When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her.
Parallel translations
- WEB As soon as she saw them she lusted after them, and sent messengers to them into Chaldea.
- KJV And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
- BSB At the sight of them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
- NKJV As soon as her eyes saw them, She lusted for them And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
- NASB And when she saw them she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
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
At the sight of these images, Jerusalem lusted and sent messengers to Babylon. She actively pursued alliance with the very power that would destroy her.
Overview
Jerusalem took the initiative, sending envoys to seek the Babylonians she desired. This depicts Judah's diplomatic overtures to Babylon, alliances that proved disastrous. The verse shows the folly of chasing after worldly powers for security instead of trusting the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ezek 16:29You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with this.
- Matt 5:28but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Ezek 16:17You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them.
- Prov 6:25Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
- 2 Kgs 24:1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
- Gen 39:7After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
- Prov 23:33Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
- Job 31:1“I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
- Gen 6:2God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.
- 2 Pet 2:14having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;
- 2 Sam 11:2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
- Ezek 23:40–41“Furthermore you sisters have sent for men who come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, decorated yourself with ornaments,
- Ps 119:37Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.
- Gen 3:6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 23:16 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.