וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃ 16:1
Ezek. 16:1 And the word of the Lord occurred to me saying,
Is this another vision? I suspect it is, and I’ll tell you why at the end of the chapter.
בֶּן־אָדָם הֹודַע אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶת־תֹּועֲבֹתֶיהָ׃ 16:2
Ezek. 16:2 “Human, let Jerusalem know its abominations,
וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה לִירוּשָׁלִַם מְכֹרֹתַיִךְ וּמֹלְדֹתַיִךְ מֵאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אָבִיךְ הָאֱמֹרִי וְאִמֵּךְ 16:3 חִתִּית׃
Ezek. 16:3 and you will say, ‘Thus says the Master, the Lord,’ to Jerusalem: ‘Your origins and your beginnings are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was the Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.’”
I suppose the parents represent the land of Canaan and its inhabitants, such as the Amorite and the Hittite. Jerusalem, the prime subject of this chapter, is feminine in gender. So all the second-person pronouns pertaining to her are feminine. Many of the errors in this chapter have to do with person and gender, which I’ll explain after v. 16:13 where the first of them is found.
וּמֹולְדֹותַיִךְ בְּיֹום הוּלֶּדֶת אֹתָךְ לֹא־כָרַּת שָׁרֵּךְ וּבְמַיִם לֹא־רֻחַצְתְּ לְמִשְׁעִי וְהָמְלֵחַ לֹא הֻמְלַחַתְּ 16:4 וְהָחְתֵּל לֹא חֻתָּלְתְּ׃
Ezek. 16:4 ‘And your beginnings, on the day that saw you born, your umbilical was not cut, and you were not washed in water to be cleansed; and you were not rubbed with salt at all and you were not swaddled at all.’
I imagine that this verse and the next three refer to either the period of slavery in Egypt or the period of the exodus. Notice the strong symbolism. Every word, almost, is a metaphor.
לֹא־חָסָה עָלַיִךְ עַיִן לַעֲשֹׂות לָךְ אַחַת מֵאֵלֶּה לְחֻמְלָה עָלָיִךְ וַתֻּשְׁלְכִי אֶל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בְּגֹעַל נַפְשֵׁךְ 16:5 בְּיֹום הֻלֶּדֶת אֹתָךְ׃
Ezek. 16:5 ‘No eye had pity on you to do for you any from these things, to have compassion on you; instead you were cast down to the surface of the field with loathing of your soul on the day that saw you born.’
וָאֶעֱבֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ מִתְבֹּוסֶסֶת בְּדָמָיִךְ וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי׃ 16:6
Ezek. 16:6 ‘And I passed over you and I saw you blindly moving about, alive in your own blood, and I said to you, ‘Live because of your blood!’
We may have here revealing statements, with remarkable implications. First we have the phrase alive in your own blood. It seems obvious that the blood is meant to be symbolic, not necessarily actual. I imagine the blood was a metaphor for either the suffering and death of the Egyptian slavery or the trials and tribulations of the exodus. Then there is the even more remarkable “Live because of your blood!” The sages recognized its significance although its translations are not so revealing: Such as “By your blood, live!” or “In your blood, live!” or the mistranslation “I said when you were in your blood, ‘Live!’” What is revealed here? This brief statement confirms the belief that our sacrifice, or self-sacrifice, is what the Lord expects from us. He is saying that because of it we guarantee our life. In other words, we permit ourselves to be His willing servants. As I see this, it means freely subordinating our ego in loving obedience to the Lord.
רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ וַתִּרְבִּי וַתִּגְדְּלִי וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ וְאַתְּ 16:7 עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה׃
Ezek. 16:7 ‘I made you grow like a shoot of the field, and you grew and matured, and you came with precious jewels; breasts were firm and your hair was thick, and you were naked and bare.’
וָאֶעֱבֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ וְהִנֵּה עִתֵּךְ עֵת דֹּדִים וָאֶפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפִי עָלַיִךְ וָאֲכַסֶּה עֶרְוָתֵּךְ וָאֶשָּׁבַע לָךְ 16:8 וָאָבֹוא בִבְרִית אֹתָךְ נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה וַתִּהְיִי לִי׃
Ezek. 16:8 ‘Then I passed over you and I saw you, and behold, your time was a time of loving, and I spread the corner of My ‘garment’ about you and covered your nakedness, and I swore to you and I entered into a covenant with you, declares the Master, the Lord, and you became Mine.’
What an expression of God’s pure unselfish divine love for His people, Israel! Don’t you agree? Furthermore, I believe the corner of the Lord’s garment is a metaphor for the Torah (or ten commandments).
וָאֶרְחָצֵךְ בַּמַּיִם וָאֶשְׁטֹף דָּמַיִךְ מֵעָלָיִךְ וָאֲסֻךֵךְ בַּשָּׁמֶן׃ 16:9
Ezek. 16:9 ‘Then I washed you with water and rinsed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil.’
וָאַלְבִּישֵׁךְ רִקְמָה וָאֶנְעֲלֵךְ תָּחַשׁ וָאֶחְבְּשֵׁךְ בַּשֵּׁשׁ וַאֲכַסֵּךְ מֶשִׁי׃ 16:10
Ezek. 16:10 ‘I also put on you embroidery and gave you sandals of badger skin and bound you in fine linen and spread around you silk garments.’
וָאֶעְדֵּךְ עֶדִי וָאֶתְּנָה צְמִידִים עַל־יָדַיִךְ וְרָבִיד עַל־גְּרֹונֵךְ׃ 16:11
Ezek. 16:11 ‘I also put ornaments on you and put bracelets on your hands and chains about your neck.’
וָאֶתֵּן נֶזֶם עַל־אַפֵּךְ וַעֲגִילִים עַל־אָזְנָיִךְ וַעֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת בְּרֹאשֵׁךְ׃ 16:12
Ezek. 16:12 ‘And I put a ring upon your nose and earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.’
וַתַּעְדִּי זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּמַלְבּוּשֵׁךְ (שֵׁשִׁי) [שֵׁשׁ] וָמֶשִׁי וְרִקְמָה סֹלֶת וּדְבַשׁ וָשֶׁמֶן (אָכָלְתִּי) [אָכָלְתְּ] 16:13 וַתִּיפִי בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּצְלְחִי לִמְלוּכָה׃
Ezek. 16:13 ‘And you put on gold and silver and your apparel of fine linen and silk and embroidery; you ate fine flour and honey and oil, and you were so very exceptionally beautiful that you were prosperous enough for royal office.’
The words in the two sets of parentheses are incorrectly spelled, both having an extra yad suffix. The corrections are in the respective brackets. The second of these is typical of the more prevalent errors throughout this chapter. It signifies the wrong person. It is spelled as first-person and should be second-person feminine as in the second pair of brackets.
וַיֵּצֵא לָךְ שֵׁם בַּגֹּויִם בְּיָפְיֵךְ כִּי כָּלִיל הוּא בַּהֲדָרִי אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי עָלַיִךְ נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה׃ 16:14
Ezek. 16:14 ‘Then your name went forth throughout the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect in My splendor that I had put on you, declares the Master, the Lord.’
וַתִּבְטְחִי בְיָפְיֵךְ וַתִּזְנִי עַל־שְׁמֵךְ וַתִּשְׁפְּכִי אֶת־תַּזְנוּתַיִךְ עַל־כָּל־עֹובֵר לֹו־יֶהִי׃ 16:15
Ezek. 16:15 ‘But you were too secure in your beauty and you played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotry on every passerby; it would be for anyone.’
