Ezekiel 16 36

Ezekiel 16:36 kjv

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

Ezekiel 16:36 nkjv

Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,

Ezekiel 16:36 niv

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children's blood,

Ezekiel 16:36 esv

Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them,

Ezekiel 16:36 nlt

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods,

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 36 Meaning

This verse declares that the woman's "promiscuity" or "shameful conduct" and "lewdness" brought about her exposure and her adultery. It signifies that her sinful actions were the direct cause of her public disgrace and the uncovering of her nakedness, leading to her being judged.

Ezekiel 16 36 Context

This verse is part of Ezekiel's extended metaphor comparing Jerusalem to an unfaithful wife and adulteress. The preceding verses (Ezekiel 16:30-35) detail the specific acts of Jerusalem's sin: seeking lovers, entering into sexual unions, and even paying lovers rather than being paid. Chapter 16 as a whole provides a historical and allegorical indictment of Jerusalem's repeated spiritual prostitution, its alliance with foreign powers (which is described as adultery against God), and its descent into idolatry and injustice. The verse directly follows the description of how Jerusalem paid her lovers and also implies a further degeneration where her transactions of sexual immorality became even more brazen, so much so that she would solicit lovers, a profound reversal and sign of desperation and degradation. This chapter's message was delivered to the exiled Judeans, reminding them of the root causes of their destruction.

Ezekiel 16 36 Word Analysis

• וְגַם־ (vegam): "And also," "and furthermore." This conjunction emphasizes that the following statement is an additional consequence or characteristic of her sin.
• כִּי־ (ki): "Because," "for." Introduces the reason or cause for the preceding statement of her distinct kind of sexual looseness.
• בָּבְרִיּוֹתַיִךְ (bavrutayich): "Your indecency," "your shamefulness," "your prostitution." This noun, derived from the root "to break out" or "to behave shamelessly," encapsulates the pervasive and brazen nature of Jerusalem's sins, particularly her spiritual unfaithfulness, presented as sexual immorality.
• וּבִזְנוּתַיִךְ (uvzunutayich): "And your whoredom," "and your lewdness." This term denotes illicit sexual relations and broadly refers to the idolatry and political entanglements that constituted spiritual adultery against Yahweh.
• לֹא־ (lo): "Not." Negates the preceding idea, indicating that she did not behave like other women who might have acted for payment.
• שְׁלַמְתְּ (shalamt): "You have paid" or "you have compensated." From the root shalem, meaning to be complete, sound, whole, or to pay. Here it indicates an active giving of payment or a form of remuneration for her illicit liaisons.
• וְגַם־ (vegam): "And also," "and furthermore."
• אֲשֶׁר־ (asher): "That," "which."
• שִׂלְּמְתְּ (sillamt): "You paid," "you compensated." Similar to shalamt, this verb also carries the meaning of paying or compensating. The repetition emphasizes the unique and perverted nature of her sin: not only engaging in illicit relations but also initiating and paying for them, indicating a self-destructive pursuit of pleasure or foreign alliances.
• לֹא־ (lo): "Not."
• בָא־ (ba): "Comes" or "comes to pass."
• בָא־ (ba): "Comes" or "comes to pass."
• אִתֵּךְ (itach): "With you."
• לָשֵׂאת (laset): "To bear," "to carry," "to take upon oneself." Refers to bearing the burden or consequence of her actions. The verse implies that instead of receiving the "payment" or consequence (like a prostitute), she was actively paying and therefore carrying the full weight and initiation of her sin, without any compensating benefit that might be inferred for other women in similar acts. This signifies her agency and complete responsibility for her corrupted conduct.

Words-group analysis

• "your indecency and your whoredom": This phrase, בָּבְרִיּוֹתַיִךְ וּבִזְנוּתַיִךְ, vividly describes the double nature of Jerusalem's sin. Bavrutayich speaks to a more general state of shamelessness and gross immorality, while zunotayich specifically pinpoints sexual promiscuity and, in the prophetic context, idolatry.
• "you paid and also you paid": The repetition of שְׁלַמְתְּ... שִׂלְּמְתְּ highlights the abnormal and excessive nature of Jerusalem's "love for hire" actions. Unlike common harlotry where the woman is paid, Jerusalem proactively sought and paid her illicit partners, indicating a depravity and a reversal of the expected order, a desperation that invited ruin. This also underscores that her actions were not merely passive participation but active pursuit and facilitation of her spiritual adultery.

Ezekiel 16 36 Bonus Section

The concept of paying for illicit unions, especially in a spiritual context, underscores the severity of Jerusalem's transgressions. This was not merely succumbing to temptation but actively soliciting and subsidizing deviation from covenant faithfulness. This perverse initiation and payment represent a deep corruption of the relational order God established, leading to a self-inflicted and inescapable judgment. The imagery resonates with how often people actively pursue fleeting pleasures or worldly advantages at great spiritual cost, only to find themselves indebted and ultimately ruined.

Ezekiel 16 36 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:36 elaborates on Jerusalem's perverse spiritual "relationships" with other nations and deities. Her "indecency" and "whoredom" are not just abstract sins but active choices, marked by the abnormal practice of paying for illicit encounters. This paying signifies not only the active pursuit of alliances with foreign powers and false gods, but also the immense spiritual debt and cost she incurred, ultimately leading to her downfall. It's a reversal of roles that emphasizes her total apostasy and agency in her sin, ensuring her full responsibility and the resulting judgment. Her actions brought exposure and disgrace, serving as a stark warning about the consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness and seeking solace or power in places other than God.