Ezekiel 16:43

The verse concludes the whole passage Ezekiel 16:35, summing up its meaning compendiously, cf. Ezekiel 16:22.

thou shalt not commit The tense is perf., which can hardly be taken as fut. perf., though the prophet does use the perf. in an uncommon way (ch. Ezekiel 13:11; Ezekiel 24:5). The sentence can hardly be read interrogatively, without altering the text. LXX. read and thusfor "and not": and thus hast thou committed lewdness. The term "lewdness" is used by Ezekiel of sexual enormity, applied figuratively to idolatry (Ezekiel 16:27). "Lewdness" and "abominations" would not differ, except that the former was the quality characterizing the acts called abominations. In this case the clause must read: and thus hast thou committed lewdness in (amidst) all thine abominations; and the words would be a final summary of the preceding verses. "Lewdness," however, is used literally (ch. Ezekiel 22:9), and Ezekiel 16:45 seems to speak of literal unchastity. The clause might thus be attached to Ezekiel 16:44, and "lewdness" being distinguished from "abominations," we might read: lewdness in addition to all thine abominations. This distinction, however, is not natural. The proposal to read first person, and put the words into the mouth of Jehovah (Keil): I have not committed wickedness in all thine abominations (i.e. by winking at them and leaving them unpunished, Leviticus 19:29) is singularly inept.