וַתִּקְחִי מִבְּגָדַיִךְ וַתַּעֲשִׂי־לָךְ בָּמֹות טְלֻאֹות וַתִּזְנִי עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא בָאֹות וְלֹא יִהְיֶה׃ 16:16
Ezek. 16:16 ‘Then you took some of your garments and fashioned for yourself high places diversely colored, and were the harlot. They should not be coming up to them, and it should not be.’
וַתִּקְחִי כְּלֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ מִזְּהָבִי וּמִכַּסְפִּי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָךְ וַתַּעֲשִׂי־לָךְ צַלְמֵי זָכָר וַתִּזְנִי־בָם׃ 16:17
Ezek. 16:17 ‘And you took implements of your beauty from My gold and My silver that I had given to you and you made for yourself images of a male and played the harlot with them.’
וַתִּקְחִי אֶת־בִּגְדֵי רִקְמָתֵךְ וַתְּכַסִּים וְשַׁמְנִי וּקְטָרְתִּי (נָתַתִּי) [נָתַתְּ] לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ 16:18
Ezek. 16:18 ‘You also took the garments of your embroidery and covered them, and My oil and My incense you set before them.’
The word in the parentheses is of the typical kind of error of most of those in this chapter, such as we’ve already found in v. 16:13 above (the second error there). The word has the extra yad suffix, and is corrected in the brackets.
וְלַחְמִי אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתִּי לָךְ סֹלֶת וָשֶׁמֶן וּדְבַשׁ הֶאֱכַלְתִּיךְ וּנְתַתִּיהוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ וַיֶּהִי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי 16:19 יְהוִה׃
Ezek. 16:19 ‘And My bread, which I gave to you, of fine flour and oil and honey, by which I fed you,
וַתִּקְחִי אֶת־בָּנַיִךְ וְאֶת־בְּנֹותַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר יָלַדְתְּ לִי וַתִּזְבָּחִים לָהֶם לֶאֱכֹול הַמְעַט (מִתַּזְנֻתֵךְ) [מִתַּזְנוּתָיִךְ]׃ 16:20
Ezek. 16:20 ‘And you took your sons and your daughters whom you gave birth to for Me and sacrificed them to them to be consumed. Were your harlotries too few,
The word in the parentheses, translated as your harlotries, is spelled as singular when it should be plural. The correction is in the brackets.
וַתִּשְׁחֲטִי אֶת־בָּנָי וַתִּתְּנִים בְּהַעֲבִיר אֹותָם לָהֶם׃ 16:21
Ezek. 16:21 that you slaughtered My children and consecrated them by passing them to them?’
וְאֵת כָּל־תֹּועֲבֹתַיִךְ וְתַזְנֻתַיִךְ לֹא (זָכַרְתִּי) [זָכַרְתְּ] אֶת־יְמֵי נְעוּרָיִךְ בִּהְיֹותֵךְ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה 16:22 מִתְבֹּוסֶסֶת בְּדָמֵךְ הָיִית׃
Ezek. 16:22 ‘And with all your abominations and your harlotries, you did not remember the period of your youth, when you, being naked and bare, were blindly moving about in your own blood.’
Another of the more typical chapter errors is here in the parentheses, and is corrected with the removal of the yad suffix in the brackets.
וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כָּל־רָעָתֵךְ אֹוי אֹוי לָךְ נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה׃ 16:23
Ezek. 16:23 ‘And it was, after all your evil -- Woe! Woe to you, declares the Master, the Lord --
וַתִּבְנִי־לָךְ גֶּב וַתַּעֲשִׂי־לָךְ רָמָה בְּכָל־רְחֹוב׃ 16:24
Ezek. 16:24 that you built for yourself a mound and made for yourself a high place in every plaza.’
