Ezekiel 16:3
New International Version
and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

New Living Translation
Give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

English Standard Version
and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Berean Standard Bible
and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

New American Standard Bible
and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

NASB 1995
and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

NASB 1977
and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Legacy Standard Bible
and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Amplified Bible
and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem (all of Israel), “Your [spiritual] origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your [spiritual] father was an Amorite and your [spiritual] mother a Hittite.

Christian Standard Bible
You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hethite.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are to say: This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

American Standard Version
and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite.

Contemporary English Version
and tell them that I, the LORD God, am saying: Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.

English Revised Version
and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was an Hittite.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says to the people of Jerusalem: Your birthplace and your ancestors were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.

Good News Translation
Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign LORD is saying to her: "You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.

International Standard Version
You are to declare, 'This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: "Your birth place was the territory that belonged to the Canaanites. Your father was an Ammonite and your mother was a Hittite.

Majority Standard Bible
and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

NET Bible
and say, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

New Heart English Bible
and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your birth and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hethite.

Webster's Bible Translation
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD to Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.

World English Bible
and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Thus said Lord YHWH to Jerusalem: Your birth and your nativity "" [Are] of the land of the Canaanite, "" Your father the Amorite, and your mother a Hittite.

Young's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity Are of the land of the Canaanite, Thy father the Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.

Smith's Literal Translation
And say, Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity from the land of the Canaanite; thy father the Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord God to Jerusalem: Thy root, and thy nativity is of the land of Chanaan, thy father was an Amorrhite, and thy mother a Cethite.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your root and your lineage is from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Cethite.

New American Bible
You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: By origin and birth you belong to the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, your mother a Hittite.

New Revised Standard Version
and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And say, Thus says the LORD God to Jerusalem: Your root and your nativity is of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And say: ‘Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS to Jerusalem: your root and your birth is from the land of Canaan. Your father is an Amorite and your mother a Hittite
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem: Thine origin and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord to Jerusalem; Thy root and thy birth are of the land of Chanaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Chettite.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jerusalem's Unfaithfulness
2“Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominations 3and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4On the day of your birth your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 26:5
and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.

Joshua 24:2
And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

Isaiah 51:1-2
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn. / Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.

Hosea 2:3
Otherwise, I will strip her naked and expose her like the day of her birth. I will make her like a desert and turn her into a parched land, and I will let her die of thirst.

Lamentations 2:15
All who pass by clap their hands at you in scorn. They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”

Jeremiah 2:2-3
“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. / Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her were found guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.

Genesis 11:27-28
This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. / During his father Terah’s lifetime, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Genesis 12:1
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.

Genesis 15:7
The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Acts 7:2-4
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Galatians 4:22-26
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. / His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise. / These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar. ...

Romans 9:7-13
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. / For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” ...

Matthew 3:9
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.


Treasury of Scripture

And say, Thus said the Lord GOD to Jerusalem; Your birth and your nativity is of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother an Hittite.

Ezekiel 16:45
Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

Ezekiel 21:30
Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.

Genesis 11:25,29
And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters…

Amorite

Genesis 15:16
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Deuteronomy 20:17
But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

1 Kings 21:26
And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Hittite

Ezra 9:1
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

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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














and tell her
This phrase indicates a direct command from God to the prophet Ezekiel. The Hebrew root for "tell" is "נָגַד" (nagad), which means to declare or make known. This emphasizes the role of the prophet as a messenger who must faithfully communicate God's message. In the context of Ezekiel, this is a call to confront Jerusalem with its spiritual and moral state, underscoring the importance of truth-telling in the prophetic ministry.

this is what the Lord GOD says
The phrase establishes the divine authority behind the message. "Lord GOD" in Hebrew is "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" (Adonai Yahweh), a title that combines God's sovereignty and covenantal faithfulness. This duality highlights God's ultimate authority and His personal relationship with His people. It serves as a reminder that the message is not from Ezekiel himself but from the Creator and Sustainer of all.

to Jerusalem
Jerusalem is not just a geographical location but a symbol of God's chosen people and His dwelling place. Historically, Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple. The city's mention here is significant as it represents the spiritual state of the nation. The focus on Jerusalem underscores the gravity of the message, as it is directed at the heart of Israel's identity and faith.

