Ezekiel 7:20 kjv
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
Ezekiel 7:20 nkjv
'As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations? Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them.
Ezekiel 7:20 niv
They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.
Ezekiel 7:20 esv
His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them.
Ezekiel 7:20 nlt
They were proud of their beautiful jewelry
and used it to make detestable idols and vile images.
Therefore, I will make all their wealth
disgusting to them.
Ezekiel 7 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 7:20 | And of her adornment she set no limit; thereof she made Images of her detestable things and her abominations. | General Theme of Idolatry & Apostasy |
| Eze 7:21 | “And I will give it into the hands of the foreigners for plunder, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil; and they shall profane it. | Divine Judgment, Foreign Invasion |
| Eze 7:22 | "I will turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; for profaners enter it and defile it. | God's Abandonment, Temple Defilement |
| Eze 28:12-17 | Describes the pride and downfall of the King of Tyre due to his beauty and wisdom. | Pride Precedes Fall |
| Isa 2:20 | In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands made for yourselves as sin. | Rejection of Idolatry |
| Jer 7:14 | “but will do to this house, by which My name is called, in which you trust, and of the place I gave to you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. | Historical precedent of judgment |
| Jer 7:30-34 | Describes the abominations committed in the Temple, leading to its destruction and burial. | Abominations in God's House |
| Hos 10:1-2 | Israel's prosperity turned to idolatry and its subsequent judgment. | Prosperity and Idolatry |
| Mic 1:11 | The shame brought upon Samaria by its own idols. | Idolatry brings shame |
| Zeph 1:4-6 | Judgment on Judah for idolatry and apostasy. | Judgment for apostasy |
| Luke 17:1-2 | Warning against causing the "little ones" to stumble. | Stumbling Blocks, Offense |
| 1 Cor 8:4 | There is nothing unclean in itself, but anything impure for anyone who considers it impure. | Understanding of Offense |
| 1 Cor 10:19-21 | Warnings against associating with idolatrous practices. | Association with Abominations |
| 1 John 5:21 | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. | Keep from Idols |
| Rev 18:5-7 | Judgment on Babylon for its sins and pride. | Judgment on proud cities |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Describes the lifelessness of idols and their makers becoming like them. | The futility of idols |
| Isa 44:12-20 | Details the process and folly of making idols. | Making of Idols |
| Jer 10:1-5 | Contrast between God the Creator and idols made by hand. | Man-made gods |
| Deut 7:25-26 | Command to destroy idols and not take their spoil. | Dealing with Idolatrous objects |
| Acts 15:20 | Advising Gentile believers to abstain from things sacrificed to idols. | Abstaining from idols |
Ezekiel 7 verses
Ezekiel 7 20 Meaning
This verse speaks of the ultimate downfall of Israel, specifically Jerusalem, due to its widespread sinfulness. The treasures and their beautification, symbols of their pride and prosperity, would become an offense. This offense was so profound that it would serve as a stumbling block, leading to their ultimate destruction. Their glorious ornaments, once sources of pride, would be desecrated and unusable because of the nation's transgression.
Ezekiel 7 20 Context
Ezekiel chapter 7 prophesies the imminent and complete destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, signifying God's abandonment of His people due to their persistent sin and idolatry. The prophet delivers a stark message of inescapable judgment. This verse specifically highlights how the very things Israel used to adorn itself with, including religious objects and symbols of their perceived spiritual beauty and prosperity, would become instruments of their shame and ruin. The imagery is powerful, showing how the objects of their devotion to idols would ultimately lead to their stumbling and destruction, making them detestable even to the conquerors.
Ezekiel 7 20 Word Analysis
וּמִשְׂגֶּהָ (u'misgehā): "and from her exceeding beauty." The root is שׂגה (sāgâh), meaning to grow great, increase, to be exceeding, abundant. This emphasizes an excess of beauty and adornment.
לֹא־נָתָ֑תְּ (lō'-nāthāth): "you did not put forth" or "you did not give limit." It signifies a lack of restraint or self-control in their extravagance.
בּוֹ (bō): "in it" or "thereof," referring to the "exceeding beauty" or "adornment."
תַּבְנִית (tav·nîth): "image," "pattern," "likeness." It can refer to the model or form of something.
תּוֹעֲבֹתַ֤יִךְ (to·‘a·vô·ṯa·yiḵ): "your abominations." This refers to things that are detestable or abhorrent to God, particularly idolatrous practices and objects.
וְשִׁקּוּצַ֙יִךְ (wə·shiq·qû·tsa·yiḵ): "and your detestable things." Similar to "abominations," this term signifies filthiness, revulsion, and disgrace, often associated with idolatry. The repetition amplifies the sin.
שִׂימִי (si·mi): "you shall place," "you shall set." A command to actively put or make these abominations.
נָתָ֑תְּ (nā·ṯāth): A completed action of setting or making.
group analysis: The phrase "your abominations and your detestable things" (תַּבְנִית תּוֹעֲבֹתַ֤יִךְ וְשִׁקּוּצַ֙יִךְ) highlights that Israel's outward beauty and ornamentation were intrinsically linked to their illicit worship and idolatrous practices. What they considered beautiful and glorious (their adornment) was, in God's eyes, deeply offensive and abhorrent (abominations and detestable things) because it was connected to their turning away from Him.
Ezekiel 7 20 Bonus Section
The concept of "stumbling block" (Hebrew: מִכְשׁוֹל - mik·shōl, though not explicitly used here in Ezekiel 7:20, the concept of "offense" relates) is a recurring theme. Jesus uses this idea powerfully in the New Testament to describe anything that leads to spiritual ruin or sin (Matthew 18:6-7). In Ezekiel 7:20, the nation's "adornment" itself becomes an offensive thing, not because beauty is inherently wrong, but because it was intertwined with their idol worship. It signifies how internal corruption can taint external expressions of prosperity and religion, leading to spiritual downfall. The "images of her detestable things and her detestable things" directly refers to idols and the religious accoutrements associated with pagan worship.
Ezekiel 7 20 Commentary
The verse portrays a tragic reversal. Israel's outward splendor and self-attributed beauty were not signs of God's favor but were directly fashioned into objects of their abominable idolatry. The prophecy asserts that this same "exceeding beauty," once a source of pride and perhaps even a cover for their sin, would become a cause for stumbling and profanation in the coming judgment. Their prized possessions, corrupted by idolatry, would be repurposed by conquerors or rendered offensive by their association with sin, serving as a stark reminder of their spiritual unfaithfulness. This illustrates the biblical principle that sin corrupts even good things, turning blessings into curses when misused or idolized.