Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 16:16
And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colors, and playedst the harlot thereupon: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].
16. She took of her “garments,” the flax and the wool which Jehovah had given her to cover herself withal (Hos 2:9), and made tents upon the high places for the idols which she there worshipped. For “high places” cf. ch. Eze 6:3. The “high places decked with divers colours” (R. V.) might be tents, or the reference might be to hangings or carpets. In 2Ki 23:7 reference is made to women “who wove tents for Ashera;” cf. 1Ki 13:32; 2Ki 17:29.
like things shall not come ] Or, should not come. An exclamation of dislike and abhorrence of the shameful practices just referred to. The rendering given can hardly be extracted from the words, which are probably corrupt in some way, though already read by LXX. (with a different vocalization). Comp. perhaps ch. Eze 20:29.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare 2Ki 23:7. Such decoration of idol-temples in the holy land showed how the ungrateful people were devoting the wealth and energies which Yahweh had given them to the service of those false gods, in whose worship He was especially dishonored.
The like things shall not come … – The abominations reached the very utmost – nothing would hereafter be so bad as these had been.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Of thy garments; hers they were for use, by gift of God, but she looked on them as hers, without respect to either the giver or use intended. Those costly, royal robes, the very wedding clothes and furniture,
thou didst take; as an adulteress that parts with the rich gifts of her husband to oblige an adulterer.
Deckedst: by this it appears how shameless she was grown, that blushed not to be known, one that had turned her Husbands bounty, that had abused the unparalleled kindness of her God, to the open and public service of her adulterer, her idol; thus she turned her glory into shame.
Thy high places, where both the idols altar and worship were fixed.
With divers colours, with those beautiful clothes and furniture I put upon thee to adorn thee; these hast thou made the carpets and hangings for the honour and service of idols.
The like things shall not come; so matchless is this adulteress, that none shall be so impudent, and do like her; as there was none before her that hath done so to be her example, so shall there be none to follow her in these things wherein she hath exceeded.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. deckedst . . . with diverscoloursor, “didst make . . . of divers colors”[FAIRBAIRN]; the metaphorand the literal are here mixed. The high places whereon theysacrificed to Astarte are here compared to tents of divers colors,which an impudent harlot would spread to show her house was open toall [CALVIN]. Compare asto “woven hangings for Astarte” (the right translation for”grove”) 2Ki 23:7.
the like . . . shall notcome, neither shall . . . berather, “have not come, norshall be.” These thy doings are unparalleled in the past, andshall be so in the future.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And of thy garments thou didst take,…. Which were made of fine linen, silk, and broidered work; which God had given them, and they were richly clad with:
and deckedst thy high places with divers colours; that is, with garments of divers colours; either they erected tents on their high places, made with these; or they covered their altars with them, which were on their high places for the ornament of them, as harlots deck their beds to allure their lovers; see Pr 7:16; or “thou hast made for thyself high places spotted” d; so the word is rendered in
Ge 30:32; alluding to garments spotted with the flesh by adulterers. The Targum is, “thou hast made for thyself high places covered with idols”: and so the Septuagint version renders it, “idols sewed together”. The word, in the Talmudic language e, has the signification of sewing. These idols were decked as children’s babies are; and so the Syriac version, “thou hast made for thyself babies”; images like babies, richly dressed with their garments above described, such as the papists now have;
and playedst the harlot thereon; committed idolatry on the high places; or “with them” f; that is, with the images and idols decked with their garments, which were set on those high places:
[the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so]; the like idolatries shall set be committed any more; and after the Babylonish captivity worshipping of idols was not practised by the Jews; nor is it to this day: or such “things have not come yet”, and there “shall not be” the like g; the sense is, there never were such idolatries committed by this people before; and there hover shall be, or will be, the like afterwards. Kimchi’s note is,
“the high places shall not come as these; as if it was said these shall not be in futurity; and there shall not be a man or a people that shall make like these for multitudes;”
so Ben Melech; and , “high places”, does agree with , “come”. The Targum joins this with the preceding clause,
“”and playedst the harlot” with them, as is not right and fit”
d “et fecisti tibi excelsa maculosa”, Montanus; “excelsa conspera maculis”, Calvin; “latis maculis interstincta”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus. e T. Bab. Gittin. fol. 45. 2. Misn. Celim, c. 27. sect. 6. f “iisque”, Ar. Interp. g “non eventurae sunt [tales scortationes], nec erit [qui sic scortetur]”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He says that the Jews erected houses of ill fame for themselves; and the language is mixed, because the Prophet, expresses simply the kind of harlotry of which he is speaking, and yet in the meantime mingles another figure; for he says that they took garments and made themselves altars. No doubt he compares the high places to tents, just as if a harlot wished to attract a number of eyes to herself, and, through desire of a crowd, should place her standard on a lofty place. So also the Prophet says that the Jews, when they gave themselves up to fornication, made high places for themselves. When he says high places with different colors, some refer this to ornaments; yet it may be taken in a bad sense, since those high places were stained, so that they could be distinguished from chase and modest dwellings; as if he had said, If you had been a modest woman, you had remained