Ezekiel 23 39

Ezekiel 23:39 kjv

For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

Ezekiel 23:39 nkjv

For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house.

Ezekiel 23:39 niv

On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.

Ezekiel 23:39 esv

For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

Ezekiel 23:39 nlt

On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 39 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:39 profoundly exposes the heinous sinfulness of Judah (Oholibah), vividly depicting their spiritual apostasy. It highlights a profound spiritual insensitivity and hypocrisy: they would engage in the abominable pagan ritual of sacrificing their own children to detestable idols, and on that very same day, audaciously enter the sacred precinct of the Lord's temple to perform worship, thus defiling His holy dwelling place. This verse underscores the extreme defilement and deliberate contempt shown towards God's holiness, equating their act as a direct affront within His own house.

Ezekiel 23 39 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 employs the powerful and stark allegory of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah). Both sisters are depicted as prostitutes who abandoned the Lord for foreign lovers, symbolizing Israel's and Judah's covenant unfaithfulness and spiritual idolatry. The chapter graphically details their insatiable lust for foreign alliances and pagan gods, emphasizing the progression and increasing wickedness of Oholibah (Judah) over Oholah (Israel).

Verse 39, therefore, specifically applies to Oholibah/Judah. It describes the peak of their spiritual degeneracy, an immediate sequence of the most detestable pagan practice (child sacrifice) followed by an act of supposed worship in the Lord's holy sanctuary. This immediate succession highlights the profound moral corruption and hypocritical attitude that characterized Judah at the time, demonstrating a complete disregard for God's explicit commands and His holy character. Historically, Judah had indeed adopted child sacrifice, a practice condemned by God (e.g., in the Valley of Hinnom) even while claiming to worship Him in the Temple, culminating in their imminent judgment and exile.

Ezekiel 23 39 Word analysis

• For: (Hebrew: כִּי ki) - Establishes a reason or explanation for the preceding statements about Judah's judgment. It introduces the specific acts of sin.

• when they had slain: (Hebrew: שָׁחֲטוּ shachatu) - Derived from a root meaning "to slaughter" or "to sacrifice." This is a forceful and direct verb indicating a deliberate, violent act. It highlights the brutal nature of the pagan ritual.

• their children: (Hebrew: בָּנִים banim) - Refers to their sons and daughters. This specifies the most precious offering imaginable, emphasizing the horrific depth of their apostasy and commitment to idols.

• to their idols: (Hebrew: לְגִלּוּלֵיהֶם l’gilluleyhem) - "Idols" is the derogatory term gillulim, meaning "dung-pellets" or "filth-gods." This is a strong polemical word, used frequently by Ezekiel, conveying God's utter contempt for the false gods and the abhorrent nature of the worship. The use of "their" implies their personal, chosen dedication to these false deities.

• then they came: (Hebrew: וַיָּבֹאוּ vayyavo’u) - The Hebrew "waw consecutive" here implies a direct and immediate sequence, "and they came."

• the same day: (Hebrew: בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא bayyom hahu) - Emphasizes the staggering lack of spiritual sensitivity and brazen hypocrisy. No time for repentance, purification, or even a pretense of spiritual distance. It's an immediate transition from abominable worship to supposedly holy worship.

• into my sanctuary: (Hebrew: אֶל־מִקְדָּשִׁי el-mikdashi) - "My sanctuary" (mikdash) is God's holy dwelling place, the Jerusalem Temple, where His Name and presence resided. The possessive "my" underscores God's personal ownership and the gravity of the defilement.

• to profane it: (Hebrew: לְחַלְּלוֹ lechallelo) - From the root chalal, meaning "to profane," "to desecrate," "to make common," or "to violate holiness." This verb signifies the reduction of something sacred to an ordinary, impure, or polluted state. Their entry after such an act was not worship, but defilement itself.

• And lo, thus have they done: (Hebrew: וְהִנֵּה כָכָה עָשׂוּ v’hinneh kakha asu) - "And lo" (hinneh) is an interjection used to draw attention, expressing astonishment or urgency. "Thus" (kakha) refers to the combined acts of child sacrifice and immediate temple entry. This is God's emphatic confirmation and lament, pointing to the audacity of their actions.

• in the midst of mine house: (Hebrew: בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי betokh beiti) - "Mine house" (beiti) reiterates "my sanctuary," reinforcing the personal insult and violation. "In the midst of" emphasizes that this affront was committed right within the core of God's presence and holy space.

Ezekiel 23 39 Bonus section

The serial nature of Judah's apostasy described throughout Ezekiel 23, culminating in verse 39, demonstrates a pattern of escalating rebellion. They did not merely fall into error but deliberately embraced the most extreme pagan practices and simultaneously disrespected God's holiness. This was not a passive slide but an active rejection of covenant faithfulness, revealing the spiritual arrogance and insensitivity of the people of Judah. The phrase "the same day" also implies a ritualistic defilement, as if they intended to perform a double offering—one to idols, another to Yahweh, revealing a twisted theology that sought to manipulate or appease multiple deities, even those mutually exclusive. This verse serves as a stark warning against any attempt to combine true worship with practices abhorrent to God, highlighting the incompatibility of light and darkness.

Ezekiel 23 39 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:39 lays bare the profound spiritual corruption and audacity of Judah. The chronological marker "the same day" is crucial, exposing a chilling absence of remorse or any understanding of ritual purity. Their act of child sacrifice, a horrific abomination to gillulim (God's contemptuous term for idols), demonstrates total spiritual allegiance to pagan deities. To then immediately present themselves in "my sanctuary" (the Temple, God's sacred dwelling), not only constitutes profound hypocrisy but actively pollutes and defiles the holy space itself. This behavior was an open defiance of God's holiness, suggesting a syncretism where the most extreme forms of pagan worship were practiced simultaneously and unrepentantly with a pretense of worshipping the Lord. This dual sin—ultimate idolatry and sacrilege—showcased Judah's spiritual whoredom and fully justified God's impending severe judgment. It speaks to a hardened heart that had blurred all lines between the sacred and the profane, and God saw this as a direct, personal offense "in the midst of mine house."