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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 13.) And you are adorned with gold and silver. We have often said that gold pertains to the mind, and silver to eloquence. May the Lord grant us to receive divine understanding and wisdom, and to bring forth with eloquence what we conceive in our minds, and by no means to make an idol out of them as heretics do, of whom it is written: 'I gave them silver and gold, but they made a Baal out of silver and gold' (Hosea 2:8). And this, according to spiritual understanding, is more suited to the adornment of women. Otherwise, silver, a cheaper material, is suitable for the adornment of rustic and poor maidservants, which does not befit Jerusalem, which is said to have advanced to being a queen.
And you are dressed in fine linen and embroidered cloth and many colors, 70: And your clothing is made of fine linen, embroidered with multicolored thread. The Hebrew word "Mesi" here, Theodotion has translated as "bysso" above, Aquila has translated it as "ἄνθιμον," Symmachus as "polymitum." But we have said above that "polymitum" is similar to Symmachus' translation, meaning fine linen. The LXX has translated it as "trichapta," preserving the previous interpretation, in order to show a similarity to fine hair in the clothing. But all the adornment of women is described, such as bathing, cleaning, anointing with oil, and dressing in colorful garments, wearing hyacinth on their feet, girding themselves with fine linen, wearing fine and delicate clothes, wearing bracelets and a golden necklace, hanging circles on their ears, and small wheels, wearing a diadem on their head, decorated with gold and silver. Even though silver is a cheaper material and is brought in last. You are dressed in fine linen and multicolored clothes; or, as the Septuagint translated, with a cloak and a mantle, for these things signify not only that she was adorned in her physical appearance and had all the jewelry of women, but also that she was attentive to her bed and couch with marital diligence, so that after fulfilling these things, she would come to the delights of food, and not allow anything to be lacking even in these things. We will adapt all these things according to the higher explanation of spiritual intelligence: so that they may be covered with a fine fabric and delicate, so as not to burden the delicate limbs of the spouse with a heavy load of garments, but also to provide both utility and beauty.
You have eaten both honey and oil, and you have become exceedingly beautiful. After clothing, she takes care of food, so that she may eat the honey and oil, or in parts, as many believe, or in a mixture of the three, sweeter bread, which is the bread that descended from heaven (John 6); and under three names, as some think, it indicates the sacrament of the Trinity: not that there is a different substance for each; but so that through the different names of honey, oil, and flour, the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may be shown. And it should be noted that in many sacrifices, fine flour is offered, the purest part of the wheat, as it is written: And he fed them with the fat of wheat (Psalm 80:17): not barley or bran, which are only offered when the husband is moved by a spirit of jealousy. In the Book of Judges we read about Deborah (Judges 4), who is interpreted as a bee, whose prophecies are the sweetest honey, and she is related to the Holy Spirit, who is called by the Hebrews in the feminine gender, Rua. In the Gospel of the Hebrews, which the Nazarenes read, the Savior is presented speaking: 'My mother, the Holy Spirit, has taken me just now.' Furthermore, the wheat that is made into dough is related to the Lord, who says about himself, 'Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it yields much fruit' (John 12:24). And the oil, which sustains and refreshes the limbs of the weary, and is the nourishment of light, and with which the constant light of the lamp is kindled in the tabernacle of God, is said to symbolize the Father. All of these bestow grace on those who believe, as the Apostle says: There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all (1 Corinthians 12:4-5). Whoever eats this food, and that most sweet and delightful bread, and is nourished and fed by the splendor of the oil, will be transformed into beauty and become exceedingly beautiful, not once, but repeatedly, excessively, exceedingly. For indeed, the repeated adverb adds weight to the speech: so much so that nothing can be added beyond the greatness of beauty.