in retirement at home, as honest matrons do, and you would not have done anything to attract men to thee; but you has erected thy high places, like conspicuous houses of ill fame, as if a female, forgetful of modesty and delicacy, should set up a sign, and show her house to be open to all, and especially to her own adulterers. It seems to me that the Prophet intends this; for when he adds, that they committed fornication with them, he means doubtless with their lovers, and all besides; but this is not the sense of the words במות טלאות, bemoth telaoth. Now, at the end of the verse, where he says, they do not come, and it shall not be, some explain this part as if the Prophet had said that there was no instance like it in former ages, and there should be none such hereafter. In this way they understand that the insane lust of the people is condemned, as if it were a prodigy, such as was never seen, nor yet to be expected. Others say, that such was the multitude of high places, that nothing was ever like it; because, although the Gentiles built idols, and temples, and altars everywhere, yet the Prophet says that the madness and fury of the people surpassed the intemperance of the Gentiles: — this is indeed to the purpose. Meanwhile, as to the general scope, it is not of much consequence; as in the former verse, where he said it shall be theirs, some understand appetite or desire. But I interpret it more simply — that she was exposed to every passer-by, and that it was in his power to engage her. The sense does not seem to me doubtful, because the Jews were so cast out, that no liberty remained to them, as when a woman becomes abandoned, she is the slave of all, and all use her disgracefully after that, since she is no longer her own mistress. Ezekiel now reproves the Jews for the same vice.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Deckedst thy high places with divers colours.The use of colours, and especially of tapestry in colours, in the adornment of places of worship, was universal throughout the religions of antiquity. It formed a striking feature of the adornment of the Tabernacle, and what is censured here is the perversion of this, which should have been for the glory of God, to the honour of idols. Translate the last clause of the verse, as in apposition with what goes before, Things which should not come, and that which should not take place.
The three following verses emphasise the apostacy of Israel by taking up various particulars of the symbolical good gifts which God had given her, and showing how she had perverted them to idolatry. It was a chief feature of the charge against her that these gifts were from God, and that she had given them to anothera charge which must for ever remain true of the perversion of the talents God has given to any other than His own service.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. The like things shall not come, neither shall it be so The reading is very doubtful, but perhaps “such things had never come, neither shall be.” This unfaithful wife, proud of the beauty which came only from her divine Spouse, took of the treasures which he had given her to adorn the places of her idolatrous worship. (See Eze 6:3.) The “high places decked with divers colors” (R.V.) might be tents, or the reference might be to hangings or “carpets.” (See also 2Ki 23:7; 2Ki 17:29.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And you took of your clothes and made for yourself high places decked with various colours (RSV ‘gaily decked shrines’), and played the prostitute on them. The like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.”
She stripped off her clothes so as to attract her lovers. Then the fine and rich clothes that Yahweh had given her in her prosperity were used to decorate the high places where the gods of Canaan were worshipped and honoured (compare 2Ki 23:7), and sexual perversions took place in accordance with Canaanite religion (compare Jer 3:2).
‘The like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.” What they did was so disgraceful that the like of it has been known neither before or since.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 16:16. The like things, &c. And hast refused to be mine. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 16:16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].
Ver. 16. And of thy garments thou didst take. ] Thou sparedst for no cost to trick up thy mawmets and monuments of idolatry. No more do Papists: witness their churches, yea, their cloisters and churchyards (for want of room within), stuffed with their vowed presents and rich vestments. Besides that they do garnish and furnish out their heretical doctrines with testimonies of Holy Scripture, which they wrest, and with authority of ancient fathers, whom they wrong, Quaerit diabolus a te ornari, said Augustine to a scholar of his, who was learned and lewd; that is, The devil would fain be dressed up by thee.
The like things shall not come.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the like things. Supply the Ellipsis better thus: “thereupon: [saying] they (the curses) come not, and it (the threatened judgment) will not be. “
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eze 7:20, 2Ki 23:7, 2Ch 28:24, Hos 2:8
Reciprocal: Gen 37:3 – a coat Lev 13:47 – The garment Isa 57:7 – General Jer 2:20 – playing Jer 3:2 – unto Eze 16:7 – excellent ornaments Eze 21:24 – your transgressions Eze 23:26 – strip Hos 2:5 – their mother Hos 4:13 – sacrifice Luk 16:12 – in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Eze 16:16, This husband had given the fine clothing to his wife for her use as a virtuous woman but she abused the privilege. She changed them in such a way as to attract the attentions of evil men seeking lustful intimacy.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
16:16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and didst deck thy high places with various colours, {m} and didst play the harlot upon them: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].
(m) This declares how the idolaters put their chief delight in those things which please the eyes and outward senses.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jerusalem used the gifts that God had given her to make idols and to worship them rather than her Lord (2Ki 23:7; Jer 10:9). The people made phallic images out of God’s gifts with which they engaged in sex (Eze 16:17; cf. Isa 57:8), or perhaps full human figures are in view.