Ezekiel 23 41

Ezekiel 23:41 kjv

And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.

Ezekiel 23:41 nkjv

You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil.

Ezekiel 23:41 niv

You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.

Ezekiel 23:41 esv

You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil.

Ezekiel 23:41 nlt

You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 41 Meaning

This verse describes Jerusalem's deep involvement in spiritual adultery and idolatry, likening it to the sexual desecration of Oholibah's luxurious furnishings, symbolizing her corrupted state.

Ezekiel 23 41 Context

This verse is part of Ezekiel's prophecy concerning the spiritual unfaithfulness and impending judgment of Jerusalem (Oholibah), contrasted with Samaria (Oholah). Chapters 21-24 focus on judgments against Israel and Judah, particularly the siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 23 specifically details the gross apostasy of Judah through allegorical names Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), highlighting their illicit alliances and idolatrous practices that led to their destruction. This particular verse zeroes in on the consequence of Oholibah's idolatry, using vivid imagery of desecration and abandonment.

Ezekiel 23 41 Word Analysis

• And (וְ): Conjunction, linking clauses.
• it (וְהָיָה): Literally "and it shall be" or "and it was." Indicates a future or subsequent event.
• when (כִּי): Temporal conjunction, indicating the time or cause.
• you (אַתְּ): Second person feminine singular pronoun, referring to Jerusalem.
• came (בָּאתְ): Past tense verb, indicating arrival or attainment.
• to (אֶל): Preposition indicating direction.
• it (עָצֵי): Possessive, likely referring to "her furnishings" or "her possessions" implicitly connected to the throne or chamber.
• fashioned (עָשִׂיתְ): Verb meaning "to make" or "to do." Implies deliberate action in preparing.
• for (לָּךְ): Second person feminine singular pronoun, possessive, indicating "for yourself."
• for (לְ): Preposition indicating purpose or destination.
• yourself (לְךָ): Repeated for emphasis on self-directed actions.
• altars (בָּמֹת): Refers to high places or sacrificial altars used for worship, often associated with pagan rites.
• and (וְ): Conjunction.
• perfume (קְטֹרֶת): Incense or fragrant offerings, used in worship, both true and false.
• and (וְ): Conjunction.
• my (שֶׁלִּי): First person possessive pronoun, referring to God.
• oil (שֶׁמֶן): Consecrated oil, or oils used in anointing and ritual.
• and (וְ): Conjunction.
• enteredst (בָּאתְ): Past tense verb, same as "came," signifying the action of entering.
• my (שֶׁלִּי): First person possessive pronoun, referring to God.
• my (שֶׁלִּי): First person possessive pronoun, referring to God.
• house (בַּיִת): Temple or dwelling place.
• and (וְ): Conjunction.
• anointedst (מָשַׁחְתְּ): Past tense verb meaning "to anoint," typically with oil, indicating a form of dedication or preparation.
• them (אוֹתָם): Plural pronoun referring to the altars and incense.

Group of words analysis:

• "came to it your fashioned for yourself altars": This phrase emphasizes Jerusalem's proactive and deliberate construction of her own pagan worship centers, distinct from God's appointed worship. The imagery points to the systematic nature of her idolatry.
• "and perfume and my oil and enteredst my house and anointedst them": This highlights the perversion of God's intended use of sacred elements. The incense, oil, and the anointing ritual, which belonged to Yahweh's service, were appropriated and used in pagan rituals within Jerusalem's own religious sphere, effectively corrupting God's presence and sanctuary.

Ezekiel 23 41 Bonus Section

The verse uses the Hebrew verb "asitas" (עָשִׂיתְ) in "your fashioned for yourself," which implies creation or making something complete. This underscores that Jerusalem actively built and perfected her idolatrous system. The "altars" (בָּמֹת) were specifically places of unauthorized worship, a recurring theme of condemnation in the Old Testament prophets (1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 17:9). The use of "my oil" (שֶׁמֶן שֶׁלִּי) implies a stolen sacredness; these were resources intended for YHWH's service that were defiled by their appropriation for idolatry. This mirrors the principle of not mixing the sacred with the profane. The intimacy of anointing and entering God's house with these defiled objects represents a severe spiritual contamination, a spiritual adultery enacted within the very place God had claimed as His dwelling.

Ezekiel 23 41 Commentary

Jerusalem (Oholibah) is portrayed as having so thoroughly embraced idolatry that she treated her religious appointments like personal, ornate furnishings for her pagan rites. She didn't just dabble; she "fashioned" them for herself, indicating intentionality in her rebellion. The verse powerfully conveys that these pagan accoutrements – her altars, incense, and oils – were then brought into proximity with, or metaphorically into, God's house. The act of "anointing" them within this context signifies a deep-seated corruption, an appropriation and perversion of sacred things and divine presence for the service of foreign gods. This illustrates that her sin was not merely external but infiltrated her very understanding and practice of worship, a complete apostasy where even holy things were desecrated.