Ezekiel 16:29 kjv
Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied therewith.
Ezekiel 16:29 nkjv
Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.
Ezekiel 16:29 niv
Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.
Ezekiel 16:29 esv
You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.
Ezekiel 16:29 nlt
You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren't satisfied.
Ezekiel 16 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 16:39 | I will give you also unto the hands of thy enemies: and they shall break down thy common places, and break down thy high places... | Judgment on Jerusalem for apostasy |
| Eze 16:41 | And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease playing the harlot, and thou shalt no more give hire. | Further description of destruction |
| Eze 16:57 | Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, that despise thee. | Jerusalem's prior shame |
| Jer 22:8-9 | And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God... | Consequence of covenant breaking |
| Jer 44:2-6 | Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah... because of the provocation of their anger against me... Therefore hath my wrath and mine anger been poured out upon this place, unto this day... | Judah's idolatry and judgment |
| Jer 49:13 | For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse... | Judgment on Bozrah |
| Jer 50:12 | Your mother shall be sore ashamed; she that bare you shall be confounded: behold the hindmost of the nations! a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Isa 3:8 | For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongues and their doings have provoked the LORD to wrath against the high heavens. | Jerusalem's ruin and Judah's fall |
| Isa 24:11-12 | There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. | Devastation of cities |
| Hos 2:3-5 | Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her in a dry land, and slay her with thirst. | God's judgment for unfaithfulness |
| Nah 2:10 | She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. | Nineveh's desolation |
| Nah 3:2 | The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the galloping chariots. | Violence in war |
| Rev 17:16 | And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. | Judgment on the Harlot City |
| Rev 18:16-17 | And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and was decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Rev 18:22-23 | And the voice of harpers and musicians and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee... and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee... | Commercial and vocal silence |
| Mic 3:12 | Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. | Judgment on Zion |
| Ps 137:8 | O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. | Curse against Babylon |
| Zeph 1:13 | And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees... | Punishment of complacency |
| Prov 11:31 | Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner. | Divine retribution |
| Prov 6:32 | But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doth it destroyeth his own soul. | Consequences of sin |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 29 Meaning
This verse describes the complete desolation and ruin of Jerusalem, indicating that after its destruction, it will be left completely empty and barren, a testament to God's judgment. It signifies the end of its prosperity and inhabitation.
Ezekiel 16 29 Context
Ezekiel chapter 16 presents a lengthy and graphic allegory of Jerusalem, portrayed as an unfaithful wife and harlot, illustrating her repeated betrayals of God through idolatry and sinful practices. The chapter traces Jerusalem's history from its origins, highlighting God's immense love and care bestowed upon a cast-off infant. However, Jerusalem, despite these mercies, prostitutes herself with neighboring nations. This specific verse, Ezekiel 16:29, falls within the section detailing the severe judgments that will befall Jerusalem due to its spiritual adultery and corrupt alliances. It directly follows descriptions of her whoring with Egyptians and Assyrians, leading into the prophecy of her impending downfall and utter desolation as a consequence of her extreme wickedness and alliances with pagan nations.
Ezekiel 16 29 Word Analysis
- And (וְ - ve): A conjunctive particle, connecting clauses or ideas, showing progression or consequence. Here it links the preceding accusations of unfaithfulness to the resulting devastation.
- thou shalt (תַּעֲשִׂי - ta'asi): Second person feminine singular imperfect verb from the root עָשָׂה ('asah), meaning "to do," "to make," or "to commit." It implies a future action or consequence for Jerusalem.
- multiply (הִרְבִּית - hirbit): Hiphil (causative) perfect verb from the root רָבָה (rabah), meaning "to be many" or "to multiply." In this context, it refers to making or engaging in an abundance of the sins described, specifically prostitution, as a business transaction.
- thy (קְצוּרַ֖יִךְ - qetsurayik): Possessive suffix attached to a noun, referring to Jerusalem.
