Ezekiel 16:22

And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, [and] wast polluted in thy blood.

And in all thine abominations {H8441} and thy whoredoms {H8457} thou hast not remembered {H2142} the days {H3117} of thy youth {H5271}, when thou wast naked {H5903} and bare {H6181}, and wast polluted {H947} in thy blood {H1818}.

In all your disgusting practices and fornications you never remembered the condition you were in when you were young - naked, exposed and wallowing in your own blood.

And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your own blood.

And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast weltering in thy blood.

Commentary

Context

Ezekiel 16 is a powerful, extended allegory where God addresses Jerusalem (representing the nation of Israel) as a foundling infant, abandoned and defiled, whom He rescued, cleansed, adorned, and elevated to the status of a beautiful bride. This chapter vividly portrays God's lavish love and covenant faithfulness. However, verse 22 marks a stark turning point, condemning Jerusalem for her profound unfaithfulness. After receiving all these blessings, she turned to spiritual prostitution and idolatry, forgetting her humble, destitute origins. The "abominations and thy whoredoms" refer to the widespread practice of idolatry and alliances with foreign nations that led Israel away from the Lord.

Key Themes

  • Spiritual Forgetfulness: The verse highlights Israel's tragic failure to remember God's initial act of grace and their desperate state before His intervention. This forgetfulness led directly to their spiritual infidelity and involvement in detestable practices.
  • Covenant Unfaithfulness: The imagery of "whoredoms" underscores the betrayal of the sacred covenant relationship God established with His people. Just as a bride is faithful to her husband, Israel was expected to be exclusively devoted to God.
  • The Depth of Sin: The phrase "abominations and thy whoredoms" encapsulates the severe nature of Israel's transgressions—not just isolated acts, but a pervasive pattern of rebellion against their Deliverer and Provider.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "abominations and thy whoredoms" translates the Hebrew words to'evot (תּוֹעֵבוֹת) and zenunim (זְנוּנִים).

  • To'evot (abominations) often refers to practices that are utterly detestable to God, particularly idolatry, child sacrifice, and other pagan rituals that violate His holiness.
  • Zenunim (whoredoms/spiritual prostitution) vividly portrays the nation's spiritual infidelity, treating their relationship with God lightly by pursuing other gods and foreign alliances.
  • The powerful imagery of "naked and bare, [and] wast polluted in thy blood" directly recalls God's description of Jerusalem's pitiable state in Ezekiel 16:6. This emphasizes their utter helplessness and defilement before God found them, making their subsequent forgetfulness even more egregious.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 16:22 serves as a timeless warning against spiritual amnesia. For believers today, this verse calls us to:

  1. Remember God's Grace: We, too, were once spiritually "naked and bare," helpless in our sin, before God's saving grace intervened. Regularly reflecting on our redemption story and God's faithfulness in our lives helps prevent spiritual wandering.
  2. Guard Against Idolatry: While physical idols may be less common, anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts—whether it be wealth, success, relationships, or personal ambition—can become an "abomination" or "whoredom" that draws us away from Him.
  3. Cultivate Gratitude and Faithfulness: A constant remembrance of God's immense love and deliverance should foster a heart of gratitude and a commitment to faithfulness in our covenant relationship with Him through Christ. This helps us to "beware lest thou forget the LORD".
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 2:2

    Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land [that was] not sown.

  • Hosea 11:1

    ¶ When Israel [was] a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

  • Ezekiel 16:43

    Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these [things]; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon [thine] head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

  • Ezekiel 16:60

    ¶ Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

  • Ezekiel 16:63

    That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

  • Hosea 2:3

    Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

  • Ezekiel 16:3

    And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity [is] of the land of Canaan; thy father [was] an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
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