The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:7 Explained

Ezekiel 16:7

KJV: I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

YLT: A myriad -- as the shoot of the field I have made thee, And thou art multiplied, and art great, And comest in with an excellent adornment, Breasts have been formed, and thy hair hath grown -- And thou, naked and bare!

Darby: I caused thee to multiply, as the bud of the field; and thou didst increase and grow great, and thou camest to fulness of beauty; thy breasts were fashioned, and thy hair grew: but thou wast naked and bare.

ASV: I caused thee to multiply as that which groweth in the field, and thou didst increase and wax great, and thou attainedst to excellent ornament; thy breasts were fashioned, and thy hair was grown; yet thou wast naked and bare.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have caused  thee to multiply  as the bud  of the field,  and thou hast increased  and waxen great,  and thou art come  to excellent  ornaments:  [thy] breasts  are fashioned,  and thine hair  is grown,  whereas thou [wast] naked  and bare. 

What does Ezekiel 16:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord enabled Jerusalem to thrive. Her inhabitants became numerous. She eventually developed into a fine city even though she had gotten a bad start in life. During the reigns of David and Song of Solomon , Jerusalem was one of the most highly respected cities in the ancient Near East.

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 16:7 mean?

Ten thousand like a plant in the field I made you and you grew and matured and became beautiful very [Your] breasts were formed and your hair grew but you [were] naked and bare
רְבָבָ֗ה כְּצֶ֤מַח הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נְתַתִּ֔יךְ וַתִּרְבִּי֙ וַֽתִּגְדְּלִ֔י וַתָּבֹ֖אִי בַּעֲדִ֣י עֲדָיִ֑ים שָׁדַ֤יִם נָכֹ֙נוּ֙ וּשְׂעָרֵ֣ךְ צִמֵּ֔חַ וְאַ֖תְּ עֵרֹ֥ם וְעֶרְיָֽה

רְבָבָ֗ה  Ten  thousand 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
כְּצֶ֤מַח  like  a  plant  in 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֶמַח  
Sense: sprout, growth, branch.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
נְתַתִּ֔יךְ  I  made  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וַתִּרְבִּי֙  and  you  grew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וַֽתִּגְדְּלִ֔י  and  matured 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
וַתָּבֹ֖אִי  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בַּעֲדִ֣י  beautiful 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
עֲדָיִ֑ים  very 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֲדִי  
Sense: ornaments.
שָׁדַ֤יִם  [Your]  breasts 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: שַׁד 
Sense: breast, bosom, (female) breast.
נָכֹ֙נוּ֙  were  formed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.
וּשְׂעָרֵ֣ךְ  and  your  hair 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שֵׂעָר  
Sense: hair.
צִמֵּ֔חַ  grew 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָמַח  
Sense: to sprout, spring up, grow up.
וְאַ֖תְּ  but  you  [were] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person feminine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
עֵרֹ֥ם  naked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עֵירֹם  
Sense: naked.
וְעֶרְיָֽה  and  bare 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֶרְיָה  
Sense: nudity, nakedness.