Ezekiel Chapter 16
Ezekiel 16
The Harlot Wife of Yahweh
Ezekiel 16 is the longest chapter in Ezekiel and one of the most graphic indictments of Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness in all Scripture. The LORD tells Jerusalem her story as the story of an abandoned child rescued by divine mercy, raised by God’s grace, brought into covenant relationship, adorned with beauty, and then tragically corrupted by pride, idolatry, spiritual adultery, and child sacrifice. The chapter is severe because Israel’s sin was severe. Yet it does not end with judgment alone. It ends with the LORD remembering His covenant, promising an everlasting covenant, and providing atonement. The uploaded notes emphasize Jerusalem as representative of Judah and Israel, the shocking nature of her spiritual adultery, her comparison to Samaria and Sodom, and the final promise that God will still establish His covenant by His own faithfulness. The King James Version text is used throughout.
A. Israel rescued and adorned.
1. Ezekiel 16:1-5, Jerusalem’s humble beginning.
Ezekiel 16:1, Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 16:2, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
Ezekiel 16:3, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
Ezekiel 16:4, And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
Ezekiel 16:5, None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations means Ezekiel must confront Jerusalem with the true nature of her sin. Jerusalem is addressed as the center and representative of Judah, but the chapter reaches beyond the city to expose the spiritual history of Israel as a covenant people. The LORD does not flatter His people. He names their sin plainly so that they may understand why judgment is coming.
Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan reminds Jerusalem that her beginning was not naturally noble. Israel did not become God’s covenant people because she was impressive, powerful, morally superior, or self-made. The land was originally occupied by Canaanite peoples, represented here by the Amorite and the Hittite. The LORD uses this language with biting force to humble Jerusalem’s pride. She had begun to act like the pagan nations around her, and God reminds her that apart from His grace, she had no reason to boast.
Thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite does not deny the Abrahamic line of Israel. Rather, it exposes Jerusalem’s moral resemblance to the pagan inhabitants of Canaan. The city that should have reflected the holiness of the LORD had taken on the character of those nations whose abominations God had judged.
Genesis 12:1, Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father‘s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Genesis 12:2, And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Genesis 12:3, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
In the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut begins the picture of Jerusalem as an abandoned infant. The normal care given to a newborn was not given. The cord was not cut, the child was not washed, salted, or swaddled. This is the picture of helplessness, exposure, rejection, and near death.
None eye pitied thee shows that Israel’s survival was not due to the mercy of surrounding nations. No one had compassion. No one rescued her. No one saw value in her. She was cast into the open field, loathed on the day of her birth. This is not sentimental language. It is meant to crush pride. Israel’s life, identity, protection, and beauty came from God alone.
2. Ezekiel 16:6-7, God’s favor transforms Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 16:6, And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
Ezekiel 16:7, I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.
When I passed by thee shows divine initiative. Israel did not seek God first. God saw Israel in her helpless condition. The abandoned child was polluted in her own blood, unable to save herself, and destined for death unless God intervened.
I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live is the word of sovereign grace. Everything around Israel said die, but God said live. The life of Israel was grounded in the gracious command of God. This was not because Israel deserved life, but because God chose to show mercy.
Moses later explained that Israel was chosen because of God’s love and covenant faithfulness, not because of Israel’s greatness.
Deuteronomy 7:7, The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
Deuteronomy 7:8, But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field shows that Israel’s growth came from God. The rejected infant became a growing, maturing young woman. The nation increased, developed, and became beautiful under the care of the LORD.
Whereas thou wast naked and bare shows that even after growth and maturity, Israel still needed God’s covering and covenant care. She was not self-sufficient. She still stood in need of the LORD’s protection, provision, and covenant love.
3. Ezekiel 16:8, God’s loving covenant with Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 16:8, Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Thy time was the time of love describes the moment of covenant commitment. The abandoned child has grown, and the LORD now describes His relationship to Israel in the language of marriage. This is not casual affection. It is covenant love.
I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness speaks of protection, provision, and marital claim. To spread the skirt or wing over a woman was a symbolic act of taking her under protection. This same imagery appears in Ruth.
Ruth 3:9, And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee points to the LORD’s formal covenant relationship with Israel. This most directly recalls Sinai, where Israel was brought into covenant with the LORD after being redeemed from Egypt.
