Ezekiel 16:29

Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

Thou hast moreover multiplied {H7235} thy fornication {H8457} in the land {H776} of Canaan {H3667} unto Chaldea {H3778}; and yet thou wast not satisfied {H7646} herewith {H2063}.

You multiplied your acts of fornication with the land of traders, the Kasdim, and still weren't satisfied.

So you extended your promiscuity to Chaldea, the land of merchants—but even with this you were not satisfied!

Thou hast moreover multiplied thy whoredom unto the land of traffic, unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

Commentary

Ezekiel 16:29 is part of a powerful and extended allegory in which God describes Jerusalem's history as that of an unfaithful wife, illustrating the spiritual idolatry and betrayal of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. This verse highlights the depth and breadth of Judah's spiritual harlotry.

Context

Chapter 16 of Ezekiel is a dramatic prophetic narrative detailing God's gracious adoption of Jerusalem (representing Judah/Israel) from a helpless state (Ezekiel 16:6). He lavished blessings upon her, making her beautiful and prosperous. However, instead of remaining faithful, Jerusalem used these very blessings to commit spiritual adultery, making alliances with pagan nations and adopting their idolatrous practices. The "fornication" described throughout this chapter refers not to literal sexual immorality, but to the nation's spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry, turning away from Yahweh to worship false gods and rely on foreign powers.

Key Themes

  • Spiritual Idolatry: The primary theme is Israel's persistent worship of other gods, a direct violation of the first commandment. Their alliances with nations like Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon were viewed as spiritual prostitution, as they led Israel to adopt foreign deities and customs.
  • Insatiable Unfaithfulness: The phrase "not satisfied herewith" underscores the boundless nature of Jerusalem's apostasy. She sought satisfaction in more and more illicit spiritual and political relationships, moving from the paganism of Canaan to the sophisticated idolatry of Chaldea (Babylon), indicating a profound and restless departure from God.
  • Broken Covenant: The entire chapter frames Israel's actions as a betrayal of her sacred marriage covenant with God, paralleling similar themes found in other prophetic books like Hosea and Jeremiah.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "fornication" is zenut (זְנוּת), which often denotes spiritual unfaithfulness or idolatry in prophetic literature, especially when describing Israel's relationship with God. It emphasizes a departure from exclusive devotion. The mention of "Canaan unto Chaldea" highlights the geographical and cultural scope of this spiritual corruption, indicating that Israel embraced the idolatry of both nearby pagan nations and powerful distant empires, demonstrating her extensive moral decay and spiritual harlotry.

Practical Application

Ezekiel's strong imagery serves as a timeless warning against spiritual compromise and syncretism. For believers today, this verse emphasizes the importance of:

  • Exclusive Devotion to God: Our hearts should be solely committed to the Lord, avoiding any "spiritual alliances" with worldly values or ideologies that draw us away from His truth and worship.
  • The Insatiability of Sin: Just as Jerusalem was "not satisfied herewith," sin and worldly pursuits often promise fulfillment but leave us continually wanting more, leading to a restless search for satisfaction outside of God. True satisfaction is found only in Christ (John 6:35).
  • Recognizing Subtle Idolatry: Idolatry today may not involve physical statues but can manifest as placing ultimate trust or affection in careers, money, relationships, or even self, rather than in God.
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Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 23:14

    And [that] she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,

  • Ezekiel 23:21

    Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.

  • Judges 2:12

    And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

  • Judges 2:19

    And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that] they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

  • Ezekiel 13:14

    So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered [morter], and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

  • Ezekiel 13:23

    Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

  • 2 Kings 21:9

    But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.