That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

EZEKIEL 23:37KJV
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Ezekiel 23:37 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 23:37 mean?

Ezekiel 23:37 says that the people have been unfaithful to God, committing spiritual adultery by worshiping idols, and have also committed violence by sacrificing their own children to these idols. The verse accuses them of both idolatry and shedding innocent blood, showing the seriousness of their actions.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, specifically using the image of adultery to describe their betrayal. The setting is a prophetic warning, where God lists the charges against Israel for turning to other gods and practicing child sacrifice, which was common in some surrounding cultures but strictly forbidden in Israel.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 23:37

  • The word for "adultery" is נאף (na’af), which means both literal and spiritual unfaithfulness. Here, it highlights Israel’s broken relationship with God by chasing after other gods.
  • "Blood" is דָּם (dam), pointing to the violence and guilt of child sacrifice, not just metaphorical wrongdoing.
  • "Idols" is גִּלּוּל (gillul), a word often used in Ezekiel for detestable or disgusting idols, underlining how offensive these practices are to God.
  • "To devour" is אָכַל (akal), which literally means to eat or consume, making the horror of child sacrifice very vivid.

Why Ezekiel 23:37 matters

  • This verse clears up that the accusation is not just about worshiping idols, but also about the extreme violence of child sacrifice, which was a real historical practice.
  • The language links idolatry and violence, showing that turning from God leads to destructive actions, not just private beliefs.
  • Ezekiel 23:37 is part of a larger passage where God uses strong imagery to confront Israel’s sin, helping readers understand the depth of betrayal and the seriousness of the charges.

Where else these words appear

“devour” Hebrew H402 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
  • Leviticus 11:39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
  • Ezekiel 29:5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

“adultery” Hebrew H5003 · used in 26 verses

  • Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  • Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
  • Ezekiel 16:32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!

“idols” Hebrew H1544 · used in 45 verses

  • Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
  • Ezekiel 8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
  • Ezekiel 20:31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.