Ezekiel 16:12
New International Version
and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

New Living Translation
a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.

English Standard Version
And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

Berean Standard Bible
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

King James Bible
And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

New King James Version
And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

New American Standard Bible
I also put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

NASB 1995
“I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

NASB 1977
“I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

Legacy Standard Bible
I also put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a splendid crown on your head.

Amplified Bible
I also put a ring in your nostril and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

Christian Standard Bible
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful tiara on your head.

American Standard Version
And I put a ring upon thy nose, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

Contemporary English Version
a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown.

English Revised Version
And I put a ring upon thy nose, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

Good News Translation
I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear.

International Standard Version
I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a crown encrusted with jewels on your head.

Majority Standard Bible
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

NET Bible
I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

New Heart English Bible
I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and ear-rings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

World English Bible
I put a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I give a ring for your nose, "" And rings for your ears, "" And a crown of beauty on your head.

Young's Literal Translation
And I give a ring for thy nose, And rings for thine ears, And a crown of beauty on thy head.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I will give a ring upon thy nose, and earrings for thine ears, and a crown of glory upon thy head.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I put a jewel upon thy forehead and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I put gold upon your face, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

New American Bible
a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

New Revised Standard Version
a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I put a jewel on your forehead and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a beryl between your eyes and earrings on your ears and a crown of glory on your head
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I put a ring upon thy nose, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I put a pendant on thy nostril, and rings in thine ears, and a crown of glory on thine head.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jerusalem's Unfaithfulness
11I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. 12I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. 13So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.…

Cross References
Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Hosea 2:13
I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, when she adorned herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers. But Me she forgot,” declares the LORD.

Revelation 21:2
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 19:7-8
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. / She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

Isaiah 49:18
Lift up your eyes and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as jewelry and put them on like a bride.

Jeremiah 2:32
Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.

2 Corinthians 11:2
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Psalm 45:13-14
All glorious is the princess in her chamber; her gown is embroidered with gold. / In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.

Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Song of Solomon 1:10-11
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. / We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with beads of silver.

Isaiah 3:18-21
In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents; / their pendants, bracelets, and veils; / their headdresses, ankle chains, and sashes; their perfume bottles and charms; ...

1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, / but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

Genesis 24:22
And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels.

Proverbs 25:12
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

1 Timothy 2:9-10
Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, / but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.


Treasury of Scripture

And I put a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

Jump to Previous
Beautiful Beauty Crown Earrings Ear-Rings Ears Forehead Head Jewel Nose Nostril Ring Rings
Jump to Next
Beautiful Beauty Crown Earrings Ear-Rings Ears Forehead Head Jewel Nose Nostril Ring Rings
Ezekiel 16
1. Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem
6. God's extraordinary love toward her,
15. Her grievous judgment
35. Her sin, equal to her mother,
46. and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria,
59. calls for judgments
60. Mercy is promised her in the end














I put a ring in your nose
The imagery of a "ring in your nose" is deeply symbolic in the ancient Near Eastern context. In Hebrew, the word for "ring" is "נֶזֶם" (nezem), which often signifies ownership or a covenant relationship. Historically, nose rings were a sign of wealth and status, often given as gifts in marriage. This phrase suggests God's intimate and binding relationship with Israel, portraying His people as a cherished bride adorned with precious gifts. The ring symbolizes God's commitment and the honor bestowed upon Israel, elevating her from a state of abandonment to one of dignity and beauty.

earrings on your ears
The "earrings on your ears" further emphasize the adornment and beautification of Israel. Earrings, or "עָגִיל" (agil) in Hebrew, were common in ancient cultures as symbols of beauty and social status. They also represent attentive listening and obedience, as the ears are adorned to hear and heed the voice of God. This phrase underscores the transformation of Israel from a state of neglect to one of grace and favor, highlighting the attentive care and blessings God bestows upon His people.

a beautiful crown upon your head
The "beautiful crown upon your head" is a powerful symbol of royalty and honor. The Hebrew word for "crown" is "עֲטֶרֶת" (ateret), which signifies authority, victory, and splendor. In biblical times, a crown was not only a mark of kingship but also a sign of divine favor and blessing. This imagery conveys the idea that God has elevated Israel to a position of prominence and glory, crowning her with His love and righteousness. The crown represents the ultimate transformation and exaltation of Israel, reflecting God's sovereign grace and the fulfillment of His promises.

(12) A jewel on thy forehead.--Literally, a nose-ring on thy nostril, the custom of the time sanctioning this mode of ornament.

In contrast to God's kindness and abundant blessing, Israel's grievous sin is now described (Ezekiel 16:15-34). It is to be remembered that however this extraordinary sin was the natural fruit of neglected grace, it yet was extraordinary. It is not by mere hyperbole that Israel is represented as worse than others. The grace which does not elevate always reacts by directing to a lower depth. (See Excursus at end of this Book on Ezekiel 5:7).

Verse 12. - A jewel on thy forehead; better, with the Revised Version, a ring upon thy nose. The word has the same meaning in Genesis 24:47 ("earring" in the Authorized Version); Isaiah 3:21 (where the Authorized Version gives "nose jewels"); Proverbs 11:22. Jerome, however, notes (in loc.) that the Syrian women of his time wore pendants or lockets that hung from the forehead to the nostrils. The crown, or diadem (LXX., στέφανος καυχήσεως), the thin circlet of gold confining the hair, completed the catalogue of ornaments. The Chaldee Targum continues its spiritual interpretation: "I gave the ark of my covenant to be among you, and the cloud of my glory overshadowed you, and the angel of my presence led you in the way." And, if we assume, as we legitimately may assume, that Ezekiel, above all others, the prophet of symbolism, did not fill up his picture with details which were only meant to fill it up, this seems a not unfitting interpretation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I put
וָאֶתֵּ֥ן (wā·’et·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

a ring
נֶ֙זֶם֙ (ne·zem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5141: A ring (worn as an ornament)

in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your nose,
אַפֵּ֔ךְ (’ap·pêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

earrings
וַעֲגִילִ֖ים (wa·‘ă·ḡî·lîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5694: Something round, a ring

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your ears,
אָזְנָ֑יִךְ (’ā·zə·nā·yiḵ)
Noun - fdc | second person feminine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

and a beautiful
תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת (tip̄·’e·reṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8597: Beauty, glory

crown
וַעֲטֶ֥רֶת (wa·‘ă·ṭe·reṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5850: A crown, wreath

upon your head.
בְּרֹאשֵֽׁךְ׃ (bə·rō·šêḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 16:12 I put a ring on your nose (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 16:11
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