God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 16:38
38I will punish you the same way that those who are guilty of prostitution and murder are punished. I will give you the death penalty in my fury and burning anger.
Ezekiel 16:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy.
Context of Ezekiel 16:38
36This is what the Almighty Lord says: You exposed yourself and uncovered your naked body when you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols. You also killed your children and sacrificed their blood to these idols. 37That is why I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. I will have all those who love you and hate you gather around. I will uncover your body for them, and they will see you naked. I will punish you the same way that those who are guilty of prostitution and murder are punished. I will give you the death penalty in my fury and burning anger. 39I will hand you over to your lovers. They will destroy your platforms and tear down your illegal worship sites. They will tear off your clothes, take away your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. 40They will also bring a mob against you. They will stone you and cut you into pieces with their swords.
Read all of Ezekiel 16Ezekiel 16:38 word by word
וּשְׁפַטְתִּיךְ֙ מִשְׁפְּטֵ֣י נֹאֲפ֔וֹת וְשֹׁפְכֹ֖ת דָּ֑ם וּנְתַתִּ֕יךְ דַּ֥ם חֵמָ֖ה וְקִנְאָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- thee, as women that break wedlockנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- and shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- are judgedמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and I will giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- in furyחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534
- and jealousyקִנְאָהqin'âh · jealousyH7068
Cross-references for Ezekiel 16:38
- Ezekiel 16:40They will also bring a mob against you. They will stone you and cut you into pieces with their swords.
- Ezekiel 23:45Righteous people will punish these women for adultery and for murder, because these women have committed adultery and their hands are covered with blood.
- Genesis 38:11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s home. Live as a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” He thought that this son, too, might die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father’s home.
- Leviticus 20:10“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife or with his neighbor’s wife, both he and the woman must be put to death for their adultery.
- Deuteronomy 22:22If a man is caught having sexual intercourse with a married woman, both that man and the woman must die. You must get rid of this evil in Israel.
- Matthew 1:18The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: His mother Mary had been promised to Joseph in marriage. But before they were married, Mary realized that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
- John 8:3The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone
- Ezekiel 16:20“ ‘You took your sons and daughters, who belonged to me, and you sacrificed them as food to idols. Wasn’t your prostitution enough?
- Genesis 9:6Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, because in the image of God, God made humans.
- Exodus 21:12“Whoever strikes someone and kills him must be put to death.
- Numbers 35:31“Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death.
- Psalms 79:3They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem as though it were water. There is no one to bury your people.
- Jeremiah 18:21Now, hand their children over to famine. Pour out their ⌞blood⌟ by using your sword. Then their wives will become childless widows. Their husbands will be put to death. Their young men will be struck down in battle.
- Zephaniah 1:17“I will bring such distress on humans that they will walk like they are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord.” Their blood will be poured out like dust and their intestines like manure.
- Nahum 1:2God does not tolerate rivals. The Lord takes revenge. The Lord takes revenge and is full of anger. The Lord takes revenge against his enemies and holds a grudge against his foes.
- Revelation 16:6You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God’s people and prophets. This is what they deserve.”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 16:38
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 35-43Verses 35-43 Judah is now represented as undergoing the punishment adjudged to an adulteress and murderess. Only in her utter destruction shall the wrath of the Lord, the jealous God, cease. Ezekiel 16:36 Filthiness - Or, brass, i. e., money, is lavished. The Hebrews generally speak of money as gold Isaiah 46:6, but brass coins were not unknown in the time of the Maccabees. Compare Matthew 10:9; Mark 12:41. Ezekiel may here have put brass for gold…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 35-38Because Jerusalem acted like an unfaithful spouse, it was appropriate for her to face a similar punishment. God would symbolically strip her of her dignity, reversing the marriage metaphor of being clothed (see Ezekiel 16:8; Hosea 2:2–3). Then the people would stone her (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). Since this would cover her naked body with blood, she would leave the world just as she came into it. This metaphor was fulfilled when the Babylonians…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 38-4038-40. judge thee, as women that break wedlock--(Le 20:10; compare Eze 16:2). In the case of individual adulteresses, stoning was the penalty (Joh 8:4, 5). In the case of communities, the sword. Also apostasy (De 13:10) and sacrificing children to Molech (Le 20:1-5) incurred stoning. Thus the penalty was doubly due to Israel; so the other which was decreed against an apostate city (De 13:15, 16) is added, "they shall stone thee with stones and thrust thee…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 16:38
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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