Albert Barnes Commentary


Albert Barnes Commentary
"I caused thee to multiply as that which groweth in the field, and thou didst increase and wax great, and thou attainedst to excellent ornament; thy breasts were fashioned, and thy hair was grown; yet thou wast naked and bare." — Ezekiel 16:7 (ASV)
I caused you to multiply as the bud of the field, and you increased and grew great, and you came to excellent beauty; your breasts were fashioned and your hair was grown, yet you were naked and bare. The prophet has arrived at the time at which the child grew up to maturity. God preserved the life of the infant, which would have died without His help (Ezekiel 16:6); and the child grew up to womanhood, but was still desolate and unprotected. This represents the sojourn in Egypt, during which the people increased, but were not bound, as a nation, to God by a covenant.
Excellent ornaments – literally, as in the margin. Some render it: “ornament of cheeks,” i.e., beauty of face.