This verse describes how the Israelites’ wealth caused them to sin.
Their beautiful ornament they used for vainglory means they boasted of the beautiful jewelry they made out of their silver and gold. New Century Version says “They were proud of their beautiful jewelry.” Instead of the plural pronoun Their, the Hebrew text has the singular pronoun “Its” (Revised Standard Version footnote). Although Hebrew uses a singular pronoun here, the context clearly shows that it refers to the people of Judah, for whom plural pronouns are used in the surrounding verses. Some early versions actually made the change to plural. It is not unusual for Hebrew to alternate between singular and plural when referring to the same people.
And they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it: Not only were they proud of their jewelry, but even worse, they used it to make their idols. Their abominable images refers to the statues of the false gods they worshiped. Their detestable things refers to the same idols (see the comments on 5.11). For these two phrases New International Version has “their detestable idols and vile images,” and New Century Version says “their idols and their evil statues.” Good News Translation combines them, saying “disgusting idols.” There is more detail on this idolatry in chapter 8. The pronoun it refers to the jewelry. This whole clause may be rendered “and they used their jewelry to make those idols that were so disgusting to me” or “and they made the disgusting idols that I hate so much out of their jewelry.”
Therefore I will make it an unclean thing to them: Because the people misused their silver and gold for the worship of their false gods, God promises to make it repulsive to them. They will view it as ritually impure. For an unclean thing, see the comments on the previous verse. Translators may render this clause as “Therefore I will make their silver and gold something repulsive to them.”
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .