Ezekiel 16 30

Ezekiel 16:30 kjv

How weak is thine heart, saith the LORD GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;

Ezekiel 16:30 nkjv

"How degenerate is your heart!" says the Lord GOD, "seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.

Ezekiel 16:30 niv

"?'I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!

Ezekiel 16:30 esv

"How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute,

Ezekiel 16:30 nlt

"What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 30 Meaning

This verse depicts Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife who has engaged in scandalous conduct by lusting after and prostituting herself to many lovers, both nearby nations and those from afar. It emphasizes her public display of impurity and her brazen pursuit of forbidden alliances and associations, reflecting a deep spiritual adultery against God.

Ezekiel 16 30 Context

In Ezekiel chapter 16, the prophet uses an extended allegory of Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife to condemn her sins and predict her judgment. The chapter begins by tracing Jerusalem's origin from birth and adoption by God. It then details her flourishing and the blessings God bestowed upon her. However, the focus quickly shifts to her subsequent unfaithfulness. Verses 23-34 specifically elaborate on the nature and extent of her idolatry and syncretism, which are depicted as sexual immorality and prostitution. This particular verse, Ezekiel 16:30, falls within this section of condemnation, describing the depth of her spiritual depravity through the metaphor of excessive lust and widespread illicit relationships with foreign nations. The immediate context is God recounting the specific actions that led to his judgment against Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 16 30 Word Analysis

• וְאִנְיָֽנִךְ (və'înyānic — "and your impurity," "your lust" or "your shame"): The root idea of 'inyeh (עִנְיָה) can relate to affliction or distress, but here in relation to 'ḥāṭā' (חָטָא, sin) and related terms in prophetic literature, it conveys a sense of moral impurity and debauchery.
• נַ֫עַרְתְּ (naʿărět — "you committed wantonness," "you acted licentiously"): From the root root nāʿar (נַ֫עַר), which can mean "to shake off" or "to be young." Here it describes unrestrained, youthful, or giddy conduct that devolves into immoral actions, a wanton behavior.
• בְּהִתְמַכְּרֵךְ (bəhitmakrêk — "by selling yourself," "by prostituting yourself"): From the Niphal (passive) stem of mākar (מָכַר), meaning "to sell." The intensive reflexive sense (hitpa'el, here in Niphal for reflexivity/reciprocity) implies actively making oneself available or dedicating oneself to prostitution.
• לָהֶם (lāhêm — "to them"): Refers to the foreign nations mentioned previously and alluded to in the preceding verses.
• וּבִטַּמְאוּ (ūḇiṭṭammə'ū — "and you defiled yourself," "and you made yourself impure"): From the Niphal stem of ṭāme' (טָמֵא), meaning "to be unclean" or "to be defiled." It indicates a state of ritual or moral impurity resulting from her actions.
• בְּצֶלֶם (bəṣelem — "by their idols," "by their shameful images"): This is a significant word. While 'ṣelem' (צֶלֶם) typically means "image" or "likeness," in this context, and with the verb of defilement, it strongly suggests association with idols and the impurity connected to their worship, possibly the cultic objects or the licentious practices associated with them. The LXX renders it as "unseemly," which points to shameless acts.
• נֶעֱלָתִֽים (neʿălātîm — "obscene," "shameful," "impure actions"): From the root 'ālah (עָלָה), which means "to go up." Here it describes actions that are flagrant, exposed, or excessively shameful, perhaps implying a public and brazen nature of her sin, going "above board" in her impropriety.

Word Group Analysis

• "your impurity / lust... by selling yourself to them": This phrase emphasizes the active, volitional nature of Jerusalem's sin. She didn't merely fall into sin; she deliberately prostituted herself, metaphorically selling her devotion and loyalty to foreign gods and nations, just as a harlot sells her body.
• "and you defiled yourself by their idols / their shameful images": This connects her spiritual adultery directly to idolatry. The "shameful images" could refer to the idols themselves, the impure cultic practices associated with them (like fertility rites), or the sinful acts that resulted from her worship of these deities. It signifies a debasement of her spiritual state and her relationship with God.

Ezekiel 16 30 Bonus Section

The metaphor of God as a husband and Israel as his wife is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, particularly prominent in Jeremiah, Hosea, and Ezekiel. This chapter elaborates significantly on this covenantal relationship and its violation. The description of "their shameful images" could allude to the cultic prostitution (hierodules) practiced in Canaanite and other pagan religions, which often involved sexual acts as part of worship. Jerusalem's sin was not just political alliance but spiritual adoption of these foreign religious practices, seen as a perversion of her sacred covenant with Yahweh. The term "defiled yourself" carries strong connotations of spiritual and ritual impurity that alienated her from God's presence and blessing.

Ezekiel 16 30 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:30 underscores the severe spiritual whoredom of Jerusalem. Her pursuit of alliances with foreign nations is cast as a deeply personal act of betrayal against God, her spiritual husband. The imagery of "selling herself" and "defiling herself by their shameful images" highlights not just illicit sexual activity but also a thorough assimilation of pagan practices and idolatry. This verse illustrates that true faith requires exclusive devotion, and any turn toward other gods or worldly compromises is considered spiritual adultery, leading to severe consequences, as depicted in the broader context of Jerusalem's impending judgment and exile. It serves as a stark warning against syncretism and spiritual compromise, emphasizing that intimacy with the world means enmity with God.