Ezekiel 16 26

Ezekiel 16:26 kjv

Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

Ezekiel 16:26 nkjv

You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger.

Ezekiel 16:26 niv

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity.

Ezekiel 16:26 esv

You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger.

Ezekiel 16:26 nlt

Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 26 Meaning

This verse describes Jerusalem's pervasive spiritual adultery, likening her lewd practices to those of the surrounding nations and her pagan devotion as exceeding even them. Her unfaithfulness was not merely imitation but a passionate pursuit of her idols, deeply embedded in her being and public life.

Ezekiel 16 26 Context

Ezekiel 16 presents a detailed allegory of Jerusalem. God, like a husband, finds a deserted infant and raises her. Jerusalem grows into a beautiful bride but then shamefully engages in widespread idolatry and immorality, depicted as spiritual harlotry. Chapter 16 describes her sins progressively, emphasizing her unique and excessive apostasy. Verse 26 is a crucial point where Jerusalem's spiritual promiscuity with Egypt is highlighted, serving as the starting point of her pervasive unfaithfulness. This was deeply offensive to the original audience as it mirrored and even surpassed the perceived wickedness of the surrounding pagan nations.

Ezekiel 16 26 Word analysis

• You (את you): Direct address to Jerusalem.
• built (בנית you built): Indicates active construction and establishment of facilities for illicit worship.
• for yourself (לך for you/to yourself): Personal and self-directed lust and motivation.
• a place (מקום place): Refers to locations for sexual rites and idol worship.
• of assembly (מקום fornications/lewdness): In the Hebrew, this phrase literally translates to "place of prostitution" or "place of lewdness." It signifies spaces explicitly designed for sexual immorality and cultic prostitution associated with pagan religions.
• and you made (ולח והוה and you made): Emphasizes further actions contributing to the sin.
• your (עם your): Possession belonging to Jerusalem.
• adultery (בעדך fornications): This refers to sexual immorality and lewd practices, encompassing both literal fornication and spiritual unfaithfulness to God. It points to the perversion of relational purity.
• with (את with/from): Indicates association and mingling with other nations in their sinful practices.
• the sons of Egypt (בני מצרים the sons of Egypt): Refers to the Egyptians and their pagan religious customs.
• in your (מנובי their lusts): Directly linked to the corrupt desires and sexual licentiousness of the Egyptians, which Jerusalem emulated.
• lewdness (תועבת toevat, detestable things): Highlights the abhorrent and detestable nature of these actions from God's perspective. This term is frequently used in Leviticus for abominations.
• and (ורק and): Conjunction linking one corrupt practice to another.
• increased (הוספת added): Suggests not just participation but an active and eager addition to sin.
• your (על and you multiply your): Possessive.
• harlotry (זנות fornications/harlotry): Reinforces the theme of spiritual prostitution and unfaithfulness to the covenant.
• in your (גדול from greatly): Intensifier, signifying a great or extreme degree.
• great (עוני your iniquity): Points to deep-seated rebellion and wickedness.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "built for yourself a place of assembly for lewdness": This phrase depicts the deliberate construction of sites specifically for pagan rituals that involved sexual immorality. It wasn't incidental sin but institutionalized sin. The "assembly" aspect suggests public and communal engagement in these detestable practices.
• "and you made your adultery with the sons of Egypt": This signifies a deep commingling with the lustful practices of Egypt. "Adultery" here extends beyond physical betrayal to include covenantal betrayal of God. The implication is that Jerusalem was not merely influenced but actively sought out these foreign abominations.
• "and increased your harlotry from their lusts": This points to Jerusalem's exceeding Egypt's own depravity. It wasn't enough to participate; Jerusalem "added" to the lewdness, indicating a zealous pursuit and amplification of these sins driven by the allure of foreign "lusts." This shows a greater deviation from God's covenant compared to the nations she imitated.

Ezekiel 16 26 Bonus section

The imagery of spiritual harlotry is a recurring theme in the Old Testament prophets, used to convey the deep violation of the covenant between God and Israel. This verse sets the stage for further accusations against Jerusalem for her unfaithfulness, linking her specific sins to broader patterns of foreign influence and pagan assimilation. The use of "adultery" and "harlotry" underlines the relational aspect of the covenant; it was not just about law-keeping but about loyalty and intimacy with God.

Ezekiel 16 26 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:26 uses powerful imagery to indict Jerusalem for its deep spiritual infidelity. The construction of places for lewdness speaks of intentional and organized apostasy. Jerusalem did not just succumb to influence; it actively pursued and embraced the detestable practices of Egypt, a nation known for its complex pantheon and fertility cults, which often included ritual prostitution. The verse emphasizes that Jerusalem's sin was not merely participation but an exacerbation of these evils, outdoing even its pagan tutors. This highlights the gravity of betraying a covenant relationship with the Holy God for the base practices of the surrounding nations, illustrating a profound corruption of identity and purpose.