Ezekiel 23:38 kjv
Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 23:38 nkjv
Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 23:38 niv
They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 23:38 esv
Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths.
Ezekiel 23:38 nlt
Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day!
Ezekiel 23 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:8-11 | "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy..." | The Fourth Commandment. |
| Exod 31:13 | "You are to observe My Sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you..." | Sabbath as the covenant sign. |
| Lev 15:31 | "You shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die by their uncleanness, by defiling My tabernacle..." | Importance of purity for God's dwelling. |
| Lev 21:12 | "He shall not go out of the sanctuary... lest he profane the sanctuary of his God..." | Priests' responsibility to keep the sanctuary holy. |
| Num 19:20 | "whoever is unclean and does not cleanse himself... he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD." | Uncleanness defiles sacred space. |
| Isa 56:2 | "Blessed is the man who does this... who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it..." | Blessing for honoring the Sabbath. |
| Isa 58:13-14 | "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath... call the Sabbath a delight..." | Delighting in the Sabbath brings blessing. |
| Jer 7:9-11 | "...Then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered!' only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?" | God's house defiled by abominations. |
| Jer 17:21-27 | "Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not carry any burden on the Sabbath day... But if you do not listen to me... then I will kindle a fire in its gates..." | Sabbath breaking leads to judgment. |
| Eze 5:11 | "Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations..." | Defilement by detestable things. |
| Eze 7:20-22 | "...and they made their abominable images and their detestable things in it... they profaned My treasured place." | Making idols in God's holy place. |
| Eze 8:5-16 | Ezekiel's vision of the abominations within the Temple precincts. | Idolatry and pagan practices in the Temple. |
| Eze 20:13 | "But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes and they scorned My rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and My Sabbaths they greatly profaned..." | Israel's long history of profaning Sabbaths. |
| Eze 22:8 | "You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths." | Judah's despising holy things. |
| Eze 44:23 | "They shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean." | Importance of distinguishing holy from common. |
| Neh 13:15-18 | Nehemiah rebukes the people for trading on the Sabbath. | Reprimand for Sabbath desecration. |
| Ps 74:7 | "They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of Your name, bringing it down to the ground." | Enemies destroying the sanctuary. |
| Dan 11:31 | "...they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate." | Antiochus Epiphanes defiling the temple. |
| Matt 21:12-13 | Jesus clearing the Temple, calling it a "den of robbers." | Reverence for God's house. |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." | New Testament perspective of defiling God's temple. |
| Heb 10:29 | "How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?" | Profaning sacred in NT covenant. |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 38 Meaning
Ezekiel 23:38 directly charges Israel (Oholah) and Judah (Oholibah) with severe transgressions against God, stating that in addition to their extensive spiritual harlotry described in the chapter, they actively defiled God's sacred Temple and persistently profaned His holy Sabbaths. These acts represent not only a rejection of their covenant obligations but also a profound and personal insult to God's holy presence and sovereign authority, demonstrating their utter contempt for His distinct holiness and His foundational institutions within Israel.
Ezekiel 23 38 Context
Ezekiel chapter 23 vividly employs an elaborate allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria, representing the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, representing the Southern Kingdom of Judah). Both sisters, born to one mother, represent God's chosen people, but are depicted as prostitutes who strayed from their divine Husband, Yahweh, to pursue idolatry and illicit political alliances with foreign nations. The preceding verses detail their escalating spiritual unfaithfulness, comparing their abandonment of God to a sexually perverse addiction. Verse 38 introduces specific, foundational violations that substantiate the allegorical harlotry: the physical defilement of the Temple, the focal point of God's presence, and the systematic profanation of the Sabbaths, the covenant's distinct sign. This verse serves as a crucial transition, connecting their widespread spiritual idolatry with tangible breaches of the Mosaic Law, establishing the grounds for the severe divine judgment that follows in the rest of the chapter against both apostate kingdoms.
