Ezekiel 16:20 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 16:20 mean?

Ezekiel 16:20 describes how the people of Jerusalem took their own sons and daughters—children that God says belonged to Him—and offered them as sacrifices to idols, treating this terrible act as if it were a small thing. The verse highlights the shocking extent of their unfaithfulness by calling attention to the seriousness of sacrificing their own children.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem, using strong language to confront them about their idolatry. The verse is part of a larger passage where God compares Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness to adultery, and here He points out that their "whoredoms" (unfaithfulness) have gone so far as to include child sacrifice, which was practiced by some neighboring nations but strictly forbidden in Israel.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 16:20

• "taken" (לָקַח, lāqach): This word often means to seize or take hold of, emphasizing the deliberate action of the people in giving up their own children.
• "borne" (יָלַד, yālad): This word means to give birth, underscoring that these children were not just any children, but the very ones the people had brought into the world and whom God claims as His own.
• "sacrificed" (זָבַח, zābach): This word specifically means to slaughter or offer as a sacrifice, making clear that the children were killed as part of religious rituals.
• "devoured" (אָכַל, ʾāchal): This word means to eat or consume, which in this context intensifies the horror of the act, possibly referring to the burning or destruction of the children in sacrifice.
• "whoredoms" (תַּזְנוּת, taznuth): This term is used metaphorically for unfaithfulness to God, especially through idol worship, and here it highlights the spiritual betrayal involved in these acts.

Why Ezekiel 16:20 matters

• This verse clarifies that God viewed the children of Israel as belonging to Him, not just to their parents, which makes the act of sacrificing them to idols even more tragic and offensive.
• The verse exposes how far the people had strayed from God’s commands, showing that their idolatry was not just about worship practices but involved deeply immoral actions.
• Ezekiel 16:20 connects to the wider passage by showing the depth of Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness and setting up God’s strong response in the following verses.