King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And thine elder sister [is] Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, [is] Sodom and her daughters.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Moreover, your older sister is Shomron, who lives at your left, she and her daughters; and your younger sister, living at your right, is S'dom with her daughters.
Berean Standard Bible:
Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to your north; and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to your south.
American Standard Version:
And thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And thine elder{H1419} sister{H269} is Samaria{H8111}, she and her daughters{H1323} that dwell{H3427} at thy left hand{H8040}: and thy younger{H6996} sister{H269}, that dwelleth{H3427} at thy right hand{H3225}, is Sodom{H5467} and her daughters{H1323}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezekiel 23:4
- And the names of them [were] Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus [were] their names; Samaria [is] Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Jeremiah 3:8
- And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jeremiah 3:11
- And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Ezekiel 16:48
- [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
Ezekiel 16:49
- Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Genesis 13:10
- ¶ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Genesis 13:13
- But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
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Commentary for Ezekiel 16:46
Ezekiel 16:46 is a verse from the book of Ezekiel, which is part of the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. The book is named after the prophet Ezekiel, who was active during the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century BCE. This period was marked by the fall of Jerusalem and the deportation of many Jews to Babylon. Ezekiel's prophetic ministry was to bring a message of judgment and restoration to the Israelites in exile.
The verse is set within a larger allegory in Ezekiel 16, where Jerusalem is personified as a woman, and her unfaithfulness to God is described in vivid detail. In this allegory, God is portrayed as her husband who rescues her from abandonment and destitution, only to be met with infidelity as she turns to other lovers—a metaphor for idolatry and foreign alliances.
In verse 16:46, the prophet Ezekiel compares Jerusalem to her "sisters," Samaria and Sodom. Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which had been destroyed by the Assyrians over a century earlier due to its own idolatry and injustice. Sodom, on the other hand, is infamous for its wickedness and was destroyed by God in the time of Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 19. By comparing Jerusalem to these two cities, Ezekiel is emphasizing the depth of Jerusalem's sinfulness. Samaria, the elder sister, represents the northern kingdom's apostasy, while Sodom, the younger sister, symbolizes gross immorality and depravity.
The historical context of this verse reflects the deep-seated animosity between the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah, respectively. It also taps into the collective memory of the Israelites regarding the notorious destruction of Sodom, reinforcing the gravity of Judah's sins. Ezekiel's message is a sobering reminder of the consequences of unfaithfulness to God and the need for repentance and return to covenantal fidelity. The verse serves to underscore the theme of judgment that runs throughout the book, while also setting the stage for the promise of restoration that follows in subsequent chapters, contingent upon the people's return to God.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1419
There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּדוֹל
Transliteration: gâdôwl
Pronunciation: gaw-dole'
Description: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very. - Strong's Number: H269
There are 301 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָחוֹת
Transliteration: ʼâchôwth
Pronunciation: aw-khoth'
Description: irregular feminine of אָח; a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively); (an-) other, sister, together. - Strong's Number: H8111
There are 101 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֹׁמְרוֹן
Transliteration: Shômᵉrôwn
Pronunciation: sho-mer-one'
Description: from the active participle of שָׁמַר; watch-station; Shomeron, a place in Palestine; Samaria. - Strong's Number: H1323
There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּת
Transliteration: bath
Pronunciation: bath
Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village. - Strong's Number: H3427
There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָשַׁב
Transliteration: yâshab
Pronunciation: yaw-shab'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. - Strong's Number: H8040
There are 53 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׂמֹאול
Transliteration: sᵉmôʼwl
Pronunciation: sem-ole'
Description: or שְׂמֹאל; a primitive word (rather perhaps from the same as שִׂמְלָה (by insertion of the aleph) through the idea of wrapping up); properly, dark (as enveloped), i.e. the north; hence (by orientation), the left hand; left (hand, side). - Strong's Number: H6996
There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָטָן
Transliteration: qâṭân
Pronunciation: kaw-tawn'
Description: or קָטֹן; from קוּט; abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance); least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing), young(-er, -est). - Strong's Number: H3225
There are 133 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָמִין
Transliteration: yâmîyn
Pronunciation: yaw-meen'
Description: from יָמַן; the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south; [phrase] left-handed, right (hand, side), south. - Strong's Number: H5467
There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סְדֹם
Transliteration: Çᵉdôm
Pronunciation: sed-ome'
Description: from an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic or bituminous) district; Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea; Sodom.