You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is that Israel didn't just buy bright fabrics for her shrines, but took the very garments God gave her—symbols of her covenant relationship with Him—and twisted them into tools of idolatry. This highlights that the worst sins aren't always external evils, but the perversion of good things God has provided for His own glory.
You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this vivid imagery, Ezekiel portrays Jerusalem's spiritual adultery. God reminds the city that the fine garments and colorful decorations it uses to adorn its idolatrous shrines and altars were originally gifts from Him for her own beauty and worship. This chapter describes the city's unfaithfulness, comparing her to a harlot who perverts divine blessings into instruments of sin with other gods.
Ezekiel paints a shocking picture of God's people taking the very best of what God gave them—their beautiful garments—and using them for the lowest forms of worship. How can good things become tools for sin?
In this verse, the 'garments' represent the blessings and provisions God gave to Israel. Think of their fertile land, their wealth, their skills, even their very identity as God's chosen people. These were meant to be used in service to God and for their flourishing.
But here, Israel takes these precious gifts and uses them to build 'colorful shrines' and engage in idolatry, which is described as 'playing the whore.' This is a profound perversion. Instead of honoring God with His gifts, they're used to worship false gods and pursue illicit desires.
This isn't just about ancient Israel. It's a timeless warning about how easily we can twist God's blessings. When our talents, our finances, our relationships, or our time—all gifts from God—are used for self-gratification or to pursue things that separate us from Him, we are, in a sense, 'decking our high places' with His provision.
The verse ends with a startling declaration: 'The like has never been, nor ever shall be.' What makes Israel's sin so uniquely appalling?
The final phrase, 'The like has never been, nor ever shall be,' emphasizes the extreme and unprecedented nature of Israel's betrayal. It's not just that they sinned; they sinned in a way that was unparalleled in its audacity and depth.
Imagine being married and then taking your wedding finery, the very symbols of your covenant commitment, and using them to adorn a place where you committed adultery. That's the picture here. Israel was God's 'wife' in covenant, and they took the 'wedding clothes'—God's blessings—and used them to set up shrines for idols. It was a public, brazen rejection of their sacred vows.
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This phrase underscores that their sin was not just a mistake but a profound, almost unbelievable, act of spiritual whoredom. It was so wicked that the prophet declares it would have no equal in the past and no equal in the future. It signifies a complete forsaking of God that reached the lowest possible depths.
Understand the original words
zanah · Hebrew Verb
In a spiritual sense, this refers to unfaithfulness to God, typically involving idolatry or alliances with foreign powers, symbolizing a breach of the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
bamah · Hebrew Noun
Objects or places of worship dedicated to idols or false gods, often associated with Canaanite fertility cults and illicit religious practices.
Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 16 uses the intimate imagery of marital unfaithfulness to describe Jerusalem's apostasy. The 'garments' and 'colorful shrines' refer to the luxurious fabrics and adornments that God had given Israel as symbols of His favor, which they then perverted for idolatrous worship. This act of turning God's blessings into tools for pagan rituals, especially during the looming and ongoing Babylonian exile, highlights the unparalleled depth of their betrayal and the profound shamefulness of their actions.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom of Israel splits into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). This division exacerbates existing religious and political tensions.
8th Century BC
Assyrian Dominance Rises
The Neo-Assyrian Empire begins its expansion, putting increasing pressure on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. This empire would later deport the Northern Kingdom.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deports a large portion of its population, leaving Judah as the sole remaining Israelite kingdom.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Neo-Babylonian Empire defeats Egypt and begins deporting Judean elites and skilled workers to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel himself, to Babylon. Jerusalem and its Temple remain standing but under Babylonian control.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After a final rebellion, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, raze the Temple, and deport the remaining population. This is the culmination of the Babylonian exile.
This passage parallels Ezekiel's imagery, showing how Israel misused the very things God gave them, like grain, wine, and wool, for their idolatrous practices instead of honoring Him.
2 Kings 23:7This verse provides a historical echo, describing women weaving hangings for pagan deities, illustrating the tangible way people used textiles for idolatrous worship, much like in Ezekiel's depiction.
Proverbs 7:16This verse uses the imagery of decorative coverings ('fine linens from Egypt') for a harlot's bed, directly connecting the concept of adorned spaces with sexual immorality, mirroring Ezekiel's metaphor of spiritual adultery.
Isaiah 5:1-7This prophetic passage uses the metaphor of a beloved vineyard, which God cultivated, but which produced wild grapes instead of fruit. It highlights the theme of God's generous provision being perverted into rebellion and unfaithfulness.
cambridgeEzekiel 16:16: "And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so."
16 . She took of her “garments,” the flax and the wool which Jehovah had given her to cover herself withal ( Hosea 2:9 ), and made tents upon the high places for the idols which she there worshipped. For “high places” cf. ch. Ezekiel 6:3 . The “high places decked with divers colours” (R. V.) might be te…
barnesEzekiel 16:16: "And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so."
Compare 2 Kings 23:7 . Such decoration of idol-temples in the holy land showed how the ungrateful people were devoting the wealth and energies which Yahweh had given them to the service of those false gods, in whose worship He was especially dishonored. The like things shall not come ... - The abominati…
What's easily missed is that Israel didn't just buy bright fabrics for her shrines, but took the very garments God gave her—symbols of her covenant relationship with Him—and twisted them into tools of idolatry. This highlights that the worst sins aren't always external evils, but the perversion of good things God has provided for His own glory.
In this vivid imagery, Ezekiel portrays Jerusalem's spiritual adultery. God reminds the city that the fine garments and colorful decorations it uses to adorn its idolatrous shrines and altars were originally gifts from Him for her own beauty and worship. This chapter describes the city's unfaithfulness, comparing her to a harlot who perverts divine blessings into instruments of sin with other gods.
In this vivid imagery, Ezekiel portrays Jerusalem's spiritual adultery. God reminds the city that the fine garments and colorful decorations it uses to adorn its idolatrous shrines and altars were originally gifts from Him for her own beauty and worship. This chapter describes the city's unfaithfulness, comparing her to a harlot who perverts divine blessings into instruments of sin with other gods.
"You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be." — What's easily missed is that Israel didn't just buy bright fabrics for her shrines, but took the very garments God gave her—symbols of her covenant relationship with Him—and twisted them into too…
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Last reviewed October 2026