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Translation
King James Version
None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
Complete Jewish Bible
No one seeing you had enough pity on you to do any of these things for you - no one had any compassion on you. Instead, you were thrown into an open field in your own filth on the day you were born.
Berean Standard Bible
No one cared enough for you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. Instead, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were despised on the day of your birth.
American Standard Version
No eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, for that thy person was abhorred, in the day that thou wast born.
World English Bible Messianic
No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, for that your person was abhorred, in the day that you were born.
Geneva Bible (1599)
None eye pitied thee to do any of these vnto thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempt of thy person in ye day that thou wast borne.
Young's Literal Translation
No eye hath had pity on thee, to do to thee any of these, To have compassion on thee, And thou art cast on the face of the field, With loathing of thy person. In the day thou hast been born--thou!
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Commentary on Ezekiel 16 verses 1–5
1 ¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
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.
4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
Ezekiel is now among the captives in Babylon; but, as Jeremiah at Jerusalem wrote for the use of the captives though they had Ezekiel upon the spot with them (ch. 29), so Ezekiel wrote for the use of Jerusalem, though Jeremiah himself was resident there; and yet they were far from looking upon it as an affront to one another's help both by preaching and writing. Jeremiah wrote to the captives for their consolation, which was the thing they needed; Ezekiel here is directed to write to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their conviction and humiliation, which was the thing they needed.
I. This is his commission (Eze 16:2): "Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations (that is, her sins); set them in order before her." Note, 1. Sins are not only provocations which God is angry at, but abominations which he hates, as contrary to his nature, and which we ought to hate, Jer 44:4. 2. The sins of Jerusalem are in a special manner so. The practice of profaneness appears most odious in those that make a profession of religion. 3. Though Jerusalem is a place of great knowledge, yet she is loth to know her abominations; so partial are men in their own favour that they are hardly made to see and own their own badness, but deny it, palliate or extenuate it. 4. It is requisite that we should know our sins, that we may confess them, and may justify God in what he brings upon us for them. 5. It is the work of ministers to cause sinners, sinners in Jerusalem, to know their abominations, to set before them the glass of the law, that in it they may see their own deformities and defilements, to tell them plainly of their faults. Thou art the man.
II. That Jerusalem may be made to know her abominations, and particularly the abominable ingratitude she had been guilty of, it was requisite that she should be put in mind of the great things God had done for her, as the aggravations of her bad conduct towards him; and, to magnify those favours, she is in these verses made to know the meanness and baseness of her original, from what poor beginnings God raised her, and how unworthy she was of his favour and of the honour he had put upon her. Jerusalem is here put for the Jewish church and nation, which is here compared to an outcast child, base-born and abandoned, which the mother herself has no affection nor concern for. 1. The extraction of the Jewish nation was mean: "Thy birth is of the land of Canaan (Eze 16:3); thou hadst from the very first the spirit and disposition of a Canaanite." The patriarchs dwelt in Canaan, and they were there but strangers and sojourners, had no possession, no power, not one foot of ground of their own but a burying-place. Abraham and Sarah were indeed their father and mother, but they were only inmates with the Amorites and Hittites, who, having the dominion, seemed to be as parents to the seed of Abraham, witness the court Abraham made to the children of Seth (Gen 23:4, Gen 23:8), the dependence they had upon their neighbours the Canaanites, and the fear they were in of them, Gen 13:7; Gen 34:30. If the patriarchs, at their first coming to Canaan, had conquered it, and made themselves masters of it, this would have put an honour upon their family and would have looked great in history; but, instead of that, they went from one nation to another (Psa 105:13), as tenants from one farm to another, almost as beggars from one door to another, when they were but few in number, yea, very few. And yet this was not the worst; their fathers had served other gods in Ur of the Chaldees (Jos 24:2); even in Jacob's family there were strange gods, Gen 35:2. Thus early had they a genius leading them to idolatry; and upon this account their ancestors were Amorites and Hittites. 