Ezekiel 23:38

Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.

Moreover this they have done {H6213} unto me: they have defiled {H2930} my sanctuary {H4720} in the same day {H3117}, and have profaned {H2490} my sabbaths {H7676}.

Moreover, they have done this to me as well: they defiled my sanctuary on the same day, and they profaned my shabbats

They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.

Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.

Ezekiel 23:38 KJV delivers a severe indictment against the people of Israel and Judah, personified as the sisters Oholah and Oholibah in Ezekiel's allegory. This verse highlights their profound spiritual unfaithfulness, specifically accusing them of direct affronts against God's holy presence and divine commands.

Context

This verse is part of Ezekiel Chapter 23, where the prophet Ezekiel uses the elaborate allegory of two sisters, Oholah (representing Samaria and the northern kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (representing Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Judah), to vividly depict their spiritual adultery and idolatry. Both sisters engaged in promiscuous alliances with foreign nations and adopted their pagan worship practices, turning away from their covenant with God. Verse 38 concludes the immediate charges against them, summarizing the core of their rebellion: their blatant disrespect for God's sacred institutions. The "they" refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, who, despite witnessing the judgment on Samaria, continued in similar sins. The context is set firmly in the pre-exilic period, leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity.

Key Themes

  • Defilement of God's Sanctuary: The accusation, "they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day," points to the ultimate desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. This was not merely general sin but the active bringing of pagan idols and practices into the very house of God, or worshipping pagan gods concurrently with attempts to worship Yahweh. Such syncretism was a profound insult to God's holiness and exclusive claim on His people's worship. For more on the abominations seen in the Temple, consider Ezekiel 8:6.
  • Profanation of the Sabbaths: The charge "and have profaned my sabbaths" underscores their disregard for God's divine law and the covenant sign. The Sabbath was given as a holy day, a sign between God and His people, symbolizing His creative power and their unique relationship with Him (Exodus 31:13). To profane it meant to treat it as common, engaging in forbidden activities or neglecting its observance, demonstrating a comprehensive rejection of God's authority.
  • God's Holiness and Judgment: These actions were seen as direct offenses "unto me" (God), highlighting His personal affront at their unfaithfulness. The verse emphasizes that such flagrant disrespect for His sanctuary and holy times would not go unpunished, leading to the severe judgments described later in the chapter.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "defiled" and "profaned" is chalal (חָלַל), which means "to pierce, to wound," but in the Hiphil stem, it means "to profane, defile, pollute, violate." Its repetition emphasizes the deliberate and severe nature of their actions against what was sacred. The "sanctuary" is miqdash (מִקְדָּשׁ), a holy place, specifically the Temple. The "sabbaths" is shabbatot (שַׁבָּתוֹת), the plural form, indicating repeated and widespread violations of the Sabbath laws, not just an isolated incident.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 23:38 serves as a timeless warning against spiritual compromise and hypocrisy. For believers today, this verse calls for:

  • Reverence for God's Presence: While we no longer have a physical Temple, the church (the body of believers) is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are called to live lives that honor God and His presence within us, avoiding actions that would "defile" our spiritual sanctuary.
  • Respect for Holy Time: While the New Testament does not enforce the Old Testament Sabbath laws in the same legalistic way, the principle of setting aside time for worship, rest, and devotion to God remains vital. Profaning our dedicated time for God, whether through distraction or neglect, can reflect a deeper spiritual indifference.
  • Avoiding Syncretism: The "same day" defilement speaks to mixing the sacred with the profane. We must be vigilant against allowing worldly values, practices, or idols to infiltrate and corrupt our worship or our Christian walk. True worship demands exclusive devotion to God, as highlighted in the first commandment to have no other gods before Him.

This verse reminds us that God is holy, and He expects His people to reflect that holiness in their lives and worship, honoring His commands and His sacred presence.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ezekiel 20:13

    But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

  • 2 Kings 21:7

    And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

  • Ezekiel 20:24

    Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

  • Ezekiel 7:20

    As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations [and] of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.

  • Ezekiel 8:5

    Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

  • Ezekiel 8:16

    And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

  • 2 Kings 21:4

    And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

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