Ezekiel 23:37

That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

Cross-reference

In Ezekiel 23:45, righteous men judge the sisters with sentences for adultery and bloodshed — the just penalty for sins in v37.

In Ezekiel 23:39, the child sacrifice from v37 is detailed — they slaughtered children for idols then entered the sanctuary.

In Ezekiel 23:5, Oholah's adultery with Assyria is introduced — the same unfaithfulness condemned here with added child sacrifice.

In Ezekiel 22:2-4, Jerusalem's bloodshed and idolatry are charged — parallel to the twofold sin in v37.

In Ezekiel 20:31, the same phrase 'offer up your children as fire offerings' reappears, reinforcing the idolatry and defilement.

In Ezekiel 20:26, God declares He defiled them through their firstborn offerings, showing divine judgment behind the child sacrifice practice.

In Ezekiel 16:38, judgment for adultery and bloodshed is declared — matching the crimes listed in v37.

In Ezekiel 16:36, the same two sins — whoring and child sacrifice — are linked, just as in v37.

In Ezekiel 16:21, the language of 'slaughtering my children' and offering them by fire directly parallels the bloodshed and fire offerings here.

In Ezekiel 16:20, the same metaphor of sacrificing children born to God to idols appears, emphasizing spiritual adultery via child sacrifice.

In Ezekiel 24:6-7, the 'city of blood' is condemned for shedding blood — a parallel to the bloodguilt in v37.

In Ezekiel 16:32, the 'adulterous wife' metaphor is used for Jerusalem's idolatry — paralleling the adultery charge here.

Leviticus 20:2–5 Historical context

In Leviticus 20:2-5, the death penalty for child sacrifice to Molech reveals the severity of the sin committed here.

Hosea 3:1 Parallel

In Hosea 3:1, God's love for an adulteress mirrors his love for unfaithful Israel — parallels the unfaithfulness described here.

Hosea 1:2 Parallel

In Hosea 1:2, God commands a marriage to a prostitute as a symbol of Israel's spiritual adultery — same theme as the allegory here.

Jeremiah 32:35 similarly denounces offering sons and daughters to Molech, reinforcing the same abomination of child sacrifice.

Jeremiah 7:31 also condemns child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom, directly paralleling the offering of children to idols here.

Jeremiah 7:9 lists murder, adultery, and idolatry together—matching the adultery, bloodshed, and idolatry in this verse.

Psalm 106:38 combines the same two sins: shedding innocent blood of children and sacrificing them to idols, polluting the land.

Psalm 106:37 directly mirrors this child sacrifice—'they sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons'—the same idolatrous practice.

2 Kings 21:6 Historical context

In 2 Kings 21:6, Manasseh's burning of his son as an offering is a specific royal instance of the child sacrifice condemned here.

2 Kings 17:17 Historical context

In 2 Kings 17:17, the Northern Kingdom's burning of sons and daughters as offerings is a historical example of this same sin.

Deuteronomy 12:31 Historical context

In Deuteronomy 12:31, burning sons and daughters is condemned as an abomination of the nations, mirroring Israel's sin.

Leviticus 18:21 Historical context

In Leviticus 18:21, the explicit prohibition against giving children to Molech shows the law Israel violated with these fire offerings.

2 Chronicles 33:6 Historical context

2 Chronicles 33:6 describes Manasseh burning his sons as an offering, illustrating the child sacrifice mentioned here.

2 Kings 23:10 Historical context

2 Kings 23:10 records Josiah's reform destroying Topheth, showing the historical reality of the child sacrifice condemned here.

Micah 6:7 Parallel

Micah 6:7 questions the value of child sacrifice for sin, reflecting the same practice of offering children condemned here.

Jeremiah 7:6 warns against shedding innocent blood and following other gods—the very sins of bloodshed and idolatry listed here.

Isaiah 1:15 Parallel

Isaiah 1:15 shows God rejecting worship because 'your hands are full of blood'—the same bloodstained hands condemned here.

2 Kings 24:4 Historical context

In 2 Kings 24:4, Manasseh's innocent blood fills Jerusalem—the same bloodshed condemned here as 'blood in their hands'.