Ezekiel 16:19

And you set before them as a pleasing aroma the food I had given you—the fine flour, oil, and honey that I had fed you. That is what happened, declares the Lord GOD.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks through Ezekiel to allegorical Jerusalem, recounting His past material provisions immediately before condemning her subsequent idolatry.

The words — The Hebrew לַחְמִי (lachmi) translates as "my food," while סֹלֶת (solet) means "fine flour," specifying the exact, high-quality sustenance God supplied.

The thread — This supplied provision parallels the "pleasing aroma" of Genesis 8:21 and the rich dietary blessings of Deuteronomy 32:14, while Ezekiel 16:13 confirms Jerusalem previously consumed these same gifts.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that God's provisions were complete and intentional, framing Jerusalem's betrayal as a conscious rejection of known sustenance rather than a lack of provision.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלַחְמִי֩ve./lach.M/iand/ food/ my אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which נָתַ֨תִּיna.Ta.tiI had givenלָ֜ךְla/khto/ youסֹ֣לֶתSo.letfine flour וָשֶׁ֤מֶןva./She.menand/ oil וּדְבַשׁ֙u./de.Vashand/ honey הֶֽאֱכַלְתִּ֔יךְhe.'e.khal.Ti/kh[which] I had given to eat/ you וּנְתַתִּ֧יהוּu./ne.ta.Ti./huand/ you put/ it לִפְנֵיהֶ֛םli/f.nei./Hem<to>/ before/ them לְרֵ֥יחַle./Rei.achto/ an odor of נִיחֹ֖חַni.Cho.achsoothing וַיֶּ֑הִיva/i.Ye.hiand/ it was נְאֻ֖םne.'Um[the] utterance of אֲדֹנָ֥י'a.do.Nai[the] Lord יְהוִֽה׃Yah.wehYahweh

King James Version

My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord God.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 16:13 So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.
Genesis 8:21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
Deuteronomy 32:14 with curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, with rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat. From the juice of the finest grapes you drank the wine.
Hosea 2:8 For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.