Ezekiel 16:38
New International Version
I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.

New Living Translation
I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury.

English Standard Version
And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Berean Standard Bible
And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.

King James Bible
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

New King James Version
And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy.

New American Standard Bible
So I will judge you as women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

NASB 1995
“Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

NASB 1977
“Thus I shall judge you, like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I shall bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Amplified Bible
And I [the Lord GOD] will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Christian Standard Bible
I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged. Then I will bring about the shedding of your blood in jealous wrath.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will judge you the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged. Then I will bring about your bloodshed in wrath and jealousy.

American Standard Version
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring upon thee the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Contemporary English Version
I will find you guilty of being an unfaithful wife and a murderer, and in my fierce anger I will sentence you to a violent death!

English Revised Version
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring upon thee the blood of fury and jealousy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will punish you the same way that those who are guilty of prostitution and murder are punished. I will give you the death penalty in my fury and burning anger.

Good News Translation
I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death.

International Standard Version
I'll judge you with the same standards by which I issue verdicts against a woman who commits adultery and murder. I'll avenge the blood you've shed with impassioned wrath.

Majority Standard Bible
And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.

NET Bible
I will punish you as an adulteress and murderer deserves. I will avenge your bloody deeds with furious rage.

New Heart English Bible
I will judge you, as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

World English Bible
I will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I have judged you—judgments of adultresses, "" And of women shedding blood, "" And have given you blood, fury, and jealousy.

Young's Literal Translation
And I have judged thee -- judgments of adulteresses, And of women shedding blood, And have given thee blood, fury, and jealousy.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I judged thee with judgments of those committing adultery and pouring out blood; and I gave thee blood of wrath and jealousy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will judge thee as adulteresses, and they that shed blood are judged: and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I will judge you with the judgment of adulteresses and of those who shed blood. And I will give you over to blood, in fury and in zeal.

New American Bible
I will inflict on you the sentence of adultery and murder; I will bring on you bloody wrath and jealous anger.

New Revised Standard Version
I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring blood upon you in wrath and jealousy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I will judge you with the judgment of an adulteress, and as those who shed blood are judged; and I will deliver you to slaughter and to fury and indignation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall judge you with the sentence of an adulteress and a sentence of those who shed blood, and I shall give you to blood and to anger and to jealousy
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring upon thee the blood of fury and jealousy.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will be avenged on thee with the vengeance of an adulteress, and I will bring upon thee blood of fury and jealousy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment on Jerusalem
37therefore I will surely gather all the lovers with whom you found pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose you before them, and they will see you completely naked. 38And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy. 39Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 13:27
Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields—I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

Hosea 2:2-3
Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. / 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.

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

Jeremiah 3:8-9
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. / Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

Hosea 4:12-14
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God. / They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. / I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”

Isaiah 1:21
See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!

Jeremiah 5:7-9
“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes. / They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife. / Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Revelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”

Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Jeremiah 2:20
“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.

Hosea 9:1
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

Revelation 2:21-22
Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling. / Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Jeremiah 23:14
And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”


Treasury of Scripture

And I will judge you, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give you blood in fury and jealousy.

as women [heb] with judgments of women

Ezekiel 16:40
They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

Ezekiel 23:45-47
And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands…

Genesis 38:11,24
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house…

shed

Ezekiel 16:20,21,36
Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, …

Genesis 9:6
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Exodus 21:12
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

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Adultery Bitter Blood Break Commit Fury Husbands Jealous Jealousy Judge Judged Life Passion Punishment Sentence Shed Shedding Untrue Vengeance Women Wrath
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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 I will sentence you
The phrase "I will sentence you" indicates a divine judgment. In Hebrew, the word for "sentence" is often associated with legal decisions or decrees. This reflects God's role as the ultimate judge, emphasizing His authority and righteousness. The context here is a legal proceeding, where God is both the judge and the prosecutor, highlighting the seriousness of Israel's transgressions.

to the punishment of women who commit adultery
Adultery in ancient Israel was not only a moral failing but a breach of covenant, both in marriage and with God. The Hebrew term for adultery, "na'aph," implies unfaithfulness and betrayal. Historically, the punishment for adultery was severe, often resulting in death by stoning (Leviticus 20:10). This phrase underscores the gravity of Israel's spiritual infidelity, likening it to marital unfaithfulness, which was considered a capital offense.

and who shed blood
The shedding of blood refers to acts of violence and murder, which were strictly condemned in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 20:13). The Hebrew word "shaphak" means to pour out or spill, often used in the context of bloodshed. This phrase suggests that Israel's sins were not only spiritual but also involved social injustices and violence, further compounding their guilt.

and bring upon you the wrath
The "wrath" mentioned here is God's righteous anger and judgment. In Hebrew, "chemah" denotes a burning anger or fury. This reflects the intensity of God's response to sin, particularly when His covenant people turn away from Him. The wrath of God is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, serving as a warning and a call to repentance.

of your bloodshed and jealousy
The phrase "bloodshed and jealousy" encapsulates the dual nature of Israel's sin. "Bloodshed" refers to the physical acts of violence, while "jealousy" speaks to the spiritual infidelity and idolatry. The Hebrew word for jealousy, "qin'ah," can also mean zeal or ardor, indicating a misplaced passion that should have been directed towards God. This highlights the comprehensive nature of Israel's sin, affecting both their relationship with God and with each other.

(38) Women that break wedlock and shed blood.--Under the Mosaic law the penalty for adultery was death (Leviticus 20:10), and the same penalty also was attached to the devotion of "seed to Moloch" (Leviticus 20:1-5), and to murder (Exodus 21:12). The Jewish method of capital punishment on individuals was by stoning (see Leviticus 20:2, and comp. John 8:5), and of punishing an apostate city was by the sword (Deuteronomy 13:15). Hence both modes are mentioned together in Ezekiel 16:40, though somewhat at the expense of the consistency of the allegory. The last clause would be more exactly translated, "I will make thee blood of fury and jealousy," the fury referring to the avenging of murder, and the jealousy to the punishment of adultery, each requiring the life, or blood, of the offender. . . . Verse 38. - The bloodshed may refer, as in ver. 36, to the Moloch sacrifices, or may include also other crimea, assassinations and judicial murders (Jeremiah 2:34). Strictly speaking, the punishment of the adulteress was death by stoning (Leviticus 20:2, 10; Deuteronomy 21:21; Deuteronomy 22:21; John 8:5). Did Ezekiel think of the stones cast against the city from the catapult engines of the Chahleans as a literal counterpart of that punishment? In the last clause read, with the Revised Version, I will bring upon thee the blood of fury and jealousy; sc. the death which was inflicted by the indignation of Jehovah as the Husband against whom Judah had sinned.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And I will sentence you
וּשְׁפַטְתִּיךְ֙ (ū·šə·p̄aṭ·tîḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

to the punishment
מִשְׁפְּטֵ֣י (miš·pə·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

of women who commit adultery
נֹאֲפ֔וֹת (nō·’ă·p̄ō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 5003: To commit adultery, to apostatize

and those who shed
וְשֹׁפְכֹ֖ת (wə·šō·p̄ə·ḵōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural construct
Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out

blood;
דָּ֑ם (dām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

so I will bring upon you
וּנְתַתִּ֕יךְ (ū·nə·ṯat·tîḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the wrath
חֵמָ֖ה (ḥê·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2534: Heat, anger, poison

of your bloodshed
דַּ֥ם (dam)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

and jealousy.
וְקִנְאָֽה׃ (wə·qin·’āh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7068: Ardor, zeal, jealousy


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 16:38 I will judge you as women who (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 16:37
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