In this chapter, we read about the foundling child, the ingratitude, and the unfaithfulness of Jerusalem.
Similar to Hosea 2:14-20, we read of the figurative story of Israel’s history. We see the undeserved kindness shown by God. Jerusalem makes Sodom and Samaria look righteous and a promise of reconciliation.
In these opening verses, we get a good picture of how the Lord went out of his way to help Israel. Note that we are not dealing with historical reality in this chapter, but figurative reasoning. The physical is used to express a spiritual sickness.
Ellison, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He (Ezekiel) makes no effort to make the details of his story tie up with the details of the Patriarchal period. He is concerned to give a general spiritual picture, not the outward historical one.’
Their ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites, Genesis 12:1-3, but they were not literally descended from the Hittites and Amorites, Ezekiel 16:1-3. This is probably referring to their ‘spiritual or moral pedigree’, John 8:44-45.
She is like a baby left at birth to die until God comes along and gives her what she needs. From the very beginning, it was God who supplied Israel with what she needed, Ezekiel 16:4-6.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:4.
‘In salting the child, the skin is rubbed with salt to make it firm and clean.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:5.
‘This is an allusion to the custom of some heathen and barbarous nations, who exposed those children in the open fields to be devoured by wild beasts who had any kind of deformity, or whom they could not support.’
What a pathetic picture this is of Israel, hopeless and lifeless, until God tells them to live, Ezekiel 16:6 / Deuteronomy 7:7-8 / Ephesians 2:5.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He pronounces the sentence of life upon the child, otherwise sentenced to certain death. His passion is reflected in the emphatic twofold declaration, In your blood, live!’
God made her grow from a child into a mature woman, with breasts and long hair, despite her being naked, Ezekiel 16:7 / Ezekiel 16:11.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:7.
‘This represents the days of their sojourn in Egypt, before the Sinaitic covenant.’
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Lord enabled Jerusalem to thrive. Her inhabitants became numerous. She eventually developed into a fine city, even though she had gotten a bad start in life. During the reigns of David and Solomon, Jerusalem was one of the most highly respected cities in the ancient Near East.’
Having reached maturity, God then enters into a marriage covenant with her, Ezekiel 16:8 / Ruth 3:9 / Psalms 132:13-17. God then washes her with water to remove the blood and then puts ointments on her, Ezekiel 16:9 / Ephesians 5:25-27.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Note also that ‘the anointing with oil’ followed the washing, just as the anointing of Aaron followed his ceremonial washing, and just as the reception of the Holy Spirit followed the baptism (the washing) of Jesus Christ, and just as the reception of the Holy Spirit is always subsequent to and contingent upon Christian baptism of all the followers of Christ.’
Block, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the embroidered dress, sanders, badger skin, KJV, and fine linen.
‘These expressions occur elsewhere most frequently in the descriptions of the tabernacle, its curtains, and the priestly vestments. References to the luxury leather of which her sandals are made (tahas) occur only in contexts involving the tabernacle.’
Once again, we see that all the adornment of the new bride is supplied by the groom, God, Ezekiel 16:10-12. Again, we see that if this is a literal picture, we have the problem of God marrying an adopted daughter. We are working in figurative language where we are not bound by literal problems.
God supplied honey, olive oil and the finest flour for her to eat, Ezekiel 16:13 / Genesis 24:53 / Psalms 45:13-15 / Isaiah 61:10. She was beautiful and rose like a queen, Ezekiel 16:13. As a result of her beauty and splendour, she became famous among the nations, Ezekiel 16:14 / Lamentations 2:15.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘During the reign of King David and during Solomon’s early years, Jerusalem was indeed a queenly city and Israel a prosperous kingdom. As long as Israel, Jehovah’s wife, obeyed His Word and kept His covenant, He blessed her abundantly just as He promised. He gave her healthy children, fruitful flocks and herds, abundant harvests, and protection from disease, disaster, and invasion.’
Having been given everything she needed from her husband, having entered into a marriage covenant with him, the wife now is shown to have committed adultery, because she trusted in her own beauty, Ezekiel 16:15.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God had warned Israel not to forget him when she came into all the benefits that he would give her in the Promised Land, Deuteronomy 6:10-12. This exhortation was soon forgotten by the nation’s leaders.’
We see first her harlotry with her lovers, he is shown to lavish all the goods given her by her husband on anyone who passes by, Ezekiel 16:15. Under King Solomon, Jerusalem became the greatest city of her day, but Solomon led the Jerusalemites into spiritual adultery by making alliances with other nations and by establishing idolatry in the land, 1 Kings 11:1-13 / Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:16-19.
‘Jerusalem used the gifts that God had given her to make idols and to worship them rather than her Lord, 2 Kings 23:7 / Jeremiah 10:9. The people made phallic images out of God’s gifts with which they engaged in sex, Ezekiel 16:17 / Isaiah 57:8, or perhaps full human figures are in view.’
