161 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying , 2 "Son of man , make known to Jerusalem her abominations 3 and say , 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem , "Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite , your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite . 4 "As for your birth , on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut , nor were you washed with water for cleansing ; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths . 5 "No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field , for you were abhorred on the day you were born .
6 "When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood , I said to you while you were in your blood , 'Live !' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood , 'Live !' 7 "I made you numerous like plants of the field . Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments ; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown . Yet you were naked and bare . 8 "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold , you were at the time for love ; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness . I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD . 9 "Then I bathed you with water , washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil . 10 "I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk . 11 "I adorned you with ornaments , put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck . 12 "I also put a ring in your nostril , earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head . 13 "Thus you were adorned with gold and silver , and your dress was of fine linen , silk and embroidered cloth . You ate fine flour , honey and oil ; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty . 14 "Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty , for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD .
15 "But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame , and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. 16 "You took some of your clothes , made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen . 17 "You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver , which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. 18 "Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. 19 "Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour , oil and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma ; so it happened ," declares the Lord GOD .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 16:1-19
Commentary on Ezekiel 16:1-58
(Read Ezekiel 16:1-58)
In this chapter God's dealings with the Jewish nation, and their conduct towards him, are described, and their punishment through the surrounding nations, even those they most trusted in. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death, educated, espoused, and richly provided for, but afterwards guilty of the most abandoned conduct, and punished for it; yet at last received into favour, and ashamed of her base conduct. We are not to judge of these expressions by modern ideas, but by those of the times and places in which they were used, where many of them would not sound as they do to us. The design was to raise hatred to idolatry, and such a parable was well suited for that purpose.