Ezekiel 16:45
Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
Original Language Analysis
בַּת
daughter
H1323
בַּת
daughter
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
1 of 17
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
אִמְּכֶ֣ן
Thou art thy mother's
H517
אִמְּכֶ֣ן
Thou art thy mother's
Strong's:
H517
Word #:
2 of 17
a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
אִישָׁ֖הּ
her husband
H376
אִישָׁ֖הּ
her husband
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
5 of 17
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
וּבְנֵיהֶ֔ן
and her children
H1121
וּבְנֵיהֶ֔ן
and her children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
6 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
אֲחוֹתֵ֜ךְ
and thou art the sister
H269
אֲחוֹתֵ֜ךְ
and thou art the sister
Strong's:
H269
Word #:
7 of 17
a sister (used very widely [like h0251], literally and figuratively)
אֲחוֹתֵ֜ךְ
and thou art the sister
H269
אֲחוֹתֵ֜ךְ
and thou art the sister
Strong's:
H269
Word #:
8 of 17
a sister (used very widely [like h0251], literally and figuratively)
אֲשֶׁ֤ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֤ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
10 of 17
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
אַנְשֵׁיהֶ֣ן
their husbands
H582
אַנְשֵׁיהֶ֣ן
their husbands
Strong's:
H582
Word #:
12 of 17
properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified h0120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively)
וּבְנֵיהֶ֔ן
and her children
H1121
וּבְנֵיהֶ֔ן
and her children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
13 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
אִמְּכֶ֣ן
Thou art thy mother's
H517
אִמְּכֶ֣ן
Thou art thy mother's
Strong's:
H517
Word #:
14 of 17
a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father])
Cross References
Isaiah 1:4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.Zechariah 11:8Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.Deuteronomy 12:31Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.Ezekiel 16:15But 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 23:2Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:Ezekiel 16:8Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Historical Context
The Hittites and Amorites were among the seven Canaanite nations dispossessed when Israel conquered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:1). Their religious practices included Molech worship (child sacrifice), Asherah poles (fertility cult prostitution), and Ba'al worship—practices Israel was commanded to destroy but later adopted. Archaeological evidence from sites like Gezer and Hazor confirms these syncretistic practices in Israelite cities.
Questions for Reflection
- In what ways might we 'loathe' our covenant relationship with God through practical idolatry while maintaining religious form?
- How does understanding our 'pre-grace' condition deepen appreciation for God's adopting love?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children—the Hebrew ga'al (גָּעַל, loathe) means to abhor or reject with disgust. Jerusalem's 'mother' (Canaanite culture) practiced child sacrifice and idolatry, rejecting both covenant with YHWH and covenant obligations toward offspring. Your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite recalls the pre-Israelite inhabitants whose abominations provoked divine judgment (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).
Thou art the sister of thy sisters expands the family metaphor to include Samaria and Sodom (v. 46), creating a genealogy of wickedness. This shocking comparison places Jerusalem in sisterhood with history's most notorious cities of judgment. The verse establishes that despite God's gracious intervention and covenant adoption, Jerusalem reverted to her original Canaanite character, validating her condemnation.