Notice that Jerusalem sacrificed her own children to idols, Ezekiel 16:20 / Leviticus 18:21 / Leviticus 20:1-5 / Deuteronomy 12:30-32 / 2 Kings 16:3 / 2 Kings 21:6 / 2 Kings 23:10 / 2 Chronicles 28:3 / Jeremiah 32:35.
They killed God’s own children and then burned them as sacrifices to the idols, Ezekiel 16:21. She totally forgot her origins and humble they were, they forgot that their very existence was due to god, Ezekiel 16:22. The extent of their wickedness is seen in Ezekiel 16:23-25. They had idols set up everywhere. She pursued foreign alliances as well as foreign gods.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:23.
‘The meaning here, as noted also in the LXX, clearly indicates that these were used for prostitution. Such places of prostitution were found in the ‘high places’ of Judah.’
Three lovers are specified, the Egyptians, Ezekiel 16:26 / 2 Kings 17:4 / 2 Kings 18:21 / Isaiah 30:7 / Isaiah 36:1. They committed adultery by going after other gods.
So much so that even the Philistines, a thoroughly bad lot, were ashamed of her, Ezekiel 16:27 / 2 Chronicles 21:16-17 / 2 Chronicles 28:16-19 / Isaiah 1:7-8. The Assyrians, Ezekiel 16:28 / 2 Kings 15:19-20 / 2 Kings 16:7-18. The Babylonians, Ezekiel 16:29 / 2 Kings 20:12-19 / Isaiah 20:5-6 / Isaiah 30:1-5 / Isaiah 31:1.
This harlotry is, of course, a figurative thing and seems to represent the alliances they made with these nations and the gods of these nations. Here is where they were unfaithful as wives to God. But even more, Israel did not act as other harlots receiving pay for their wares; she paid her lovers, Ezekiel 16:33-34.
Cooper, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Ezekiel enumerated at least eight reasons for the exile: pride, Ezekiel 16:15, spiritual prostitution, Ezekiel 16:15-19, materialistic idolatry, Ezekiel 16:16-19, human sacrifices, Ezekiel 16:20-21, forgetting God, Ezekiel 16:22, propagating her prostitution, Ezekiel 16:23-25, trusting relations with pagan nations, Ezekiel 16:26-29, and a weak will that cast off all moral restraints, Ezekiel 16:30-34.’
Ellison, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The adulteress may by some be excused by the strength of passion and blind love, but for a harlot, there is no excuse except that of stark necessity. But for Israel, there is not even this excuse. She has not been paid by her lovers but has paid those who have taken their pleasure of her.’
We see second, her punishment for prostitution, Ezekiel 16:35 / Nahum 3:4-7. The picture is given of her lovers turning on her. The words, ‘you poured out your lust’, Ezekiel 16:36, are interesting because some commentators believe this is speaking about venereal disease, while others believe it’s referring to the morbid genital outflow of a woman, a reference to female genital distillation produced by sexual arousal.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:37.
‘He would turn her over to her lovers who would take from her everything she had, leaving her naked and bare, her original condition, Ezekiel 16:7 / Ezekiel 16:22 / Hosea 2:12 / Nahum 3:5.’
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Jerusalem had bared her body to all passersby. Now God provides her with all the exposure she wants, and more. If she wants to be a public spectacle, he offers his aid. Naked, he had found her; naked, he would leave her. The hell that awaited her was not the creation of some demonic force or external power, but of her own making.’
Notice that God will deal with Jerusalem in the same way adulteresses and murderers are dealt with, Ezekiel 16:38 / Leviticus 20:10 / John 8:4-5. God is going to deliver them into the hands of their lovers, tear down their mounds and destroy their lofty shrines, Ezekiel 16:39.
Notice that her lovers will strip them of their clothes, take their fine jewellery and leave them stark naked, Ezekiel 16:39 / Hosea 2:12 / Nahum 3:5 / Jeremiah 13:22 / Jeremiah 13:26.
Poole, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is opprobrium to a man to be stripped, more to a woman; this Jewish adulteress shall be stripped, that her nakedness appear.’
Her lovers would also provoke other nations to attack and wage war against her, Ezekiel 16:40, and as a result, her enemies would burn down her houses and punish her in the sight of even more nations.
This would bring an end to her prostitution, Ezekiel 16:41. The good news is that after this judgment and their time in exile, Israel would never commit idolatry again.
There’s more good news: not only wouldn’t Israel commit idolatry again, but God’s anger would turn from them; He will be calm and not angry with them, Ezekiel 16:42.
We see third, how far this once pure bride has stooped. The point is to show Judah how sinful they are, and several points are made to prove it.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:43.