2. When they first began to multiply their condition was really very deplorable, like that of a new-born child, which must of necessity die from the womb if the knees prevent it not, Job 3:11, Job 3:12. The children of Israel, when they began to increase into a people and became considerable, were thrown out from the country that was intended for them; a famine drove them thence. Egypt was the open field into which they were cast; there they had no protection or countenance from the government they were under, but, on the contrary, were ruled with rigour, and their lives embittered; they had no encouragement given them to build up their families, no help to build up their estates, no friends or allies to strengthen their interests. Joseph, who had been the shepherd and stone of Israel, was dead; the king of Egypt, who should have been kind to them for Joseph's sake, set himself to destroy this man-child as soon as it was born (Rev 12:4), ordered all the males to be slain, which, it is likely, occasioned the exposing of many as well as Moses, to which perhaps the similitude here has reference. The founders of nations and cities had occasion for all the arts and arms they were masters of, set their heads on work, by policies and stratagems, to preserve and nurse up their infant states. Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem - So vast were the efforts requisite to the establishment of the Roman name. Virgil. But the nation of Israel had no such care taken of it, no such pains taken with it, as Athens, Sparta, Rome, and other commonwealths had when they were first founded, but, on the contrary, was doomed to destruction, like an infant new-born, exposed to wind and weather, the navel-string not cut, the poor babe not washed, not clothed, no swaddled, because not pitied, Eze 16:4, Eze 16:5. Note, We owe the preservation of our infant lives to the natural pity and compassion which the God of nature has put into the hearts of parents and nurses towards new-born children. This infant is said to be cast out, to the loathing of her person; it was a sign that she was loathed by those that bore her, and she appeared loathsome to all that looked upon her. The Israelites were an abomination to the Egyptians, as we find Gen 43:32; Gen 46:34. Some think that this refers to the corrupt and vicious disposition of that people from their beginning: they were not only the weakest and fewest of all people (Deu 7:7), but the worst and most ill-humoured of all people. God giveth thee this good land, not for thy righteousness, for thou art a stiff-necked people, Deu 9:6. And Moses tells them there (Eze 16:24), You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you. They were not suppled, nor washed, nor swaddled; they were not at all tractable or manageable, nor cast into any good shape. God took them to be his people, not because he saw any thing in them inviting or promising, but so it seemed good in his sight. And it is a very apt illustration of the miserable condition of all the children of men by nature. As for our nativity, in the day that we were born we were shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin, our understandings darkened, our minds alienated from the life of God, polluted with sin, which rendered us loathsome in the eyes of God. Marvel not then that we are told, You must be born again.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 4, 5.) And when you were born, on the day of your birth your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed in water for your own health, nor were you sprinkled with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling clothes. No eye had pity on you, to do any of these things out of compassion for you: but you were thrown out into the open field, in the abjection of your soul, on the day you were born. LXX: And on the day you were born, they did not bind your breasts, and your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed in water for your own health, nor were you sprinkled with salt, and you were not wrapped in swaddling clothes; no eye had pity on you, to do any of these things for you, and allow anything to happen to you, and you were thrown out into the open field, in the corruption of your soul, on the day you were born. Let us discuss each point in the order of the reading. When Jerusalem was born from her father Amorite and her mother Hittite, and was poured out from the womb, her umbilicus was not cut, with which fetuses are nourished in the womb like trees and plants, which are nourished by the hidden moisture of the earth through their roots. And just as the seed of men is signified in the loins, so the genitalia of women are called umbilicus in honorable speech according to the custom of the Scriptures, as witnessed by Job, who speaks figuratively of the devil as a dragon: His strength is in his loins, and his power is in the navel of his belly (Job 40:11). For this ancient dragon serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, deceives the world; he has power over men in their loins, and over women in their navels. But this refers to Jerusalem: that it did not immediately receive the law, and that the beginnings of its shameful birth were not cut off; but it first lived a Gentile life; for this reason the Seventy translated: 'On the day you were born, they did not bind your breasts' (Ezek. 7:8), having this holy Scripture custom, that it might use the words heart, bosom, or breast, and breasts according to each appropriate context. Priests in whom there should be doctrine, and they seek the law from their mouth, receive a small breast. John reclines upon the Lord's breast, so that he may draw from the most abundant fountain the flows of wisdom (John 13). In the Song of Songs, the Virgin has two breasts, like