Exodus 24:7, And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exodus 24:8, And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
And thou becamest mine is the language of covenant possession. Israel belonged to the LORD. She was not her own. This makes the later adultery of the chapter so severe. Idolatry was not merely religious error. It was covenant betrayal against the divine Husband who had rescued, covered, and claimed her.
4. Ezekiel 16:9-14, God’s care and generosity adorn Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 16:9, Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Ezekiel 16:10, I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers‘ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
Ezekiel 16:11, I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Ezekiel 16:12, And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Ezekiel 16:13, Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Ezekiel 16:14, And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Then washed I thee with water continues the picture of God’s gracious care. The child who had once been left unwashed in her blood is now cleansed by the LORD Himself. God does what no one else had done. He washes, anoints, clothes, adorns, feeds, and crowns her.
I clothed thee also with broidered work shows the richness of God’s provision. The language of embroidered cloth, fine linen, badgers’ skin, and costly coverings connects with the dignity of the tabernacle and priestly service. The point is that Israel’s beauty was not natural or self-produced. It was bestowed by God.
Numbers 4:6, And shall put thereon the covering of badgers‘ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
I decked thee also with ornaments shows the LORD adorning Israel with beauty, dignity, and honor. Bracelets, chain, jewel, earrings, and crown all speak of elevation. The abandoned infant becomes a royal bride.
Thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil shows abundant provision. The LORD fed Israel richly. What she possessed came from Him. She had beauty, food, clothing, wealth, and status because of divine generosity.
Thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom points especially to the heights of Israel’s national glory under David and Solomon. Jerusalem became a royal city, and Israel became a kingdom known among the nations. Yet this glory was not ultimately Israel’s achievement.
For it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee is the key statement. Israel’s beauty was God’s beauty placed upon her. This destroys all boasting. Whatever was excellent in Israel came from the LORD.
This same principle applies to believers. Whatever good we have is received, not self-originated.
1 Corinthians 4:7, For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if-thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
B. Israel the proud harlot.
1. Ezekiel 16:15-19, Jerusalem acts like a harlot.
Ezekiel 16:15, But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Ezekiel 16:16, And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Ezekiel 16:17, Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
Ezekiel 16:18, And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
Ezekiel 16:19, My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set-it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
But thou didst trust in thine own beauty identifies the root of Jerusalem’s fall. She forgot that her beauty was given by God. The blessing became an idol. The gifts of God were trusted more than God Himself. This is a deadly turn in the soul, when grace is received and then used as a platform for pride.
Playedst the harlot because of thy renown means Jerusalem used the fame God gave her to pursue idols and alliances with pagan nations. Her spiritual adultery was public, repeated, and shameless. She poured out her fornications on everyone passing by, meaning she gave herself readily to the nations and their gods.
Of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours shows that Israel used the very gifts of God to beautify idolatry. The clothing God gave became decoration for pagan worship. The blessing of God was redirected toward abomination.
Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver makes the betrayal even clearer. The gold and silver were God’s gifts, but Israel used them to make images for idolatrous worship. This was not merely misuse of material wealth. It was covenant adultery.
Thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them shows that what belonged to the worship of the LORD was given to idols. Israel took the provision of God, the food of God, the oil of God, and the incense associated with worship, and placed them before false gods.
This is why idolatry is so offensive. It takes God’s gifts and uses them against God. The same danger remains whenever men take strength, wealth, influence, family, beauty, intelligence, or success from God and then use those things for pride, lust, rebellion, and false worship.
2. Ezekiel 16:20-22, Jerusalem sacrifices their sons and daughters to idols.
Ezekiel 16:20, Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
Ezekiel 16:21, That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
Ezekiel 16:22, And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.
Thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me shows that Israel’s children belonged to the LORD. They were covenant children, not disposable offerings for idols. The LORD calls them my children, which makes the horror of the sin even greater.
These hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured refers to child sacrifice, especially connected with the worship of Molech. Israel’s idolatry did not remain at the level of images and ceremonies. It descended into the murder of children in the name of false religion.
That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them is one of the most severe accusations in the chapter. Kings of Judah such as Ahaz and Manasseh participated in this abomination.
2 Kings 16:3, But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the-fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
2 Kings 21:6, And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with-familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Even Solomon allowed the worship of Molech to be established.
1 Kings 11:7, Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that-is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
The northern kingdom was also judged for such practices.
