Ezekiel 16:15 kjv
But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Ezekiel 16:15 nkjv
"But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.
Ezekiel 16:15 niv
"?'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.
Ezekiel 16:15 esv
"But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his.
Ezekiel 16:15 nlt
"But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking.
Ezekiel 16 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hos 2:5-7 | For their mother has played the harlot... they pursued their lovers. | Israel's unfaithfulness as spiritual harlotry. |
| Jer 3:6-9 | She played the harlot with every luxuriant tree and stone... for with adulterous hearts. | Judah's repeated idolatry and harlotry. |
| Isa 1:21 | How the faithful city has become a harlot! She who was full of justice. | Jerusalem's transformation into an idolatress. |
| Rev 17:1-5 | ...the great prostitute who is seated on many waters... with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality. | The Harlot Babylon, an allegory of spiritual corruption. |
| Jas 4:4 | You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? | Friendship with the world as spiritual adultery. |
| Deut 31:16-18 | This people will rise and whore after the foreign gods of the land... and they will forsake me. | Moses' prophecy of Israel's future unfaithfulness. |
| Exod 34:15-16 | lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land... and when they whore after their gods... | Warning against alliances leading to idolatry. |
| Judg 2:17 | ...they quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked... to whore after other gods. | Early Israel's pattern of abandoning God. |
| Ps 106:39 | Thus they became unclean by their acts and played the harlot in their deeds. | Impurity and spiritual prostitution through actions. |
| Eze 23:3, 8, 11 | They played the harlot in Egypt; they played the harlot in their youth. | Allegory of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah (Samaria & Jerusalem). |
| Nah 3:4 | ...because of the countless harlotries of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms. | Nineveh condemned for its seduction and idolatry. |
| Prov 7:10-12 | She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market. | Description of an unfaithful woman's behavior. |
| Deut 32:15 | But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek... then he forsook God. | Prosperity leading to pride and apostasy. |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other. | The impossibility of serving both God and idols/world. |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality... and covetousness, which is idolatry. | Covetousness equating to idolatry. |
| 1 Jn 2:15-16 | Do not love the world or the things in the world... the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. | Warning against worldliness, which includes pride and seeking worldly glory. |
| Rev 2:14, 20 | ...you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam... to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. | Spiritual immorality linked to idolatry within the church. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. | Direct admonition against idolatry. |
| Jer 2:36 | Why do you go about so much to change your way? You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were by Assyria. | Seeking foreign alliances rather than trusting God. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-12 | For when the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God... they feared other gods. | Historical account of Israel's persistent idolatry. |
| Isa 47:8 | Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." | Babylon's pride and self-sufficiency leading to spiritual downfall. |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 15 Meaning
Ezekiel 16:15 vividly depicts Jerusalem's spiritual fall, illustrating how, despite God's lavish adornment and exaltation, she turned away from Him. The verse conveys that Jerusalem, corrupted by pride in her God-given beauty and renown among nations, betrayed her covenant with the Lord by engaging in widespread idolatry and seeking alliances with pagan powers. She prostituted her divine blessings, which were intended for God's glory, by shamefully offering them to every passing idol and nation.
Ezekiel 16 15 Context
Ezekiel Chapter 16 is an extended allegory portraying Jerusalem as a rejected infant rescued, nurtured, and adorned by God into a stunning young woman. The preceding verses (1-14) detail God's merciful adoption of Jerusalem, her growth under His providential care, and His lavishing of magnificent blessings upon her, making her supremely beautiful and famous among nations. Verse 15 marks a devastating turning point: despite being adorned and made beautiful by God, Jerusalem betrays Him. Her "beauty" and "renown," which were results of God's favor and meant for His glory, became sources of pride and temptation, leading her into spiritual harlotry. This harlotry signifies Israel's historical pattern of idolatry, turning away from Yahweh to worship foreign gods, and forming treacherous political alliances with pagan nations instead of relying on Him. The allegory condemns Israel's profound ingratitude and covenant unfaithfulness after experiencing unprecedented divine grace.
Ezekiel 16 15 Word analysis
- But you trusted (וַתִּבְטְחִי֙ - wattib'ṭəḥî):
וַתִּבְטְחִי(wattib'ṭəḥî) is from the root בטח (bāṭaḥ), meaning "to trust, to be confident, to feel secure."- Significance: This verb denotes a fundamental shift in reliance. Instead of trusting in God, who provided everything, Jerusalem placed her confidence in her own perceived strengths and advantages. This misplaced trust is the root of her apostasy. It implies a sense of self-sufficiency and autonomy from God.
- in your beauty (עַל־יׇפְיֵ֔ךְ - ʿal-yāp̄yēḵ):
יׇפְיֵךְ(yāp̄yēḵ) means "your beauty," from יֹפִי (yōp̄ī).- Significance: Refers to Jerusalem's external splendor, wealth, prosperity, and status, all gifts from God as detailed in the preceding verses. Instead of glorifying God for these blessings, she took pride in them and attributed them to herself or other forces, turning the gifts into an object of idolatry. This highlights the danger of relying on or becoming proud of divine blessings.
- and played the harlot (וַתִּזְנִי֙ - wattiznî):
וַתִּזְנִי(wattiznî) is from זָנָה (zānâ), meaning "to commit fornication, to play the harlot," used frequently in the prophets metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and covenant breaking.- Significance: This is the core accusation. It denotes a grave act of betrayal in the covenant relationship, likened to a spouse committing adultery. It represents Israel's worship of foreign gods and seeking alliances with pagan nations, thereby abandoning her singular devotion to Yahweh. It's a shocking and potent metaphor highlighting the personal and intimate nature of their offense against God.