two twin young goats that feed among lilies until the day breathes and the shadows flee away (Song of Songs 4). A loving mother, as soon as her little child is born, binds her breasts so that they may cease from tender swelling and preserve her virgin beauty. But when she reaches the age of puberty, it will be said of her: Will the bride forget her adornment, or the virgin her breastband? (Jeremiah II, 32) It follows: And you were not washed in water for salvation. The bodies of babies, as soon as they are born from the womb, are usually washed with water: so too does the spiritual generation require the saving washing. For no one is clean from filth, not even if his life were of only one day (Job XXVI, 14, 15). And in the Psalms we read: In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me (Psalm 50:6). The second birth dissolves the first birth. For it is written: Unless one is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Many are the baptisms that the Pagans have in their mysteries, and the heretics promise: they all cleanse; but they do not cleanse for salvation. Therefore, it is added: and in which you have not been cleansed for salvation. This can be understood not only about heretics, but also about ecclesiastics who do not receive baptism with full faith. It must be said about them that they receive water, but they do not receive the spirit, just like Simon Magus who wanted to buy the grace of God with money. He was indeed baptized in water, but he was by no means baptized unto salvation (Acts 8). Thirdly, it is said: 'not seasoned with salt.' When the tender bodies of infants still hold the warmth of the womb, and they announce the beginnings of laborious life with their first cries, they are usually touched with salt by the midwives to make them drier and more constricted. Furthermore, Jerusalem, which was born of wicked parents, has achieved nothing of taste, nothing of diligence. But those who are reborn in Christ are said to: 'You are the salt of the earth' (Matthew 5); and it is commanded to them by the Apostle: 'Let your speech always be seasoned with grace' (Colossians 4). Hence, both the wise are commonly called salty, and the foolish are called tasteless. And in the book of Leviticus it is established by law: 'All your sacrifices shall be seasoned with salt.' The salt of the Testament of the Lord will not cease from your sacrifices: you shall offer salt with all your offerings (Leviticus 2:13). He who is seasoned with this salt, and has dried up every harmful decay and moisture by its mixture, will no longer say: My wounds have festered and become rotten because of my foolishness (Psalm 37:6). I know that I have read in a certain volume about the Lord Savior, that he himself is the heavenly salt; and not only the earthly and infernal, but also the celestial things are seasoned by its flavor: so that what is written may be fulfilled: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke 2:14). The fourth thing is: not wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the Savior was wrapped in swaddling clothes as an infant, and everyone who is born needs God's protection through the swaddling clothes. It is natural, however, that where the diligence of parents is not lacking, the infants' umbilical cords are first cut after birth: then they are washed with water to cleanse the blood. Thirdly, the moisture of the infants' bodies is dried with the addition of salt. Fourthly, so that the tender bodies of infants are wrapped in swaddling clothes, for two reasons: so that the body is dried with salt, and so that it is kept and tightened with the clothes so that it does not flow away; and so that the most delicate limbs are not easily deformed. And even the bodies of the barbarians are more upright than Roman bodies. Until the second and third year, they are always wrapped in cloths. But not such is Jerusalem, whose navel is not cut off, nor are her breasts bound, nor is she washed with water for health, nor seasoned with salt, nor wrapped and bound with infancy cloths. But why she deserved none of these, the following Scripture testifies. The eye has not spared you: to do one of these things, being moved with compassion for you. For which reason, the Seventy determined: 'Your eye spared not over you: that it might make you one of all these.' And it is necessary, that a double edition have a double understanding. The prior signifies this: 'Your eye spared not over you, that it might make one of these things be merciful to you.' And the sense is: No one had mercy on you, having offended God; no one's bowels were moved for you, that out of the four higher Tensions at least one might be made for you; because you did not deserve to receive all things at once. In the second it is said: Your eye did not spare you, so that I may do this one thing for you out of pity for you. And this has the meaning: You have acted in this way, and thus you were born in sin and conceived in guilt by your mother, so that even she does not have pity on you. And when you acted in this way, so that you emerged as cruel against yourself through evil deeds: what could I have done for you, who did not even deserve to receive one thing from your superiors? Therefore, since none of the things that are commonly done for infants was done for you; and this not without cause or without judgement, but due to your fault and sin, for which even you have no pity on yourself: therefore you are cast down upon the face of the earth, or the wayside; and cast down because of the wickedness of your soul on the day you were born. Let us not be thrown down into the face of the field by the wickedness of the soul, in which there is a wide and spacious road that leads to death; in which the cavalry of the Chaldeans revels. It must also be considered that no one can commit any evil on the day of their birth, except at the time of the bath, when the wise generation of the faithful is assumed.