Ezekiel 16 7

Ezekiel 16:7 kjv

I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

Ezekiel 16:7 nkjv

I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

Ezekiel 16:7 niv

I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.

Ezekiel 16:7 esv

I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.

Ezekiel 16:7 nlt

And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 7 Meaning

God's compassionate action nurtured Israel, symbolized as an abandoned infant girl, from utter helplessness to physical maturity. He orchestrated her rapid development, making her thrive like a wild field plant, and prepared her for the significant "age of ornaments"—a metaphor for readiness for the covenant. This growth encompassed physical maturation, yet the verse critically highlights her original state of vulnerability, "naked and bare," before God's ultimate provision and covering.

Ezekiel 16 7 Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 begins with a profound, extended allegory describing Jerusalem (representing the nation of Israel) as a foundling, an abandoned newborn infant of ignoble pagan descent (Amorite and Hittite), left to die unpitied and uncared for in an open field (v. 3-5). Verse 6 powerfully depicts God's miraculous intervention, a pivotal moment where He finds her helpless and bleeding, yet breathes life into her with the repeated command, "Live!" Verse 7 immediately follows this rescue, initiating the next stage of God's compassionate care. It illustrates His divine nurturing that leads to her rapid physical development and maturation, moving her from a lifeless infant to a thriving young woman ready for a covenant, thus setting the stage for the solemn betrothal (marriage) in verse 8 and subsequent narrative of faithfulness and grave unfaithfulness. The historical context relates to Israel's formative period, including the Exodus and their establishment in the land, all under God's provident hand.

Ezekiel 16 7 Word analysis

• "I made you flourish" (וָאֶתֵּן אֹתָךְ רְבָבָה - va'etten otach rebavah):

  • va'etten (וָאֶתֵּן): "And I gave." This emphasizes God's direct and sole agency as the bestower of growth.
  • rebavah (רְבָבָה): Root רבב meaning "multitude, myriad, ten thousand." Here, it signifies prolific, extraordinary, and abundant increase or growth, almost like population explosion.
  • Significance: Underscores that Israel's multiplication and vigorous development were not inherent or natural, but a supernatural endowment from God.

• "like a plant of the field" (כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה - k'tzemach hassadeh):

  • k'tzemach (כְּצֶמַח): "Like a sprout/growth." Tzemach denotes spontaneous, vigorous vegetation that grows naturally without intensive cultivation.
  • hassadeh (הַשָּׂדֶה): "The field." Refers to untamed, open ground, not a tended garden.
  • Significance: Evokes imagery of unhindered, abundant, organic growth, highlighting that God sustained and flourished her without her deserving careful cultivation. It accentuates the miracle of survival and flourishing from a desolate state.

• "and you grew up" (וַתִּרְבִּי - vatirbi):

  • vatirbi (וַתִּרְבִּי): "And you became numerous/great." Derived from the same root as rebavah, reinforcing the theme of population increase and general magnitude.
  • Significance: Denotes the actual realization and manifestation of the prolific growth described.

• "and became tall" (וַתִּגְדְּלִי - vatigdeli):

  • vatigdeli (וַתִּגְדְּלִי): "And you grew large/great." Refers specifically to growth in physical height and stature, reaching full maturity.
  • Significance: Marks a transition from infancy to a physically adult or near-adult state.

• "and arrived at the age of ornaments" (וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים - vatavo'i ba'adei adaiyim):

  • vatavo'i (וַתָּבֹאִי): "And you came/arrived." Denotes attaining a specific stage or condition.
  • ba'adei adaiyim (בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים): "In the adornment/jewels of adornments." Adai (עֲדִי) means "ornament" or "jewelry." The plural/intensive adaiyim signifies a full collection or readiness for donning all such embellishments.
  • Significance: A critical metaphorical phrase indicating ripeness for marriage, social readiness, and the threshold of entering a profound covenantal relationship. It prepares the reader for the subsequent 'marriage' imagery in verse 8.

• "your breasts were formed" (שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ - shadayim nakōnu):

  • shadayim (שָׁדַיִם): "Breasts." A definitive biological marker of a woman's physical maturity.
  • nakōnu (נָכֹנוּ): "They were established, made firm, completed." Denotes full and proper development.
  • Significance: Explicitly states the physical completion of a young woman's body, complementing the "age of ornaments."

