Ezekiel 16 8

Ezekiel 16:8 kjv

Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Ezekiel 16:8 nkjv

"When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 16:8 niv

"?'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.

Ezekiel 16:8 esv

"When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.

Ezekiel 16:8 nlt

And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 8 Meaning

This verse vividly illustrates the beginning of life, emphasizing God's providence and tender care from the earliest moments of existence. It describes the divine action of drawing an infant from the place of birth, highlighting a moment of complete dependency and vulnerability being met by a nurturing presence. The "blood" signifies the messy reality of birth, and the "blood" also points to purification, suggesting immediate care and cleansing.

Ezekiel 16 8 Context

Ezekiel 16 portrays Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife and mother, a vivid allegory of Israel's spiritual adultery and idolatry. The chapter begins by recounting Jerusalem's origins as an abandoned infant, nurtured by God (verses 4-5). Verse 8 marks the immediate divine intervention after the traumatic event of birth, signifying God's active involvement in establishing His covenant people. This narrative sets the stage for condemning Jerusalem's subsequent betrayals and unfaithfulness, contrasting starkly with God's initial faithfulness. The historical backdrop is the exile in Babylon, where Ezekiel delivers messages of judgment and hope to the disheartened Israelites, reminding them of their covenant relationship with God.

Ezekiel 16 8 Word Analysis

• "and" (Hebrew: וְ‎, wə): A conjunction, continuing the narrative flow.
• "when" (Hebrew: כִּי‎, kî): Here functions as a temporal or causal conjunction.
• "I": God speaking in the first person, emphasizing His personal involvement.
• "passed" (Hebrew: עָבַר‎, ʿāḇar): To move across, go over, pass by. Implies God's intentional presence and movement towards the infant.
• "by" (Hebrew: אֶל‎, ʾel): A preposition indicating direction, towards.
• "you" (Hebrew: אַתְּ‎, ʾatt): Singular feminine, referring to Jerusalem.
• "and" (Hebrew: וְ‎, wə): Conjunction.
• "saw" (Hebrew: רָאָה‎, rāʾâ): To see, perceive, look upon. Denotes recognition and observation.
• "your" (Hebrew: כְּמוֹ‎, kəmô): A preposition meaning "like" or "as." Used here in a comparative sense with "blood."
• "blood" (Hebrew: דָּמַיִךְ‎, dāmāyiḵ): Plural of "blood." In the original text, this refers to the blood of birth.
• "at" (Hebrew: בְּ‎, bə): A preposition, here indicating state or condition.
• "your" (Hebrew: בְּעֹדֵךְ‎, bəʿōḏēḵ): Singular feminine possessive.
• "birth" (Hebrew: הֹוַלֵּךְ‎, hōwalleḵ): Related to "birth" or "bringing forth."
• "yea": Emphatic particle.
• "when" (Hebrew: וַתּוֹלִדִי‎, wat-tōlīḏī): Literally "and you bore."
• "your" (Hebrew: לֹא‎, lō): Negation.
• "birth" (Hebrew: דָּמִים‎, dāmîm): Plural of blood, referring again to the blood associated with birth.

Word-group Analysis:

• "when I passed by you": This imagery portrays God's active pursuit and awareness of Jerusalem's state even in its most abandoned and helpless beginning. It’s not a passive observation but an intentional approach.
• "and saw you in your blood": The repetition of "blood" is significant. The first "blood" refers to the state of abandonment and unviability, covered in birth fluids and left exposed. The second mention emphasizes the inherited taint of sin and impurity that characterized Israel's origins, as allegorically represented by Jerusalem’s birth circumstances.
• "when you were born": This links God's action directly to the moment of existential crisis, highlighting the critical juncture of Jerusalem's (Israel's) formation.

Ezekiel 16 8 Bonus Section

The concept of God seeing "blood" associated with birth has profound theological implications. In Jewish tradition and biblical symbolism, blood often represents life, covenant, and also the consequence of sin. Here, it represents the fragile, imperfect, and perhaps sinful starting point of the nation. God’s declaration of love and life extended in this state of "blood" underscores a key aspect of divine grace: it is extended to the undeserving and the imperfect. It is not a love earned by purity, but a sovereign love that initiates cleansing and establishes covenant. The parallel in Ezekiel 16:4 ("As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt, nor swaddled at all") intensifies the vulnerability and abandonment, making God’s action in verse 8 an act of rescue and immediate validation. This prophetic declaration echoes the New Testament theme of being "born again" not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, by the word of God (1 Peter 1:23), where the blood of Christ becomes the ultimate cleansing agent.

Ezekiel 16 8 Commentary

This verse, as part of God's initial declaration of love for Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16, acts as a foundation for His subsequent covenant claims. God bypasses the inherited sin and messiness associated with human birth and Israel’s origins. He declares His love not based on merit or cleanliness, but on His sovereign choice and compassionate intervention. The image of God passing by and seeing is a powerful assurance of divine attention, even in the most desolate circumstances. It prefigures God’s engagement with humanity through Jesus Christ, who entered into the messiness of human existence, shedding His blood for purification and redemption. This foundational act underscores God’s commitment to His people from their very inception, setting a precedent for His unwavering, though often challenged, faithfulness.