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 16:5 provides a stark and visceral portrayal of Jerusalem, personified as a newborn infant utterly abandoned and devoid of any human care, pity, or compassion. Cast out into the open field, her condition was so repulsive that it evoked only loathing, not tenderness. This verse powerfully establishes the desperate and helpless state from which God, by His sovereign and unmerited grace, rescued and transformed His chosen people, setting the stage for the profound revelation of His covenant love and their subsequent unfaithfulness.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Ezekiel 16 unfolds as one of the most extensive and intricate allegories in the prophetic corpus, where God addresses Jerusalem as an abandoned female infant. The chapter initiates with a divine command for Ezekiel to "cause Jerusalem to know her abominations" Ezekiel 16:2. Verses 3-5 meticulously detail Jerusalem's ignoble and neglected origins, emphasizing her complete lack of inherent claim to favor or assistance. This foundational description of utter abandonment and repulsion in verse 5 serves as a dramatic foil to the subsequent narrative where God discovers the infant, cleanses her, clothes her, adorns her with jewels, and enters into a covenant of marriage with her Ezekiel 16:6-14. The initial state of profound helplessness and unworthiness is crucial for understanding the immense scope of God's unsolicited grace and the subsequent severity of Jerusalem's indictment for her profound unfaithfulness, as detailed throughout the remainder of Ezekiel 16.
Historical & Cultural Context: The vivid imagery of an abandoned newborn would have profoundly resonated within ancient Near Eastern cultures. While not a universal practice, the exposure of unwanted infants was a tragic reality, often leading to death or discovery by strangers who might raise them as slaves. In this cultural backdrop, the depiction of Jerusalem as a foundling underscores her lack of a glorious or privileged origin among the nations. She was not born of noble lineage, nor did she possess inherent strength, beauty, or a distinguished history. Instead, she was likened to a child left to perish, utterly dependent on external, divine intervention. This context highlights the shocking and counter-cultural nature of God's compassionate intervention, as no human would typically show such meticulous care and covenant commitment to an infant in such a repulsive and hopeless condition. The "open field" (Hebrew: sadeh) further emphasizes a place of extreme exposure, danger, and vulnerability, far removed from the warmth and protection of a home.
Key Themes: This verse is a cornerstone for several pivotal themes within Ezekiel 16 and the broader prophetic message. Firstly, it powerfully establishes the theme of God's Unilateral Grace and Sovereign Choice. Israel (represented by Jerusalem) was not chosen because of any intrinsic merit, beauty, or strength, but purely out of God's compassionate initiative and electing love. This echoes the sentiment found in Deuteronomy 7:7-8, where Moses reminds Israel that their selection was not based on their numbers but on God's steadfast love. Secondly, the verse highlights the theme of Humanity's Utter Helplessness and Unworthiness before divine intervention. The infant's state of being "cast out" and "to the lothing of thy person" underscores a complete absence of self-sufficiency, inherent appeal, or any capacity to earn favor. This sets the stage for the dramatic reversal and miraculous transformation that only God could accomplish. Finally, it introduces the tragic theme of Covenant Betrayal, as the subsequent narrative in Ezekiel 16 details how Jerusalem, despite God's lavish and unmerited care, turned to idolatry and spiritual harlotry, making her sin all the more egregious given her humble and desperate beginnings.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 16:5 is profoundly shaped by Allegory and Extended Metaphor, where Jerusalem is vividly personified as an abandoned newborn infant. This literary technique allows the prophet to convey a visceral and emotionally charged depiction of Israel's origins and God's relationship with her. The language employs powerful Pathos, evoking intense feelings of pity, horror, and revulsion at the infant's desperate and repulsive state. This serves to heighten the dramatic impact of God's later compassionate intervention, emphasizing the depth of His unmerited grace. The repetition of ideas regarding the complete absence of pity and compassion, combined with the vivid imagery of being "cast out" and "to the lothing of thy person," creates a strong sense of Hyperbole, underscoring the extreme and absolute nature of the abandonment. This stark portrayal also functions as a dramatic Contrast, setting the stage for the profound and unexpected grace of God, who alone saw and cared for this despised and perishing entity, transforming her from a state of utter desolation to one of covenant relationship and splendor.