Ezekiel 16:25

Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

Thou hast built {H1129} thy high place {H7413} at every head {H7218} of the way {H1870}, and hast made thy beauty {H3308} to be abhorred {H8581}, and hast opened {H6589} thy feet {H7272} to every one that passed by {H5674}, and multiplied {H7235} thy whoredoms {H8457}.

You built your high places at every streetcorner, turning your beauty into an abomination, spreading your legs for every passer-by, and multiplying your acts of fornication.

At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by.

Thou hast built thy lofty place at the head of every way, and hast made thy beauty an abomination, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredom.

Commentary

Ezekiel 16:25 is a powerful and graphic verse within a larger allegorical chapter, where God, through the prophet Ezekiel, describes Jerusalem's profound spiritual unfaithfulness using the metaphor of a harlot.

Context

Chapter 16 of Ezekiel is a detailed allegory portraying Jerusalem as an abandoned infant, rescued, nurtured, adorned, and betrothed by God, only to then turn away and become a prostitute. This chapter highlights God's immense grace and the city's astonishing ingratitude and rebellion. Verse 25 specifically details the extent and brazenness of Jerusalem's spiritual idolatry and promiscuity. It follows descriptions of God's lavish provision and adornment, setting the stage for the severe judgment that their actions warrant, as seen in Ezekiel 16:38.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry: The primary message is Jerusalem's widespread and blatant deviation from the covenant with God. Their "whoredoms" symbolize the worship of foreign gods and seeking alliances with pagan nations, rather than trusting in Yahweh.
  • Profound Ingratitude and Betrayal: Despite being chosen, blessed, and adorned by God (as described in Ezekiel 16:10-14), Jerusalem engaged in acts that defiled their spiritual beauty and betrayed their divine spouse.
  • Public Shame and Abhorrence: By building "high places at every head of the way," Jerusalem made its sin public and pervasive, turning its God-given beauty into something detestable in God's eyes.
  • Covenant Breaking: The actions described are a direct violation of the covenant relationship God established with Israel, particularly the first two commandments against having other gods and making idols (Exodus 20:3-5).

Linguistic Insights

  • "High place" (Hebrew: ื‘ึผึธืžึธื”, bamah): Refers to elevated altars or shrines, often illicit, used for idol worship. Their presence "at every head of the way" signifies that idolatry was not confined but was widespread, overt, and easily accessible, mirroring the public nature of a prostitute's trade.
  • "Made thy beauty to be abhorred": The Hebrew word for "abhorred" (ืชึผึธืขึทื‘, ta'av) means to detest or feel disgust. Jerusalem, once beautiful in God's sight, had become an abomination through its spiritual defilement.
  • "Opened thy feet" (Hebrew: ืคึผึธืฉื‚ึทืง ืจึทื’ึฐืœึทื™ึดื, pasak raglayim): This is a vivid and explicit idiom for the posture of a prostitute, emphasizing the city's eagerness and openness to engage in spiritual promiscuity with any passing idol or nation. This imagery is also used in other prophetic books, such as Jeremiah 3:2.
  • "Whoredoms" (Hebrew: ื–ึฐื ื•ึผืช, zenut): Literally "fornication" or "prostitution," this term is consistently used metaphorically throughout the Old Testament prophets to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God through idolatry and alliances with pagan nations.

Practical Application

This passage serves as a profound warning against spiritual compromise and idolatry in any form. For believers today, the "high places" and "whoredoms" can represent anything that takes priority over God in our lives: wealth, power, pleasure, self-indulgence, or even seeking validation from others instead of from God. It reminds us that our spiritual health and witness can be corrupted by unfaithfulness, leading to a loss of intimacy with God and a diminishing of our God-given beauty and purpose. We are called to exclusive devotion to God, recognizing that His grace and provision demand our steadfast faithfulness in return, echoing the call to submit to God and resist the devil.

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

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 3:2

    Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

  • Ezekiel 16:31

    In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

  • Revelation 17:16

    And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

  • Jeremiah 6:15

    Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time [that] I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

  • Proverbs 9:14

    For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

  • Proverbs 9:15

    To call passengers who go right on their ways:

  • Genesis 38:14

    And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which [is] by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.