Ezekiel 23:30 kjv
I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.
Ezekiel 23:30 nkjv
I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.
Ezekiel 23:30 niv
have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
Ezekiel 23:30 esv
have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
Ezekiel 23:30 nlt
You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.
Ezekiel 23 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 23:4 | Though names, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) | Depicts the two unfaithful sisters |
| Ezekiel 16:38 | And I will judge you as adulteresses are judged, and as women that shed blood | Judgment for adultery and bloodshed |
| Jeremiah 22:24 | As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah | God's personal oath concerning Jehoiakim's fate |
| Jeremiah 13:26 | I will therefore uncover your skirts to your face, and your shame shall be seen | God revealing Judah's shame |
| Isaiah 3:18 | In that day the Lord will take away the finery: the anklets, the scarves | Judgment on Israel's vanity |
| Lamentations 1:8 | Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become a reproach | Jerusalem's sin leading to reproach |
| Lamentations 4:21 | Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom… it shall come to you also | Judgment on Edom, a contrast |
| Hosea 2:9 | I will take back my grain… and my wool | God withdrawing blessings due to sin |
| Hosea 2:12 | I will punish her for the feast days on which she burned incense to the Baals | Punishment for idolatrous practices |
| Micah 1:11 | Pass on, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame | Judgment upon Samaria's daughter cities |
| Nahum 3:5 | “Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts | Judgment against Nineveh, symbolic parallels |
| Revelation 17:1 | Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute | Judgment on spiritual harlotry |
| Revelation 18:7 | To the same degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously | Babylon's self-glorification and sensuality |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality | Exhortation against sexual immorality |
| 2 Corinthians 11:2 | I am jealous over you with godly jealousy | Paul's concern for spiritual purity |
| James 4:4 | You adulterous people! | Adultery as spiritual unfaithfulness |
| Romans 1:24 | Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity | God giving people over to their sin |
| Psalm 50:18 | If you see a thief, you consent with him | Complicity in sin |
| Jeremiah 7:11 | Have this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? | Jerusalem's defilement of God's house |
| Joel 3:3 | They have cast lots for my people | Dividing God's inheritance |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 30 Meaning
This verse describes the consequence of Jerusalem's (Samaria's counterpart, depicted as Oholibah) sin and whoredom. She will be subjected to the judgment of those whom she prostituted herself with, namely the Babylonians. This judgment will involve them exposing her shame, taking her children, and leaving her to be devoured. It signifies a complete and devastating humiliation and destruction as a direct result of her unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 23 30 Context
Chapter 23 of Ezekiel employs an extended metaphor of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria, the northern kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem, the southern kingdom of Judah). Both are depicted as engaging in spiritual prostitution, symbolized by their unfaithfulness to God through idolatry and political alliances with foreign nations. This verse specifically addresses Oholibah (Jerusalem) and describes the dire consequences of her persistent sins. She has prostituted herself with various foreign powers, particularly Egypt and Assyria, and now Babylon. This verse prophesies the brutal judgment that Babylon will bring upon Jerusalem. The context highlights God's unwavering justice against His people's persistent rebellion and their adoption of pagan practices and alliances.
Ezekiel 23 30 Word Analysis
- וּבְקַעוּ (u-vok'u) - "and they shall cleave," "and they shall split open." Derived from the root בָּקַע (baka), meaning to break open, split, or divide. It emphasizes a violent and thorough breaking or violation.
- וְנָתְנוּ (v'natunu) - "and they shall give." From the root נָתַן (natan), meaning to give. Here it signifies to deliver up or hand over.
- בָּנַיִךְ (b'nayeich) - "your sons." Plural of בֵּן (ben), son. Refers to the offspring, both literal children and the people of Jerusalem.
- וּבְנוֹתַיִךְ (u-vnoteich) - "and your daughters." Plural of בַּת (bat), daughter. Refers to the female population of Jerusalem.
- וְשָׁפְכוּ (v'shafechu) - "and they shall pour out." From the root שָׁפַךְ (shafakh), meaning to pour out. Often used in the context of bloodshed or spillage.
- מַשְׁקֶה (mashkeh) - "drink." From the root שָׁקָה (shakah), to give to drink. Here, metaphorically referring to the consequences or judgment.
- חֶרְפָּתֵךְ (ch'rpath-eich) - "your shame," "your reproach." From the root חָרַף (kharaph), to reproach, insult, or shame. It speaks of deep disgrace.
- וְהִפְשִׁיטוּ (v'hiphshtu) - "and they shall strip off." From the root פָּשַׁט (pashtah), to spread out, extend, or strip off. Implies removing clothes and exposing nakedness.
- עֵירוּמַּיִךְ (erummayich) - "your nakedness." From the root עָרוֹם (arome), naked. Directly refers to exposure and vulnerability.
- וְתָפְשׂוּ (v'tafsu) - "and they shall seize," "and they shall take." From the root תָּפַשׂ (tafas), to grasp, seize, or capture. Indicates forceful apprehension.
- כְּלִי (kli) - "vessels," "instruments." Can refer to belongings or objects of value, here implying anything prized.
- תִּשְׁפֹּךְ (tishpokh) - "you shall pour out." From the root שָׁפַךְ (shafakh), to pour out. The act of pouring out one's blood.
- צָרָה (tsarah) - "distress," "calamity." Denotes hardship and tribulation.
Ezekiel 23 30 Bonus Section
The prophetic imagery here is visceral and designed to shock the audience into understanding the gravity of their actions. The repeated use of "shall" (implied by the Hebrew imperfect tense) emphasizes the certainty of this impending judgment. This condemnation of Oholibah is consistent with the theme of covenantal consequences found throughout the Old Testament, where obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses and judgment, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28. The actions described—having sons and daughters taken, blood being poured out, and nakedness being exposed—all speak to the complete desolation and subjugation of the city and its people. The "drink" (משקה) that they are forced to pour out is symbolic of the bitter cup of God's wrath that they themselves have brewed through their sins. This aligns with other passages where Israel is made to drink a cup of judgment (Jeremiah 25:15-29).
Ezekiel 23 30 Commentary
This verse details the horrific judgment that Babylon will execute upon Jerusalem for its spiritual and political whoredom. The words "cleave," "break open," and "pour out" vividly describe the violence and violation that will be inflicted. The enemy will seize their sons and daughters, treating them as mere spoils of war, and will pour out their blood in a gruesome manner, fulfilling the concept of their "drink" of destruction. The act of "stripping off your nakedness" signifies the ultimate humiliation, exposing all of Jerusalem's secrets and vulnerabilities before the enemy. This comprehensive devastation is a direct consequence of Jerusalem's betrayal of its covenant with God, mirrored in its many illicit alliances. The judgment is not arbitrary but a just response to prolonged unfaithfulness and defiance, illustrating the severe repercussions of turning away from the divine covenant.