Ezekiel 16:31

But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord GOD addresses Jerusalem through the metaphor of a married woman during a prophetic indictment of her covenant breach. This declaration follows a description of her weak-willed heart and precedes a comparison with the customs of actual prostitutes.

The words — The Hebrew verb בָּנִית (banit, "you built") and noun גִּבְעָה (gibah, "mound") describe the erection of pagan altars. The phrase בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־דֶּרֶךְ (be-rosh kol-derekh, "at the head of every road") specifies their deliberate, public placement.

The thread — The construction of these shrines is recorded in Ezekiel 16:24, and the inversion of prostitute customs is echoed in Ezekiel 16:33. The contrast with unearned redemption appears in Isaiah 52:3, where the LORD states the people will be freed without payment.

Why it lands — The text requires a reader to acknowledge that Jerusalem’s idolatry violated covenant standards by publicly rejecting the expected social and economic order of her day. A reader must accept that spiritual rebellion is defined by active, conspicuous defiance rather than passive failure.

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

בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְbi/v.no.Ta.yi/khwhen/ built/ you גַּבֵּךְ֙ga.be/Khmound/ your בְּרֹ֣אשׁbe./Roshat/ [the] head of כָּל־kol-every דֶּ֔רֶךְDe.rekhroad וְרָמָתֵ֥ךְve./ra.ma.Te/khand/ high place/ your עָשִׂ֖יתa.si.tiyou made בְּכָל־be./kholin/ every רְח֑וֹבre.Chovopen place וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not הָיִ֥יתha.yi.tyou were כַּזּוֹנָ֖הka./zo.Nahlike <the>/ prostitute לְקַלֵּ֥סle./ka.Lesto/ scorn אֶתְנָֽן׃'et.Nan[the] hire of a prostitute

King James Version

In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

Cross-references

Isaiah 52:3 For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
Ezekiel 16:33 Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
Ezekiel 16:24 you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square.
Ezekiel 16:39 Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.
Hosea 12:11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.