Ezekiel 16:38-39
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God declares He will judge Jerusalem like a woman who is both adulterous and a murderer. This isn't just about physical crimes; it means He will bring the brutal consequences of her spiritual infidelity (idolatry) and the innocent blood she has shed (including child sacrifice) upon her. The phrase "give you blood" powerfully signifies that she will literally face a bloody death, receiving the same violent justice she inflicted.
And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places. They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is delivering a harsh judgment against Jerusalem, personified as an unfaithful wife who has committed horrific acts. God declares He will judge her like an adulteress and murderer, referencing her past sins of sacrificing children to idols and shedding innocent blood. This judgment reflects the divine jealousy and fury of a wronged husband, leading to a bloody retribution mirroring the punishments prescribed for such crimes under the Law.
How can God's judgment be like a husband's fury? Ezekiel uses a stark, ancient parallel to show the severity of God's response to Israel's unfaithfulness.
In Ezekiel 16, God is speaking to Jerusalem, which he pictures as an unfaithful wife. This verse declares that God will judge Jerusalem just as the Law prescribed for women who committed adultery AND shed blood.
God’s judgment isn’t random; it’s a terrifying reflection of the very sins committed. The punishments described in the Law for these crimes—stoning, death—are brought to bear on the city.
What does it mean for God to 'give blood' in fury and jealousy? It's a powerful image of divine retribution and the devastating consequences of deeply angering God.
The phrase "I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy" is intense. It doesn't mean God literally gets bloody, but rather that God will inflict a bloody death upon Jerusalem.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
na'aph · Hebrew Verb
A serious moral and religious failure; the act of violating a covenant, specifically the marriage covenant, which symbolizes the unfaithfulness of Israel toward God.
qin'ah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the protective intensity of God's love for His people, which demands exclusive devotion and reacts with righteous indignation against any betrayal or idolatry.
shaphat · Hebrew Verb
A formal legal process by God, the ultimate Judge, who executes justice according to His holy law; it involves both the assessment of guilt and the imposition of righteous retribution.
dam shaphak · Hebrew Phrase
The act of taking a human life, condemned by God as a severe violation of the sanctity of life given by the Creator.
Ezekiel's harsh imagery of judgment as punishment for adultery and bloodshed directly reflects the legal penalties under Mosaic Law for these severe offenses, particularly the child sacrifice to Moloch and the violent destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event serves as a stark warning of the consequences of national sin and idolatry.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire begins its campaigns against Judah, deporting members of the royal family and elite to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian captivity.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population, including the prophet Ezekiel himself, to Babylon. This significant exile deepens the sense of God's judgment upon Jerusalem.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile the remaining population. This devastating event is the direct context for Ezekiel's message of judgment.
c. 580 BC
Ezekiel's Prophetic Ministry Continues
While in exile, Ezekiel continues to prophesy to the Judean people, offering both condemnation for their past actions and hope for future restoration.
This passage outlines the Mosaic Law's penalty for adultery, directly aligning with the judgment described for Jerusalem's spiritual unfaithfulness as an adulteress.
Deuteronomy 13:15-16These verses describe the punishment for an entire city that turns to idolatry, mirroring the collective judgment and destruction that will befall Jerusalem in Ezekiel's prophecy.
Jeremiah 2:34This passage from Jeremiah directly accuses Judah of shedding innocent blood, a sin mentioned alongside adultery in Ezekiel's judgment, highlighting the deep corruption within the nation.
Revelation 16:6This New Testament passage speaks of God giving 'blood to drink' to those who shed the blood of saints and prophets, echoing Ezekiel's imagery of 'giving blood' as a consequence of bloodshed and divine wrath.
barnesEzekiel 16:38: "And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy."
I will give thee blood in fury - Rather, "I will make thee a bloody sacrifice to fury and jealousy." By the Law of Moses, death was the penalty for murder Exodus 21:12 , and for adultery ( Leviticus 20:10 ; e. g., by stoning, Ezekiel 16:40 ). The circumstances of the siege of Jerusalem corresponded with the punishment of the adulteress; the company gath…
cambridgeEzekiel 16:38: "And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy."
38 . shed blood ] Reference to child murder, Ezekiel 16:20; Ezekiel 16:36 . Cf. ch. Ezekiel 23:45 ; Leviticus 20:10 ; Deuteronomy 22:22 . give thee blood in fury ] Lit. make thee the blood of fury, i.e. bring on thee the bloody death which fury and jealousy executes. On cons. cf. ch. Ezekiel 26:21 , Ezekiel 35:6 .
God declares He will judge Jerusalem like a woman who is both adulterous and a murderer. This isn't just about physical crimes; it means He will bring the brutal consequences of her spiritual infidelity (idolatry) and the innocent blood she has shed (including child sacrifice) upon her. The phrase "give you blood" powerfully signifies that she will literally face a bloody death, receiving the same violent justice she inflicted.
Ezekiel is delivering a harsh judgment against Jerusalem, personified as an unfaithful wife who has committed horrific acts. God declares He will judge her like an adulteress and murderer, referencing her past sins of sacrificing children to idols and shedding innocent blood. This judgment reflects the divine jealousy and fury of a wronged husband, leading to a bloody retribution mirroring the punishments prescribed for such crimes under the Law.
Ezekiel is delivering a harsh judgment against Jerusalem, personified as an unfaithful wife who has committed horrific acts. God declares He will judge her like an adulteress and murderer, referencing her past sins of sacrificing children to idols and shedding innocent blood. This judgment reflects the divine jealousy and fury of a wronged husband, leading to a bloody retribution mirroring the punishments prescribed for such crimes under the Law.
"And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty…" — God declares He will judge Jerusalem like a woman who is both adulterous and a murderer. This isn't just about physical crimes; it means He will bring the brutal consequences of her spiritual infidel…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
