Ezekiel 16:14

14 and thy name went out into heathen men for thy fairness (and thy name went out to the heathen because of thy beauty); for thou were perfect in my fairness which I had set [up]on thee, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 16:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 16:14

And thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty,
&c.] Which consisted of the above things: with this compare ( Deuteronomy 6:4 ) ( Psalms 48:2 ) ( Lamentations 2:15 ) ; the church's beauty lies in the righteousness of Christ imputed, to her; in the holiness of Christ reckoned unto her; in the blood of Christ being upon her, by which she is washed and cleansed, justified and pardoned; and in the graces of the Spirit of Christ implanted in her; and in the salvation of Christ she is interested in; and in the presence of Christ, which is the beauty of the Lord upon her; and in being in Gospel order, and having Gospel ordinances; see ( Psalms 45:11 Psalms 45:13 ) ( 149:4 ) ( 90:17 ) ( Song of Solomon 6:4 Song of Solomon 6:10 ) ; for it [was] perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee,
saith the Lord God;
all the outward happiness and prosperity of the Israelites in the days of David and Solomon, or at other times, was not, as Kimchi observes, of themselves, but of the Lord: and so the comeliness of the saints and people of God is not of themselves; they are by nature black and deformed; they are defiled with original and actual sin; they are as an unclean, thing; they are corrupt, abominable, and loathsome; and as they have not their comeliness by nature, so not by art; as it is not native to them, it is not acquired by them; they do not obtain it by their humiliation, repentance, and services; these cannot remove their natural blackness and uncomeliness, or wash away their sins, and render them beautiful in the sight of God, ( Jeremiah 13:23 ) ( Jeremiah 2:22 ) ( Job 9:30 Job 9:31 ) ; but they have their comeliness from another, from Christ, who is altogether lovely; and from his righteousness, which is put on them; and so they are in him, and, through that, perfectly comely, a perfection of beauty, all fair, and without spot, even the fairest in the whole creation, complete in Christ, and perfect in him, ( Psalms 50:2 ) ( Song of Solomon 1:5 Song of Solomon 1:8 ) ( 4:7 ) .

Ezekiel 16:14 In-Context

12 and I gave a ring on thy mouth, and circles to thine ears, and a crown of fairness in thine head. (and I put a ring in thy nose, and earrings on thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.)

13 And thou were adorned with gold and silver, and thou were clothed with bis, and ray-cloth with round images, and many colours. Thou atest clean flour of wheat, and honey, and oil, and thou were made fair full greatly; and thou increasedest into a realm (and thou hast increased into a kingdom/and thou hast become a queen),

14 and thy name went out into heathen men for thy fairness (and thy name went out to the heathen because of thy beauty); for thou were perfect in my fairness which I had set [up]on thee, saith the Lord God.

15 And thou haddest trust in thy fairness, and didest fornication in thy name; and thou settedest forth thy fornication to each that passed forth, that thou shouldest be made his (and thou hast put forth, or hast proffered, thy willingness for fornication to anyone who passed by, so that thou wouldest be made his).

16 And thou tookest of my clothes, and madest to thee high things set about on each side (And thou tookest some of thy clothes, and adornest thy high places with them put about on each side); and thou didest fornication on those, as it was not done, neither shall be done.