Ezekiel 16:11 kjv
I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Ezekiel 16:11 nkjv
I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck.
Ezekiel 16:11 niv
I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck,
Ezekiel 16:11 esv
And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
Ezekiel 16:11 nlt
I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces,
Ezekiel 16 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:12 | The LORD will open for you His good storehouse... | Divine provision and blessing. |
| Isa 61:10 | ...He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. | God's spiritual adornment for His people. |
| Hos 2:8 | For she did not know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil; and I lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. | Misuse of God's gifts for idolatry. |
| Rom 8:32 | He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? | God's boundless giving. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... | God as the source of all blessings. |
| Isa 54:5 | For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name... | God as the divine Husband. |
| Jer 2:2 | ...I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness... | Initial covenant love. |
| Hos 2:19-20 | I will betroth you to Me forever... in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy. | Covenant relationship and faithfulness. |
| Eph 5:25-27 | ...Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her... that He might present her to Himself as a glorious church... | Christ's love and preparation of the Church. |
| Rev 19:7-8 | ...the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready. It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen... | The Church adorned for heavenly marriage. |
| Rev 21:2 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. | New Jerusalem as an adorned bride. |
| Psa 45:13-14 | The king's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. In embroidered attire she is led to the king... | Imagery of a royal bride. |
| Song 1:10 | Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. | Poetic description of adornment. |
| Song 4:9 | You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. | Imagery of beauty and love with adornments. |
| 1 Pet 3:3-4 | Do not let your adornment be merely outward... rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty... | Emphasis on inner spiritual adornment. |
| Psa 149:4 | For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. | God beautifies His chosen. |
| Zech 9:16 | For the LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they are the jewels of a crown, sparkling in His land. | God's people as precious jewels. |
| Mal 3:17 | "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I make them My treasured possession..." | God's people as His valuable possession. |
| Prov 10:22 | The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. | True source of prosperity. |
| Ezek 16:16-19 | But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot... and with your richly adorned garments you made for yourself images... | Jerusalem's misuse of God's gifts. |
| Exod 33:4-6 | ...the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward. | Removal of adornment as mourning/repentance. |
| Gen 24:22 | And it came about, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel and two bracelets for her wrists... | Betrothal gifts in ancient culture. |
| Isa 49:18 | ...You will clothe yourself with all of them as with an ornament; and like a bride you will bind them on. | Metaphor of adorning oneself like a bride. |
| Jer 4:30 | ...though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain you beautify yourself... | Failed self-beautification in sin. |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 11 Meaning
Ezekiel 16:11 depicts God's lavish adornment of Jerusalem, personified as a young woman He found desolate. This verse is part of an extended allegory where God recounts His compassionate adoption, gracious provision, and the elevation of her status, symbolically preparing her for a covenant relationship. The specific items – ornaments, bracelets, and a neck chain – signify wealth, beauty, and the dignity bestowed upon her by God's benevolence, transforming her into a queenly bride.
Ezekiel 16 11 Context
Ezekiel chapter 16 is an extended prophetic allegory directly addressing Jerusalem. It vividly describes God's covenant relationship with the city, personified as an infant found abandoned and covered in blood, whom God rescued, cleaned, raised, and later adorned as His bride. Verses 6-8 depict God's compassionate salvation and establishment of a covenant (marriage) with her. Verses 9-14 detail the elaborate preparation and adornment bestowed upon her, symbolizing the prosperity, beauty, and exalted status Israel enjoyed under God's blessing. Verse 11 specifically lists a part of this luxurious ornamentation, emphasizing the totality and preciousness of God's gifts. This background is crucial for understanding the stark contrast with Jerusalem's subsequent apostasy and "harlotry" described from verse 15 onwards, where she used these very gifts for idolatry, making her sin appear all the more egregious given the unparalleled divine grace shown to her. Historically, this refers to Israel's transformation from a nomadic people into a prosperous nation, richly blessed by God in their land.
Ezekiel 16 11 Word analysis
- I (Hebrew: וָאֶעְדֵּךְ, vā'e'dek - from 'adah (עָדָה), with the prefixed "I" showing the first person singular past tense): This pronoun emphatically highlights the divine actor. It is God Himself who initiates and performs this act of adornment. It emphasizes His personal investment and loving action.
- decked (Hebrew: וָאֶעְדֵּךְ, vā'e'dek - to deck, adorn, array): Signifies deliberate and elaborate beautification. It is more than just "put on"; it conveys an intention to make splendid and attractive, indicating the honor God bestowed.
- thee (Hebrew: -ךְ, -ḵ - your/thee, attached to vā'e'dek): Refers to Jerusalem, personified as a female. The direct address underscores God's personal relationship with and focus on her.
