Ezekiel 23 37

Ezekiel 23:37 kjv

That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

Ezekiel 23:37 nkjv

For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.

Ezekiel 23:37 niv

for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.

Ezekiel 23:37 esv

For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.

Ezekiel 23:37 nlt

They have committed both adultery and murder ? adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 37 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:37 indicts the kingdoms of Israel (Oholah) and Judah (Oholibah) for their profound spiritual betrayal of God. The verse vividly outlines four interconnected abominations: unfaithfulness through idolatry, bloodguilt resulting from their societal corruption and specifically from horrific acts of violence, the explicit and direct worship of false gods through abhorrent practices, and finally, the ultimate desecration of their covenant with God by sacrificing their own children, whom God claimed as His, to these pagan deities. This verse functions as a summary of their egregious sins, justifying the divine judgment that follows.

Ezekiel 23 37 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 vividly portrays the history of Israel and Judah as two promiscuous sisters, Oholah (Samaria/Northern Kingdom) and Oholibah (Jerusalem/Southern Kingdom). Through graphic, almost shocking, sexual imagery, God describes their repeated acts of spiritual adultery – forsaking Him for alliances with, and the idolatrous practices of, foreign nations like Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. This entire chapter is a metaphorical indictment of their covenant unfaithfulness. Verse 37 comes at a critical juncture, directly following Oholibah’s escalating defilement, summarizing the culmination of their heinous sins before God pronounces their punishment. Historically, both Israel and Judah, despite God's covenant with them, sought political security through alliances with powerful pagan empires and adopted their gods and worship practices, including the abhorrent act of child sacrifice, in direct violation of the Mosaic Law. Ezekiel's prophecies occurred during the Babylonian exile, where he communicated God's justice for these long-standing abominations to a disheartened people.

Ezekiel 23 37 Word analysis

• For they have committed adultery, (כִּי נִאֲפוּ - ki ni'afu)
  • כִּי (ki): "For," "because," introducing the reason for God's impending judgment.
  • נִאֲפוּ (ni'afu): From the Hebrew root נאף (na'aph), "to commit adultery," "to commit fornication." In a spiritual context, it signifies the covenant infidelity of Israel/Judah to God, likening their worship of other gods and alliances with foreign powers to a spouse's betrayal. This isn't just a sin, but a breach of an intimate, marriage-like covenant relationship, deeply offensive to the "husband," Yahweh.
• and blood is on their hands; (וְדָם בִּידֵיהֶן - ve-dam bi-y'deihen)
  • וְדָם (ve-dam): "And blood." This is a stark symbol of guilt, responsibility for innocent death, and violence. It speaks to a deep moral corruption pervading their society beyond just religious transgressions.
  • בִּידֵיהֶן (bi-y'deihen): "In their hands" or "on their hands." This idiom signifies active participation and direct responsibility for bloodshed. It visually portrays culpability for the innocent lives lost through societal injustice, oppression, and particularly the child sacrifice mentioned immediately after.
• and with their idols have they committed adultery; (וְאֶת־גִּלּוּלֵיהֶן נִאֲפוּ - ve-et gilluleihen ni'afu)
  • גִּלּוּלֵיהֶן (gilluleihen): "Their idols." The term גִּלּוּל (gillul) is highly pejorative, derived from גלל (galal), meaning "to roll," implying "dung-balls" or "excrement." It denotes God's contempt and disgust for these false gods. The explicit repetition of "committed adultery" (נִאֲפוּ) with "idols" directly clarifies that their initial "adultery" was precisely this act of idolatry, an intimate spiritual betrayal.
• and have even offered up to them for food the children whom they bore to Me. (וְגַם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר יָלְדוּ לִי הֶעֱבִירוּ לָהֶם לְאָכְלָה - ve-gam et-b'neihem asher yaldu li he'eviru lahem l'oklah)
  • וְגַם (ve-gam): "And also," "and even," emphasizing an additional and particularly egregious transgression.
  • בְּנֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר יָלְדוּ לִי (b'neihem asher yaldu li): "Their children whom they bore to Me." This phrase is profoundly significant. God asserts paternal ownership over these children, viewing them as His own offspring born within the covenant. This elevates the act of child sacrifice from merely an abhorrent pagan ritual to an unspeakable violation against God's direct claim and the desecration of His divine parenthood over Israel.
  • הֶעֱבִירוּ (he'eviru): From עבר (avar), "to pass over." In this context, it is a euphemism for "to sacrifice" by fire, particularly in connection with Molech worship (Lev 18:21; Dt 18:10). This horrific practice was common among Canaanites.
  • לָהֶם לְאָכְלָה (lahem l'oklah): "To them for food." While likely referring to the children being consumed by the flames in the offering ritual, some interpretations suggest the possibility of ritual cannibalism by cult members or simply emphasizes the complete destruction and disposal of the children as if they were mere offerings to be eaten by the idols or their associated priests, amplifying the gruesome nature of the act. This highlights the deep depravity.

Ezekiel 23 37 Bonus section

• Polemics against Canaanite religion: The practice of child sacrifice, euphemistically termed "passing through the fire," was a horrific element of pagan Canaanite worship, particularly to the deity Molech. God's repeated condemnation of this act throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Lev 18:21; Dt 18:10) serves as a strong polemic against the deeply immoral and inhumane practices of surrounding cultures, which Israel and Judah tragically adopted.
• The covenant as marriage: The recurring metaphor of marriage and adultery for the relationship between God and Israel (found extensively in Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) highlights the emotional depth and exclusivity of God's covenant with His people. Israel's idolatry is thus presented not merely as breaking rules, but as an intimate betrayal of a sacred, loving bond.
• Progressive depravity: The order of sins in the verse—adultery/idolatry, then blood on hands, then explicit idol worship, culminating in child sacrifice—can be seen as a progression, illustrating the deepening depravity and moral degradation that results from continued unfaithfulness to God. Each sin further separates them from His righteousness, with child sacrifice representing the ultimate desecration.

Ezekiel 23 37 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:37 presents a stark and cumulative indictment of Israel's and Judah's covenant breach with Yahweh. The "adultery" is not mere sexual promiscuity, but profoundly spiritual: a conscious and repeated turning away from God, their rightful "husband," to forge illicit "intimate relationships" with foreign gods and nations. This spiritual infidelity manifests in idolatry, where they worshipped gillulim—dung-gods—a term loaded with divine contempt. The phrase "blood is on their hands" underscores the pervasive moral corruption that stained their society, leading to systemic violence and injustice, with the ultimate expression being the heinous act of child sacrifice.

The most shocking accusation is their sacrifice of "the children whom they bore to Me." This reveals God's tender, parental claim over the children of Israel, born into the covenant. Sacrificing these children to Molech, Baal, or other deities was not only an unspeakable act of infanticide but a profound personal offense to God, violating His very ownership and desecrating the sacred bond He established with His people. This verse reveals the deep-seated spiritual pathology of both kingdoms, portraying them as willingly abandoning their divine protector for grotesque abominations, thereby justifying the severe judgment that God, as a faithful yet aggrieved spouse, is compelled to bring upon them.