- because of your renown (וַתִּזְנִי֙ עַל־שְׁמֵ֔ךְ - wattiznî ʿal-šmêḵ - part of "played the harlot because of your renown"):
שְׁמֵךְ(šmêḵ) means "your renown/name," from שֵׁם (šēm), meaning "name, reputation, fame."- Significance: Jerusalem's fame and exalted status among nations, also bestowed by God, became another catalyst for her unfaithfulness. She used her reputation not to honor God, but to enhance her appeal to foreign powers and to boast in herself, contributing to her downfall. Her external success led to internal corruption.
- and lavished your harlotries (וַתִּשְׁפְּכִ֥י אֶת־תַּזְנוּתַ֖יִךְ - wattišpəḵî ʾeṯ-taznûtayiḵ):
וַתִּשְׁפְּכִ֥י(wattišpəḵî) is from שׁפך (šāp̄ak), meaning "to pour out, spill."תַּזְנוּתַ֖יִךְ(taznûtayiḵ) means "your harlotries," the plural form emphasizing multiple and abundant acts of prostitution/unfaithfulness.- Significance: The image is of reckless and abundant waste, of senselessly scattering her favors. It suggests not just occasional or hidden acts of unfaithfulness but an unrestrained, blatant, and widespread abandonment to idolatry and foreign alliances, offered without reservation or shame.
- on everyone who passed by (עַל־כׇּל־עוֹבֵ֥ר - ʿal-kāl-ʿōwḇēr):
עוֹבֵ֥ר(ʿōwḇēr) means "one who passes by," participle of עבר (ʿābar), "to pass over."- Significance: This indicates indiscriminacy and shamelessness. Jerusalem did not target specific or powerful nations but offered herself to any "passerby"—any god, any nation, however fleeting or insignificant—revealing the depth of her moral and spiritual degradation. Her unfaithfulness was public and promiscuous, showing a complete lack of regard for her unique relationship with God.
- your beauty became his (לַ֥הֶם הִיא֙ הָיָֽתָה - lāhem hî hāyāṯāh - ESV's "your beauty became his" simplifies; original reads more like "it was theirs"):
- The literal Hebrew phrase "וַיְהִי לְךָ שִׁמְעָךְ" in some translations, particularly Targum and Vulgate, suggests "your renown was for them." In the Masoretic Text, the concluding phrase of v.15 often rendered as "your beauty became his" (ESV) or "you became a whore for him" (NIV) has textual variants and interpretations. Many interpret it as her beauty, her distinct status, becoming a commodity, a tool for her harlotries for anyone who would take it, effectively nullifying its sacred, divine origin and intended purpose.
- Significance: Her sacred, God-given splendor and unique status, intended solely for the Lord, were utterly squandered and appropriated by her numerous paramours (false gods, foreign nations). This act debased her distinctiveness, reducing her to a common entity readily available to anyone. It reflects a complete loss of integrity and loyalty.
Ezekiel 16 15 Bonus section
- Idolatry as Betrayal: The consistent use of "harlotry" and "adultery" throughout Ezekiel 16 and other prophetic books emphasizes that idolatry is not merely a violation of law, but a profound and personal betrayal of the intimate, covenantal love relationship between God and His people. It reveals the heart's devotion (or lack thereof).
- The Shocking Allegory: The vivid and offensive language used in Ezekiel 16 was intentionally scandalous to shock the exiles into confronting the severity of Israel's spiritual infidelity and to understand God's righteous judgment. It aimed to strip away any self-justification or denial.
- Misappropriation of Divine Gifts: The core sin described is the misuse of God's blessings. Jerusalem's gifts of beauty and renown were not evil in themselves, but her self-reliant pride caused her to direct these gifts away from God and towards false gods and self-glorification, transforming instruments of blessing into tools of betrayal.
Ezekiel 16 15 Commentary
Ezekiel 16:15 marks the pivotal betrayal in God's allegory of Jerusalem. Having been lifted from abject abandonment and adorned with unparalleled beauty and renown by God's grace (vv. 1-14), Jerusalem—representing Israel—succumbed to the insidious sin of pride and self-sufficiency. Her "beauty" (referring to her physical splendor, wealth, and unique covenant status) and "renown" (her respected position among nations) became idols themselves. Instead of acknowledging these as divine gifts and responding with gratitude and loyalty, she trusted in them, thus implicitly trusting in herself, thereby shifting her reliance from God to her own perceived attributes. This spiritual hubris inevitably led to "playing the harlot."
"Harlotry" here is the prophetic metaphor for covenant unfaithfulness: rampant idolatry, engaging in the worship of foreign gods (Baal, Asherah, Moloch) with their abhorrent practices, and forming political alliances with pagan nations like Egypt and Assyria, rather than depending solely on Yahweh. The "lavishing of harlotries on everyone who passed by" accentuates the indiscriminate and audacious nature of her sin. It wasn't just occasional lapses but a widespread, unreserved, and public surrender to anything that offered perceived gain or pleasure, regardless of its affront to God. This meant Jerusalem offered her God-given advantages and blessings—her very essence of distinction as God's chosen—to defiling powers. Her unique "beauty" meant for God's glory became a tool for her spiritual prostitution, demonstrating the profound degradation of turning divine favor into an instrument of rebellion.
This verse stands as a stark warning: God's blessings, if not received with humility and used for His glory, can become stepping stones to pride and ultimately lead to grievous unfaithfulness and apostasy.