Ezekiel 16 20

Ezekiel 16:20 kjv

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

Ezekiel 16:20 nkjv

"Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter,

Ezekiel 16:20 niv

"?'And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?

Ezekiel 16:20 esv

And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter

Ezekiel 16:20 nlt

"Then you took your sons and daughters ? the children you had borne to me ? and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough?

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 20 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:20 portrays Jerusalem, personified as an unfaithful wife, committing the abominable act of sacrificing her own children to pagan deities. These children, divinely entrusted and "borne to Me" (God), were offered "for food" (as horrific sacrifices, often consumed by fire) to idols, thereby nourishing and appeasing them in pagan rituals. The rhetorical question, "Was this a small matter for your prostitution?", forcefully condemns the immense depravity and severe covenant betrayal, emphasizing that such an act was not a trivial sin but the pinnacle of her spiritual harlotry.

Ezekiel 16 20 Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 presents a vivid and graphic allegory of Jerusalem as a foundling girl, rescued, raised, and lavished with riches and beauty by God Himself. This depicts God's covenant with Israel. However, despite His overwhelming grace, Jerusalem becomes a treacherous "prostitute," using God's own gifts (wealth, beauty, reputation) to adorn idols and engage in spiritual adultery with other nations and their false gods. Verse 20 comes within the shocking escalation of her crimes, revealing the abhorrent peak of her betrayal: not merely worshiping other gods, but offering her own children—those consecrated to Yahweh by virtue of the covenant—as sacrifices to these detestable idols. Historically, child sacrifice was a prevalent and horrific practice among the Canaanites and Ammonites (e.g., to Molech) which Judah had adopted, defiling the land and utterly transgressing God's law. This verse underscores the deep cultural assimilation of paganism within Judah, reflecting an extreme level of rebellion against the covenant and the holiness of Yahweh.

Ezekiel 16 20 Word analysis

• And you took (וַתִּקְחִי֙ - va-tiqchi): The Hebrew verb emphasizes a deliberate, active, and willing choice by Jerusalem (personified as a female). This was not an accident but a willful act of betrayal.

• your sons and your daughters (בָנַ֥יִךְ וּבְנוֹתַ֖יִךְ - banayikh u-bnotayikh): Refers to actual, literal human children, born of the covenant people. This emphasizes the humanity and innocence of the victims, intensifying the horror.

• whom you had borne to Me (אֲשֶׁר־יָלַ֥דְתְּ לִ֖י - asher yālādet lî): This is a crucial, deeply significant phrase. Yālad means "to give birth." The "to Me" indicates divine paternity and covenant ownership. These children were regarded as belonging to God, His covenant offspring, His sacred trust to Jerusalem. They were holy because of their relationship with the Lord and their place within His people. Sacrificing them was an act of profound sacrilege against God Himself.

• and sacrificed them (וַתִּזְבָּלִֽים לָהֶ֛ם - va-tizbalîm lâhem): Zābach typically means "to slaughter for sacrifice." In this context of child sacrifice, it denotes a horrifying ritualistic murder. "Them" refers to the pagan gods or idols (cf. Eze 16:17-19, "male images" or phallic symbols, and "gods of gold and silver"). This was not a misguided worship of God, but an intentional turning to utterly foreign, demonic deities.

• to them for food (לְמַאֲכָ֑ל - le-ma’ăkhāl): Ma’ăkhāl means "food" or "nourishment." This deeply disturbing imagery describes the child's life being offered, consumed by the sacrificial fire, as "food" or "sustenance" for the pagan gods, a practice intended to appease or invigorate these false deities. It graphically underscores the gruesome nature of the ritual.

• Was this a small matter (הַמְעַ֖ט - ha-me`aṭ): Me`aṭ means "little," "small," "few." This rhetorical question implies the absolute opposite, powerfully emphasizing that this crime was no small sin but an enormous, colossal offense. It underscores God's utter contempt for such actions.

• for your prostitution? (תַזְנוּתָֽיִךְ׃ - taznutāyikh?): Taznût signifies spiritual harlotry, prostitution, and covenant unfaithfulness. Child sacrifice is presented as the apex, the ultimate act, of Jerusalem's spiritual prostitution and betrayal of God.

• "you took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne to Me": This phrase highlights Jerusalem's double treachery. First, taking children who were gifts and a sacred trust from God. Second, severing their rightful allegiance to the Creator by offering them to false gods. The emphasis on "borne to Me" asserts God's primary claim over these lives.

• "and sacrificed them to them for food": This powerfully connects child sacrifice to idolatry and demon worship. The idea of offering children as "food" for idols illustrates the depths of the depravity and the ultimate degradation of humanity when it turns from the true God.

• "Was this a small matter for your prostitution?": This rhetorical question serves as a climactic exclamation, an indignant cry from God. It highlights the incomprehensible evil and utter perversion of Jerusalem's actions, demonstrating that even among her extensive acts of spiritual adultery, child sacrifice stood out as a particularly egregious offense.

Ezekiel 16 20 Bonus section

The concept of children being "borne to Me" has significant implications. It not only establishes God's ultimate ownership and claim over all life, especially within His covenant people, but also emphasizes the special, sacred status of covenant children. Their sacrifice was therefore a direct attack on God's property, a desecration of what was holy to Him. This horrific act underscores the prophetic understanding that true idolatry often leads to unimaginable atrocities, demonstrating the corrupting power of substituting God with anything else. The rhetorical question at the end functions as a judicial pronouncement, not seeking an answer but underscoring the absolute and self-evident nature of Jerusalem's guilt and the unspeakable evil of her actions. This level of spiritual unfaithfulness stripped the nation of any moral high ground or claim to innocence.

Ezekiel 16 20 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:20 reveals the chilling zenith of Jerusalem's apostasy. In God's allegorical indictment, He contrasts His tender care in raising her with her heinous ingratitude, culminating in child sacrifice. The children, inherently consecrated to God as "borne to Me," symbolized the covenant people's sacred lineage and identity. Offering them to pagan gods, consuming them by fire as "food" for idols, represented the ultimate rejection of life and devotion to the one true God, substituting His life-giving covenant for death-dealing paganism. This was not a minor deviation but the epitome of "prostitution"—a complete sell-out of spiritual and physical loyalty. The verse lays bare the depth of spiritual depravity, where divine gifts were not just misused but brutally inverted, making God's offspring fuel for the false gods that oppressed the nations, thus crossing a line of no return in defiling both humanity and the divine relationship.