אֶל־כָּל־רֹאשׁ דֶּרֶךְ בָּנִית רָמָתֵךְ וַתְּתַעֲבִי אֶת־יָפְיֵךְ וַתְּפַשְּׂקִי אֶת־רַגְלַיִךְ לְכָל־עֹובֵר וַתַּרְבִּי 16:25 אֶת־(תַּזְנֻתֵךְ) [תַּזְנוּתָיִךְ]׃
Ezek. 16:25 ‘At every beginning of a way you built one of your high places, and made your beauty an abomination, and opened your legs to every passerby, and multiplied your harlotries.’
The word in error in the parentheses, which is missing a yad to make it plural (your harlotries), is the same as the word in error in v. 16:20. The correction is in the brackets.
וַתִּזְנִי אֶל־בְּנֵי־מִצְרַיִם שְׁכֵנַיִךְ גִּדְלֵי בָשָׂר וַתַּרְבִּי אֶת־תַּזְנֻתֵךְ לְהַכְעִיסֵנִי׃ 16:26
Ezek. 16:26 ‘You were also a harlot to the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, great ones of flesh; thus you enlarged your harlotry, provoking My ‘anger.’’
וְהִנֵּה נָטִיתִי יָדִי עָלַיִךְ וָאֶגְרַע חֻקֵּךְ וָאֶתְּנֵךְ בְּנֶפֶשׁ שֹׂנְאֹותַיִךְ בְּנֹות פְּלִשְׁתִּים הַנִּכְלָמֹות 16:27 מִדַּרְכֵּךְ זִמָּה׃
Ezek. 16:27 ‘So behold, I extend My ‘hand’ against you and withdraw your prescribed portion and deliver you to the desire of your haters, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed because of your unchaste manner.’
וַתִּזְנִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אַשּׁוּר מִבִּלְתִּי שָׂבְעָתֵךְ וַתִּזְנִים וְגַם לֹא שָׂבָעַתְּ׃ 16:28
Ezek. 16:28 ‘And you were a harlot to the sons of Assyria, because of your not being satisfied; yes, you were their harlot, and still you were not satisfied.’
וַתַּרְבִּי אֶת־תַּזְנוּתֵךְ אֶל־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן כַּשְׂדִּימָה וְגַם־בְּזֹאת לֹא שָׂבָעַתְּ׃ 16:29
Ezek. 16:29 ‘And you increased your harlotry to the land of the merchant, to Chaldea, but even then you were not satisfied.’
מָה אֲמֻלָה לִבָּתֵךְ נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בַּעֲשֹׂותֵךְ אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה מַעֲשֵׂה אִשָּׁה־זֹונָה שַׁלָּטֶת׃ 16:30
Ezek. 16:30 ‘How weak your heart is, declares the Master, the Lord, in your doing all these things, the work of an aggressively adulterous woman!’
בִּבְנֹותַיִךְ גַּבֵּךְ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־דֶּרֶךְ וְרָמָתֵךְ (עָשִׂיתִי) [עָשִׂית] בְּכָל־רְחֹוב וְלֹא־(הָיִיתי) [הָיִית] כַּזֹּונָה 16:31 לְקַלֵּס אֶתְנָן׃
Ezek. 16:31 ‘By your building your mound at the beginning of every way -- you even made your high places in every plaza -- you were not even like a harlot, scoffing at payment!’
Another two of the more typical chapter errors are found in this verse in the two sets of parentheses. Their corrections are in the brackets.
הָאִשָּׁה הַמְּנָאָפֶת תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ תִּקַּח אֶת־זָרִים׃ 16:32
Ezek. 16:32 ‘The wife who, committing adultery, would receive strangers instead of her husband!’
לְכָל־זֹנֹות יִתְּנוּ־נֵדֶה וְאַתְּ נָתַתְּ אֶת־נְדָנַיִךְ לְכָל־מְאַהֲבַיִךְ וַתִּשְׁחֳדִי אֹותָם לָבֹוא אֵלַיִךְ מִסָּבִיב 16:33 בְּתַזְנוּתָיִךְ׃
Ezek. 16:33 ‘To all harlots they give a gift, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers and bribed them to come to you from all around in your harlotries.’