- also (Implicit in the Hebrew, contextually adding to the list of blessings): Connects this specific act of adorning with previous actions of washing, anointing, and clothing. It denotes continuation of divine care.
- with ornaments (Hebrew: עֲדִי, 'adi - ornament, jewelry): A general term for articles of personal adornment. This comprehensive word suggests a full range of precious items, denoting luxury and completeness in her beautification.
- and I put (Hebrew: וָאֶתֵּן, vā'etēn - and I gave/put): Another clear action by God. It signifies bestowing, granting, or placing. The repetition of "I" continues the emphasis on divine initiative.
- bracelets (Hebrew: צְמִידִים, tz'mīdīm - bracelets, armlets): These were significant items of jewelry in the ancient Near East, often given as gifts of betrothal (Gen 24:22 for Rebekah). Their presence on "hands" signifies accessibility and visibility, proclaiming status.
- upon thy hands (Hebrew: עַל־יָדַיִךְ, 'al-yāḏayiḵ): Explicitly stating the location, symbolizing possession, action, and public display of the gifts. The hands are often associated with deeds and offerings, highlighting what God enabled her to do or what was given into her control.
- and a chain (Hebrew: וְרָבִיד, və-rāḇīḏ - and a necklace/chain/torque): A prominent and valuable piece of jewelry, typically signifying royalty, status, or special favor (like Joseph's chain in Gen 41:42). Its position around the neck makes it a highly visible status symbol.
- on thy neck (Hebrew: עַל־צַוָּארֵךְ, 'al-tzavārēḵ): The neck is a central, prominent part of the body. A chain here powerfully communicated the wearer's elevated status, pride, and perhaps a subtle link to the covenant as a form of "yoke" or commitment.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "I decked thee also with ornaments": This phrase establishes God as the sovereign giver of all beauty and prestige to Jerusalem. "Decked" ('adah) is a rich verb, signifying an elaborate process of enhancement, not just superficial addition. The general term "ornaments" encompasses a multitude of precious items, implying a total transformation.
- "and I put bracelets upon thy hands": This act is specific and significant. Bracelets (tz'mīdīm) were culturally potent, often betrothal gifts, directly hinting at the covenant relationship God entered with Jerusalem. Placed "upon thy hands" makes them visible to all, signaling her new elevated status and perhaps a hint of the work God's people were equipped to do.
- "and a chain on thy neck": The chain (rāḇīḏ) is another marker of high status, often royalty or high office. Worn "on thy neck," it would be prominently displayed, symbolizing Jerusalem's newfound majesty and importance under God's care. This emphasizes her royal adornment, making her a figure of honor and admiration in the sight of nations.
Ezekiel 16 11 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "decked," 'adah (עָדָה), is rooted in the idea of passing on or proceeding. When used for adornment, it implies a comprehensive process of dressing, arranging, and decorating someone, suggesting that God didn't just passively give gifts, but actively and intentionally brought about Jerusalem's magnificent appearance. This active involvement by God underscores His commitment to elevating her status. Furthermore, the combination of a general term for "ornaments" ('adi) followed by specific items like "bracelets" (tz'mīdīm) and a "chain" (rāḇīḏ) illustrates both the overall richness and the culturally specific, recognizable tokens of a beloved bride or a queen. The repeated use of "I" in these action verbs emphasizes divine agency, setting a clear boundary between Jerusalem's unworthiness and God's initiative, a theological truth echoed throughout the biblical narrative concerning salvation and blessing.
Ezekiel 16 11 Commentary
Ezekiel 16:11 reveals the profound extent of God's love and generosity towards Jerusalem. It paints a picture of deliberate and lavish divine provision, transforming a desolate and abandoned entity into a regal and beautiful bride. The adornments—general ornaments, specific bracelets, and a prominent neck chain—are not merely aesthetic embellishments. They are symbolic of the prosperity, honor, and prestige that God sovereignly bestowed upon Israel. This verse stands as a powerful testament to God's covenant faithfulness and the undeserved favor (grace) shown to a people who had nothing to commend them. The meticulous detail in describing these gifts emphasizes their value and significance, setting up a tragic contrast with Jerusalem's later actions of using these very divine blessings as instruments for her spiritual "harlotry" with other gods (Ezek 16:15ff). Thus, the verse highlights not only God's immense goodness but also implicitly magnifies the grievousness of Israel's unfaithfulness.
- Example: Think of a destitute orphan adopted by a king, not only granted a new family but also lavished with royal garments and jewels, preparing them for a life of privilege and partnership in the kingdom. God's treatment of Israel was similarly generous and transformative.