Ezekiel 23:26 — Word Study
WLCוְהִפְשִׁיט֖וּךְ אֶת־ בְּגָדָ֑יִךְ וְלָקְח֖וּ כְּלֵ֥י תִפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃
BSAThey will strip offpâshaṭ [tear off, remove] your clothesbeged [garments, covering] and takelâqach [get, seize] your finetiphʼârâh [beautiful, lovely] jewelrykᵉlîy [fair jewels, ornaments]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְהִפְשִׁיט֖וּךְ | and they will strip off you | Verb hiphil sequential perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| בְּגָדָ֑יִךְ | clothes your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְלָקְח֖וּ | and they will take away | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect third person common plural |
| כְּלֵ֥י | [the] articles of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| תִפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃ | beauty your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. |
| KJV | They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. |
| ASV | They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. |
| YLT | And they have stripped thee of thy garments, And have taken thy beauteous jewels. |
| WEB | They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. |
| BBE | And they will take all your clothing off you and take away your ornaments. |
Where they part company is in the choice of synonyms for הִפְשִׁיט and לָקְח֖וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with two main actions, emphasizing the severity of the judgment.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbלָקַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 23:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Judgment Against Jerusalemgenerated
Ezekiel 23:26 is part of a larger passage where God declares judgment on Jerusalem for its infidelity and idolatry. The imagery used emphasizes the severity of the punishment, depicting the stripping away of clothing and the taking of jewelry as acts of humiliation and loss. This reflects the consequences of turning away from God, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 23:29 | They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity |
| 2 | Ezekiel 16:16–37 | You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred! |
| 3 | Jeremiah 13:22 | And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed. |
| 4 | Hosea 2:3–9 | Otherwise, I will strip her naked and expose her like the day of her birth. I will make her like a desert and turn her into a parched land, and I will let her die of thirst. |
| 5 | Revelation 17:16 | And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הִפְשִׁיט֖וּךְ, ve.hif.shi.Tukhgenerated
The verb הִפְשִׁיט (hifshit) is a Hiphil form, indicating a causative action, meaning 'to strip off' or 'to remove'. It conveys a sense of taking away something significant, such as clothing, which symbolizes dignity and identity. The parsing shows it is in the perfect tense, third person plural, indicating that this action will be performed by others.
This word is often used in contexts involving plunder or humiliation, suggesting a forceful removal rather than a voluntary act. The choice of this verb underscores the violent and degrading nature of the judgment being pronounced.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase strip off and take.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb הִפְשִׁיט governs the action of the sentence, indicating the stripping off of clothing. The structure includes a noun phrase that serves as the object, followed by another verb phrase that describes the taking of jewelry.
The arrangement emphasizes the actions of stripping and taking, reflecting a sequence of humiliation and loss that is central to the verse's message.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הִפְשִׁיט with σε, which conveys a direct action towards the subject. This choice highlights the personal nature of the judgment being enacted.
The Greek word λήμψονται for לָקְח֖וּ suggests a taking that is intentional, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of seizing or taking possession.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 23:26 describes how others will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. This imagery illustrates the humiliation and loss that comes as a result of judgment against Jerusalem for its unfaithfulness.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Stripping off clothing symbolizes humiliation and loss of dignity, reflecting the severity of God's judgment against Jerusalem.
Jewelry represents beauty and value, and taking it away signifies not only loss but also a stripping away of identity and honor.
This verse is part of a broader declaration of judgment, illustrating the consequences of Jerusalem's infidelity and the severity of God's response.
The imagery serves as a warning about the consequences of turning away from God and the loss that follows such actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the act of stripping away clothing symbolize in my own life?
- How can I ensure that I do not lose my identity and dignity in my relationship with God?
- In what ways can I recognize the value of spiritual 'jewelry' in my life?
- How does understanding God's judgment help me in my walk of faith?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 23:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey shall also strip thee out of thy clothes,.... As such who are taken captives are usually served: and take away, thy fair jewels; their ornaments of every kind: or "the vessels of thy glory" (c);
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 23 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes - whereby she attracted her paramours (Ezekiel 16:39).
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 23 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleStrip thee out of thy clothes; both as lewd, disgraced harlots and as captives are used: see . Thy fair jewels; all thy rich, beautiful ornaments: see . They shall be prey and plunder to the enemy.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 23 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 23:26 They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.Ver. 26. They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes.] Wherein thou hast so much prided thyself. And take away thy fair jewels.] Instrumenta mundi tui; the instruments of thy decking.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 23 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 26. They shall also strip thee] See on Ezekiel 16:39.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 23 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.
They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
They will strip your clothes off you and take away your beautiful jewelry.
Tyndale line
They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels.
They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fayre iewels.
Strictly literal
They shall also strip the of thy garments, and take away thy fair jewels.
And they have stripped thee of thy garments, And have taken thy beauteous jewels.
And they have stripped you of your garments, || And have taken your beautiful jewels.
And they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy ornamental attire.
They will strip you of your clothes and take away all of your jewelry.
From the Latin
And they shall strip thee of thy garments, and take away the instruments of thy glory.
Simplified
They will tear off your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry.
And they will take all your clothing off you and take away your ornaments.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the core elements of the verse, with five of the six Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The differences in word order reflect the distinct grammatical structures of Hebrew and Greek.
