Ezekiel 23:39 On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

◄ Ezekiel 23:39 ►

New International Version
On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.

New Living Translation
On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

English Standard Version
For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

Berean Standard Bible
On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

King James Bible
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

New King James Version
For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house.

New American Standard Bible
For when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and behold, this is what they did within My house.

NASB 1995
“For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.

NASB 1977
“For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.

Legacy Standard Bible
For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and behold, thus they did within My house.

Amplified Bible
For when they had killed their children [as offerings] to their idols, then they came the same day to My sanctuary to profane it [by daring to offer a sacrifice there also]. And behold, this they did within My house.

Christian Standard Bible
On the same day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary to profane it. Yes, that is what they did inside my house.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On the same day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, that is what they did inside My house.”

American Standard Version
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of my house.

English Revised Version
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When they sacrificed their children to their idols, they came into my holy place and dishonored it. That is what they've done in my temple.

Good News Translation
The very day that they killed my children as sacrifices to idols, they came to my Temple and profaned it!

International Standard Version
When they killed their sons as offerings to their idols, they brought them to my sanctuary and defiled it. Look what they've done with my Temple!

Majority Standard Bible
On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

NET Bible
On the same day they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came to my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is what they have done in the middle of my house.

New Heart English Bible
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and look, thus have they done in the midst of my house.

Webster's Bible Translation
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and lo, thus have they done in the midst of my house.

World English Bible
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and behold, they have done this in the middle of my house.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And in their slaughtering their sons to their idols "" They also come into My sanctuary in that day to defile it, "" And behold, thus they have done in the midst of My house,

Young's Literal Translation
And in their slaughtering their sons to their idols They also come in unto My sanctuary in that day to pollute it, And lo, thus they have done in the midst of My house,

Smith's Literal Translation
And in their slaughtering their sons to their blocks, and they will come to my holy place in that day to profane it; and behold, thus they did in the midst of my house.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they sacrificed their children to their idols, and went into my sanctuary the same day to profane it: they did these things even in the midst of my house.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when they immolated their children to their idols, they also entered my sanctuary on the same day, so that they defiled it. They have done these things, even in the midst of my house.

New American Bible
On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary to desecrate it. Thus they acted within my house!

New Revised Standard Version
For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. This is what they did in my house.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For when they had slain their children to their idols, they came the same day into my sanctuary and profaned it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of my house.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my holy place in that day and they defiled it, so they did within my house

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of My house.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when they sacrificed their children to their idols, they also went into my sanctuary to profane it: and whereas they did thus in the midst of my house;

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Judgment on Both Sisters
…38They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. 39On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house. 40Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 7:9-10
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?

Isaiah 1:13-15
Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. / I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. / When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

2 Kings 21:4-5
Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.” / In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

2 Kings 23:12-13
He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. / The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

Jeremiah 32:34-35
They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it. / They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.

2 Chronicles 33:4-5
Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” / In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

Hosea 4:13-14
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.

Amos 5:21-23
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Zephaniah 1:4-6
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— / those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, / and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”

Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Mark 7:6-7
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

John 4:23-24
But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. / God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Acts 7:41-43
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. / But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? / You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Treasury of Scripture

For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, see, thus have they done in the middle of my house.

they came

Isaiah 3:9
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

Jeremiah 7:8-11
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit…

Jeremiah 11:15
What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

thus

Ezekiel 23:38
Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.

Ezekiel 44:7
In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.

2 Kings 21:4
And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

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Ezekiel 23

1. The unfaithfulness of Aholah and Aholibah
23. Aholibah is to be plagued by her lovers
36. The prophet reproves the adulteries of them both
45. and shows their judgments

Berean Study Bible

On the very day
This phrase emphasizes the immediacy and audacity of the actions of the people. In the Hebrew context, the word "day" (יוֹם, yom) often signifies not just a 24-hour period but a significant time or event. The use of "very" underscores the brazenness of their sin, highlighting a complete disregard for the sanctity of time and the moral order established by God. It serves as a stark reminder of the people's hardened hearts and their insensitivity to the gravity of their actions.

they slaughtered their children
The act of child sacrifice is one of the most abhorrent practices condemned in the Bible. The Hebrew word for "slaughtered" (שָׁחַט, shachat) conveys a brutal and violent act, often associated with sacrificial rituals. Historically, this refers to the worship of deities like Molech, where children were offered as burnt sacrifices. This practice was strictly forbidden in Israelite law (Leviticus 18:21), and its mention here underscores the depth of Israel's apostasy and moral decay.

for their idols
The term "idols" (גִּלּוּלִים, gillulim) in Hebrew is often used pejoratively, implying not just false gods but objects of disgust and worthlessness. This highlights the futility and deception of idol worship, contrasting the living God with lifeless images. The historical context reveals a syncretism where Israelites adopted pagan practices, betraying their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This phrase serves as a call to recognize the emptiness of idolatry and the need for exclusive devotion to God.

they entered My sanctuary
The sanctuary, or "מִקְדָּשׁ" (miqdash), was the holy place where God's presence dwelt among His people. Entering it was a privilege and required purity and reverence. The juxtaposition of their heinous acts with entering the sanctuary highlights the hypocrisy and sacrilege of the people. It reflects a profound disrespect for God's holiness and a violation of the sacred space meant for worship and communion with God.

to profane it
To "profane" (חָלַל, chalal) means to defile or desecrate something holy. This word choice indicates a deliberate act of disrespect and irreverence. In the biblical context, profaning the sanctuary was one of the gravest sins, as it directly challenged God's holiness and authority. This phrase serves as a warning against taking lightly the things of God and the consequences of treating sacred matters with contempt.

Behold, this is what they did
The word "Behold" (הִנֵּה, hinneh) is an attention-grabbing term, urging the listener or reader to pay close attention to the gravity of the situation. It serves as a divine indictment, emphasizing the seriousness of the people's actions. This phrase calls the audience to reflect on their own lives and the importance of aligning actions with faith.

in My house
"My house" refers to the temple, the dwelling place of God among His people. The possessive "My" underscores God's ownership and the intended sanctity of the temple. Historically, the temple was central to Israelite worship and identity, symbolizing God's covenant and presence. This phrase highlights the betrayal of trust and the violation of the sacred relationship between God and His people, serving as a call to repentance and restoration of true worship.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

On the very
הַה֖וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֥וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

they slaughtered
וּֽבְשַׁחֲטָ֤ם (ū·ḇə·ša·ḥă·ṭām)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat

their children
בְּנֵיהֶם֙ (bə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

for their idols,
לְגִלּ֣וּלֵיהֶ֔ם (lə·ḡil·lū·lê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1544: A log, an idol

they entered
וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

My sanctuary
מִקְדָּשִׁ֛י (miq·dā·šî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4720: A consecrated thing, place, a palace, sanctuary, asylum

to profane it.
לְחַלְּל֑וֹ (lə·ḥal·lə·lōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

Yes,
וְהִנֵּה־ (wə·hin·nêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

this
כֹ֥ה (ḵōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

they did
עָשׂ֖וּ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

inside
בְּת֥וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

My house.
בֵּיתִֽי׃ (bê·ṯî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1004: A house

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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 23:39 For when they had slain their children (Ezek. Eze Ezk)