Ezekiel 16:7 - Exposition

The tenses should be in the simple historic past: I caused; thou didst increase and wax great; thou attainedst, and so on (Revised Version). In the word "multiply" ( Exodus 1:7 ) the figure passes into historical reality. To excellent ornaments ; Hebrew, to ornament of ornaments. The word is commonly used of jewels, trinkets, and the like ( Exodus 33:4 ; 2 Samuel 1:24 ; Isaiah 49:18 ). So Vulgate, mundus muliebris. Here, however, the external adorning comes in Ezekiel 16:10 , Ezekiel 16:11 , and instead of the plural we have the dual. Hitzig is, perhaps, right in taking the phrase to refer to tide beauty of the cheeks, which are themselves the ornaments of the golden prime of wroth. The LXX ; following either a different reading or paraphrasing, gives, "to cities of cities." The two clauses that fellow point to the most obvious signs of female puberty. For whereas, read, with the Revised Version, yet, etc; as describing, not as the Authorized Version seems to do, a state which trod passed away, but one which still continued even when full-grown girlhood would have demanded clothing.