וַיְהִי־בָךְ הֵפֶךְ מִן־הַנָּשִׁים בְּתַזְנוּתַיִךְ וְאַחֲרַיִךְ לֹא זוּנָּה וּבְתִתֵּךְ אֶתְןָן וְאֶתְןַן לֹא נִתַּן־לָךְ וַתְּהִי לְהֶפֶךְ׃ 16:34
Ezek. 16:34 ‘And it was opposite with you from other women in your harlotries, that none were after you to commit adultery, and in your giving payment and payment was not given to you, that you were different.’
לָכֵן זֹונָה שִׁמְעִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה׃ 16:35
Ezek. 16:35 ‘Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord!’
כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה יַעַן הִשָּׁפֵךְ נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ וַתִּגָּלֶה עֶרְוָתֵךְ בְּתַזְנוּתַיִךְ עַל־מְאַהֲבָיִךְ וְעַל כָּל־גִּלּוּלֵי 16:36 תֹועֲבֹותַיִךְ וְכִדְמֵי בָנַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתְּ לָהֶם׃
Ezek. 16:36 ‘Thus says the Master, the Lord: Because of the excess of your lust, and thereby your nakedness was revealed in your harlotry by your lovers, and on account of all the idols of your abominations, and according to the blood of your children that you gave to them,
לָכֵן הִנְנִי מְקַבֵּץ אֶת־כָּל־מְאַהֲבַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר עָרַבְתְּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתְּ עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאת 16:37 וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֹתָם עָלַיִךְ מִסָּבִיב וְגִלֵּיתִי עֶרְוָתֵךְ אֲלֵהֶם וְרָאוּ אֶת־כָּל־עֶרְוָתֵךְ׃
Ezek. 16:37 therefore, behold, I am gathering all your lovers upon whom you were pleasing, and all whom you love, together with all whom you hate, and I will assemble them against you from every direction and I will reveal your nakedness to them that they may see all your shame.’
וּשְׁפַטְתִּיךְ מִשְׁפְּטֵי נֹאֲפֹות וְשֹׁפְכֹת דָּם וּנְתַתִּיךְ דַּם חֵמָה וְקִנְאָה׃ 16:38
Ezek. 16:38 ‘And I will judge you the judgments of women of adultery and shedders of blood, and I will give you the blood of rage and jealousy.’
וְנָתַתִּי אֹותָךְ בְּיָדָם וְהָרְסוּ גַבֵּךְ וְנִתְּצוּ רָמֹתַיִךְ וְהִפְשִׁיטוּ אֹותָךְ בְּגָדַיִךְ וְלָקְחוּ כְּלֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ 16:39 וְהִנִּיחוּךְ עֵירֹם וְעֶרְיָה׃
Ezek. 16:39 ‘So I will give you into their hand, and they will break down your mounds and pull down your high places and strip you of your clothes and take the implements of your splendor and leave you naked and bare.’
וְהֶעֱלוּ עָלַיִךְ קָהָל וְרָגְמוּ אֹותָךְ בָּאָבֶן וּבִתְּקוּךְ בְּחַרְבֹותָם׃ 16:40
Ezek. 16:40 ‘And they will bring up an assembly against you and they will attack you with stones and cut you down with their swords.’
וְשָׂרְפוּ בָתַּיִךְ בָּאֵשׁ וְעָשׂוּ־בָךְ שְׁפָטִים לְעֵינֵי נָשִׁים רַבֹּות וְהִשְׁבַּתִּיךְ מִזֹּונָה וְגַם־אֶתְןַן לֹא תִתְּנִי־עֹוד׃ 16:41
Ezek. 16:41 ‘And they will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments towards you, for the eyes of many women; thus I will make you stop being a harlot, and also you will not give hire again.’
