Ezekiel 16:6 Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, 'Live!' There I said to you, 'Live!'

◄ Ezekiel 16:6 ►

New International Version
“’Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”

New Living Translation
“But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’

English Standard Version
“And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’

Berean Standard Bible
Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ There I said to you, ‘Live!’

King James Bible
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

New King James Version
“And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’

New American Standard Bible
“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’

NASB 1995
“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’

NASB 1977
“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’

Legacy Standard Bible
“Then I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood. So I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Indeed I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’

Amplified Bible
“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your [newborn] blood, I said to you while you were there in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were there in your blood, ‘Live!’

Christian Standard Bible
“ ‘I passed by you and saw you thrashing around in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood, “Live! ” Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood, “Live! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I passed by you and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live!

American Standard Version
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live.

Contemporary English Version
I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn't let you die.

English Revised Version
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
" 'Then I went by you and saw you kicking around in your own blood. I said to you, "Live."

Good News Translation
"Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die.

International Standard Version
"'"When I passed by you, I saw you kicking around, covered in your own blood. That's when I told you, 'Live!'—while you were wallowing in your blood. I commanded you to live, even as you lay there in your own blood.

Majority Standard Bible
Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ There I said to you, ‘Live!’

NET Bible
"'I passed by you and saw you kicking around helplessly in your blood. I said to you as you lay there in your blood, "Live!" I said to you as you lay there in your blood, "Live!"

New Heart English Bible
"'And I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you in your blood: 'Live.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy own blood, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yes, I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

World English Bible
“‘“When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And I pass over by you, "" And I see you trodden down in your blood, "" And I say to you in your blood, Live! Indeed, I say to you in your blood, Live!

Young's Literal Translation
And I do pass over by thee, And I see thee trodden down in thy blood, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall pass by thee and see thee being trodden under foot in thy bloods, and saying to thee in thy bloods, Live; and saying to thee in thy bloods, Live.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And passing by thee, I saw that thou wast trodden under foot in thy own blood. and I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood: Live: I have said to thee: Live in thy blood.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But, passing by you, I saw that you were wallowing in your own blood. And I said to you, when you were in your blood: ‘Live.’ I tell you that I said to you, in your blood: ‘Live.’

New American Bible
Then I passed by and saw you struggling in your blood, and I said to you in your blood, “Live!”

New Revised Standard Version
I passed by you, and saw you flailing about in your blood. As you lay in your blood, I said to you, “Live!

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your own blood, I said to you as you lay thus wallowing in your blood, Live,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I passed by over you and I saw you that you wallowed in your blood, and I said to you in your blood: “Live

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee wallowing in thy blood, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I passed by to thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood; and I said to thee, Let there be life out of thy blood:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Jerusalem's Unfaithfulness
…5No one cared enough for you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. Instead, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were despised on the day of your birth. 6Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ There I said to you, ‘Live!’ 7I made you thrive like a plant of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 2:6
When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

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.

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Jeremiah 30:17
But I will restore your health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because they call you an outcast, Zion, for whom no one cares.”

Lamentations 2:19
Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.

Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.

Psalm 72:12-14
For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper. / He will take pity on the poor and needy and save the lives of the oppressed. / He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their blood is precious in his sight.

Isaiah 1:6
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

Isaiah 41:14
Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 43:1
But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!

Isaiah 57:18
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

Luke 10:33-34
But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. / He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

Romans 5:6
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Treasury of Scripture

And when I passed by you, and saw you polluted in your own blood, I said to you when you were in your blood, Live; yes, I said to you when you were in your blood, Live.

and saw

Exodus 2:24,25
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob…

Exodus 3:7,8
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; …

Acts 7:34
I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

polluted.