‘In order that she might remember him once again, God would bring this discipline on her. Though mankind may forget God, his love prevents him from forgetting his own. God takes his commitments in personal relationships seriously.’
There’s a proverb which says, ‘like mother, like daughter,’ Ezekiel 16:44, which is certainly true in terms of idolatrous and selfish behaviour. Again, we are shown their moral and spiritual pedigree: your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite, Ezekiel 16:45 / Ezekiel 16:3.
Was this literally true? No. John 8:44. She was like her older sister, Samaria, 1 Kings 16:24-29, and her younger sister, Sodom, Genesis 13:13 / Genesis 19:1-24, both of which despised their husbands and children, Ezekiel 16:46.
Beasley-Murray, in their commentary, says the following.
‘Jerusalem’s sin was not only as bad as that of her heathen predecessors, and not only as bad as the sins of Samaria and Sodom, but even worse than they, Ezekiel 16:47.’
Morgan, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:47-48.
‘Jerusalem’s sin had been the more heinous in that she had professed to set the standard for her sisters, whereas she had been more abominable than they.’
Samaria and Sodom were symbols of sinfulness and wickedness, Ezekiel 16:49, yet God did away with them, Ezekiel 16:50, but then He says that Judah is worse than both of them, Ezekiel 16:51.
Was Judah’s sin worse than the other two? Although that could be argued either way, it is true to say that Judah should have known better because they knew more. So, in that sense, Judah had the greater sin, John 19:11.
Judah was so bad that she made Samaria and Sodom look good, Ezekiel 16:51. Now, if the less wicked Samaria and Sodom had been judged, and they had, then what was going to happen to Judah? She will be judged in like manner, Ezekiel 16:52.
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Ezekiel lives among people who feel shame because Yahweh, in whom they had placed their trust, had reneged on his covenant commitment, and failed to stand up for them. The purpose of this entire oracle has been to turn the tables on the Israelites’ complaint. The charge of betrayal is to be levelled not against Yahweh but against themselves.’
To show that they were as bad, God was going to restore Sodom, Samaria and Judah, Ezekiel 16:53. He raises up Sodom and Samaria again that Judah might see how bad they were, Ezekiel 16:54.
God was not and is not going to literally raise up Sodom and Samaria again, Jude 7. Why does Judah have a remnant? Ezekiel 16:55. By the mercy of God, not because they deserve it by being less wicked or even righteous, Isaiah 1:9 / Romans 9:27-29.
Smith, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:56.
‘In former times, self-righteous Jerusalem would not even mention the name of Sodom. Jerusalem, however, was humbled when her own wickedness was made public through divine judgment.’
They are going to bear the consequences of their lewdness and their detestable practices, Ezekiel 16:57. The consequences are the Babylonians, who were threatening to destroy them. God’s people had despised His oath, and so, now God would despise them, Ezekiel 16:58-59 / Jeremiah 31:32.
Here we read of God’s mercy in reconciliation. One word can be written over this section, which describes the renewal of the covenant, and that’s the word grace. Even though judgment is coming, God won’t forget the covenant He made with his people, Ezekiel 16:60 / Genesis 12:3 / Galatians 3:16 / Galatians 3:27-29.
He will also establish an everlasting covenant with His people in the future, Ezekiel 16:60 / Ezekiel 11:18-20 / Ezekiel 36:26-28 / Ezekiel 37:26-28 / Isaiah 59:21 / Isaiah 61:8 / Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God can no more help being gracious than He can cease being God. He is the God of all grace, and He always finds a covenant basis on which He can exercise His grace.’
When God establishes this new covenant, then His people will remember their ways and be ashamed, Ezekiel 16:61.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ezekiel 16:61.
‘The use of ‘elder sisters and younger’ here is different from such designations earlier in the chapter. ‘Elder sisters’ (note the plural) is a reference to Sodom and all other Gentile nations, and Samaria is here the younger sister because Judah, the southern Israel, was older than Ephraim (son of Joseph), the Northern kingdom. Also, this reveals the fact that Sodom in the earlier reference is a representative of all the Gentiles.’
When God establishes this new covenant, then His people will know that He is the LORD, Ezekiel 16:62. When God make atonement for His people, Ezekiel 16:63 / Ezekiel 11:17-21, in other words, provides forgiveness, then His people will be humbled and humiliated, and they will obey Him, 2 Timothy 2:13.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The promise of restoration must almost have sounded as strangely as the threat of punishment, including as it did those whom Judah hated and despised, Ezekiel 16:61. The covenant of restoration was not to be like the old covenant. Not ‘by thy covenant,’ but ‘by My covenant.’ The people’s covenant was the pledge of obedience. That had been found ineffectual. But the covenant of God was by ‘promise’, Galatians 3:17.’