Ezekiel 16 45

Ezekiel 16:45 kjv

Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 16:45 nkjv

You are your mother's daughter, loathing husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 16:45 niv

You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 16:45 esv

You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 16:45 nlt

For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and so do you. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 45 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:45 condemns Jerusalem (symbolizing the people of Israel/Judah) by declaring that she fully embodies the depraved character of her symbolic "mother" and "sisters." The "mother" refers to the inherent spiritual rebellion and idol worship of the land itself, personified by the original pagan inhabitants, while the "sisters" represent Samaria (Israel to the north) and Sodom, known for their moral corruption and apostasy. The verse emphasizes that Jerusalem has not only replicated their sins but surpassed them, specifically highlighting the spiritual adultery of rejecting her covenant God ("husband") and neglecting her sacred duties and people ("children"), ultimately reverting to the pagan nature described by her "Hittite mother" and "Amorite father."

Ezekiel 16 45 Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 is an extended allegory portraying God's relationship with Jerusalem (representing Judah/Israel) as a dramatic and tragic love story. It begins with God finding Jerusalem as an abandoned, despised infant, an outcast from its pagan origins (verses 1-5). He mercifully adopts, cleanses, clothes, and lavishes her with honor, wealth, and beauty, entering into a covenant of marriage (verses 6-14). However, Jerusalem, instead of remaining faithful, uses her beauty and wealth to commit widespread spiritual harlotry with surrounding nations and their idols, even sacrificing her own children (verses 15-34). The chapter progresses to describe God's coming judgment against her for this extreme unfaithfulness. Within this narrative, verse 45 functions as a stark indictment, asserting that Jerusalem has fully assimilated and even outdone the moral failures of its symbolic ancestors and notorious neighbors, Samaria (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and Sodom, thus deserving an even greater condemnation. The mention of Hittite and Amorite "parents" in verse 3 and reiterated here serves to emphasize Jerusalem's deep-seated pagan roots, implying a reversion to her original, unredeemed character despite God's covenant grace.

Ezekiel 16 45 Word analysis

• You are the daughter: (אַתְּ, att) This feminine singular pronoun directly addresses Jerusalem/Judah. "Daughter of" (בַּת־אִמֵּךְ, bat-'immēḵ) is a Hebrew idiom denoting shared character, essence, or heritage, much like "son of" for an individual's trait. It emphasizes that Jerusalem has fully adopted the nature of her metaphorical "mother."
• of your mother: The "mother" here is a complex figure, symbolic of the deep-seated pagan influences and spiritual rebellion inherent in the land and its original inhabitants before Israel's occupation. It represents the source of depravity from which Jerusalem conceptually sprung or to which she spiritually reverted.
• who loathed: (קֹצֶרֶת, qōṣerett) Derived from קָצַץ (qatsats), meaning "to cut off," "to detest," "to abhor." It indicates a strong, active rejection or deep aversion. This is not passive neglect but an intentional, intense turning away. The word signifies a severe and fundamental breaking of relationship.
• her husband: This refers to Yahweh, the Lord God, with whom Jerusalem had entered into a sacred covenant of marriage (Ezek 16:8). The imagery portrays God as the faithful and loving husband, deeply wronged by His wife's betrayal.
• and her children: These typically represent the covenant community, the people, or even the rituals and moral uprightness associated with the covenant. Loathing them signifies a profound failure to uphold the responsibilities of the covenant and a disregard for God's purposes for His people.
• and you are the sister of your sisters: "Sister" here implies shared identity and character, not necessarily blood kinship in the traditional sense. The "sisters" are explicitly identified later in the chapter as Samaria (the northern kingdom of Israel) and Sodom (Ezek 16:46), both notorious for their apostasy and moral decay.
• who loathed their husbands and their children: This parallels Jerusalem's behavior, establishing the pattern of rebellion and spiritual adultery that Jerusalem imitates and, in fact, surpasses.
• Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite: (חִתִּית, ḥittît; אֱמֹרִי, 'ĕmōrî) This refers to the original inhabitants of Canaan before Israel's conquest. These nations were infamous for their idolatry, depravity, and violent practices, which led to their judgment and displacement by God (Gen 15:16; Deut 9:4). This phrase highlights that Jerusalem's current spiritual and moral state is not a deviation from an Abrahamic origin but a return to her foundational, pagan roots. It's a profound polemic against any notion of Jerusalem's inherent purity or spiritual superiority due to its privileged status with Yahweh.

• "You are the daughter of your mother": This powerful metaphor identifies Jerusalem's character as being intrinsically linked to, or derived from, its pagan heritage and the spirit of the land it occupies. It suggests that despite God's transformative grace, Jerusalem has reverted to a deeply rooted, unholy identity.
• "who loathed her husband and her children": This phrase captures the essence of spiritual apostasy as a radical rejection of divine love and covenantal responsibility. It underscores the profound betrayal of turning away from the faithful Creator and abandoning the duties toward His community.
• "sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their children": By associating Jerusalem with Samaria and Sodom, the text emphasizes a pattern of widespread unfaithfulness and underscores the universality of their transgression, setting the stage for comparative judgment in the following verses.
• "Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite": This statement serves as a sarcastic retort to Jerusalem's presumed sense of special election and purity. It's a severe condemnation, implying that their actions align not with the heritage of Abraham, but with the pagan inhabitants God condemned. This highlights that Jerusalem's deep corruption stems from its pre-Abrahamic identity, indicating a moral backslide.

Ezekiel 16 45 Bonus section

The concept of "Hittite" and "Amorite" lineage is a powerful rhetorical tool in Ezekiel, meant to shame Jerusalem by stripping away its spiritual exceptionalism. God highlights not only what Jerusalem has done (idolatry, harlotry) but who she has become – embodying the character of the pagan nations, especially those whose wickedness justified their displacement from Canaan. This deep irony serves as a severe rebuke. Despite having been chosen, redeemed, and adorned by Yahweh, Jerusalem has allowed the inherent ungodliness of the pre-Israelite land to permeate and define its character, effectively denying its unique covenant relationship. This theme underscores a vital biblical principle: the spiritual condition of the heart, often reflecting a reversion to a base, unredeemed nature, can nullify external privileges. It highlights the depth of God's disappointment in a people who chose to resemble idolaters rather than their holy covenant God.

Ezekiel 16 45 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:45 delivers a crushing blow to Jerusalem's spiritual pride. After detailing God's extravagant grace in transforming her from an outcast to a queen, the verse unsparingly reveals Jerusalem's utter betrayal. The identification of Jerusalem's "mother" as a figure who "loathed her husband and children" symbolizes a fundamental spiritual infidelity embedded in the land's original paganism, to which Jerusalem has now fully succumbed. More damning still, she is called the "sister" to the notorious Sodom and the idolatrous Samaria, aligning herself with societies infamous for their egregious sins against God and humanity. The final pronouncement, that "Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite," strips away any pretense of righteous ancestry or exceptional status for Jerusalem. It asserts that her spiritual adultery and idolatry are not merely accidental backsliding, but a full reversion to the wicked character of the nations God displaced. This is not about literal lineage for the people of Israel but about Jerusalem's adopted moral identity and actions. The verse starkly reminds that privilege, whether of divine election or lavish blessings, without genuine faithfulness, can lead to a deeper and more reprehensible fall, becoming worse than those who never knew God's covenant.