2 Kings 17:17, And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments,-and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Josiah later defiled the place associated with this wickedness.
2 Kings 23:10, And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man-might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth shows again that forgetfulness fed pride and rebellion. Israel forgot her helpless beginning, forgot the mercy of God, forgot the covenant, forgot the LORD’s gifts, and therefore descended into abominations. Spiritual memory is a guard against pride. When men forget what God rescued them from, they begin to think they are self-made and entitled to sin.
3. Ezekiel 16:23-26, Jerusalem’s great wickedness.
Ezekiel 16:23, And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, Woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;
Ezekiel 16:24, That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.
Ezekiel 16:25, Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and-hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.
Ezekiel 16:26, Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
Woe, woe unto thee is both lament and threat. The LORD’s words are not cold. They come with grief, anger, and righteous jealousy. Jerusalem’s wickedness was not minor. It was multiplied and public.
Thou hast made thee an high place in every street shows the spread of idolatry. What should have been exceptional became common. Idolatry filled the land. Jerusalem multiplied places of false worship instead of guarding the worship of the LORD.
Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way means idolatry was not hidden in one corner. It stood at prominent places. Jerusalem had turned public space into a display of spiritual adultery.
Hast made thy beauty to be abhorred means the beauty God gave became disgusting because it was used for sin. Beauty without holiness becomes corruption. Jerusalem’s divine adornment became a tool of rebellion.
Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours points both to religious and political unfaithfulness. Israel was tempted by Egypt’s gods, power, culture, and military strength. Instead of relying on the LORD, Jerusalem looked to foreign powers and their idols.
To provoke me to anger reminds us that idolatry provokes the LORD. God is not indifferent when His covenant people give themselves to idols. His jealousy is not petty insecurity. It is the holy jealousy of a righteous Husband whose bride has betrayed covenant love.
C. The depths of the sin of Israel the harlot.
1. Ezekiel 16:27-29, Foreign lovers turn upon Jerusalem the harlot.
Ezekiel 16:27, Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the-will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.
Ezekiel 16:28, Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the-harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
Ezekiel 16:29, Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.
I have stretched out my hand over thee shows that God began to act against Jerusalem. His hand is no longer described as rescuing, washing, adorning, and feeding. Now His hand is stretched out in discipline and judgment.
Have diminished thine ordinary food means the LORD reduced Jerusalem’s portion. The blessings she had abused were diminished. When God’s gifts are turned into idols, He may remove or reduce them in judgment.
Delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee shows that the nations Jerusalem pursued would become instruments of humiliation. The Philistines, long-time enemies of Israel, were ashamed of Jerusalem’s lewd way. The point is severe. Jerusalem’s conduct had become so corrupt that even pagan neighbors could be ashamed of it.
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians points to Judah’s political and spiritual compromise with Assyria. Kings such as Ahaz and Manasseh pursued Assyrian favor and were influenced by Assyrian ways.
2 Kings 16:7, So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son:-come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of-the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
2 Kings 16:8, And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in-the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
Hosea 5:13, When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and-sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
Hosea 8:9, For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
Amos 5:26, But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your-god, which ye made to yourselves.
And yet couldest not be satisfied is repeated because idolatry never satisfies. Jerusalem went from Egypt to Assyria to Chaldea, multiplying her unfaithfulness, but still remained empty. Sin promises satisfaction and produces slavery. The more Israel pursued foreign gods and foreign powers, the more restless and degraded she became.
2. Ezekiel 16:30, Degenerate Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 16:30, How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of-an imperious whorish woman;
How weak is thine heart goes to the root. Jerusalem’s problem was not merely bad policy, bad leadership, or bad circumstances. Her heart was corrupt, unstable, and morally diseased. The outward sins flowed from inward degeneration.
Seeing thou doest all these things shows that heart corruption always eventually works itself outward. Israel’s idols were first loved in the heart, then built in the streets, then defended through alliances, and then practiced in abominations.
The work of an imperious whorish woman means Jerusalem sinned boldly, arrogantly, and without shame. Her unfaithfulness was not forced upon her. It came from a proud, rebellious, and dissatisfied heart.
3. Ezekiel 16:31-34, Jerusalem worse than a harlot.
Ezekiel 16:31, In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in-every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
Ezekiel 16:32, But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!
Ezekiel 16:33, They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them,-that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
Ezekiel 16:34, And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit-whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.
