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

The verse describes a severe and permanent judgment upon Judah, likening their punishment to receiving a just recompense for their actions. The imagery points to a thorough destruction and desolation, leaving them without a protector or motherly comfort, emphasizing their utter ruin.

Ezekiel 23 37 Context

This verse is part of Ezekiel chapter 23, which continues the prophetic indictment against Judah, personified as Oholibah. The chapter recounts the history of her adultery and idolatry, drawing parallels with her older sister, Samaria (representing Israel). Both nations engaged in illicit spiritual relationships with foreign powers and their gods. Ezekiel uses vivid, often harsh, language to illustrate the depth of their sin and the severity of God's impending judgment. This specific verse serves as a concise summary of the two primary accusations against Judah: adultery (spiritual unfaithfulness) and bloodshed (violence, injustice, and shedding innocent blood), setting the stage for the detailed description of her punishment. Historically, this prophecy would have been delivered during the Babylonian exile, a period when Jerusalem was facing imminent destruction and its people were suffering greatly.

Ezekiel 23 37 Word Analysis

• For (כִּי - ki): This Hebrew word signifies "because" or "for," introducing the reason for the preceding or ensuing statement. Here, it introduces the justification for God's judgment on Judah.

• they have committed adultery (נָאֲפוּ - na'aphu): This is the third-person masculine plural, perfect form of the verb "naph," meaning "to commit adultery." In a prophetic context, adultery often symbolizes spiritual unfaithfulness to God, referring to idolatry and allegiance to foreign nations instead of reliance on the Lord. This reflects the covenant relationship broken by their actions.

• and blood (וָדָם - v'dam): The conjunction "v'" (and) links this with the previous charge. "Dam" means "blood." In the Old Testament, the shedding of innocent blood often signifies extreme injustice, murder, and moral corruption.

• is in their hands (בְּיָדֵיהֶם - b'yad'eyhem): This idiom translates to "in their hands." It means they are responsible for, guilty of, or have committed bloodshed. Their hands are stained with the blood of those they have unjustly harmed or murdered.

• Furthermore (וְעוֹד - v'od): This adverbial phrase means "and further" or "moreover," indicating an additional point of accusation.

• they have committed it (נָאוּ - na'u): While a similar root to "adultery," some scholars suggest "na'u" can imply "have done," "have wrought," or "have accomplished," potentially referring to their actions of bloodshed or their ingrained pattern of sin, not just the act of adultery itself. This reinforces the completeness of their depravity.

• and their idols (וּבְגִלּוּלֵיהֶם - uv'gilu'leyhem): "Gifulim" refers to idols or idolatrous objects, especially the detestable things associated with pagan worship. The possessive suffix "hem" indicates "their idols." This directly points to their idolatrous practices, a primary form of spiritual adultery.

• their children (בְּנֵיהֶם - b'neyhem): This signifies "their children," both literal offspring and, metaphorically, the consequences of their actions that would be inherited by future generations.

• unto me (לִי - li): This refers back to God, emphasizing that the children have been offered or given over to idols in relation to God's covenant or against God. It signifies the ultimate violation of dedicating their progeny to false gods, essentially dedicating them to spiritual death or servitude.

• have caused them (הִטִּילָתַם - hitilatam): The verb "hal" means "to cast," "to throw," or "to pass." Here, it suggests they actively "passed" or "offered" their children, actively presenting them for sacrifice or devotion.

• to pass before them (לְהַעֲבִירָם - l'ha'avir'am): This is an infinitive construct phrase. "L'ha'avir" means "to cause to pass" or "to pass over." It commonly refers to passing through fire, a known practice in Canaanite idolatry, such as Molech worship. The pronoun "am" refers to the idols.

• Group Analysis (Adultery and Bloodshed): The pairing of "adultery" (spiritual unfaithfulness) and "bloodshed" (physical violence and injustice) is significant. These were seen as parallel sins that deeply offended God and corrupted society. The prophets frequently used the metaphor of adultery to describe Israel's departure from God (Jer 3:8-9), and the shedding of innocent blood was a pervasive sin that brought God's wrath (Jer 22:3, Ezek 22:3-4).

• Group Analysis (Offspring to Idols): The mention of passing children before idols points to the heinous sin of child sacrifice or dedicating children to the service of false gods. This was a direct violation of the Mosaic Law (Lev 18:21; Deut 18:10) and demonstrated a profound turning away from the covenant God of Israel. It signified a complete dedication of their future to the powers of darkness, rather than to the Lord who gave them life.

Ezekiel 23 37 Bonus Section

The prophetic language here is visceral, intended to shock the audience into recognizing the gravity of their sin. The mention of "passing children" echoes the horrific practices of Molech worship prevalent in the surrounding cultures, which the Israelites were strictly forbidden to emulate. The chapter as a whole emphasizes that Judah's ultimate destruction was not arbitrary but a direct consequence of her own deliberate choices to forsake God and engage in deeply immoral and violent acts. The metaphor of adultery connects directly to the covenant, highlighting the relational aspect of their sin.

Ezekiel 23 37 Commentary

This verse delivers a powerful indictment against Judah, summarizing the deep corruption within the nation. Their "adultery" is a metaphor for their spiritual infidelity – their abandonment of God's covenant and their embrace of pagan alliances and idolatry. The "blood in their hands" speaks of their moral decay, their embrace of violence, injustice, and likely the ritualistic sacrifice of their own children to idols, as further elaborated in subsequent verses. God declares that He will deal with them according to these transgressions. The severity of the charges underscores the extreme breach of the covenant relationship that God had established with Judah. Their actions had severed the foundational bond of trust and loyalty.