God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 23:16
16She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia.
Ezekiel 23:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
- New International Version (NIV)As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
- New King James Version (NKJV)As soon as her eyes saw them, She lusted for them And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
Context of Ezekiel 23:16
14Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red. 15The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon. She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17So these men came from Babylon, went to bed with her, and dishonored her with their lust. After they had dishonored her, she turned away from them in disgust. 18“She carried out her prostitution openly, and she lay around naked. I turned away from her in disgust as I had turned away from her sister.
Read all of Ezekiel 23Ezekiel 23:16 word by word
וַתַּעְגְּבָ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַרְאֵ֣ה עֵינֶ֑יהָ וַתִּשְׁלַ֧ח מַלְאָכִ֛ים אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם כַּשְׂדִּֽימָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ezekiel 23:16
- Ezekiel 16:29So you increased your acts of prostitution to include the land of the merchants, the Babylonians. Even after that, you weren’t satisfied.
- Genesis 3:6The woman saw that the tree had fruit that was good to eat, nice to look at, and desirable for making someone wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
- Genesis 6:2The sons of God saw that the daughters of other humans were beautiful. So they married any woman they chose.
- Genesis 39:7After a while his master’s wife began to desire Joseph, so she said, “Come to bed with me.”
- 2 Samuel 11:2Now, when evening came, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the royal palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and she was very pretty.
- 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked ⌞Judah⌟, and Jehoiakim became subject to him for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against him and rebelled.
- Job 31:1“I have made an agreement with my eyes. Then how can I look with lust at a virgin?
- Psalms 119:37Turn my eyes away from worthless things. Give me a new life in your ways.
- Proverbs 6:25Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes.
- Proverbs 23:33Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mouth will say embarrassing things.
- Matthew 5:28But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.
- Ezekiel 23:40“They even sent messengers to invite men to come from far away. When the men arrived, they washed themselves for the men, painted their eyes, and put on their jewels.
- Ezekiel 16:17You took your beautiful gold and silver jewelry that I had given you and made male idols for yourself. Then you committed adultery with them.
- 2 Peter 2:14They’re always looking for an adulterous woman. They can’t stop looking for sin as they seduce people who aren’t sure of what they believe. Their minds are focused on their greed. They are cursed.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 23:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The sending of “messengers” refers to the act of Ahaz 2 Kings 16:7.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-18Samaria’s reputation and punishment were known to everyone in Ezekiel’s time. Her sister, Oholibah (Jerusalem), followed the same pattern of life and was even worse than her sister. The kings of Judah thought it was wise to form alliances with Babylon and Assyria. However, the prophet saw this as a pattern of ongoing spiritual unfaithfulness.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. sent messengers ... into Chaldea--(Eze 16:29). It was she that solicited the Chaldeans, not they her. Probably the occasion was when Judah sought to strengthen herself by a Chaldean alliance against a menaced attack by Egypt (compare 2Ki 23:29-35; 24:1-7). God made the object of their sinful desire the instrument of their punishment. Jehoiakim, probably by a stipulation of tribute, enlisted Nebuchadnezzar against Pharaoh, whose tributary he previously…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 23:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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