Ezekiel 23 38 Word analysis
Moreover (גַּם, gam): This Hebrew particle signifies "also" or "in addition," serving to introduce an equally serious, yet distinct, set of accusations against Oholah and Oholibah, further deepening the indictment. It emphasizes that these actions compound their previously described spiritual transgressions.
this they have done (זֹאת עָשׂוּ, zot asu): "This they did." It affirms the factual occurrence of the described actions, emphasizing the deliberate and active role of the people in committing these specific offenses.
to Me (לִי, li): "Against Me," "to My face." This direct object pronoun personalizes the offenses. The defilement and profanation were not just legal breaches but direct, intentional affronts to God Himself, highlighting the profound breach of the covenant relationship.
they have defiled (טִמְּאוּ, timme'u): From the root טָמֵא (tame'), meaning "to be unclean, polluted, ritually impure." This term relates to rendering something ritually unholy or unacceptable, often by contact with idolatry, sin, or specific physical impurities, making it unfit for God's presence or worship.
My sanctuary (מִקְדָּשִׁי, mikdashi): From מִקְדָּשׁ (mikdash), "a holy place, sacred place, temple." In this context, it refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Its defilement implied the introduction of pagan objects, idolatrous practices, or sinful behaviors directly into the space consecrated solely for YHWH's pure worship and presence, making it ceremonially unfit.
and profaned (חִלְּלוּ, chillilu): From the root חָלַל (chalal), meaning "to profane, defile, desecrate, make common." This term describes treating something sacred as if it were ordinary, removing its holiness, and stripping it of its distinct honor. It speaks to a willful disregard for God's prescribed distinctions between holy and common.
My Sabbaths (שַׁבְּתֹתַי, shabbetotay): The plural form of שַׁבָּת (shabbat), "Sabbath, day of rest." The plural signifies not just a single instance but systematic, repeated, and widespread violations of the weekly Sabbath rest, the Sabbaths of festivals, and perhaps even the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. The Sabbath was the distinct covenant sign (Exo 31:13), and its profanation demonstrated a complete rejection of the covenant relationship.
they have defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths: This specific coupling is highly significant. It groups violations concerning both sacred space (the sanctuary, where God dwells) and sacred time (the Sabbaths, a sign of God's relationship with His people). These two categories represent fundamental pillars of Israel's covenant with YHWH. The simultaneous and persistent assault on both institutions underscores a total repudiation of God's holiness and His rightful place in their lives, manifesting their spiritual harlotry in concrete, ritualistic and societal actions.
Ezekiel 23 38 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of "sanctuary" and "Sabbaths" in this verse is deliberate and theologically profound. The sanctuary embodied God's chosen dwelling place among His people, representing the spatial aspect of His holiness and accessibility. Its defilement meant a corruption of God's presence. The Sabbath, on the other hand, represented the temporal aspect of God's holiness, marking out sacred time and serving as the foundational sign of the covenant between God and Israel, indicating their unique relationship and identity. To defile both sacred space and sacred time demonstrates a comprehensive and systemic breakdown of Israel's covenant fidelity. This highlights that their "harlotry" was not merely abstract infidelity but deeply impacted their observance of the Law, their worship, and their national identity, proving their absolute departure from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Ezekiel 23 38 Commentary
Ezekiel 23:38 pinpoints two quintessential offenses of Judah and Israel: the desecration of God's dwelling place and the violation of His holy days. Defiling the sanctuary typically involved introducing idolatrous objects, pagan rituals, or unholy practices into the sacred Temple area, fundamentally disrespecting God's immanent presence and breaking His holiness codes. Profaning the Sabbaths—which represented the covenant sign, commemorating creation and deliverance from bondage—indicated a wholesale disregard for divine commands, treating God's specially designated time as common, indistinguishable from other days. Together, these acts summarize their utter spiritual apostasy, illustrating that their inner unfaithfulness translated into outward rebellion against the very institutions God established to signify His unique relationship with them and maintain their distinction among nations. This double transgression formed a grave indictment, proving their deservingness of divine judgment.