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ืจื—ื•ื‘ ื‘ ื›ืœ ืจืžื” ืœ ืš ื• ืชืขืฉื™ ื’ื‘ ืœ ืš ื• ืชื‘ื ื™
broadwaywithin the wholeshe who is exalted highto yourself/walkand you are makingback/archto yourself/walkand you are building
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RBT Translation:
and you are building to yourself/walk back/arch and you are making to yourself/walk she who is exalted high within the whole broadway
RBT Paraphrase:
A Belly of the Underworld
And you are building to yourself an arched vault,7 and you are making to yourself an exalted height within every broadway!8
ื’ื‘ - architectural elevated arch/vault or convex shape
Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
Thou wilt build to thee a brothel, and thou wilt make to thee a height in every street.
LITV Translation:
Woe to you that you have also built yourself a mound, and you have made yourself a high place in every open place!
Brenton Septuagint Translation:
that thou didst build thyself a house of fornication, and didst make thyself a public place in every street;

Footnotes

Eze. 16:24

The Hebrew noun ื’ื‘ primarily denotes a convex or elevated feature, with literal applications to the back of a person, the boss of a shield, or a raised surface. Classical commentators note that in Ezekiel 16:24, ื’ึถื‘ may refer to small arched or vaulted structures:

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes that ื’ึถื‘ is “something elevated and probably arched,” marginally rendered in the Revised Version as “vaulted chamber.” These were small shrines or elevated places installed in streets or at crossroads, figuratively representing idolatry rather than literal prostitution (cf. Jeremiah 2:20; 3:2).

  • Pulpit Commentary emphasizes the arch or vault sense, linking it to the LXX οแผตκημα πορνικแฝนν and Vulgate lupanar, reflecting usage in prostitution. Historical parallels in Roman and Syrian cultic contexts suggest continuity from Eastern ritual practices.

  • Ellicott’s Commentary agrees that the word literally denotes arches or vaulted rooms, used in connection with idolatry and sexual immorality, extending to a figurative meaning of unfaithfulness to God.

Summary of semantic range of ื’ึถื‘:

  1. Anatomical / convex form: back, dorsal surface, boss of shield.

  2. Architectural: arched or vaulted feature, small shrine or niche.

  3. Figurative: elevated or prominent place associated with idolatry and ritualized sexual immorality.

Eze. 16:24

The forms ื•ืชื‘ื ื™ (ื‘ื ื”) and ื•ืชืขืฉื™ (ืขืฉื”) are 2nd person feminine singular imperfects. Consonantally, these forms could represent either Qal (active) or Niphal (passive/reflexive) stems, since the spelling is identical without vowel points.

Form Root Stem 2fs imperfect Meaning (literal) Contextual Reading
ื•ืชื‘ื ื™ ื‘ื ื” Qal 2fs “and you will build” Active (Qal)
ื•ืชื‘ื ื™ ื‘ื ื” Niphal 2fs “and you will be built” Passive 
ืชืขืฉื™ ืขืฉื” Qal 2fs “you will do/make” Active (Qal)
ืชืขืฉื™ ืขืฉื” Niphal 2fs “you will be done/made” Passive