That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
Parallel translations
- WEB that you have slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them?
- BSB You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.
- NKJV that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?
- NASB You slaughtered My children and offered them to idols by making them pass through the fire.
- NLT Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
She slew God's children, passing them through the fire to idols. Such bloodshed is an unspeakable abomination.
Overview
The rhetorical question of verse 20 is answered with horror: her harlotry was no 'small matter' but led to murdering 'my children.' 'Passing through the fire' refers to the cult of Molech. The verse exposes the lethal end of idolatry and the depth of guilt Jerusalem incurred against the God who gave her life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Kgs 17:17And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
- Deut 18:10There 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.
- Lev 18:21And 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.
- 2 Kgs 21:6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
- Jer 19:5They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
- 2 Kgs 23:10And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
- Ps 106:37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
- Lev 20:1–5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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How Ezekiel 16:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.