New Living Translation
Ezekiel 23:37
37They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.
Ezekiel 23:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
- New International Version (NIV)for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.
Context of Ezekiel 23:37
35“And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.” 36The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins. They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me. 38Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day! 39On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.
Read all of Ezekiel 23Ezekiel 23:37 word by word
כִּ֣י נִאֵ֗פוּ וְדָם֙ בִּֽידֵיהֶ֔ן וְאֶת־גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֖ן נִאֵ֑פוּ וְגַ֤ם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָֽלְדוּ־לִ֔י הֶעֱבִ֥ירוּ לָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- That they have committed adulteryנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- and bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- in their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- and with their idolsגִּלּוּלgillûl gillûl · idolH1544
- and have also caused their sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- whom they bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- unto me, to pass for them throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- to devourאׇכְלָה'ôklâh · foodH402
Cross-references for Ezekiel 23:37
- Ezekiel 23:5“Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.
- Ezekiel 16:32Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.
- Hosea 1:2When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
- Hosea 3:1Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
- Ezekiel 23:39On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.
- Ezekiel 16:36This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods,
- Ezekiel 22:2“Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,
- Ezekiel 24:6“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a cooking pot whose corruption can’t be cleaned out. Take the meat out in random order, for no piece is better than another.
- 2 Kings 24:4who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.
- Psalms 106:37They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons.
- Isaiah 1:15When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
- Jeremiah 7:6only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.
- Hosea 4:2You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another.
- Micah 3:10You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption.
- Luke 13:34“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
- Ezekiel 23:4The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 23:37
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37Blood - One of the chief sins of Manasseh was that he shed innocent blood 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Kings 24:4.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-43The prophet again took the role of a prosecuting attorney. A prosecuting attorney is a person who brings charges against someone in court. His task was to confront Jerusalem with her sins (detailed in Ezekiel 22). Jerusalem and Samaria were supposed to be holy cities, set apart for God. Instead, they had become like worn-out prostitutes. This picture shows that they had been unfaithful to God. Their only attraction was their availability, meaning they…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 36-4436-44. A summing up of the sins of the two sisters, especially those of Judah. wilt thou judge--Wilt thou (not) judge (see on Eze 20:4)?Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 23:37
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
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