But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

EZEKIEL 16:15KJV
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Ezekiel 16:15 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 16:15 mean?

Ezekiel 16:15 says that Jerusalem, pictured as a woman, became proud of her own beauty and reputation, and instead of staying faithful, she misused these gifts by acting unfaithfully with anyone who came by. The verse uses the image of prostitution to describe how Jerusalem turned away from God and gave herself to others.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem. The setting is a long metaphor where Jerusalem is compared to an unfaithful wife who has forgotten where her blessings came from. The verse highlights that Jerusalem’s trust shifted from God to her own attractiveness and fame, leading to spiritual unfaithfulness with other nations and idols.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 16:15

  • "trust" (בָּטַח, batach): This word means to rely on or feel secure in something. Here, it shows that Jerusalem placed her confidence in her own beauty instead of in God.
  • "beauty" (יֹפִי, yofi): This refers to physical attractiveness. The verse points out that Jerusalem’s beauty was a gift, but she used it for self-promotion and unfaithfulness.
  • "harlot" (זָנָה, zanah): This word means to act as a prostitute or to be unfaithful. It’s used here as a metaphor for turning away from God to seek other alliances or gods.
  • "renown" (שֵׁם, shem): This means name or reputation. Jerusalem’s fame, which should have honored God, became a reason for her unfaithfulness.
  • "out" (שָׁפַךְ, shafakh): This word means to pour out or spill. It gives the sense of being reckless or wasteful with what was meant to be precious.
  • "fornications" (תַּעֲבוּרָה, ta'avurah): This refers to acts of unfaithfulness, often used for idolatry or spiritual betrayal in the prophets.
  • "by" (עָבַר, avar): This means to pass by. It emphasizes that Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness was offered to anyone who came along, not reserved or selective.

Why Ezekiel 16:15 matters

  • This verse makes clear that the problem was not just idol worship, but a deep shift in trust—from God to self and outward appearance.
  • The language shows how gifts from God (beauty, reputation) can become stumbling blocks if misused or taken for granted.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the strong language and emotional tone of the whole chapter, where God’s disappointment is rooted in a broken relationship, not just broken rules.

Where else these words appear

“beauty” Hebrew H3308 · used in 19 verses

  • Esther 1:11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
  • Isaiah 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
  • Ezekiel 27:11 The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.

“fornications” Hebrew H8457 · used in 19 verses

  • Ezekiel 16:20 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,
  • Ezekiel 16:34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.
  • Ezekiel 23:17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.

“harlot” Hebrew H2181 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 34:31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
  • 1 Kings 3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
  • Ezekiel 16:31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

“out” Hebrew H8210 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
  • Job 30:16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
  • Ezekiel 16:36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;