וַהֲנִחֹתִי חֲמָתִי בָּךְ וְסָרָה קִנְאָתִי מִמֵּךְ וְשָׁקַטְתִּי וְלֹא אֶכְעַס עֹוד׃ 16:42
Ezek. 16:42 ‘So I will exhaust My ‘rage’ on you and will turn aside My ‘passion’ from you and I will be ‘pacified’ and not be ‘angry’ any more.’
יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־(זָכַרְתִּי) [זָכַרְתְּ] אֶת־יְמֵי נְעוּרַיִךְ וַתִּרְגְּזִי־לִי בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה וְגַם־אֲנִי הֵא דַּרְךֵּךְ בְּרֹאש 16:43 ׁ נָתַתִּי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה וְלֹא (עָשִׂיתִי) [עָשִׂית] אֶת־הַזִּמָּה עַל כָּל־תֹּועֲבֹתָיִךְ׃
Ezek. 16:43 ‘Because when you did not remember the days of your youth and agitated Me with all these things, and I even, behold, had set your way in the beginning, declares the Master, the Lord, then you did not commit such lewdness together with all your abominations.’
Another two of the more typical chapter errors are found in this verse in the two sets of parentheses. Their corrections are in the brackets.
הִנֵּה כָּל־הַמֹּשֵׁל עָלַיִךְ יִמְשֹׁל לֵאמֹר כְּאִמָּה בִּתָּהּ׃ 16:44
Ezek. 16:44 ‘Behold, every one using a proverb about you, will use a proverb saying, ‘Like mother is her daughter.’
בַּת־אִמֵּךְ אַתְּ גֹּעֶלֶת אִישָׁהּ וּבָנֶיהָ וַאֲחֹות אֲחֹותֵךְ אַתְּ אֲשֶׁר גָּעֲלוּ אַנְשֵׁיהֶן וּבְנֵיהֶן אִמְּכֶן חִתִּית 16:45 וַאֲבִיכֶן אֱמֹרִי׃
Ezek. 16:45 ‘The daughter of your mother you are, loathing her husband and her children, and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathe their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father, an Amorite.’
There’s an interesting variation in the two second-person pronouns, your, in the last sentence of this verse. They are plural, thereby indicating more than just Jerusalem as their antecedent. The pronouns must be addressing the sisters of Jerusalem along with Jerusalem herself. The sisters are identified in the next verse as Samaria and Sodom.
וַאֲחֹותֵךְ הַגְּדֹולָה שֹׁמְרֹון הִיא וּבְנֹותֶיהָ הַיֹּושֶׁבֶת עַל־שְׂמֹאולֵךְ וַאֲחֹותֵךְ הַקְּטַנָּה מִמֵּךְ הַיֹּושֶׁבֶת 16:46 מִימִינֵךְ סְדֹם וּבְנֹותֶיהָ׃
Ezek. 16:46 ‘And your older sister is Samaria, she, with her daughters, situated on your left hand, and your sister younger than you, situated off your right hand, is Sodom, with her daughters.’
בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיִךְ׃ וְלֹא בְדַרְכֵיהֶן הָלַכְתְּ וּבְתֹועֲבֹותֵיהֶן (עָשִׂיתִי) [עָשִׂית] כִּמְעַט קָט וַתַּשְׁחִתִי מֵהֵן 16:47
Ezek. 16:47 ‘Though you did not walk in their ways or do after their abominations, after a short while, then you were corrupted more than them in all your ways.’
Another of the more typical chapter errors is found in this verse in the parentheses. Its correction is in the brackets.
חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה אִם־עָשְׂתָה סְדֹם אֲחֹותֵךְ הִיא וּבְנֹותֶיהָ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂית אַתְּ וּבְנֹותָיִךְ׃ 16:48
Ezek. 16:48 ‘As I live, declares the Master, the Lord, Sodom, your sister, she -- or her daughters -- has not done as you have done, you and your daughters.’