Your origin and your birth
This phrase refers to the beginnings and ancestry of Jerusalem. The Hebrew words "מוֹלֶדֶת" (moledet) for "origin" and "מִוּלְדָה" (mewledah) for "birth" suggest a focus on lineage and heritage. This is a reminder of the humble and pagan beginnings of the Israelites before God chose them as His people. It serves to humble Jerusalem by recalling its past and the grace that brought it to its current status.

were in the land of the Canaanites
The Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the land before the Israelites. This reference to the Canaanites highlights the pagan and idolatrous environment from which Israel emerged. It serves as a reminder of the cultural and spiritual influences that surrounded and often tempted Israel. The mention of the Canaanites is a call to remember the transformative power of God's covenant, which set Israel apart from its neighbors.

your father was an Amorite
The Amorites were one of the prominent Canaanite tribes known for their idolatry and opposition to Israel. By stating that Jerusalem's "father" was an Amorite, God is emphasizing the spiritual ancestry and the sinful nature from which Israel was called. This serves as a metaphor for the rebellious and sinful tendencies that Israel inherited and often succumbed to, despite God's call to holiness.

and your mother a Hittite
The Hittites were another significant Canaanite group, often associated with idolatry and moral corruption. By describing Jerusalem's "mother" as a Hittite, the text underscores the pervasive influence of paganism in Israel's history. This metaphorical parentage is a stark reminder of the spiritual adultery that Israel committed by turning to other gods, despite being chosen by the one true God.

(3) Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan.--In the original the words "births" and "nativities" are in the plural, already indicating what the whole context makes plain, that the reference is not to the natural, but to the spiritual origin of Israel. So our Lord says to the Jews of His time, "Ye are of your father, the devil" (John 8:44; comp. Matthew 3:9); and Isaiah addresses his contemporaries as "rulers of Sodom" and "people of Gomorrha" (Isaiah 1:10). The word births, as indicated by the margin, comes from a verb meaning to cut or dig out, as stone from the quarry; and there is a play upon this sense in Isaiah 51:1. Israel's character, her spiritual nativity, was thoroughly Canaanitish.

An Amorite . . . an Hittite.--These two tribes, especially the former, as the most prominent in Canaan, are frequently put for the whole (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 1:44, with Numbers 14:45; Joshua 10:5; 2Kings 21:11, &c). The dealings of the patriarchs in Canaan were particularly with the Hittites (Genesis 23; Genesis 26:34-35; Genesis 27:46; Genesis 28:1; Genesis 28:6-8). This once great and powerful nation had almost faded from history; but their monuments and inscriptions are just now beginning to be discovered and deciphered. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and tell [her]
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

this is what
כֹּה־ (kōh-)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֤י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

says
אָמַ֨ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to Jerusalem:
לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (lî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

‘Your origin
מְכֹרֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ (mə·ḵō·rō·ṯa·yiḵ)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 4351: Origin

and your birth
וּמֹ֣לְדֹתַ֔יִךְ (ū·mō·lə·ḏō·ṯa·yiḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 4138: Nativity, lineage, native country, offspring, family

were in the land
מֵאֶ֖רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of the Canaanites.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑י (hak·kə·na·‘ă·nî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3669: Canaanite -- inhabitant of Canaan

Your father
אָבִ֥יךְ (’ā·ḇîḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1: Father

was an Amorite
הָאֱמֹרִ֖י (hā·’ĕ·mō·rî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 567: Amorites -- perhaps 'mountain dwellers', a Canaanite tribe

and your mother
וְאִמֵּ֥ךְ (wə·’im·mêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

a Hittite.
חִתִּֽית׃ (ḥit·tîṯ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2850: Hittite -- a Chittite


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 16:3 And say Thus says the Lord Yahweh (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 16:2
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