And you have succeeded in the kingdom. This is not found in the Septuagint, which perhaps those in Alexandria who were translating the Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek out of fear of offending the king of Egypt did not include, while they were stating that Jerusalem was the rightful kingdom from God. Although learned men attest that they have translated only the five books of Moses (See above, chapter V). After an abundant display of ornaments, after a crown, after an abundance of gold and silver, after beautiful garments and robes, after incredible splendor, he advances to be queen, because she is the city of a great king, of whom it is written: Give your judgment to the king, and your justice to the king's son (Psalm 17:1). And in the Apocalypse of John, Jerusalem is described as a bride adorned and prepared for her husband (Rev. 21). In the Psalms also, it is said of the same: The queen stood at your right hand in a golden robe, adorned with various decorations (Ps. 44:10). But everything we say about Jerusalem, so as not to dwell on individual details and not to make the size of the books tedious for readers, let us refer to the Church. For if Jerusalem, according to the Apostle (Gal. 4), is our mother; and our mother is the Church: therefore, Jerusalem is the Church, the mother of the primitive ones who are described in heaven.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 16:13 stands as a poignant climax within God's extended allegory of Jerusalem, portraying her as an abandoned infant rescued, raised, and lavishly adorned by the Lord Himself. This verse vividly details the unparalleled beauty, opulence, and abundant sustenance God bestowed upon His chosen city, elevating her from utter destitution to a state of magnificent splendor and sovereign prosperity, symbolizing the zenith of Israel's flourishing under divine favor and covenant faithfulness before her tragic descent into idolatry.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 16:13 is rich in Symbolism, where the material blessings—gold, silver, fine linen, silk, broidered work, fine flour, honey, and oil—symbolize God's boundless grace, provision, and the royal status He conferred upon Israel. These are not merely physical items but represent the pinnacle of luxury, sustenance, and honor in the ancient world, signifying the complete transformation from destitution to regal splendor. The entire chapter employs an extended Allegory, with Jerusalem personified as a woman, first a foundling child, then a queenly bride. This vivid personification makes the narrative highly relatable and emotionally impactful, allowing the audience to grasp the depth of God's covenant love and the tragic nature of Israel's subsequent betrayal. The phrase "exceeding beautiful" uses Hyperbole to emphasize the extraordinary degree of transformation and divine aesthetic bestowed upon Jerusalem, highlighting the miraculous nature of God's work in elevating her.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 16:13 profoundly illustrates God's character as a generous, compassionate, and faithful covenant Lord. It highlights His unmerited grace, demonstrating that Israel's exalted status and prosperity were entirely a gift of divine love, not earned merit or inherent worth. This lavish provision underscores God's desire not merely to sustain His people but to bless them abundantly, elevating them to a position of honor and influence among the nations as a testament to His glory. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that all true beauty, wealth, and success ultimately flow from God's hand. It also foreshadows the tragic human tendency to forget the source of blessings and to turn away from the Giver, a theme that dominates the subsequent verses of Ezekiel 16, where Jerusalem's unfaithfulness is starkly contrasted with God's enduring grace and covenant faithfulness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 16:13 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers, calling us to reflect deeply on the source of our own blessings, both material and spiritual. Just as God lavishly adorned Jerusalem, He pours out His grace upon us, transforming us from spiritual destitution into children of light, clothed in righteousness and provided for abundantly through Christ. This verse serves as a powerful reminder to cultivate a spirit of profound gratitude, acknowledging that every good and perfect gift comes from above, originating from the benevolent hand of our Heavenly Father. It challenges us to examine whether we, like ancient Israel, might be prone to forgetting God's generosity, taking credit for what He has freely given, or seeking fulfillment in the gifts rather than the Giver. Our appropriate response to God's overwhelming grace should be one of faithful stewardship, humble dependence, and devoted worship, rather than self-reliance, pride, or turning to the idols of our age.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the specific items mentioned like "fine linen, silk, and broidered work"?
Answer: The items mentioned in Ezekiel 16:13—gold, silver, fine linen, silk, and broidered work—are not arbitrary. They represent the pinnacle of luxury, wealth, and royal status in the ancient Near East. "Fine linen" (Hebrew: shesh) was a highly prized fabric, often associated with priestly garments and royalty, denoting purity and high status, as seen in the attire of the high priest in Exodus 28:39. "Silk" (Hebrew: meshi) was an exotic and rare import, signifying extreme wealth and opulence, often brought from distant lands. "Broidered work" (Hebrew: riqmâh) refers to richly embroidered garments, often with intricate designs and vibrant colors, further enhancing the sense of royal splendor and artistry. Collectively, these items symbolize God's intention to elevate Jerusalem (and by extension, Israel) to a position of unparalleled beauty, honor, and prominence among the nations, transforming her from a desolate foundling into a glorious queen, a display of His power and faithfulness.
Does "thou didst prosper into a kingdom" imply a literal political kingdom?
Answer: Yes, "thou didst prosper into a kingdom" (Hebrew: tsâlach mᵉlûwkâh) refers to Israel's historical and political elevation to a position of sovereignty and influence. This is not merely a spiritual metaphor but reflects the periods in Israel's history, particularly during the reigns of King David and King Solomon, when the nation achieved significant power, wealth, and territorial expansion, becoming a prominent kingdom in the ancient world. God's covenant with Abraham promised a great nation and kings would come from him (Genesis 12:2 and Genesis 17:6). His covenant with David established an eternal dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Thus, the phrase in Ezekiel 16:13 speaks to the historical fulfillment of these promises, where God actively enabled Israel to thrive and establish itself as a powerful kingdom, demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant people and His overarching plan for their national destiny.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 16:13, while describing God's lavish provision for Old Testament Israel, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. The "exceeding beauty" and "prosperity into a kingdom" bestowed upon Jerusalem foreshadow the spiritual transformation and royal status granted to believers through Christ. We, who were once spiritually "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) and utterly destitute, are found by God in our desolate state and, through His unmerited grace, are cleansed, clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 61:10), and adorned with the imperishable spiritual riches of His kingdom. The gold, silver, fine linen, and silk symbolize the precious and eternal spiritual blessings we receive in Christ: His divine nature, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life and glory. We are made "beautiful" in God's sight, not by our own merit or works, but by His grace through faith, becoming part of a "royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession" (1 Peter 2:9)—a spiritual kingdom that prospers eternally in Him. The ultimate "fine flour, honey, and oil" is Christ Himself, the true Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the source of living water, who nourishes us for eternal life and spiritual abundance, fulfilling God's promise to provide ultimate sustenance and flourishing to His people. This divine beautification and exaltation culminate in the Church, the Bride of Christ, presented without stain or wrinkle, glorious and holy (Ephesians 5:27).