The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:33 Explained

Ezekiel 16:33

KJV: They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

YLT: To all whores they give a gift, And -- thou hast given thy gifts to all thy lovers, And dost bribe them to come in unto thee, From round about -- in thy whoredoms.

Darby: They give rewards to all harlots; but thou gavest thy rewards to all thy lovers, and rewardedst them, that they might come unto thee on every side for thy whoredoms.

ASV: They give gifts to all harlots; but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and bribest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredoms.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They give  gifts  to all whores:  but thou givest  thy gifts  to all thy lovers,  and hirest  them, that they may come  unto thee on every side  for thy whoredom. 

What does Ezekiel 16:33 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 16

1  Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem
6  God's extraordinary love toward her,
15  Her grievous judgment
35  Her sin, equal to her mother,
46  and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria,
59  calls for judgments
60  Mercy is promised her in the end

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 16:33 mean?

To all harlots Men make payment but you made - your payments your lovers and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry
לְכָל־ זֹנ֖וֹת יִתְּנוּ־ נֵ֑דֶה וְאַ֨תְּ נָתַ֤תְּ אֶת־ נְדָנַ֙יִךְ֙ מְאַֽהֲבַ֔יִךְ וַתִּשְׁחֳדִ֣י אוֹתָ֗ם לָב֥וֹא אֵלַ֛יִךְ מִסָּבִ֖יב בְּתַזְנוּתָֽיִךְ

לְכָל־  To  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זֹנ֖וֹת  harlots 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
יִתְּנוּ־  Men  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
נֵ֑דֶה  payment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵדֶה  
Sense: gift.
וְאַ֨תְּ  but  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person feminine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
נָתַ֤תְּ  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נְדָנַ֙יִךְ֙  your  payments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: נָדָן  
Sense: gift.
מְאַֽהֲבַ֔יִךְ  your  lovers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
וַתִּשְׁחֳדִ֣י  and  hired 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שָׁחַד  
Sense: (Qal) to give a present, bribe, ransom, offer gifts.
לָב֥וֹא  to  come 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֛יִךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מִסָּבִ֖יב  from  all  around 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
בְּתַזְנוּתָֽיִךְ  for  your  harlotry 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: תַּזְנוּת  
Sense: fornication, harlotry.