The Meaning of Ezekiel 23:37 Explained

Ezekiel 23:37

KJV: That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

YLT: For they have committed adultery, And blood is in their hands, With their idols they committed adultery, And also their sons whom they bore to Me, They caused to pass over to them for food.

Darby: For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also passed over unto them their children, whom they bore unto me, to be devoured.

ASV: For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery; and they have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass through the fire unto them to be devoured.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That they have committed adultery,  and blood  [is] in their hands,  and with their idols  have they committed adultery,  and have also caused their sons,  whom they bare  unto me, to pass for them through  [the fire], to devour  [them]. 

What does Ezekiel 23:37 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 23

1  The unfaithfulness of Aholah and Aholibah
23  Aholibah is to be plagued by her lovers
36  The prophet reproves the adulteries of them both
45  and shows their judgments

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 23:37 mean?

for they have committed adultery and blood [is] on their hands and with their idols they have committed adultery and even - [sacrificed] their sons whom they bore to Me passing through the [fire] to them for food
כִּ֣י נִאֵ֗פוּ וְדָם֙ בִּֽידֵיהֶ֔ן וְאֶת־ גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֖ן נִאֵ֑פוּ וְגַ֤ם אֶת־ בְּנֵיהֶן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָֽלְדוּ־ לִ֔י הֶעֱבִ֥ירוּ לָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה

נִאֵ֗פוּ  they  have  committed  adultery 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
וְדָם֙  and  blood  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
בִּֽידֵיהֶ֔ן  on  their  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person feminine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֖ן  with  their  idols 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: גִּלּוּלִים  
Sense: idols.
נִאֵ֑פוּ  they  have  committed  adultery 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
וְגַ֤ם  and  even 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנֵיהֶן֙  [sacrificed]  their  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָֽלְדוּ־  they  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לִ֔י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הֶעֱבִ֥ירוּ  passing  through  the  [fire] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לָהֶ֖ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
לְאָכְלָֽה  for  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָכְלָה  
Sense: food.