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 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 23:39 | "For they have committed adultery with idols and even sacrificed their children to them as food." | Foreshadowing consequences of idolatry |
| Hosea 4:12 | "My people consult their wooden gods and confess with their own staffs. They have strayed, like a †Œdoxy 70 with †Œher father; Israel is ashamed and disgraced." | Spiritual adultery and shame |
| Jeremiah 3:9 | "And because she was careless, she defiled the land and committed adultery with both stone and wood." | Idolatry described as adultery |
| Psalm 106:39 | "They became a reproach to their neighbors, mocked and ridiculed by those around them." | Shame and reproach from neighbors |
| Isaiah 44:20 | "He feeds on ashes. His foolish heart has deluded him, so that he cannot deliver himself or ask, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?'" | Delusion from pursuing worthless idols |
| Jeremiah 2:27 | "They say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone idol, ‘You gave birth to me.’ They have turned their backs on me instead of their faces. But when trouble comes, they say, 'Come and save us!'" | Turning to idols for help |
| Leviticus 18:21 | "Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you would desecrate the name of your God. I am the Lord." | Prohibition of child sacrifice |
| 2 Kings 23:10 | "He defiled the high places that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the commander of the city, on the left at the gate of the city." | Destruction of idolatrous places |
| Isaiah 64:6 | "We all are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all are fading like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." | Corruption of righteousness by sin |
| Romans 1:25 | "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." | Worship of created things over the Creator |
| 1 Corinthians 10:21 | "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot share in the Lord's banquet and the demons' banquet too." | Incompatibility of serving God and idols |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." | Consequences of fleshly deeds, including idolatry |
| Revelation 17:16 | "The ten horns you saw and the beast will hate the adulterous woman. They will ravage her and leave her naked, they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire." | Judgment on spiritual adultery |
| Jeremiah 7:31 | "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I commanded nor that it never entered my mind." | Specific prohibition and divine dismay at child sacrifice |
| Psalm 78:58 | "They provoked him to anger with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their carved images." | Provoking God with idolatry |
| Amos 5:26 | "You will take up your tinsel tent, and the images of your star god, your tabernacle which you made for yourselves." | Bearing one's own idols and symbols of sin |
| John 15:5 | "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." | Dependency on Christ for fruitfulness |
| Romans 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Ultimate consequence of sin |
| 1 John 5:21 | "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." | New Testament exhortation against idols |
| Matthew 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." | The principle of exclusive allegiance |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 39 Meaning
This verse describes the ultimate consequence of spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. The abandonment of the Lord leads to a complete separation from His presence and blessings. The people of God, through their persistent sin, would be left exposed and vulnerable, experiencing the harsh realities of divine judgment. This abandonment signifies a loss of divine protection and favor.
Ezekiel 23 39 Context
Ezekiel 23 describes the prophetic judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). The chapter uses the allegory of two unfaithful sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), who engage in spiritual adultery by seeking alliances with foreign nations and embracing their idolatrous practices. Verse 39, specifically, focuses on the culmination of Oholibah's (Judah's) sins, highlighting the extreme depth of her defilement, including the horrific practice of child sacrifice. This occurred despite the abundant blessings and warnings God had provided. The historical backdrop is a period of severe moral and spiritual decay within Judah, leading to their eventual exile.
Ezekiel 23 39 Word Analysis
- "For" (כִּי - ki): This conjunction introduces the reason or cause for the preceding statement. It emphasizes that the following actions explain the divine abandonment mentioned.
- "they have committed adultery" (נָאֲפוּ - na'afu): The verb from naph (נָאַף) means to commit adultery, often used metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness to God, particularly through idolatry and unholy alliances.
- "with idols" (בַּעֲצַבִּים - ba'atsabbiym): Asab (עָצַב) relates to idols or images that are carved or fashioned. The preposition b (בּ) signifies "in" or "with." This points to their intimacy with and worship of lifeless objects.
- "and" (וְ - we): A conjunction linking the two grievous sins.
- "have sacrificed" (וַתִּזְבַּחְנָה - vatizbachnah): The verb zabach (זָבַח) means to sacrifice or slaughter, typically animals. Here, it's used for the horrifying act of human sacrifice. The feminine plural ending indicates the women (representing the women of Judah and the nation itself) are performing the act.
- "their children" (בְּנֵיהֶם - beneihem): Literally "sons of them," but encompassing children in general.
- "to them" (לָהֶם - lahem): Refers back to the idols.
- "as food" (לְמַאֲכָל - lema'akol): From akol (אָכֹל) meaning food or to eat. This phrase intensifies the abomination, implying the idols are considered deities who are fed by the very flesh of their offspring.
Word Group Analysis
- "committed adultery with idols": This phrase encapsulates the core betrayal. Idolatry is consistently depicted as adultery against God in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 3:9). It signifies breaking the covenant relationship established with God, seeking fulfillment and protection from false sources.
- "sacrificed their children to them as food": This represents the ultimate depravity. Child sacrifice, particularly to deities like Molek (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 7:31), was an abomination that evoked God's intense displeasure and a profound breach of natural and divine law. It symbolizes giving one's most precious offerings to something worthless and evil, a perverse inversion of love and nurture.
Ezekiel 23 39 Bonus Section
The imagery of "feeding" idols with children in Ezekiel 23:39 reflects a perverted concept of worship, where the perceived deity is appeased or nourished through the most extreme act of cruelty and loss. This practice, often associated with the worship of Molek, was a gross perversion of fertility cults and covenants. In contrast, true covenantal relationship with God involves the offering of one's self and resources in devotion, not in appeasement through horrific acts. The verse highlights how idolatry leads not only to spiritual desolation but also to profound social and moral breakdown, the loss of humanity itself, and ultimately, the forfeiture of divine favor and presence.
Ezekiel 23 39 Commentary
This verse stands as a stark testament to the depths of apostasy. Judah, like its sister Israel, had not only turned away from Yahweh but had engaged in practices that were utterly abhorrent to Him. The "adultery" speaks to a violated covenant relationship, while the "child sacrifice" reveals a heart so hardened and corrupted that it offered its own progeny to lifeless, demonically influenced idols. This wasn't just a slip but a profound descent into spiritual perversion and dehumanization. It serves as a dire warning against the consequences of turning from God and embracing what is morally and spiritually destructive. The abandonment described in the chapter's broader context is the natural outcome of such profound infidelity.