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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 16:15 | But you put your trust in your own beauty and became a harlot... | Jerusalem's pride and spiritual adultery |
| Jeremiah 2:33 | How well you arrange your ways to seek love! even your ways you taught the adulteresses. | Jerusalem's unfaithfulness as a pattern |
| Hosea 1:2 | Go, take yourself a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom... | Israel's unfaithfulness symbolized |
| Hosea 2:5 | For their mother has acted shamefully; She who conceived them has acted blushingly... | Figurative language for spiritual adultery |
| Micah 1:7 | And all her wages she will burn in the fire; She will become a ruin... | Consequences of idolatry |
| Isaiah 23:16 | "At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as the song of the harlot says..." | Tyre's downfall similar to spiritual unfaithfulness |
| Revelation 17:1 | Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot... | Prophetic imagery of end-time apostasy |
| Ezekiel 16:16 | You even took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful heights... | The corrupt practices stemming from her self-reliance |
| Jeremiah 3:1-3 | "If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man's, may he return to her again? ... Yet you... committed adultery with many lovers. | Israel's repeated sin of forsaking God |
| Ezekiel 23:5-7 | "Admah gave herself to whoring; then she, and after her Shallum the son of Korah... Jerusalem saw it and she was jealous. | Sister cities also engaged in similar sins |
| Lamentations 1:1-2 | How she sits solitary, the once great city, Now like a widow!... Jerusalem wept bitterly... | The desolation resulting from her actions |
| Psalm 106:39 | Thus they became defiled with their ways, And played the harlot with their deeds. | Description of Israel's apostasy |
| Isaiah 57:3-8 | "But you, draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!..." | Condemnation of idolatry and spiritual prostitution |
| Romans 7:2-3 | For the wife who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives... so that she is not adulterous, unless she has united with another man. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband, so that she is not an adulteress, unless she has united with another man. | Marriage analogy for the covenant relationship with God |
| 2 Corinthians 11:2 | For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. | Paul's pastoral care, framing believers as the bride of Christ |
| Ephesians 5:27 | that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. | Christ's ultimate goal for the church |
| Revelation 14:4 | These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins... | Purity of those who follow the Lamb |
| Hosea 4:12-14 | My people consult their wooden idols, And their] diviner's staff informs them... they commit whoredom and do not cease... | The pervasive nature of their idolatry |
| Nahum 3:4 | "Because of the multitude of the harlotries of the well-favored harlot, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries." | Tyre's exploitation described similarly |
| Isaiah 30:1-3 | "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who devise a plan, but not of My Spirit, And make a covering, but not of My Spirit, To add sin to sin..." | Alliance with Egypt as a spiritual betrayal |
| Ezekiel 23:45 | "The righteous will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and their hands are stained with blood." | The severity of judgment for spiritual adultery |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 15 Meaning
This verse describes Jerusalem's utter depravity, likening its infidelity to a woman who prostituted herself, using her beauty and reputation as a means of self-gratification and self-elevation, engaging in idol worship and spiritual fornication with multiple lovers (nations).
Ezekiel 16 15 Context
This verse is found within Ezekiel chapter 16, a powerful and extended allegory where the prophet uses the imagery of Jerusalem as a harlot to expose the depth of her sin and unfaithfulness to God. The chapter details Jerusalem's journey from humble beginnings to pride and ultimate disgrace. This specific verse highlights the turning point where Jerusalem, once favored and adorned by God, begins to exploit her own allure and God-given blessings for selfish gain and association with pagan nations and their idolatrous practices. Historically, Jerusalem's "lovers" refer to the surrounding nations and empires (like Egypt and Assyria/Babylon) with whom Israel often made political and religious alliances, straying from their exclusive covenant with Yahweh.
Ezekiel 16 15 Word Analysis
But (וְאַתְּ): (ve-at) "and you" or "but you." Introduces a contrast to a previous state or expectation.
you (אַתְּ): (at) Second person feminine singular pronoun. Directly addresses Jerusalem.
put your trust (בָּטַחַתְּ): (bataḥat) Past tense, second person feminine singular of baṭaḥ. Meaning to trust, feel secure, rely on, have confidence in. Implies a misplaced reliance, not on God, but on self.
in your own beauty (בְּיָפְיֵךְ): (b'yif'yakh) "in your beauty." Refers to both physical attractiveness and the blessings and resources God bestowed upon Jerusalem, which she perverted.
and became (וַתִּהְיִי): (vat'hiyi) "and you became" or "and you were." Consecutive past tense, second person feminine singular of hâya. Indicates a transformation resulting from her misplaced trust.
a harlot (לְזוֹנָה): (l'zonah) "for a harlot," "to whoredom." The feminine noun zonah signifies a harlot, prostitute. It's used here metaphorically for spiritual infidelity, prostitution to other gods and nations.
and you prostitute yourself (וַתִּזְנִ֗י): (vatzni) Future consecutive, second person feminine singular of zanah. "and you committed whoredom." Directly links her actions to the state of being a harlot. It describes continuous adulterous activity.
to everyone (לְכָל־עֹבֵר): (l'kol-ovér) "to everyone passing by," "to every passer-by." Emphasizes the widespread and indiscriminate nature of her spiritual adultery and alliances. Anyone or any nation was an object of her desire for alliance or idolatry.
Word-group analysis: "put your trust in your own beauty and became a harlot and you prostitute yourself to everyone passing by" encapsulates the core sin of spiritual adultery fueled by self-sufficiency and a turning away from exclusive devotion to God. This sequence of thought highlights cause (trust in self) and effect (prostitution to all).
Ezekiel 16 15 Bonus Section
The metaphor of harlotry for spiritual unfaithfulness is pervasive in the Old Testament, particularly in prophetic books like Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. It underscores the relational aspect of God's covenant with Israel—akin to a marriage vow. Jerusalem's actions are not just ritualistic impurity but a deep betrayal of intimate commitment. The imagery also points to a transactional and exploitative spirit; a harlot sells her favors, just as Israel often traded spiritual devotion for political advantage or the allure of pagan worship. The persistent repetition of "you put your trust," "became a harlot," and "you prostitute yourself" emphasizes the deliberate and habitual nature of Jerusalem's sin, painting a grim picture of spiritual decay.
Ezekiel 16 15 Commentary
Jerusalem's "beauty" refers to the exceptional favor God had shown her, including her strategic location, covenant relationship, and the blessings He provided. Instead of cherishing these gifts as a testament to God's faithfulness and dedicating them to His service, she viewed them as inherent assets she could leverage independently. This led to her prostituting herself spiritually, seeking alliances and protection from pagan nations and adopting their idolatrous practices. This mirrors how individuals can take God's gifts for personal glory or seek fulfillment in worldly means rather than God Himself, leading to spiritual impurity and broken fellowship.