You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness wasn't confined to one place but expanded with every new relationship and opportunity, driven by a restless desire for more foreign gods and practices, even reaching to the distant, commercial land of Chaldea. This shows that "multiplying fornication" wasn't just about increasing the number of sins, but about a systemic expansion of idolatry that embraced diverse cultures and trading partners.
You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this chapter, Ezekiel vividly portrays Jerusalem as a faithless wife, detailing her abandonment by God and her subsequent descent into idolatry and infidelity with surrounding nations. Having already plunged into the corrupt practices of Canaan, the prophecy now describes Jerusalem extending her spiritual whoring even further, engaging in illicit alliances and adopting idolatrous practices from the distant land of Chaldea, yet remaining insatiably unfulfilled.
Jerusalem, God's chosen city, didn't just dabble in a little idolatry. It went international with its sin!
The verse describes Jerusalem's spiritual unfaithfulness not just within its own borders but expanding outward, even to distant Chaldea. The original Hebrew word for 'Canaan' here is understood by many scholars to mean 'merchants' or 'trading land.'
From Local to Global Sin
What happens when a thirst for God is replaced by an insatiable craving for something else?
The end of the verse drives home a crucial point: 'and even with this you were not satisfied.' This wasn't just about acquiring more idols; it was about a deep, unfulfilled emptiness.
Ask a follow-up
The Insatiable Heart
This passage highlights how Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness wasn't just about adopting Canaanite gods but extended to seeking alliances and adopting practices from distant commercial powers like Chaldea, showing a pattern of seeking security and identity outside of God throughout their history.
c. 1800 BC
Rise of Mesopotamian Empires
The land of Chaldea (later Babylonia) emerges as a significant cultural and political center in Mesopotamia, developing its own distinct religious practices and trade networks.
c. 1200-1000 BC
Israel's Settlement in Canaan
Following their Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites gradually conquer and settle in the land of Canaan, displacing the existing Canaanite peoples and their religious traditions.
c. 9th-8th century BC
Prophetic Warnings Against Idolatry
Prophets like Hosea begin to denounce Israel's syncretism, their adoption of Canaanite religious practices, and their growing reliance on foreign alliances, comparing their unfaithfulness to spiritual prostitution.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event serves as a stark warning about the consequences of spiritual and political unfaithfulness.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a portion of the Judean elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, are taken to Babylon. Ezekiel's ministry is rooted in this context, where he pronounces judgment on Judah's continued unfaithfulness.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the southern kingdom of Judah and sending many more inhabitants into exile.
This passage uses similar language to describe the deceptive nature of commerce and trade, which connects to the idea of the 'merchants' land' and the enticement of foreign practices.
Isaiah 47:15This prophecy against Babylon highlights how its own sorcerers and merchants ultimately failed to save it, mirroring the theme of relying on foreign powers and practices that will not deliver.
Ezekiel 23:14-16This passage directly follows the mention of the northern kingdom's idolatry and further elaborates on Judah's corruptions by looking at Babylonian influences and their destructive consequences.
Jeremiah 2:23This verse expresses God's frustration with Judah's unfaithfulness, comparing their relentless pursuit of foreign gods and alliances to a camel or wild donkey running its course, emphasizing their insatiable desire for wrong paths.
cambridgeEzekiel 16:29: "Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith."
29 . Infidelities with the Chaldeans. Past tense is better: didst multiply. in the land of Canaan ] Rather: with (lit. unto) the merchants’ land, even Chaldea. Again ch. Ezekiel 17:4 , the land of traffic. With similar contempt Hosea ( Ezekiel 12:7 ) uses the term of Israel. Cf. Proverbs 31:24 ; Isaiah 47:15 .
barnesEzekiel 16:29: "Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith."
In the land ... - Probably used in the restricted sense of the low lands on the coast of the western sea; occupied by Phoenician colonies. The children of Israel were brought into contact at first with pagans residing within their own borders. Then they extended their contact to foreign nations, trading and forming alliances with Chaldaea, and in so doing…
The verse highlights that Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness wasn't confined to one place but expanded with every new relationship and opportunity, driven by a restless desire for more foreign gods and practices, even reaching to the distant, commercial land of Chaldea. This shows that "multiplying fornication" wasn't just about increasing the number of sins, but about a systemic expansion of idolatry that embraced diverse cultures and trading partners.
In this chapter, Ezekiel vividly portrays Jerusalem as a faithless wife, detailing her abandonment by God and her subsequent descent into idolatry and infidelity with surrounding nations. Having already plunged into the corrupt practices of Canaan, the prophecy now describes Jerusalem extending her spiritual whoring even further, engaging in illicit alliances and adopting idolatrous practices from the distant land of Chaldea, yet remaining insatiably unfulfilled.
In this chapter, Ezekiel vividly portrays Jerusalem as a faithless wife, detailing her abandonment by God and her subsequent descent into idolatry and infidelity with surrounding nations. Having already plunged into the corrupt practices of Canaan, the prophecy now describes Jerusalem extending her spiritual whoring even further, engaging in illicit alliances and adopting idolatrous practices from the distant land of Chaldea, yet remaining insatiably unfulfilled.
"You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied." — The verse highlights that Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness wasn't confined to one place but expanded with every new relationship and opportunity, driven by a restless desire for more foreign gods an…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026