: Condemned for Building Lasciviousness: Figurative