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Commentary on Ezekiel 16 verses 6–14
In there verses we have an account of the great things which God did for the Jewish nation in raising them up by degrees to be very considerable. 1. God saved them from the ruin they were upon the brink of in Egypt (Eze 16:6): "When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy own blood, loathed and abandoned, and appointed to die, as sheep for the slaughter, then I said unto thee, Live. I designed thee for life when thou wast doomed to destruction, and resolved to save thee from death." Those shall live to whom God commands life. God looked upon the world of mankind as thus cast off, thus cast out, thus polluted, thus weltering in blood, and his thoughts towards it were thoughts of good, designing it life, and that more abundantly. By converting grace, he says to the soul, Live. 2. He looked upon them with kindness and a tender affection, not only pitied them, but set his love upon them, which was unaccountable, for there was nothing lovely in them; but I looked upon thee, and, behold, thy time was the time of love, Eze 16:8. It was the kindness and love of God our Saviour that sent Christ to redeem us, that sends the Spirit to sanctify us, that brought us out of a state of nature into a state of grace. That was a time of love indeed, distinguishing love, when God manifested his love to us, and courted our love to him. Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour, Sol 8:10. 3. He took them under his protection: "I spread my skirt over thee, to shelter thee from wind and weather, and to cover thy nakedness, that the shame of it might not appear." Boaz spread his skirt over Ruth, in token of the special favour he designed her, Rut 3:9. God took them into his care, as an eagle bears her young ones upon her wings, Deu 32:11, Deu 32:12. When God owned them for his people, and sent Moses to Egypt to deliver them, which was an expression of the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush, then he spread his skirt over them. 4. He cleared them from the reproachful character which their bondage in Egypt laid them under (Eze 16:9): "Then washed I thee with water, to make thee clean, and anointed thee with oil, to make thee sweet and supple thee." All the disgrace of their slavery was rolled away when they were brought, with a high hand and a stretched-out arm, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. When God said, Israel is my son, my first-born - Let my people go, that they may serve me, that word, backed as it was with so many works of wonder, thoroughly washed away their blood; and when God led them under the convoy of the pillar of cloud and fire he spread his skirt over them. 5. He multiplied them and built them up into a people. This is here mentioned (Eze 16:7) before his spreading his skirt over them, because their numbers increased exceedingly while they were yet bond-slaves in Egypt. They multiplied as the bud of the field in spring time; they waxed great, exceedingly mighty, Exo 1:7. 20. Their breasts were fashioned when they were formed into distinct tribes and had officers of their own (Exo 5:19); their hair grew when they grew numerous, whereas they had been naked and bare, very few and therefore contemptible. 6. He admitted them into covenant with himself. See what glorious nuptials this poor forlorn infant is preferred to at last. How she is dignified who at first had scarcely her life given her for a prey: I swore unto thee and entered into covenant with thee. This was done at Mount Sinai: "when the covenant between God and Israel was sealed and ratified then thou becamest mine." God called them his people, and himself the God of Israel. Note, Those to whom God gives spiritual life he takes into covenant with himself; by that covenant they become his subjects and servants, which intimates their duty - his portion, his treasure, which intimates their privilege; and it is confirmed with an oath, that we might have strong consolation. 7. He beautified and adorned them. This maid cannot forget her ornaments, and she is gratified with abundance of them, Eze 16:10-13. We need not be particular in the application of these. Her wardrobe was well furnished with rich apparel; they had embroidered work to wear, shoes of fine badgers' skins, linen girdles, and silk veils, bracelets and necklaces, jewels and ear-rings, and even a beautiful crown, or coronet. Perhaps this may refer to the jewels and other rich goods which they took from the Egyptians, which might well be spoken of thus long after as a merciful circumstance of their deliverance, when it was spoken of long before, Gen 15:14. They shall come out with great substance. Or it may be taken figuratively for all those blessings of heaven which adorned both their church and state. In a little time they came to excellent ornaments, Eze 16:7. The laws and ordinances which God gave them were to them as ornaments of grace to the head and chains about the neck, Pro 1:9. God's sanctuary, which he set up among them, was a beautiful crown upon their head; it was the beauty of holiness. 