הִנֵּה־זֶה הָיָה עֲוֹן סְדֹם אֲחֹותֵךְ גָּאֹון שִׂבְעַת־לֶחֶם וְשַׁלְוַת הַשְׁקֵט הָיָה לָהּ וְלִבְנֹותֶיהָ וְיַד־עָנִי 16:49 וְאֶבְיֹון לֹא הֶחֱזִיקָה׃
Ezek. 16:49 ‘Behold, here was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister: Pride, a surplus of bread, and ease of inactivity was hers and her daughters, yet she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy.’
וַתִּגְבְּהֶינָה וַתַּעֲשֶׂינָה תֹועֵבָה לְפָנָי וָאָסִיר אֶתְהֶן כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי׃ 16:50
Ezek. 16:50 ‘And they were arrogant and they committed abomination before Me, so I removed them as soon as I saw.’
In these two verses,16:49 and 50, we are informed of all the sins of Sodom. Note that the last of them, not the first, is the abominations, and we are not informed what those were. How can this be ignored by all the bible scholars who claim that sodomy was their sole or main sin?
וְשֹׁמְרֹון כַּחֲצִי חַטֹּאתַיִךְ לֹא חָטָאָה וַתַּרְבִּי אֶת־תֹּועֲבֹותַיִךְ מֵהֵנָּה וַתְּצַדְּקִי אֶת־(אֲחֹותֵךְ) [אֲחֹותַיִךְ] 16:51 בְּכָל־תֹּועֲבֹותַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר (עָשִׂיתי) [עָשִׂית]׃
Ezek. 16:51 ‘And Samaria had not committed as much as half your sins, whereas you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have made your sisters righteous with all your abominations that you committed.’
We have two errors in the pairs of parentheses. The first is spelled as singular and should be plural as indicated in the first pair of brackets; the second error is that of the more typical chapter errors.
גַּם־אַתְּ שְׂאִי כְלִמָּתֵךְ אֲשֶׁר פִּלַּלְתְּ לַאֲחֹותֵךְ בְּחַטֹּאתַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר־הִתְעַבְתְּ מֵהֵן תִּצְדַּקְנָה מִמֵּךְ 16:52 וְגַם־אַתְּ בֹּושִׁי וּשְׂאִי כְלִמָּתֵךְ בְּצַדֶּקְתֵּךְ אַחְיֹותֵךְ׃
Ezek. 16:52 ‘Indeed you! Bear your shame that you have intervened for your sisters! By your sins that you have made abominable more than they, they would be made righteous more than you. And also you! Be ashamed, and bear your disgrace for making your sisters righteous!’
וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־שְׁבִיתְהֶן אֶת־(שְׁבִית) [שְׁבוּת] סְדֹם וּבְנֹותֶיהָ וְאֶת־(שְׁבִית) [שְׁבוּת] שֹׁמְרֹון 16:53 וּבְנֹותֶיהָ (וּשְׁבִית) [וּשְׁבוּת] שְׁבִיתַיִךְ בְּתֹוכָהְנָה׃
Ezek. 16:53 ‘Yet I will turn back their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters and the captivity of your captives in their midst,’
We have three almost identical errors indicated in this verse that I don’t believe are indeed errors. The words in the three pairs of parentheses are translated as captivity (the last one including a vav prefix) and I believe the spelling is not incorrect but is an acceptable variant.
לְמַעַן תִּשְׂאִי כְלִמָּתֵךְ וְנִכְלַמְתְּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂית בְּנַחֲמֵךְ אֹתָן׃ 16:54
Ezek. 16:54 so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed for all that you did in comforting them.’
תְּשֻׁבֶינָה וַאֲחֹותַיִךְ סְדֹם וּבְנֹותֶיהָ תָּשֹׁבְןָ לְקַדְמָתָן וְשֹׁמְרֹון וּבְנֹותֶיהָ תָּשֹׁבְןָ לְקַדְמָתָן וְאַתְּ וּבְנֹותַיִךְ 16:55 לְקַדְמַתְכֶן׃
Ezek. 16:55 ‘And your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state.’
