What Does Ezekiel 16:16 Mean in the King James?

And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

Ezekiel 16:16 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The garments that clothe you are taken to adorn the high places where the betrayal is enacted.

THE MEANING

The verse speaks to you through a scene where your garments become decoration for high places, and harlotry is enacted there. The coverings do not conceal the act; they become part of its staging. The closing words insist that this scene has no likeness.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

A beautiful or sacred-looking display does not make the betrayal beneath it faithful; here the adornment itself is part of the exposure.

THE ROOT

בְּגָדַיִךְ

begadayikh

GROWS FROM

בגד

To act treacherously; ⁨בֶּגֶד⁩ (beged) means garment.

“garments” in this verse is begadayikh. The Hebrew word for garment shares its root with ⁨בָּגַד⁩ (bagad), “to act treacherously.” The verse makes that connection vivid: clothing is taken from the self and used to adorn the high places where betrayal is enacted.

ALSO GROWS

beged: Garment, clothing.

בֶּגֶד

This is the word used for the garments taken in the verse.

bagad: To act treacherously, betray.

בָּגַד

Its shared root echoes the betrayal enacted on the adorned high places.

וַתִּזְנִי

vatizni

GROWS FROM

זנה

To commit harlotry, act sexually unfaithfully.

“played the harlot” in this verse is vatizni. The Hebrew verb names an enacted act of harlotry, not merely a comparison. Related forms name both the person and the practice, keeping the verse’s image embodied rather than abstract.

ALSO GROWS

zonah: Harlot, prostitute.

זֹנָה

This noun comes from the same root as the act named in the verse.

zenunim: Acts of harlotry, unfaithfulness.

זְנוּנִים

This related form shows the root naming the practice as well as the person.

THE PATTERN

Outward adornment can be recruited to stage betrayal without changing what the act is.

For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Hosea 2:5 · KJVThe woman claims material gifts from her lovers and turns those provisions into the setting of her harlotry, as garments become adornment here.

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isaiah 1:21 · KJVThe city is named as a harlot as justice gives way to murder, exposing outward status as no proof of fidelity.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

Revelation 17:4 · KJVThe woman is lavishly adorned while carrying the signs of fornication, so display and betrayal stand together.

THE THREAD

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isaiah 1:21 · KJV

Both verses use the ⁨זנה⁩ (zanah) word-family behind “harlot,” naming unfaithfulness through the same root. Ezekiel makes the image material: garments are used to adorn the high places where the act is enacted.

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