8. He fed them with abundance, with plenty, with dainty: Thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil - manna, angels' food - honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock. In Canaan they did eat bread to the full, the finest of the wheat, Deu 32:13, Deu 32:14. Those whom God takes into covenant with himself are fed with the bread of life, clothed with the robe of righteousness, adorned with the graces and comforts of the spirit. The hidden man of the heart is that which is incorruptible. 9. He gave them great reputation among their neighbours, and made them considerable, acceptable to their friends and allies and formidable to their adversaries: Thou didst prosper into a kingdom (Eze 16:13), which speaks both dignity and dominion; and, They renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, Eze 16:14. The nations about had their eye upon them, and admired them for the excellent laws by which they were governed, the privilege they had of access to God, Deu 4:7, Deu 4:8. Solomon's wisdom, and Solomon's temple, were very much the renown of that nation; and, if we put all the privileges of the Jewish church and kingdom together, we must own that it was the most accomplished beauty of all the nations of the earth. The beauty of it was perfect; you could not name the thing that would be the honour of a people but it was to be found in Israel, in David's and Solomon's time, when that kingdom was in its zenith-piety, learning, wisdom, justice, victory, peace, wealth, and all sure to continue if they had kept close to God. It was perfect, saith God, through my comeliness which I had put upon thee, through the beauty of their holiness, as they were a people set apart for God, and devoted to him, to be to him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory. It was this that put a lustre upon all their other honours and was indeed the perfection of their beauty. We may apply this spiritually. Sanctified souls are truly beautiful; they are so in God's sight, and they themselves may take the comfort of it. But God must have all the glory, for they were by nature deformed and polluted, and, whatever comeliness they have, it is that which God has put upon them and beautified them with, and he will be well pleased with the work of his own hands.
(Verse 10.) And you clothed yourself in various colors. LXX: And you adorned yourself with various garments: engaging in the rituals of the law, you abandoned idols. These are the various garments with which Joseph was clothed: and his brothers could not sell him unless they first stripped him of his varied tunic (Gen. XXXVII). And it is said of the bride in the forty-fourth psalm: The queen stood at your right hand in a robe adorned with gold, surrounded by variety (Ps. XLIV, 10). This is the clothing about which the Apostle speaks: Put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of the Creator (Ephesians 4:24). We want to know what are the various garments? Let the same Apostle teach us, writing to the believers: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12). What is more beautiful than this variety? About which Job also spoke: Who gives to women the wisdom of weaving, or the skill of variety (Job 38:36, Septuagint). And the high priest, once a year, when he offered incense for the people, entered into the Holy of Holies, using various garments (Exodus XXXIX; Hebrews IX). Certainly, if riches made the variety of garments and not holiness, and if diversity of virtues did not exist, then Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar would be recorded as having had these garments, and not Joseph, who, under a foreign and pastoral father, could not have colored or royal garments.
And you put on purple shoes. LXX: And you put on hyacinth shoes ((Al. Hyacinthino)). Aquila and Symmachus, purple; Septuagint and Theodotion, hyacinth. For which it is written in Hebrew Thas (). And because the speech is beautifully directed towards Jerusalem, and under the persona of a woman, all her adornments are described, purple or hyacinth shoes are mentioned, which do not suit male persons. Finally, for those who will observe Passover it is commanded that they should be dressed in plain clothing, with no diversity of color, and have their loins girded and their feet shod. These are the shoes about which the Apostle writes: having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Philo, a very eloquent man among the Jews, compares the hyacinth in the high priest's garments to the air, through which he believes heavenly and celestial things are signified. Jerusalem is not adorned with hyacinth until it is washed with water. Hence, the feet of the Apostles, to whom the Lord had previously commanded to shake off the dust from their feet (Matthew X), are washed by the Savior. And the bride says in the Song of Songs: I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? (Song of Songs 5:3). And the divine word testifies about both Moses and Joshua (Exodus 3), that they should loosen the strap of their sandals, for the place on which they stand is holy. But once their feet have been washed and cleansed of all dirt, they are adorned with hyacinths or jacinths, which are of a golden and blue color, respectively: so that they may be swept up into the presence of the Lord in the air, and hasten to the heavenly kingdom.
And I have encircled you with fine linen. Jerusalem is adorned not only with various colors and wears hyacinth shoes, but also is girded with fine linen, from which the finest threads are woven into the priest's garment. And the wife in Proverbs, who weaves double garments for her husband, for both the present and future, is said to have made clothing for herself from linen and purple (Prov. XXXI). With this linen, the loins are girded whenever the thick incentives of lust are to be restrained and nothing of gross humor is left in them. And we fulfill the precept of the Apostle who says: Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth (Ephes. VI, 14); as if he were saying in other words, with linen. And the Lord said to the Apostles: Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning in your hands (Luke 22:35). For unless we shall have bound up the flowing of the loins from rheumatism, we cannot have lamps in our hands. From this the Lord also speaks to Job: Gird up thy loins like a man (Job 38:3). And those who are about to eat the lamb, having their feet shod, holding a staff, standing in the truth of the Gospel, and being prepared for the blood of Christ, are said to have their loins girt (Exodus 12). Elias and John the Baptist also gird themselves with a mortifying girdle around the loins (2 Kings 1; Mark 1). Concerning them, the penitent sighs mournfully, saying: For my loins are filled with illusions (Psalm 37:8).
And I clothed you in fine linen. LXX: And I surrounded you with triple-threaded fabric. For which Aquila used the Hebrew word 'Messe' (meaning 'flourishing' or 'palpable'): Symmachus, with clothing: Theodotio. And when I diligently inquired about the meaning of the word 'triple-threaded', which the LXX translated, and since I could not find its use or etymology in any Greek sources, I finally learned from the LXX that it is a compound (for new things, new names must be created) and that it was clothing of such great delicacy that it is believed to have the thinness of hair and thread. And I, wishing to express the thinness of the garment, translated it as 'subtilibus', because it was woven with a fine thread and a covering. And fittingly to those, about whom he had said, 'This people's heart has become fat, and Jacob ate and drank, and was satisfied and became fat, and kicked, and abandoned his God, their Maker' (Deut. XXXII, 15), now the thinness of clothing is pardoned. For also in the Book of Wisdom, which is inscribed by some as Solomon's, the spirit of wisdom, the only-begotten and manifold, is called 'tenuis' and 'mutabilis' (Sap. VII). And manna, of which it is written, 'Man ate the bread of angels' (Ps. LXXVII, 25), is said to have been as fine as hoarfrost and have resembled coriander seed (Exod. XVI). According to the interpretation of the second edition of Aquila, who translated it floridly, we can understand it as a metaphor for the abundance of the land of Judah or the beauty of divine worship.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 16:10 is a pivotal moment within God's extended allegory, vividly portraying Jerusalem (symbolizing Israel) as an abandoned infant rescued and lavishly adorned by divine grace. This verse specifically details the opulent garments and adornments God bestowed upon her, symbolizing the immense blessings, dignity, and elevated status He granted His chosen people. It underscores God's boundless grace, transformative power, and covenant faithfulness, setting the stage for the subsequent tragic account of Israel's profound unfaithfulness despite such extraordinary favor.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 16:10 is rich with Symbolism, where each item of clothing—broidered work, badgers' skin, fine linen, and silk—serves as a tangible representation of the spiritual and material blessings God bestowed upon Israel. These are not merely garments but potent symbols of dignity, wealth, purity, and the elevated status God granted His people. The entire chapter functions as an extended Allegory, with Jerusalem personified as a woman, allowing for a deeply emotional and vivid portrayal of God's relationship with Israel, making the abstract concept of divine covenant and national history relatable and impactful. The lavishness described in the verse employs a degree of Hyperbole, emphasizing the extraordinary and unparalleled nature of God's generosity and the extent of His transforming grace. This dramatic exaggeration serves to highlight the stark contrast between Israel's initial destitution and her divinely appointed splendor, making her subsequent unfaithfulness all the more egregious and inexcusable.