Thou scornest hire means Jerusalem was worse than a prostitute in the metaphor. A harlot receives payment, but Jerusalem gave payment to her lovers. She received no real benefit from idolatry, yet still pursued it. Her sin was irrational and self-destructive.
As a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband is the central covenant charge. Jerusalem was not merely a harlot. She was an adulterous wife. She had a Husband, the LORD, who had rescued, clothed, fed, adorned, and covenanted with her. Her idolatry was betrayal.
The prophet Hosea used this same marriage imagery to expose Israel’s unfaithfulness.
Hosea 1:2, The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go,-take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom,-departing from the LORD.
They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers shows how backwards Jerusalem’s sin had become. She paid the nations, courted the nations, adopted their gods, and purchased alliances. She spent God’s gifts to buy her own shame.
None followeth thee to commit whoredoms means Jerusalem was not merely seduced. She pursued the sin. She was not an unwilling victim of pagan nations. Her own degenerate heart drove her. This removes excuse. The guilt is hers.
D. God’s message to Israel the harlot.
1. Ezekiel 16:35-39, Judgment announced against Jerusalem the harlot.
Ezekiel 16:35, Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
Ezekiel 16:36, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with-thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst-give unto them;
Ezekiel 16:37, Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou-hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will-discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
Ezekiel 16:38, And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give-thee blood in fury and jealousy.
Ezekiel 16:39, And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall-break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave-thee naked and bare.
Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD is a shocking address, but it fits the sin. The LORD does not use a noble title here because Jerusalem has acted shamefully. The hard language is meant to expose the hard reality.
Because thy filthiness was poured out gathers together the uncleanness of Jerusalem’s idolatry, spiritual adultery, and bloodshed. The sin was public and overflowing. The people had uncovered their nakedness before idols and lovers, and they had given their children to abomination.
I will gather all thy lovers means the very nations Jerusalem pursued would become the instruments of her shame. God would gather both those she loved and those she hated. Her alliances and idols would not protect her. They would turn against her.
I will discover thy nakedness unto them is poetic judgment fitting the sin. Jerusalem had willingly exposed herself in spiritual adultery. Now God would expose her shame before the nations. This humiliation was not empty cruelty. It was judgment designed to strip away false beauty and bring the truth into the open.
I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged joins adultery and murder. Jerusalem was guilty of covenant adultery and the blood of her children. Therefore, judgment would come in fury and jealousy.
I will also give thee into their hand means God would hand Jerusalem over to the nations she trusted. The lovers would become destroyers. They would throw down the shrines, break down high places, strip away clothing, take jewels, and leave her naked and bare. The city would end as she began, exposed and helpless, but this time because of sin and judgment.
2. Ezekiel 16:40-43, Describing the coming judgment against Jerusalem the harlot.
Ezekiel 16:40, They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through-with their swords.
Ezekiel 16:41, And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women:-and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
Ezekiel 16:42, So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I-will be quiet, and will be no more angry.
Ezekiel 16:43, Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold,-therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit-this lewdness above all thine abominations.
They shall also bring up a company against thee pictures the armies gathered against Jerusalem. The judgment would be historical, military, and visible. Stones, swords, and fire describe the violence of the coming destruction.
They shall burn thine houses with fire points to the burning of Jerusalem by Babylon. The judgment was not symbolic only. The city and temple would fall, houses would burn, and the nation would be humiliated.
2 Kings 25:9, And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem,-and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.
Jeremiah 52:13, And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem,-and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot shows one purpose of the judgment. The Babylonian exile would cure Israel of the same kind of national idolatry that had marked her before the exile. Judgment would be severe, but it would purge.
So will I make my fury toward thee to rest means God’s wrath would not continue forever. His jealousy would be satisfied through righteous judgment. This is not the end of God’s covenant purpose, but the end of this phase of His fury against Jerusalem’s abominations.
Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth returns to the root sin of forgetfulness. Jerusalem forgot her helpless beginning and God’s rescuing grace. She forgot that all her beauty was bestowed. She forgot the covenant. Therefore, the LORD would recompense her way upon her own head.
E. The past, present, and future of Jerusalem the harlot and her family.
1. Ezekiel 16:44-45, The mother of Jerusalem the harlot.
Ezekiel 16:44, Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother,-so is her daughter.