Isaiah 14:19
But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

Isaiah 51:23
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

Micah 7:10
Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

Live

Ezekiel 20:5-10
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; …

Exodus 19:4-6
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself…

Deuteronomy 9:4
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

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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

Berean Study Bible

Then I passed by
This phrase indicates a divine intervention at a critical moment. The Hebrew root for "passed by" is "עָבַר" (avar), which often signifies movement with purpose or intent. In the historical context of Israel, this reflects God's active role in the lives of His people, emphasizing His sovereignty and willingness to engage with humanity even in their most desperate state.

and saw you
The act of seeing here is not passive but denotes a deep awareness and understanding. The Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) implies not just physical sight but a perception that leads to action. This highlights God's omniscience and His compassionate awareness of Israel's plight, symbolizing His readiness to respond to their needs.

wallowing in your blood
This vivid imagery portrays a state of utter helplessness and vulnerability. The Hebrew term "מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת" (mitboseset) suggests being mired or struggling. Historically, this reflects Israel's condition in Egypt, enslaved and oppressed, unable to save themselves. It underscores the depth of their need for divine rescue and the gravity of their situation without God's intervention.

and as you lay there in your blood
Repetition of the phrase "in your blood" emphasizes the severity and hopelessness of the situation. The Hebrew word "דָּם" (dam) for blood is often associated with life and death, highlighting the critical nature of Israel's condition. This repetition serves to underscore the urgency and necessity of God's saving action.

I said to you
This phrase signifies a direct and personal communication from God. The Hebrew "אָמַר" (amar) is a common verb for speaking, but in this context, it conveys authority and intention. It reflects God's willingness to engage personally with His people, offering them hope and a future through His word.

‘Live!’
The command "Live!" is a powerful declaration of life and restoration. The Hebrew "חָיָה" (chayah) means to live or to revive, indicating not just survival but a transformation from death to life. This reflects the core message of the Gospel, where God offers new life through His grace. Historically, it points to Israel's deliverance from Egypt and prophetically to the spiritual renewal available through Christ. This command encapsulates the essence of God's redemptive power and His desire for His people to thrive under His care.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Live.--While they were in this condition, God took pity on them. He delivered them from their oppressors; He raised up a leader for them , He gave them a law and a Church, with its priesthood and its sacraments; He led them into the land of promise, delivered them from their enemies, and constituted them a nation under the most favourable circumstances for their growth and development in all righteousness. The sense is well expressed in our version; but the original does not contain the word when, nor words corresponding to the words in italics. The connection shows that "in thy blood" is to be taken with "I said," and not with "live;" it was while Israel was in its unclean and neglected condition that the gracious word "live" was spoken. The Chaldee paraphrast has adopted the other connection, and ingeniously explained, "I revealed myself that I might redeem you, because I saw that you were afflicted in your bondage; and I said unto you, In the blood of circumcision I will pity you. and I said unto you, In the blood of the passover I will redeem you." The word polluted is better rendered by the margin, trodden under foot, referring to their oppressed condition in Egypt.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - For polluted, read, with the Revised Version, weltering, the primary meaning of the verb being that of stamping or treading, and omit "when thou wast," as weakening the condensed force of the original. The marvel of that unlooked for pity is emphasized by the iteration of the word of mercy, Live. The commentary of the Chaldee Targum is sufficiently curious to be quoted: "And the memory of my covenant with your fathers came into my mind, and I was revealed that I might redeem you, because it was manifest to me that ye were afflicted in your bondage, and I said unto you, 'I will have compassion on you in the blood of circumcision,' and I said unto you, 'I will redeem you by the blood of the Passover'" (Rosenmuller). The thought underlying this strange interpretation is that blood might be the means of life as well as of pollution, and in that thought there is a significance at once poetical and profound, almost, as it were, anticipating the later thoughts that the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5), that we make our robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). There is no reason, however, for believing that such thoughts were present to the prophet's mind.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then I passed
וָאֶעֱבֹ֤ר (wā·’e·‘ĕ·ḇōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

by
עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ (‘ā·la·yiḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you and saw
וָֽאֶרְאֵ֔ךְ (wā·’er·’êḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

you squirming
מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶת (miṯ·bō·w·se·seṯ)
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 947: To tread down, trample

in your blood,
בְּדָמָ֑יִךְ (bə·ḏā·mā·yiḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

and as you lay there in your blood
בְּדָמַ֣יִךְ (bə·ḏā·ma·yiḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

I said
וָאֹ֤מַר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to you,
לָךְ֙ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

“Live!”
חֲיִ֔י (ḥă·yî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

[There]
בְּדָמַ֥יִךְ (bə·ḏā·ma·yiḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

I said
וָאֹ֥מַר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to you,
לָ֖ךְ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

“Live!”
חֲיִֽי׃ (ḥă·yî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 16:6 When I passed by you and saw (Ezek. Eze Ezk)