Ezekiel 16:38

38 I will punish you as women guilty of adultery or as murderers are punished. I will put you to death because I am angry and jealous.

Ezekiel 16:38 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 16:38

And I will judge thee as women that break wedlock
The marriage covenant, defile the marriage bed, and were adulteresses, who by the law of Moses were to be punished with death, ( Leviticus 20:10 ) ( Deuteronomy 22:22 ) ; and shed blood are judged;
who also were punished with death according to the original law in ( Genesis 9:6 ) ; the Jews were not only guilty of spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry; but also of murder, by sacrificing their infants to idols; and murder often follows upon adultery, as Kimchi observes; and, these people were guilty of shedding innocent blood on other accounts; but the first mentioned is chiefly designed here: and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy;
by way of retaliation; blood being shed, blood is given, and that in wrath and vengeance; the allusion is to a jealous and abused husband, that avenges himself of the person that has injured him; see ( Revelation 16:6 ) .

Ezekiel 16:38 In-Context

36 This is what the Lord God says: You showed your nakedness to other countries. You uncovered your body in your sexual sins with them as your lovers and with all your hateful idols. You killed your children and offered their blood to your idols.
37 So I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. Yes, I will gather all those you loved and those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can see your nakedness.
38 I will punish you as women guilty of adultery or as murderers are punished. I will put you to death because I am angry and jealous.
39 I will also hand you over to your lovers. They will tear down your places of worship and destroy other places where you worship gods. They will tear off your clothes and take away your jewelry, leaving you naked and bare.
40 They will bring a crowd against you to throw stones at you and to cut you into pieces with their swords.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.