New International Version You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. New Living Translation Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? English Standard Version that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? Berean Standard Bible You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. Berean Literal Bible And you have slain My children, and have given them by causing them to pass through to them! King James Bible That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? New King James Version that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire? New American Standard Bible You slaughtered My children and offered them to idols by making them pass through the fire. NASB 1995 “You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. NASB 1977 “You slaughtered My children, and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. Legacy Standard Bible You slaughtered My children and gave them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. Amplified Bible You slaughtered My children and offered them up to [worthless] idols, forcing them to pass through the [hideousness of the] fire. Berean Annotated Bible You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. Christian Standard Bible You slaughtered my children and gave them up when you passed them through the fire to the images. Holman Christian Standard Bible You slaughtered My children and gave them up when you passed them through the fire to the images. American Standard Version that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them? Contemporary English Version You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. English Revised Version that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them? GOD'S WORD® Translation You slaughtered my children and presented them as burnt offerings to idols. Good News Translation without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? International Standard Version you also slaughtered my sons and offered them to idols, incinerating them in fire. NET Bible you slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. New Heart English Bible that you have slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? Webster's Bible Translation That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleYou slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. World English Bible that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionthat you slaughter My sons, "" And give them up in causing them to pass over to them? Berean Literal Bible And you have slain My children, and have given them by causing them to pass through to them! Young's Literal Translation That thou dost slaughter My sons, And dost give them up in causing them to pass over to them? Smith's Literal Translation And thou wilt slaughter my sons and give them in causing them to pass through for them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou hast sacrificed and given my children to them, consecrating them by fire. Catholic Public Domain Version You have immolated my sons, and you have consecrated and delivered my sons to them. New American Bible You slaughtered and immolated my children to them, making them pass through fire. New Revised Standard Version You slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering to them. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThat you have slaughtered my children, and offered them to the idols after you had been ravished by them. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And you slaughtered my children and you offered them up, after you had ravished them OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917that thou hast slain My children, and delivered them up, in setting them apart unto them? Brenton Septuagint Translation and didst slay thy children, and gavest them up in offering them to them for an expiation. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Jerusalem's Unfaithfulness…20You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? 21You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. 22And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your own blood.… Cross References You slaughtered My children Isaiah 57:5 who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? Jeremiah 7:31 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind. Psalm 106:37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. and delivered them up through the fire Deuteronomy 12:31 You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. Leviticus 18:21 You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 2 Kings 21:6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. to idols. Psalm 106:36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. 2 Kings 17:12 They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.” Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear. 2 Kings 17:17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. Jeremiah 19:5 They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind. Jeremiah 32:35 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 28:3 Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 2 Chronicles 33:6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. Micah 6:7 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? Acts 7:43 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.’ Treasury of Scripture That you have slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? my children Psalm 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, to pass Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Leviticus 20:1-5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, … Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Jump to Previous Apart Cause Causing Children Death Delivered Fire Idols Offered Offering Passing Sacrificed Setting Slain Slaughter Slaughtered SlayJump to Next Apart Cause Causing Children Death Delivered Fire Idols Offered Offering Passing Sacrificed Setting Slain Slaughter Slaughtered SlayEzekiel 16 1. Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem6. 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 You slaughtered My children Israel’s sacrifice of its own sons and daughters to pagan gods violated God’s covenant and denied His claim upon the people He had set apart for Himself. Such acts reflected the influence of Canaanite religion and the depth of Israel’s rebellion. Isa 57:5 who burn with lust among the oaks, under every tree… and delivered them up through the fire Children were offered in fire as part of idolatrous rites, likely connected with the worship of Molech. The act joined murder with false worship and showed how completely idolatry had displaced devotion to the Lord. Deu 12:31 You must not worship the LORD your God in this way,… to idols. Rather than worshiping the living God, Israel gave honor and sacrifice to lifeless images and false gods. Ezekiel portrays this idolatry as covenant unfaithfulness, like a wife abandoning her husband. Psa 106:36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites, often using vivid imagery and allegory. 2. Israelites The people of God who are being addressed in this passage, specifically those in Jerusalem who have turned away from God. 3. Idols False gods that the Israelites worshipped, often involving detestable practices such as child sacrifice. 4. Children Referred to as "My children" by God, indicating His deep personal connection and the grievous nature of their sacrifice. 5. Fire Represents the method of sacrifice to idols, a practice condemned by God. Teaching Points The Sanctity of LifeGod values human life, especially that of children, and sees them as His own. The Israelites' actions were a direct violation of this principle. Idolatry's Consequences Turning away from God to worship idols leads to moral decay and destructive practices. This passage serves as a warning against idolatry in any form. God's Grief Over Sin The language used by God shows His deep sorrow and anger over the Israelites' actions, reminding us of the personal nature of sin against God. Covenant Unfaithfulness The Israelites' actions were a breach of their covenant with God, highlighting the importance of faithfulness in our relationship with Him. Repentance and Restoration While this passage is a rebuke, it also calls for repentance and a return to God, who is willing to forgive and restore. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 16:21?2. How does Ezekiel 16:21 illustrate the consequences of idolatry in our lives today? 3. What does sacrificing children to idols reveal about Israel's spiritual state in Ezekiel? 4. How can Ezekiel 16:21 guide us in protecting our families from modern idols? 5. What scriptural connections exist between Ezekiel 16:21 and the First Commandment? 6. How can we apply the lessons from Ezekiel 16:21 to our daily worship? 7. How does Ezekiel 16:21 reflect God's view on child sacrifice in ancient Israel? 8. What historical evidence supports the practices condemned in Ezekiel 16:21? 9. How does Ezekiel 16:21 challenge modern views on the sanctity of life? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 16? Ezekiel 16:21 is God’s blunt indictment of Judah for the literal sacrifice of their own children in fiery rites to false gods. By calling the victims “My children,” the Lord stresses His ownership of every life and the depth of the betrayal. The verse exposes deliberate, covenant-breaking violence, vividly portraying how idolatry twists parental love into murder. It stands as a sobering reminder that turning from the living God to any rival, ancient or modern, always devalues life and ends in destruction. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You slaughteredוַֽתִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י (wat·tiš·ḥă·ṭî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat My children בָּנָ֑י (bā·nāy) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 1121: A son and delivered them up וַֽתִּתְּנִ֔ים (wat·tit·tə·nîm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 5414: To give, put, set through the fire to idols. בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר (bə·ha·‘ă·ḇîr) Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on Additonal Resources Ezekiel 16:21 Blue Letter BibleEzekiel 16:21 Bible Gateway Ezekiel 16:21 Bible.com Ezekiel 16:21 NIV |
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