• "and your hair grew long" (וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ - us'arech tzimmeach):

  • us'arech (וּשְׂעָרֵךְ): "And your hair." Long, unkempt (but healthy) hair was a symbol of beauty, vigor, and natural growth in ancient Near Eastern cultures.
  • tzimmeach (צִמֵּחַ): "Sprouted, grew forth." Implies luxuriant, abundant growth, mirroring the earlier "plant of the field" imagery.
  • Significance: Another concrete physical indicator of healthy, attractive maturity.

• "yet you were naked and bare" (וְאַתְּ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה - ve'att erom v'eryah):

  • ve'att (וְאַתְּ): "But you (feminine singular)." This serves as a strong contrasting conjunction and emphasis on Israel's inherent state.
  • erom (עֵרֹם): "Naked, unclothed." Refers to lacking external covering.
  • v'eryah (וְעֶרְיָה): "And bare, exposed, uncovered." Often intensifies erom, implying greater vulnerability, shame, or complete lack of dignity/protection.
  • Significance: Despite her miraculous growth and physical readiness, she inherently lacked the essential covering—not just literal clothes, but covenantal protection, honor, and a fully defined identity. This points to her continued dependence on God for dignity and sets up the need for God's action in the next verses to "clothe" her with His glory and law.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "I made you flourish like a plant of the field, and you grew up and became tall": This entire clause illustrates God's divine authorship of Israel's phenomenal and rapid development. The "plant of the field" imagery underscores a vigorous, perhaps untended but supernaturally blessed, natural expansion in both population and physical stature. It's a testament to God's providence, moving her from non-existence to strength and visibility through His unilateral action.
  • "and arrived at the age of ornaments; your breasts were formed, and your hair grew long": These specific markers denote Israel's attainment of complete physical womanhood, an age of beauty and readiness. The "age of ornaments" points not just to physical attractiveness, but to eligibility for a covenantal bond, setting the critical stage for the ensuing spiritual "marriage" between God and Israel. These details paint a picture of perfection of form due to God's care.
  • "yet you were naked and bare": This concluding phrase dramatically introduces a powerful paradox. Despite all the divinely granted development and physical readiness, her natural, inherent state was one of profound vulnerability and absence of dignity. This 'nakedness' transcends mere lack of garments; it symbolizes her utter lack of spiritual covenant, protection, identity, or honor independent of God's future actions. It highlights her utter dependence on God to bestow upon her the dignity and covering required for true spiritual well-being and honor, reinforcing the absolute gratuity of God's subsequent love and covenant.

Ezekiel 16 7 Bonus section

• Polemics and Sovereignty: This verse and its preceding context implicitly challenge any belief among the original audience (or surrounding nations) that Israel’s flourishing was due to her own merit, strength, or the favor of other gods. By asserting God's sole, active role in Israel's development from utter desolation, it serves as a powerful polemic affirming Yahweh's exclusive sovereignty and grace over His people's entire history.
• Theological Parallel to Humanity: Just as Israel was "naked and bare" despite outward development, all humanity, despite natural abilities or societal advancements, remains spiritually naked and vulnerable without God's covering. This foreshadows the New Testament concept of being "clothed with Christ" (Gal 3:27, Rom 13:14) as the true covering for spiritual nakedness, emphasizing grace.
• "Plant of the field" as wild growth: The choice of "plant of the field" (צֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה) rather than a tended garden plant underscores a sense of robust, unrefined, yet miraculously potent growth. It's not a delicate hothouse flower but something resilient that thrives by God's decree, highlighting the miraculous and powerful nature of His nurture even when less "tender" or conventional.

Ezekiel 16 7 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:7 describes a crucial phase of God's relationship with Israel, depicting her as an abandoned infant nurtured by God into a flourishing young woman. The imagery of thriving "like a plant of the field" signifies a rapid, prolific, and God-initiated growth in number and strength, contrasting her initial desolate state. Her development to the "age of ornaments," with formed breasts and long hair, explicitly portrays her readiness for maturity, specifically foreshadowing the "marriage" covenant detailed in subsequent verses. However, the concluding declaration, "yet you were naked and bare," is profoundly significant. Despite all God's magnificent enabling of her physical maturity, she inherently lacked true dignity, identity, or protection. This nakedness symbolizes her spiritual unpreparedness, her total reliance on God for covering, honor, and the covenantal relationship that alone could grant her true worth and secure her status among the nations. It powerfully sets up the unparalleled grace God would demonstrate by clothing her in His glory and making her His own.