Ezekiel 16:45, Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of-thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
As is the mother, so is her daughter means Jerusalem had become like the pagan peoples whose ways she should have rejected. The proverb condemns her resemblance to spiritual ancestors marked by idolatry and abomination.
Thou art thy mother’s daughter repeats the charge from the beginning of the chapter. Jerusalem was acting like the Canaanite nations. She had not maintained covenant distinction. Instead of being holy unto the LORD, she mirrored the nations around her.
That lotheth her husband and her children is a terrible description. Spiritually, Jerusalem despised her covenant Husband, the LORD, and sacrificed her children to idols. The fault in this covenant marriage was entirely Jerusalem’s. The LORD was faithful. Jerusalem was not.
Your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite again presses the point that Jerusalem’s conduct reflected pagan character. The city that should have represented the LORD to the nations had become morally aligned with the nations under judgment.
2. Ezekiel 16:46-47, The sisters of Jerusalem the harlot.
Ezekiel 16:46, And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy-younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
Ezekiel 16:47, Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were-a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.
Thine elder sister is Samaria identifies the northern kingdom of Israel, whose capital was Samaria. Samaria had already fallen to Assyria more than a century before Jerusalem’s fall. Judah knew Samaria’s history and should have learned from it.
1 Kings 16:24, And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the-hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the-hill, Samaria.
Thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom is even more shocking. Sodom was infamous for wickedness and divine destruction. To compare Jerusalem with Sodom was severe enough, but the LORD goes further.
Genesis 13:13, But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations initially sounds like Jerusalem was different from them, but the next phrase clarifies the meaning. Jerusalem did not merely imitate them. She surpassed them.
Thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways is the staggering accusation. Jerusalem had more light than Sodom and Samaria. She had the temple, the priesthood, the prophets, the Davidic line, and the history of God’s mighty works. Therefore, her sin was more aggravated. Greater privilege brings greater accountability.
3. Ezekiel 16:48-50, Comparing Jerusalem to her sister Sodom.
Ezekiel 16:48, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters,-as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
Ezekiel 16:49, Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of-idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 16:50, And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
As I live, saith the Lord GOD makes this a solemn oath. The LORD swears by His own life that Jerusalem had exceeded Sodom in guilt. This is not exaggeration for effect. It is divine judgment.
This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom lists the root sins that fed Sodom’s depravity. Sodom had pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness, neglect of the poor and needy, haughtiness, and abomination. These sins created a culture ripe for the wickedness seen in Genesis 19.
Genesis 13:10, And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered-every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the-land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Genesis 18:20, And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is-very grievous;
Genesis 19:4, But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house-round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
Genesis 19:5, And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this-night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness shows that prosperity without righteousness breeds corruption. Sodom had abundance but not humility. Leisure but not holiness. Food but not gratitude. Comfort but not compassion.
Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy means Sodom’s abundance was selfish. They had enough to help the needy, but they did not. The poor and needy were neglected while the city lived in pride and indulgence.
And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me includes the sexual depravity of Sodom, but not that alone. The abomination of Sodom grew out of a whole system of pride, indulgence, idleness, cruelty, and rebellion against God.
Therefore I took them away as I saw good refers to God’s destruction of Sodom. The LORD judged Sodom righteously, and now He says Jerusalem’s guilt is even worse.
Genesis 19:24, Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
4. Ezekiel 16:51-52, Comparing Israel to her sister Samaria.
Ezekiel 16:51, Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast-justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.
Ezekiel 16:52, Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more-abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in-that thou hast justified thy sisters.
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins is another crushing comparison. Samaria was wicked and was judged, yet Jerusalem’s guilt was greater because Jerusalem had greater privilege and greater warning. She had witnessed Samaria’s fall and still continued in abomination.
Thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they means Jerusalem did not merely match Samaria’s sin. She exceeded it. The southern kingdom had the temple, the Davidic throne, the priesthood, and prophetic warning, yet multiplied abominations.
Hast justified thy sisters does not mean Sodom and Samaria were truly righteous. It means Jerusalem’s sins were so severe that Sodom and Samaria appeared less guilty by comparison. Jerusalem’s wickedness made them look justified in a relative sense.
Jesus used similar comparative judgment language concerning cities that rejected greater light.
Matthew 10:15, Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in-the day of judgment, than for that city.
Matthew 11:23, And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the-mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this-day.