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 16:5 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of God's grace and the inherent spiritual condition of humanity. It unequivocally illustrates that salvation and divine favor are never earned or merited by human worthiness, but flow solely from God's sovereign, unmerited love and boundless compassion. Just as the infant Jerusalem possessed nothing appealing, no inherent beauty, or any deserving quality for rescue, so too is humanity in its natural state: spiritually helpless, alienated from God, and utterly incapable of saving itself. This verse underscores the radical initiative of God in salvation, reaching out to those who are not only undeserving but actively repulsive in their sin, transforming their state from one of loathing and abandonment to one of covenant relationship and abundant life. It is a powerful reminder that our standing before God is entirely a testament to His boundless mercy and electing love, not our own merit or works.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 16:5 confronts us with the stark reality of our spiritual condition apart from God's grace. Like the abandoned infant, we are born into a state of spiritual helplessness and death, unable to save ourselves or earn God's favor. No "eye pitied" us in our lost state; indeed, our sin makes us repulsive in the sight of a holy God. This verse profoundly underscores the foundational truth that salvation is entirely a work of God's unmerited grace and compassion. It calls us to profound humility, recognizing that our redemption is not a reward for our goodness or efforts but a magnificent gift born of divine initiative and boundless mercy. Just as God reached out to Israel in her most vulnerable and repulsive moment, so too does He extend His saving hand to all who are spiritually "cast out," demonstrating His boundless love and willingness to make a covenant with those who have nothing to offer in return. This understanding should foster profound gratitude, inspire deep worship, and compel us to share this glorious good news with others who remain in a state of spiritual abandonment, longing for the compassionate eye of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is the "thee" in Ezekiel 16:5, and why is this allegory used?
Answer: The "thee" in Ezekiel 16:5 refers to Jerusalem, which serves as a powerful personification of the nation of Israel. This vivid allegory is employed to powerfully illustrate Israel's humble origins and their unique relationship with God. By portraying Jerusalem as an abandoned, unwashed, and repulsive newborn, God emphasizes that Israel had no inherent greatness, no intrinsic merit, and no external help that would naturally lead to their elevation among the nations. Their very existence and subsequent blessings were solely due to God's unmerited grace and compassionate intervention, as meticulously detailed in the following verses where God finds, cleanses, clothes, and establishes a covenant with her Ezekiel 16:6-14. This stark and desperate beginning highlights the sheer magnitude of God's love and sets the tragic stage for His later indictment of Jerusalem's profound unfaithfulness and covenant betrayal.
What does "to the lothing of thy person" mean in this context?
Answer: The phrase "to the lothing of thy person" (Hebrew: gôʻal nephesh, H1604 + H5315) means that the abandoned infant was in a state that evoked deep disgust, abhorrence, or revulsion. It's not merely that she was pitiful; her condition was actively repulsive to anyone who might encounter her. This emphasizes the extreme degree of her neglect and undesirability from a human perspective. The imagery suggests an infant still covered in birth fluids, uncleaned, and left to perish, a sight that would naturally turn away any potential caregiver. This detail is crucial for highlighting the radical and counter-intuitive nature of God's love, which chose to intervene despite such a repulsive state, demonstrating that His compassion is not based on the object's attractiveness, worthiness, or any inherent appeal, but solely on His own character.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 16:5, with its poignant depiction of an abandoned, unpitied, and loathsome infant, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the spiritual state of humanity and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Just as Jerusalem was "cast out" and repulsive in her original state, so too is humanity born into a state of spiritual death, alienated from God, and utterly incapable of saving itself Ephesians 2:1. We are, by nature, children of wrath, our sin making us "loathsome" in the eyes of a holy God, utterly devoid of any inherent merit or appeal. Yet, the profound and glorious truth of the Gospel is that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. Jesus is the divine "Eye" that pitied us, the compassionate One who saw us in our desperate, abandoned state. He did not turn away from our spiritual "loathing" but embraced it, taking on our sin and shame upon the cross. Through His sacrifice, He cleanses us from our spiritual defilement, provides us with the "garments of salvation," and brings us into a new covenant relationship, making us "new creations" 2 Corinthians 5:17. The "day that thou wast born" into abandonment is transformed into a spiritual new birth in Christ, where we are no longer cast out but adopted into God's family, cherished and made clean by His boundless grace John 3:3. He is the one who took our loathing that we might receive His love.