Ezekiel 16:6

Then I passed by and saw you wallowing in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ There I said to you, ‘Live!’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Jerusalem, portrayed as an abandoned newborn left exposed in a field. The declaration occurs at the precise moment of the city's despised birth before any subsequent growth is described.

The words — The participle mitboseset (מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶת) literally means "kicking about" or "wallowing," while the imperative chayyi (חֲיִ֔י) commands "live!" These terms establish a scene of helpless physical exposure immediately met with a direct divine command.

The thread — The motif of dead or abandoned figures receiving life through a spoken word appears in John 5:25 and aligns with the merciful intervention described in Ephesians 2:4.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to recognize that survival and future development depend solely on a sovereign command, not on prior condition or human compassion. The text establishes that divine intervention precedes and enables any subsequent capacity to respond.

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

וָאֶעֱבֹ֤רva./'e.'e.Vorand/ I passed by עָלַ֙יִךְ֙'a.La.yi/khat/ you וָֽאֶרְאֵ֔ךְva./'er.'E/khand/ I saw/ you מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶתmit.bo.Se.setkicking about בְּדָמָ֑יִךְbe./da.Ma.yi/khin/ blood<s>/ your וָאֹ֤מַרva./'O.marand/ I saidלָךְ֙lo/Khto/ youבְּדָמַ֣יִךְbe./da.Ma.yi/khin/ blood<s>/ your חֲיִ֔יcha.Yilive וָאֹ֥מַרva./'O.marand/ I saidלָ֖ךְla/khto/ youבְּדָמַ֥יִךְbe./da.Ma.yi/khin/ blood<s>/ your חֲיִֽי׃cha.Yilive

King James Version

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

Cross-references

Ephesians 2:4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
John 5:25 Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Titus 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Acts 7:34 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
Exodus 19:4 ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Exodus 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
Deuteronomy 9:4 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
Psalms 105:10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: