Ezekiel 16 33

Ezekiel 16:33 kjv

They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

Ezekiel 16:33 nkjv

Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry.

Ezekiel 16:33 niv

All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.

Ezekiel 16:33 esv

Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings.

Ezekiel 16:33 nlt

Prostitutes charge for their services ? but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 33 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:33 vividly describes Jerusalem's unparalleled spiritual prostitution. Unlike common harlots who receive payment for their services, Jerusalem, metaphorically portrayed as an unfaithful wife, paradoxically offers "presents" and "bribes" to her "lovers"—representing foreign nations and their idolatrous gods. She actively entices and pays them to engage in her spiritual harlotry, demonstrating an unprecedented level of depravity, eagerness for sin, and inversion of conventional moral and religious boundaries.

Ezekiel 16 33 Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 presents a sweeping, extended allegory of Jerusalem's history, depicting her as a foundling girl rescued by Yahweh, who raised her, lavished His love and riches upon her, and made her beautiful as His chosen bride. This ideal state is then contrasted sharply with her subsequent moral and spiritual decline. She abandoned her covenant with God, prostituting herself to various foreign nations and their idolatrous gods. This harlotry is described in graphic detail, portraying Jerusalem as insatiably promiscuous. Verse 33 falls within the heart of this indictment, following a lengthy description of Jerusalem's depravity, wherein she engaged in prostitution at every street corner (v. 24-25), with powerful neighbors like Egypt (v. 26), Assyria (v. 28), and even Chaldea (v. 29). The chapter emphasizes that her harlotry was worse than a common prostitute because she not only enjoyed her lovers but even paid them. Historically, this refers to Israel and Judah's consistent reliance on political alliances with pagan empires and their adoption of foreign gods, often sealed with tributes and offerings—a clear rejection of their covenant relationship with Yahweh as their sole protector and provider. This was a direct polemic against the syncretistic practices and trust in human power prevalent in Jerusalem before its destruction.

Ezekiel 16 33 Word analysis

• People give presents:

  • Hebrew: הֵם נֹתְנִים (hem notnim) - literally "they give."
  • This phrase establishes the expected norm: a harlot receives gifts or wages.
  • Significance: Sets up the dramatic inversion that follows, highlighting Jerusalem's perverse deviation from typical prostitution.

• to all prostitutes:

  • Hebrew: לְכָל זֹונֹות (l'chol zonot) - "to all harlots/prostitutes."
  • זֹונֹות (zonot) from the root זנה (zanah), meaning "to commit fornication, to play the harlot." It carries strong connotations of sexual immorality and betrayal of loyalty.
  • Significance: Reinforces the common understanding of how prostitution works in the ancient world, to underscore the abnormality of Jerusalem's behavior.

• but you give your presents:

  • Hebrew: וְאַתְּ נָתַתְּ אֶת־אֶתְנָנַיִךְ (v'at natat et-et'nanayich) - "and you gave your harlot's wages/gifts."
  • אַתְּ (at) - "you" (feminine singular), pointedly addressing Jerusalem.
  • אֶתְנָן (etnan) - a "harlot's hire/wages." This term specifically refers to the payment received by a harlot, yet here, Jerusalem gives it away.
  • Significance: This is the core inversion of the metaphor. Jerusalem does not benefit financially but expends her resources to pursue sin, illustrating the intensity of her lust for idolatry and foreign alliances.

• to all your lovers:

  • Hebrew: לְכָל מְאַהֲבַיִךְ (l'chol m'aha'vayeach) - "to all your lovers."
  • מְאַהֲבִים (m'ahavim) - "lovers, paramours," from אהב (ahav), "to love." In the context of harlotry, these are not loving partners but exploitative, temporary liaisons.
  • Significance: These "lovers" represent the foreign nations (e.g., Egypt, Assyria) and their associated gods and cultures that Jerusalem courted and sought alliances with, rejecting God's exclusive covenantal love.

• and bribe them:

  • Hebrew: וַתְּשַׁחֲדִי (v'tish'chadi) - "and you bribed/gave a bribe."
  • שַׁחַד (shachad) - "bribe, gift," often with negative connotations of corrupting justice or securing favor through illicit means.
  • Significance: Implies active solicitation and payment to induce engagement, going beyond mere willingness to participate. Jerusalem wasn't simply available; she actively paid to lure others into her spiritual perversions.

• to come to you from all around:

  • Hebrew: לָבוֹא אֵלַיִךְ מִסָּבִיב (lavo elayich misaviv) - "to come to you from around."
  • מִסָּבִיב (misaviv) - "from all around, from every side."
  • Significance: Highlights the pervasive nature of her harlotry; her unfaithfulness was not limited to one or two partners but encompassed multiple nations and idolatries, seeking them out vigorously from all directions.

• for your harlotry:

  • Hebrew: בְּתַזְנֻתַיִךְ (b'taz'nutayich) - "for your harlotries/prostitutions."
  • תַּזְנוּת (taznut) - "harlotry, prostitution," a stronger and more generalized term than זנה, often referring to habitual or public harlotry.
  • Significance: This final phrase clearly states the purpose of her perverse actions—not to gain wealth or security, but purely to indulge in repeated acts of spiritual betrayal and idolatry.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "People give presents to all prostitutes, but you give your presents to all your lovers": This contrasting clause structure is a masterful rhetorical device. It highlights Jerusalem's unique and perverse position in the "economy" of spiritual harlotry. She violates the fundamental rule, not just of fidelity, but even of the unholy profession itself, demonstrating her absolute commitment to apostasy. Her payment implies deep longing and an active pursuit, rather than passive reception, of sin.
  • "and bribe them to come to you from all around for your harlotry": This emphasizes active, eager solicitation. Jerusalem wasn't passively drawn into idolatry or foreign alliances; she vigorously and costly pursued them, actively enticing foreign powers and their cults into her spiritual domain, demonstrating an insatiable appetite for unfaithfulness. The "from all around" points to the comprehensive and global extent of her betrayal, leaving no stone unturned in her quest for sinful gratification.

Ezekiel 16 33 Bonus section

The rhetorical shock of Ezekiel 16:33 is intended to elicit revulsion. By depicting Jerusalem as a prostitute who pays others to commit harlotry with her, God demonstrates that her spiritual unfaithfulness transcended mere weakness or temptation; it became a consuming, self-financed passion. This was an active embrace of polytheism and strategic alliances that undermined the covenant. Such behavior not only stripped her of dignity but revealed a complete rejection of Yahweh's sustaining grace, replacing it with a fervent zeal for idolatrous practices. The imagery implies that her "lovers" might not even have sought her out if she had not bribed them, emphasizing her proactive role in accumulating guilt.

Ezekiel 16 33 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:33 starkly reveals the unparalleled depravity of Jerusalem, personified as a hyper-promiscuous wife. Her sin goes beyond common harlotry; she pays her lovers, offering lavish gifts (tribute, resources, loyalty) to nations and idols who provide no real benefit, rather than receiving payment herself. This inversion signifies not a reluctant descent into sin, but an enthusiastic, active, and costly pursuit of spiritual adultery and ungodly alliances. It demonstrates an insatiable appetite for disobedience, where she actively sought to be defiled, investing her precious resources and covenantal identity into things that promised only ruin. This level of perversion highlights a heart utterly dedicated to anything but God, compelling her "lovers" into further participation in her unfaithfulness, signifying her active complicity and leadership in sin.