The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:17 Explained

Ezekiel 16:17

KJV: Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

YLT: And thou dost take thy beauteous vessels Of My gold and My silver that I gave to thee, And dost make to thee images of a male, And dost go a-whoring with them,

Darby: And thou didst take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of males, and didst commit fornication with them.

ASV: Thou didst also take thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of men, and didst play the harlot with them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou hast also taken  thy fair  jewels  of my gold  and of my silver,  which I had given  thee, and madest  to thyself images  of men,  and didst commit whoredom  with them, 

What does Ezekiel 16:17 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 16

1  Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem
6  God's extraordinary love toward her,
15  Her grievous judgment
35  Her sin, equal to her mother,
46  and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria,
59  calls for judgments
60  Mercy is promised her in the end

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 16:17 mean?

And You have taken jewelry your beautiful from My gold and My silver which I had given you and made for yourself images male and played the harlot with them
וַתִּקְחִ֞י כְּלֵ֣י תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ מִזְּהָבִ֤י וּמִכַּסְפִּי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וַתַּעֲשִׂי־ לָ֖ךְ צַלְמֵ֣י זָכָ֑ר וַתִּזְנִי־ בָֽם

וַתִּקְחִ֞י  And  You  have  taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
כְּלֵ֣י  jewelry 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ  your  beautiful 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: תִּפְאֶרֶת  
Sense: beauty, splendour, glory.
מִזְּהָבִ֤י  from  My  gold 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
וּמִכַּסְפִּי֙  and  My  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
נָתַ֣תִּי  I  had  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וַתַּעֲשִׂי־  and  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָ֖ךְ  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
צַלְמֵ֣י  images 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צֶלֶם 
Sense: image.
זָכָ֑ר  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
וַתִּזְנִי־  and  played  the  harlot 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
בָֽם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural