Ezekiel 16:58
Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The exiles blamed previous generations for their predicament, citing the proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezekiel 18:2). Both Jeremiah (31:29-30) and Ezekiel (18:1-4) refuted this fatalism. While exile resulted from generational sin, each person bore responsibility for their own response. Ezekiel 16:58 concludes the indictment section before transitioning to restoration promises (vv. 59-63). The verse teaches that acknowledgment of guilt precedes restoration. Only when we stop deflecting and bear responsibility for our "lewdness and abominations" can grace break through.
Questions for Reflection
- What sins are you tempted to blame on upbringing, circumstances, or others rather than taking personal responsibility?
- How does bearing your own sin (acknowledging guilt) prepare your heart to receive Christ's bearing your sin (substitutionary atonement)?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD. The Hebrew nāśā (נָשָׂא, "borne") means to carry, bear the weight or consequences. Thy lewdness translates zimmâ (זִמָּה), referring to sexual depravity, planned wickedness, especially cult prostitution. Thine abominations (toebôtayik, תּוֹעֲבוֹתַיִךְ) denotes detestable practices, particularly idolatry. The phrase neum Yahweh ("saith the LORD") stamps divine authority on the verdict.
This terse verse pronounces personal accountability. Jerusalem cannot escape consequence by blaming ancestors, circumstances, or foreign influence. You bear your own sin. The principle anticipates Ezekiel 18's teaching on individual responsibility: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (18:4). While corporate judgment falls on the nation, each person bears personal guilt. This contradicts victim mentality that externalizes blame. Sin's consequences are inescapable apart from substitutionary atonement—which Ezekiel foreshadows through the suffering servant theology Isaiah develops, ultimately fulfilled in Christ bearing our sin (Isaiah 53:6, 1 Peter 2:24).