Ezekiel 16:39

And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

And I will also give {H5414} thee into their hand {H3027}, and they shall throw down {H2040} thine eminent place {H1354}, and shall break down {H5422} thy high places {H7413}: they shall strip {H6584} thee also of thy clothes {H899}, and shall take {H3947} thy fair {H8597} jewels {H3627}, and leave {H3240} thee naked {H5903} and bare {H6181}.

Yes, I will hand you over to them; and they will make a ruin of your platforms, tear down your high places, strip you of your clothes, take away your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed.

Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thy vaulted place, and break down thy lofty places; and they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take thy fair jewels; and they shall leave thee naked and bare.

Commentary

This verse from Ezekiel describes the severe judgment upon Jerusalem, personified as an unfaithful wife in a vivid and disturbing allegory that runs through chapter 16. After detailing the lavish care God bestowed upon Jerusalem from her birth, and her subsequent betrayal through idolatry and alliances with foreign powers, the prophet outlines the consequences of her actions. Verse 39 specifically speaks to the complete dismantling of her status, power, and dignity.

Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 is a powerful and extended parable illustrating God's relationship with Israel/Jerusalem. It begins with God finding Jerusalem as an abandoned infant, raising her, adorning her, and entering into a covenant with her (like marriage). However, she becomes incredibly unfaithful, prostituting herself with idols and seeking alliances with surrounding nations. The judgment described in verses like 39 is the consequence of this spiritual adultery and breach of covenant, delivered through the very nations with whom she sought illicit relationships.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse emphasizes that God Himself is delivering Jerusalem into the hands of her lovers for punishment ("I will also give thee into their hand"). This highlights God's role in allowing or orchestrating the consequences of sin.
  • Consequences of Unfaithfulness: The actions described (throwing down eminent places, breaking high places, stripping naked) are direct results of Jerusalem's idolatry and political alliances, showing the severe repercussions of spiritual and covenant unfaithfulness.
  • Humiliation and Disgrace: Being stripped naked and losing valuable possessions signifies utter shame and disgrace, a stark contrast to the beauty and glory God had previously bestowed upon her.
  • Destruction of Idolatry: The mention of breaking down "high places" specifically targets the sites of idolatrous worship, indicating that the judgment includes the destruction of the very things she worshipped instead of God. This echoes reforms seen in other parts of Israel's history.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "eminent place" or "high places" (Hebrew: bamot) typically refers to elevated sites used for worship, often associated with pagan deities or unauthorized worship of Yahweh. Their destruction signifies the end of the city's religious and political autonomy tied to these practices. Being "stripped... naked and bare" is a powerful image of complete vulnerability, loss of honor, and exposure, often used in prophetic judgment passages to depict utter ruin and shame.

Reflection

Ezekiel 16:39 serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness of spiritual unfaithfulness and the consequences that can follow when a people or individual turns away from God. While this passage speaks specifically to historical Jerusalem, the principle holds that sin has consequences. It teaches that relying on anything other than God for security and identity ultimately leads to ruin and disgrace. The removal of "eminent place" and "fair jewels" shows that worldly status and possessions cannot protect from divine judgment. The call is always to return to faithfulness and seek restoration through God's grace.

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Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 23:26

    They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.

  • 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 16:24

    [That] thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.

  • 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.

  • Hosea 2:9

    Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness.

  • Hosea 2:13

    And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

  • Ezekiel 16:10

    I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.