Ezekiel 23:41

41 Thou satest in a full fair bed, and a board was adorned before thee; thou settedest mine incense and mine ointment on it. (And thou satest on a very beautiful bed, and a table was adorned before thee; thou hast set my incense and my ointment upon it.)

Ezekiel 23:41 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 23:41

And satest upon a stately bed
Or honourable ^F7, a bed of state: either a throne, a royal seat under a canopy, on which the king of Judah sat to receive foreign ambassadors; or a stately bed at a feast, made for the entertainment of them; it being usual in the eastern nations to sit on beds at eating, to which the next clause agrees. The allusion is to a harlot sitting on a bed decked out by her to allure men to lie with her; see ( Proverbs 7:16 ) : and a table prepared before it;
before the bed, furnished with the richest provisions to treat the ambassadors with; or this may design an altar built for them to offer on it sacrifices to their idols, according to the customs of their countries: whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil;
which were the gifts of God to this people, and which they should have used in his service; but with these they treated the ministers of Heathen princes; scenting the room where they were entertained with incense, and anointing their heads and feet with oil, for their pleasure and refreshment; or they offered these on the altars of the idols to them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (hdwbk) "honorato", Junius and Tremellius, Polanus, Coeccius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 23:41 In-Context

39 And when they sacrificed their sons to their idols, and entered into my saintuary in that day, that they should defoul it, they did also these things in the midst of mine house. (And when they sacrificed their sons and daughters to their idols, and entered into my sanctuary on that day, so that they could defile it, they also did these things in the midst of my House.)

40 They sent to men coming from (a)far, to which they had sent messengers. Therefore lo! they came, to which thou washedest thee, and anointedest thine eyes with ointment of women, and thou were adorned with women's attire. (They sent for men coming from afar, to whom they had sent messengers. And so lo! they came, for whom thou hast washed thyself, and hast anointed thine eyes with women's ointment, and thou were adorned with women's attire.)

41 Thou satest in a full fair bed, and a board was adorned before thee; thou settedest mine incense and mine ointment on it. (And thou satest on a very beautiful bed, and a table was adorned before thee; thou hast set my incense and my ointment upon it.)

42 And a voice of multitude making full out joy was therein; and in men that were brought of the multitude of men, and came from desert, they setted bands in the hands of them, and fair crowns on the heads of them. (And the sound of a multitude making great joy was there; and with the multitude of people were the Sabeans, brought in from the wilderness, and they put bands upon their wrists, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.)

43 And I said to her, that was defouled in adulteries, Now also this shall do fornication in her fornication. (And I said to myself about her, who was defiled in her adulteries, that is, by her idolatries, Now they shall also do fornication with her, with her of all women!)