Matthew 11:24, But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day-of judgment, than for thee.
Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame rebukes Jerusalem’s pride. Judah looked down on Samaria and Sodom, yet had become worse. Self-righteous judgment only made her shame greater.
5. Ezekiel 16:53-59, A promise of restoration for Jerusalem and her sisters.
Ezekiel 16:53, When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria-and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
Ezekiel 16:54, That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in-that thou art a comfort unto them.
Ezekiel 16:55, When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters-shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.
Ezekiel 16:56, For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,
Ezekiel 16:57, Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all-that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.
Ezekiel 16:58, Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.
Ezekiel 16:59, For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised-the oath in breaking the covenant.
When I shall bring again their captivity introduces an unexpected promise. After severe judgment, the LORD speaks of restoration. The restoration of Samaria is easier to understand historically, but the mention of Sodom is more difficult and shows the breadth of God’s sovereign power. The point is that Jerusalem has no right to boast over anyone.
Then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them promises that Jerusalem also will be restored. Judgment will not be the end of her story. The LORD will discipline, humble, expose, and then restore according to His covenant purposes.
That thou mayest bear thine own shame means restoration will not produce pride. It will produce humility. Jerusalem will be ashamed when she realizes that the mercy of God is wider than her self-righteous assumptions and deeper than her sin.
For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride shows that Jerusalem had once considered Sodom beneath mention. In pride, she judged others while ignoring her own corruption. But when her wickedness was uncovered, her shame became public.
Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations means Jerusalem’s punishment was deserved. The judgment was not without cause. She had carried the guilt of her own sin.
I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant brings the charge back to covenant. Jerusalem’s sin was not merely moral failure. It was covenant treason. She despised the oath and broke the covenant. Therefore, God’s judgment would answer her own deeds.
6. Ezekiel 16:60-63, Remembering the old covenant, promising an everlasting covenant.
Ezekiel 16:60, Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto-thee an everlasting covenant.
Ezekiel 16:61, Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy-younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
Ezekiel 16:62, And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:
Ezekiel 16:63, That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame,-when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee is one of the great mercy statements in the chapter. Jerusalem broke covenant, but the LORD remembers His covenant. Israel’s unfaithfulness does not erase God’s faithfulness to His own sworn purposes.
In the days of thy youth reaches back to the beginning of the covenant relationship. The LORD remembers what He established. He remembers the covenant not because Israel deserves it, but because He is faithful.
I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant points beyond immediate restoration to the future covenant work of God. This connects with the New Covenant promises already introduced in Ezekiel 11 and later expanded in Ezekiel 36 and 37. From a literal, dispensational, premillennial standpoint, God still has a future purpose for national Israel. Judgment does not cancel the covenants. God will establish what He promised.
Ezekiel 11:19, And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will-take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezekiel 11:20, That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be-my people, and I will be their God.
Jeremiah 31:31, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house-of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jeremiah 31:32, Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by-the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an-husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jeremiah 31:33, But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days,-saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will-be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 31:34, And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the-LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the-LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed shows that future restoration will not make Israel arrogant. It will produce holy shame. Grace does not cause the redeemed to excuse sin. It causes them to see sin rightly and marvel at mercy.
And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD repeats the promise for emphasis. The final word over Israel is not harlotry, shame, exile, or judgment. The final word is the LORD’s covenant faithfulness.
When I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done points to atonement. The LORD Himself provides the basis upon which His wrath is satisfied. This is the deep mercy at the end of the chapter. Jerusalem cannot atone for herself. The LORD must provide atonement.
This anticipates the fuller revelation of atonement in Christ. The New Covenant is grounded in blood, forgiveness, and God’s provision.
Matthew 26:28, For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of-sins.
Hebrews 9:14, How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God,-purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:15, And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the-redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal-inheritance.
Ezekiel 16 is severe because covenant betrayal is severe. Jerusalem was rescued, washed, covered, adorned, fed, crowned, and made beautiful by the LORD. Yet she trusted in her own beauty, used God’s gifts for idols, sacrificed His children, pursued foreign lovers, and became worse than Samaria and Sodom. Still, the chapter ends with divine mercy. The LORD will remember His covenant. He will establish an everlasting covenant. He will provide atonement. Israel’s sin is great, but God’s covenant faithfulness is greater.