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 16:10 profoundly illustrates the initiating and transformative grace of God. It is a powerful theological statement about divine election and covenant faithfulness, showing that God's love and provision for His people are not earned but flow entirely from His sovereign choice and abundant mercy. The adornment of Jerusalem symbolizes God's desire to bless His chosen people with dignity, beauty, and a place of honor among the nations. This physical beautification foreshadows the spiritual adornment God provides for His people, transforming them from spiritual nakedness and destitution into righteousness and glory through His grace, preparing them for a life of purpose and communion with Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 16:10 serves as a profound reminder of God's boundless grace and the depth of His love for His people. It challenges us to recognize that our spiritual standing, our dignity, and any beauty we possess in God's eyes are not self-generated but are entirely the result of His gracious initiative. Just as God found Jerusalem in her desolate state and lavished her with splendor, so too does He find us in our spiritual nakedness and adorn us with His righteousness and blessings. This passage calls us to a deep sense of gratitude, acknowledging that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. However, the broader context of Ezekiel 16 also serves as a sober warning: despite such lavish blessings, Jerusalem became proud and unfaithful, misusing God's gifts for idolatry. This compels us to examine our own hearts, ensuring we do not take God's grace for granted or use His blessings for selfish or unholy purposes. Instead, we are called to live in humble gratitude, faithfully stewarding His gifts, and remembering the true source of all our spiritual and material adornment, living lives that reflect His glory rather than our own.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the specific materials mentioned in Ezekiel 16:10?
Answer: The materials mentioned—broidered work, badgers' skin, fine linen, and silk—were highly significant in the ancient world, symbolizing immense wealth, high status, and even sacredness. "Broidered work" (Hebrew: riqmâh) indicated intricate, multi-colored embroidery, a mark of luxury and artistry often associated with royalty and priestly garments. "Badgers' skin" (Hebrew: tachash) referred to a durable, fine leather, possibly from a marine mammal or a specially processed hide, notably used for the outer covering of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:14), signifying both resilience and sacred value. "Fine linen" (Hebrew: shêsh) was a prized fabric, associated with purity and worn by priests and royalty, indicating high social standing and often used in sacred contexts. "Silk" (Hebrew: meshîy) was an extremely rare and expensive import, representing the pinnacle of opulence and exotic luxury. Together, these materials underscore the unparalleled and extravagant nature of God's provision, transforming Jerusalem from an outcast into a figure of regal splendor and beauty, a testament to His abundant grace.
How does this verse relate to God's covenant with Israel?
Answer: Ezekiel 16:10 is a powerful illustration of the blessings and privileges that flowed directly from God's covenant relationship with Israel. After finding Jerusalem in a state of utter destitution and entering into a covenant with her, declaring, "I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine" (Ezekiel 16:8), God proceeds to adorn her with these lavish garments. These adornments symbolize the elevated status, dignity, and unique identity God bestowed upon Israel as His chosen people and His covenant bride. They represent the spiritual and material blessings, protection, and honor that were a direct result of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. The verse highlights that Israel's exalted position among the nations was not due to her own merit or works, but solely to God's gracious initiative and covenant love, making her a display of His glory.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 16:10, with its depiction of God's lavish adornment of Israel, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ and His relationship with the Church. Just as God found Jerusalem in her nakedness and clothed her with splendor, so too does Christ find humanity in its spiritual destitution, nakedness, and sin, and through His atoning sacrifice, He clothes believers with His perfect righteousness. We are called to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14), effectively being "clothed with Christ" through baptism and faith (Galatians 3:27). The Church, as the bride of Christ, is being prepared and adorned by Him, not with earthly finery, but with "fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:8). Jesus, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, provides the ultimate "garments of salvation" and "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10), transforming us from outcasts into a "royal priesthood, an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9), making us beautiful and blameless before God, "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Ephesians 5:27). Thus, the physical adornment in Ezekiel foreshadows the spiritual beautification and elevation of believers in union with Christ, the true source of all our dignity, glory, and eternal worth.