וְלֹוא הָיְתָה סְדֹם אֲחֹותֵךְ לִשְׁמוּעָה בְּפִיךְ בְּיֹום גְּאֹונָיִךְ׃ 16:56
Ezek. 16:56 ‘But Sodom, your sister, was not a subject of discussion in your mouth in the time of your pride,
בְּטֶרֶם תִּגָּלֶה רָעָתֵךְ כְּמֹו עֵת חֶרְפַּת בְּנֹות־אֲרָם וְכָל־סְבִיבֹותֶיהָ בְּנֹות פְּלִשְׁתִּים הַשָּׁאטֹות אֹותָךְ 16:57 מִסָּבִיב׃
Ezek. 16:57 before your evil could be revealed as the occasion of the disgrace of the daughters of Aram when on all sides of her the daughters of the Philistines were holding you in contempt from all around.’
אֶת־זִמָּתֵךְ וְאֶת־תֹּועֲבֹותַיִךְ אַתְּ נְשָׂאתִים נְאֻם יְהוָה׃ 16:58
Ezek. 16:58 ‘Your lewdness and your abominations? You bear them, declares the Lord.’
בְּרִית׃ כִּי כֹה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (וְעָשִׂית) [וְעָשִׂיתִי] אֹותָךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂית אֲשֶׁר־בָּזִית אָלָה לְהָפֵר 16:59
Ezek. 16:59 ‘For thus says the Master, the Lord: As you had done when you were contemptuous of oath, breaking the covenant, so I will do with you.’
Oddly, here we have the opposite error of the more typical errors in this chapter. The word in the parentheses is spelled as second-person singular, but should be first-person (translated as so I will do). The correction, the insertion of a yad suffix, is in the brackets.
וְזָכַרְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אֹותָךְ בִּימֵי נְעוּרָיִךְ וַהֲקִמֹותִי לָךְ בְּרִית עֹולָם׃ 16:60
Ezek. 16:60 ‘Instead I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, that I might establish for you an everlasting covenant.’
אֶתְהֶן וְזָכַרְתְּ אֶת־דְּרָכַיִךְ וְנִכְלַמְתְּ בְּקַחְתֵּךְ אֶת־אֲחֹותַיִךְ הַגְּדֹלֹות מִמֵּךְ אֶל־הַקְּטַנֹּות מִמֵּךְ וְנָתַתִּי 16:61
לָךְ לְבָנֹות וְלֹא מִבְּרִיתֵךְ׃
Ezek. 16:61 ‘And you will remember your ways and be humiliated when you are receiving your sisters, those older than you as well as those younger than you, and I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of your covenant.’
וַהֲקִימֹותִי אֲנִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה׃ 16:62
Ezek. 16:62 ‘So I will establish My covenant with you and you shall know that I am the Lord,
לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרִי וָבֹשְׁתְּ וְלֹא יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ עֹוד פִּתְחֹון פֶּה מִפְּנֵי כְּלִמָּתֵךְ בְּכַפְּרִי־לָךְ לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂית 16:63 נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה׃
Ezek. 16:63 so that you would remember and be ashamed, so your opening of mouth would be no more because of your disgrace, upon My atonement for you for all that you did, declares the Master, the Lord.’”
Please notice that almost this entire chapter, starting with v. 16:3, consists of the Lord dictating to Ezekiel what he should say to Jerusalem about its coming destruction. It is not what Ezekiel had said to Jerusalem. He hasn’t said it as yet. Not only this! Remember Ezekiel is sitting at the river Chebar in Babylon. He is not in Jerusalem, and he is not going to go to Jerusalem. Moreover, the destruction of which the God Figure speaks had already occurred. These facts help me to suspect that this chapter is describing yet another vision or dream.
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