Ezekiel 16:38 kjv
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.
Ezekiel 16:38 nkjv
And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy.
Ezekiel 16:38 niv
I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.
Ezekiel 16:38 esv
And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
Ezekiel 16:38 nlt
I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury.
Ezekiel 16 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 16:40 | They shall stone you with stones, and smite you with their swords. | Judgment on unfaithfulness |
| Ezekiel 16:41 | They shall expose you to the public gaze... | Public judgment |
| Jeremiah 3:8 | ...I had put her away and given her a writ of divorcement... | God's response to Israel's sin |
| Hosea 2:3 | Lest I strip her naked and set her forth like the day she was born... | God's discipline on Israel |
| Hosea 2:10 | ...and no man shall take them away. | Loss of possessions due to sin |
| Micah 7:9 | I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him... | Accepting God's wrath |
| Zephaniah 3:19 | ...I will turn your shame into gain. | Restoration after judgment |
| Nahum 3:5-6 | "Behold, I am against you," declares the LORD of hosts... I will… make you a spectacle. | Judgment on Nineveh |
| Matthew 11:22 | But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more bearable for Tyre than for you. | Judgment more severe for unrepentant |
| Luke 10:12 | But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. | Greater light, greater accountability |
| Romans 2:2 | We know that God's judgment is against those who do such things... | God's righteous judgment |
| 1 Corinthians 11:6 | For if a wife does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should cover her head. | Public shame/disgrace |
| Galatians 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... | Curse of the law |
| Revelation 17:5 | And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF WHORES AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. | Symbol of sin and rebellion |
| Psalm 58:11 | Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” | God's ultimate justice |
| Isaiah 3:18 | In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the caps, and the semicircles, | Judgment bringing humiliation |
| Isaiah 3:24 | instead of perfume there will be rottenness; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich garment, a wrapping of sackcloth. | Humiliation through judgment |
| Jeremiah 13:22 | For when your enormities were practiced, when your whoredoms were committed and your abominations, upon the hills in the fields, your shame will be revealed. | Shame exposed by sin |
| Revelation 18:7 | To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’ | Punishment matching pride |
| Ezekiel 23:47 | The congregation shall stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. | Collective punishment |
| Jeremiah 7:30 | For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the LORD. They have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to make it unclean. | Defiling God's presence |
| 1 Peter 4:17 | For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? | Judgment begins with believers |
| Deuteronomy 28:30 | You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit. | Curses of disobedience |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 38 Meaning
This verse describes the judgment to be executed upon Jerusalem for its adultery. They will be judged with fire, and their chastisement will be a public spectacle, leading to the silencing of their wickedness and the cessation of their fornication.
Ezekiel 16 38 Context
Ezekiel 16 is an extended allegory portraying Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife who has abandoned her husband, the LORD, for numerous lovers (idolatrous nations and their gods). The chapter details Jerusalem's history, from its abandonment at birth to its rise to prominence through God's favor, and its subsequent corruptions. Verse 38 culminates the description of divine judgment against Jerusalem for its persistent whoredoms and idolatry. This judgment is not only punitive but also declarative, exposing the city's sins for all to see, a public disgrace mirroring the spiritual prostitution it has committed. The context is God's righteous anger against the covenant people who have betrayed Him.
Ezekiel 16 38 Word Analysis
וְשָׁפְט֔וּ (weshaftu) - "And they shall judge/sentence" (Qal imperfect, 3rd person plural of שפט - shafat). This refers to the divine judgment that will be passed upon Jerusalem.
אֹ֚תָךְ (otach) - "you" (feminine singular direct object pronoun). Directly addresses Jerusalem.
בַּאֵ֖שׁ (baeish) - "with fire" (preposition ב - be, meaning "in" or "with" + noun אֵשׁ - esh, meaning "fire"). Fire signifies judgment, purification, and destruction.
וְנָתְנ֤וּ (wenat'nu) - "and He shall give" (Qal imperfect, 3rd person plural of נתן - natan, with the conjunction ו - ve). Refers to God handing over Jerusalem to judgment.
אֶת־ (et) - Direct object marker.
דְּמָרַ֣יִךְ (demarayich) - "your blood(s)" (plural of דָּם - dam, "blood," with the feminine singular possessive suffix -ayich). Refers to the bloodshed and violence that occurred within Jerusalem, possibly alluding to the blood of the innocent or the shedding of their own blood in battle. It can also signify life or vitality, now to be spilled.
עַל־ (al) - "upon" or "over."
יָ֤ד (yad) - "hand."
יָדַ֖יִךְ (yadayich) - "your hands" (feminine singular possessive suffix).
וְשָֽׁפְעוּ (weshafu) - "and they shall pour out" (Qal imperfect, 3rd person plural of שפע - shafah, with the conjunction ו - ve). Suggests an abundant outpouring of judgment.
מִמֶּ֔ךְ (mimmeh) - "from you" (preposition מִ - mi, meaning "from" + pronoun 'meh,' meaning "you," feminine singular).
בַּעֲלֵי (ba'alei) - "lovers" or "lords" (construct state plural of בַּעַל - ba'al). In this context, it refers to the foreign nations and their gods that Jerusalem has "prostituted" itself with, deviating from the covenant with God.
בְּעִקְבוֹתַ֖יִךְ (be'iqvotavich) - "at your heels" or "in your footsteps" (preposition ב - be, meaning "in" + noun עֵקֶב - ekev, "heel," with the feminine singular plural suffix -otavich). It indicates that these foreign nations, representing the consequences of Jerusalem's pursuit of foreign alliances and idolatry, will pursue her judgment relentlessly. It can also imply tracing her sinful ways.
Word Groups Analysis:
- "They shall judge you with fire": This phrase combines the divine sentence with a specific mode of punishment, signifying intense scrutiny and fiery destruction as a consequence of spiritual unfaithfulness.
- "and they shall give your blood upon your hands": This points to a consequence where the violence and sin within the city (represented by blood) are made accountable and will be returned upon those who shed it, highlighting divine retribution for internal corruption and strife.
- "and they shall pour out from you your [shed blood]": The imagery of pouring out blood from oneself emphasizes the complete depletion and destruction of the city's life and strength as a direct result of its internal sins and their outward manifestation.
- "lovers upon your heels": This graphically depicts the swift and unavoidable pursuit by the very entities Jerusalem has courted through its apostasy. These "lovers" will be the agents of her destruction, following closely and precisely where her unfaithfulness has led.
Ezekiel 16 38 Bonus Section
The concept of "lovers" in this context (עֵיבְלַיִךְ - be'eyveleich, which is an alternative reading/possibility for the root) or the more standard reading (בַּעֲלֵי - ba'alei) of "lords/husbands" when speaking of the nation's alliance with foreign powers and deities, is central to the patriarchal legal understanding of marriage in the ancient Near East. Adultery was a severe offense, legally and socially, punishable by death and public disgrace. God uses this legal and social framework to illustrate the gravity of Israel's covenant breaking. The verse also resonates with the New Testament's description of spiritual adultery and the severe consequences for those who reject Christ. The public nature of the judgment is key; it’s not just punitive, but a demonstration of God’s justice and faithfulness to His covenant.
Ezekiel 16 38 Commentary
The verse graphically illustrates the irreversible nature of God's judgment upon apostate Jerusalem. The judgment of fire signifies both destruction and exposure. The blood on Jerusalem's hands points to her complicity in the violence and idolatry that have defiled her. The shedding of her blood by her "lovers" is a retributive act; those nations she pursued will now pursue her unto destruction, a fulfillment of the covenant curses for unfaithfulness. This public execution strips away all pretense and reveals the true cost of turning away from God.