וְהִפְשִׁיט֖וּךְ אֶת־ בְּגָדָ֑יִךְ וְלָקְח֖וּ כְּלֵ֥י תִפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 23:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
פָּשַׁט (pashat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strip off or to invade. It encompasses actions like unclothing, plundering, and making a dash, with various forms indicating different nuances such as flaying or putting off garments. The term appears in different contexts, including military actions and personal disrobing.
פָּשַׁט vb. strip off, make a dash, raid
Qal
strip off, put off, one’s garment
put off (one’s shelter), i.e. make a dash (from a sheltered place)
Pi. to strip the slain
Hiph.
strip one of garment
strip off
flay
Hithp. he stripped himself of his garment
base
H6584 פָּשַׁט strip off, make a dash, raid
6584 pashat paw-shat'
a primitive root; to spread out (i.e. deploy in hostile
array); by analogy, to strip (i.e. unclothe, plunder, flay,
etc.):--fall upon, flay, invade, make an invasion, pull off,
put off, make a road, run upon, rush, set, spoil, spread
selves (abroad), strip (off, self).
פָּשַׁט (pa.shat) — to strip.
1) to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to strip off, put off
1a2) to put off (one's shelter), make a dash
1b) (Piel) to strip
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to strip of
1c2) to strip off
1c3) to flay
1d) (Hithpael) to strip oneself of
Conj | V-Hiphil-3cp | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential perfect third person common plural · suffixHc/Vhq3cp/Sp2fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.
H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering
899 beged behg'-ed
from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or
pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,
raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.
see HEBREW for 0898
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.
treachery, deceit
בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.
(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2fs
The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.
לָקַח 965 vb. take
Qal
take, take in hand
take and carry along with oneself
take from, or out of
take, carry away
take away from, so as to deprive of
esp. take away life
take to or for a person
take up, upon = put upon
= fetch
take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
take = capture, seize
take = carry off
in phr. take vengeance
Niph.
be captured, of ark
be taken away, removed
be taken, brought unto
Pu.
be taken from, out of
= be stolen from
be taken captive
be taken away, removed
Hoph.
be taken, brought unto
be taken out of
be taken away from
Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
base
H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand
. take and carry along with oneself
. . take from, or out of
. take, carry away
. take away from, so as to deprive of
. esp. take away life
. take to or for a person
. take up, upon = put upon
. = fetch
. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
. take = capture, seize
. take = carry off
. in phr. take vengeance
. . be captured, of ark
. be taken away, removed
. be taken, brought unto
. . be taken from, out of
. = be stolen from
. be taken captive
. be taken away, removed
. . be taken, brought unto
. be taken out of
. be taken away from
. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
3947 laqach law-kakh'
a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of
applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,
get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,
seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.
: take
1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take, take in the hand
1a2) to take and carry along
1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away
1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept
1a5) to take up or upon, put upon
1a6) to fetch
1a7) to take, lead, conduct
1a8) to take, capture, seize
1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be captured
1b2) to be taken away, be removed
1b3) to be taken, brought unto
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be taken from or out of
1c2) to be stolen from
1c3) to be taken captive
1c4) to be taken away, be removed
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto
1d2) to be taken out of
1d3) to be taken away
1e) (Hithpael)
1e1) to take hold of oneself
Conj | V-Qal-3cp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common pluralHc/Vqq3cp
כְּלִי (kliy) refers to an article or utensil, encompassing a wide range of objects such as vessels, tools, and implements used for various purposes, including music and warfare. It is derived from a root meaning 'to prepare' and can denote anything from furniture to weapons. The entries highlight its general use in the Old Testament without significant disagreement among lexicons.
כְּלִי 324 n.m. article, utensil, vessel
base
H3627 כְּלִי article, utensil, vessel
3627 kliy kel-ee'
from 3615; something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an
implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon):--armour
((-bearer)), artillery, bag, carriage, + furnish, furniture,
instrument, jewel, that is made of, X one from another, that
which pertaineth, pot, + psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool,
vessel, ware, weapon, + whatsoever.
see HEBREW for 03615
כְּלִי (ke.li) — article/utensil.
1) article, vessel, implement, utensil
1a) article, object (general)
1b) utensil, implement, apparatus, vessel
1b1) implement (of hunting or war)
1b2) implement (of music)
1b3) implement, tool (of labour)
1b4) equipment, yoke (of oxen)
1b5) utensils, furniture
1c) vessel, receptacle (general)
1d) vessels (boats) of paper-reed
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תִּפְאָרָה (tiph'arah) refers to beauty and glory, encompassing both physical and abstract qualities. It can denote the beauty of garments and jewels, the glory associated with rank or God, and even the honor of Israel. The term is built from the root meaning 'ornament' and covers a range of meanings related to splendor and majesty.
תִּפְאָרָה n.f. beauty, glory
base
H8597 תִּפְאָרָה beauty, glory
8597 tiph'arah tif-aw-raw'
or tiphereth {tif-eh'-reth}; from 6286; ornament (abstractly
or concretely, literally or figuratively):--beauty(- iful),
bravery, comely, fair, glory(-ious), hono; ornament
(abstractly or concretely, literally or
figuratively):--beauty(-iful), bravery, comely, fair,
glory(-ious), honour, majesty.
see HEBREW for 06286
תִּפְאָרָה (tiph.a.rah) — beauty.
1) beauty, splendour, glory
1a) beauty, finery (of garments, jewels)
1b) glory
1b1) of rank, renown
1b2) as attribute of God
1c) honour (or nation Israel)
1d) glorying, boasting (of individual)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2fs