- greatly (בִּגְבוּלִים - bigvullim): Literally "in borders" or "in boundaries," but here it denotes magnitude or excess, meaning "to a great degree" or "extensively." It emphasizes the widespread and intensive nature of her prostitutions. This could imply commercialized prostitution across city limits or into foreign territories.
- whoredom (וּמְזִנּוּתַ֗יִךְ - umzinutayik): A feminine plural noun from זְנוּת (zenut), meaning "whoredom," "fornication," or "idolatry." This term encompasses both literal sexual unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery through worshipping other gods or forming corrupt alliances.
- it (וּתְגִרִ֙י־ - utgiri): Niphal (passive) imperative verb from the root גּוּר (gur), meaning "to sojourn," "to abide," or "to move." The Niphal can indicate being stirred up or enticed. Here it implies the commercial enticement or solicitation of foreign nations into illicit relations with Jerusalem.
- harlotries (מִבִּלְעֲדֵ֤י - mibal'adei): Preposition meaning "from beyond" or "without."
- for (לוּלְאָ֣ךְ - lula'akh): Not a standard Hebrew word; likely a transcription error or variant. Scholars interpret this phrase in conjunction with the following words.
- love (אֹֽהֲבַיִךְ - 'ohavayik): Second person feminine singular imperfect verb from the root אָהַב ('ahav), meaning "to love."
- lovers (וּבְעָשִׂ֛ימָאִֽךְ - uve'asima'ikh): Plural noun from אָהֵב ('ahev), meaning "lover."
- for (גּֽוֹרִֽי - gori): Verb root meaning to "sojourn" or "abide." Combined with preceding elements, it speaks of Jerusalem causing foreign nations to dwell in or engage with her.
- others (מִבְּלִי - mibli): Preposition meaning "without."
- for (בִּהְיוֹתָ֑ךְ - bihyotak): Preposition plus a verbal noun from היה (hayah), meaning "being" or "while being."
Words-group analysis
- "multiply thy whoredom" (hirbit zenutayik): This phrase encapsulates the core of Jerusalem's sin – an active, pervasive engagement in unfaithfulness, both sexual and spiritual, going beyond mere occurrence to extensive practice.
- "and thou shalt cause them to be hired by" (utgiri mit'avayeikh): This speaks to the transactional nature of Jerusalem’s transgressions, actively seeking and soliciting payment from foreign nations for illicit relationships. It points to a commodification of her relationship with God.
- "lovers, and give them unto them, for thy bounty" (ohavayik uvitnas'ima'ikh mibla'adeh lahem lanachachah): This collective phrase emphasizes Jerusalem's agency in her prostitution. She not only received from lovers but also gave them away, or offered them freely, seeking gain rather than genuine affection or loyalty. The "bounty" suggests the reward or benefit sought from these alliances.
Ezekiel 16 29 Bonus Section
The prophecy here is deeply tied to the concept of a marital covenant between God and Israel. Just as a wife's infidelity brought shame and judgment in the ancient Near East, so did Jerusalem's spiritual adultery. The judgment described, a complete desolation, serves as a stark divine response to the absolute nature of her betrayal, echoing earlier pronouncements of doom against other disobedient nations in prophetic literature, though focused with particular intensity on Jerusalem because of her unique covenantal status. The imagery of selling oneself or offering oneself to others, as captured in the translation of some phrases, emphasizes a transactional degradation of her divine calling and position.
Ezekiel 16 29 Commentary
Jerusalem's sin was not passive but actively pursued and aggressively marketed. The "multiply" aspect highlights the increasing and rampant nature of her transgressions, turning sin into a way of life and a source of perceived profit. The verse reveals Jerusalem's enterprise in whoredom, essentially running a prostitution ring with nations. She didn't just engage in these acts; she profited from them and sought them out, treating her relationship with God as secondary to these corrupt transactions. This comprehensive commercialization of sin is why her judgment is absolute and complete. The nation, meant to be God's pure bride, became a willing and eager participant in the idolatrous and unholy practices of her neighbors, ultimately leading to her total desolation and the cessation of her "rent" or "payment" from her illicit affairs.