Ezekiel 16:49

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold, this was the iniquity {H5771} of thy sister {H269} Sodom {H5467}, pride {H1347}, fulness {H7653} of bread {H3899}, and abundance {H7962} of idleness {H8252} was in her and in her daughters {H1323}, neither did she strengthen {H2388} the hand {H3027} of the poor {H6041} and needy {H34}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The crimes of your sister S'dom were pride and gluttony; she and her daughters were careless and complacent, so that they did nothing to help the poor and needy.

Berean Standard Bible

Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.

American Standard Version

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 16:49 provides a stark and often surprising indictment of Sodom's true iniquity, moving beyond the commonly perceived sexual sins to expose a deeper societal rot. The verse reveals that Sodom's downfall stemmed from a confluence of spiritual and social failures: rampant pride, excessive material abundance leading to gluttony, pervasive idleness, and, most critically, a callous disregard for the poor and needy. This comprehensive moral decay, characterized by self-indulgence and a lack of compassion, is presented as the foundational sin that drew God's judgment upon the city.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Ezekiel 16 is a powerful, extended allegory where God portrays Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife, a foundling child raised to prominence by divine grace, who then committed spiritual adultery and idolatry. This chapter is a severe indictment of Jerusalem's apostasy, detailing her history of rebellion and comparing her sins to those of the surrounding nations, including Samaria and Sodom. The shocking revelation in verses like [Ezekiel 16:51](/ezekiel/16-51 "Ezekiel 16:51 - Jerusalem's Greater Sin") is that Jerusalem's wickedness surpassed even that of Sodom, making Sodom appear righteous by comparison. Verse 49, therefore, serves as a crucial definer of Sodom's sin, not to excuse it, but to provide a baseline for understanding Jerusalem's even greater culpability, emphasizing that God's judgment is based on a holistic assessment of moral and social righteousness, not just specific transgressions.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Sodom, along with Gomorrah and other cities of the plain, was located in the fertile Jordan Valley, a region described as well-watered and prosperous, "like the garden of the Lord" ([Genesis 13:10](/genesis/13-10 "Genesis 13:10 - The Fertile Jordan Valley")). This abundance provided its inhabitants with significant material wealth and ease, fostering a culture of self-sufficiency and luxury. Ancient Near Eastern societies, while often hierarchical, also had expectations of hospitality and care for the vulnerable, particularly widows, orphans, and strangers. The neglect of these social duties was a grave offense against both human and divine order, as seen in numerous prophetic condemnations of social injustice throughout the Old Testament (e.g., [Amos 2:6-7](/amos/2-6 "Amos 2:6-7 - Injustice Against the Poor")). Ezekiel's portrayal of Sodom's sin highlights that their prosperity, rather than leading to gratitude and generosity, led to spiritual arrogance and social apathy, a common pitfall for affluent societies.

* **Key Themes:** This verse is central to several key themes within Ezekiel and the broader prophetic tradition. It underscores the theme of **divine judgment** as a response to unrighteousness, demonstrating that God's wrath is not arbitrary but a just consequence of sustained moral decay. It powerfully illustrates the **perils of prosperity**, showing how material abundance, when unchecked by spiritual discipline and compassion, can lead to pride, idleness, and social neglect. The verse also emphasizes **social justice** as a core component of biblical righteousness, revealing that a failure to care for the poor and needy is a serious "iniquity" in God's eyes, aligning with the consistent prophetic call for justice to "roll down like waters" ([Amos 5:24](/amos/5-24 "Amos 5:24 - Justice Like a River")). Furthermore, it highlights the **comparative nature of sin**, where Jerusalem's greater light and privilege meant her sins were even more reprehensible than Sodom's, a concept echoed in Jesus' warnings about cities that reject His message ([Matthew 11:23-24](/matthew/11-23 "Matthew 11:23-24 - Woe to Capernaum")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Iniquity (Hebrew, _ʻâvôn'_):** This term signifies perversity, moral evil, or guilt. It is not merely an isolated act of wrongdoing but often implies a deviation from the right path, a distortion of justice, or a condition of moral crookedness. In the context of Sodom, it encapsulates the deep-seated moral corruption that pervaded their society, leading to the specific manifestations of sin listed.
* **Pride (Hebrew, _gâʼôwn'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to be high" or "exalted," _gâʼôwn_ refers to arrogance, majesty, or pomp. Here, it denotes an inflated sense of self-importance and self-sufficiency, often fueled by prosperity, which leads to a haughty disregard for God and others. It is a fundamental spiritual posture that precedes and undergirds many other sins.
* **Strengthen (Hebrew, _châzaq'_):** This verb means "to fasten upon," "to seize," "to be strong," or "to help/fortify." In the negative construction "neither did she strengthen the hand," it vividly portrays a complete failure to offer aid, support, or reinforcement to the vulnerable. It implies an active withholding of help, leaving the poor and needy in a state of weakness and destitution, rather than empowering or upholding them.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom":** The opening "Behold" (Hebrew: _hinneh_) serves as an attention-grabber, signaling a significant revelation. The phrase identifies the core moral failing ("iniquity") of Sodom, surprisingly labeling her as Jerusalem's "sister," a rhetorical device to underscore a shared, albeit differing, lineage of spiritual and moral failure.
* **"pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters":** This clause lists the internal conditions that characterized Sodom's society. "Pride" speaks to their spiritual arrogance. "Fulness of bread" (Hebrew: _sibʻâh lechem_) denotes excessive material prosperity and gluttonous consumption, indicating a society overflowing with resources. "Abundance of idleness" (Hebrew: _shalvâh shâqaṭ_) describes a state of carefree ease, security, and quietness that led to complacency and a lack of productive or purposeful engagement, allowing moral decay to fester. "Her daughters" refers to the towns and villages under Sodom's influence, indicating that these sins permeated the entire region.
* **"neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy":** This final clause reveals the outward, actionable manifestation of their internal corruption. Despite their "fulness of bread" and "abundance of idleness," Sodom utterly failed in the fundamental social responsibility of caring for the vulnerable. "Strengthen the hand" is an idiom for providing aid, support, or empowerment. This neglect of the "poor and needy" (Hebrew: _ʻânîy_ and _ʼebyôwn_, referring to the afflicted, humble, destitute) is presented as a critical component of their "iniquity," demonstrating that social injustice is a grave offense in God's sight.

#### Literary Devices
Ezekiel 16:49 employs several potent literary devices. The primary device is **Allegory**, as the entire chapter uses the metaphor of Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife and child to convey theological truth. Within this verse, the designation of Sodom as Jerusalem's "sister" is a striking use of **Personification** and **Irony**, as it links the supposedly righteous Jerusalem to the epitome of wickedness, subverting expectations and highlighting Jerusalem's even greater sin. The list of Sodom's iniquities—pride, fulness of bread, idleness, and neglect of the poor—functions as a form of **Enumeration**, systematically detailing the components of their moral failure. The phrase "strengthen the hand" is an **Idiom** that vividly conveys the act of providing aid and support, making the absence of such an act even more impactful. The verse's structure, moving from internal character flaws (pride, gluttony, idleness) to their external manifestation (neglect of the vulnerable), demonstrates a powerful **Cause and Effect** relationship, emphasizing that inward spiritual corruption inevitably leads to outward social injustice.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 16:49 profoundly expands our understanding of sin, demonstrating that God's judgment is not solely reserved for overt acts of sexual immorality, but equally for sins of the heart and failures of social responsibility. It highlights that prosperity, when coupled with pride and idleness, can breed a dangerous self-sufficiency that ignores both God and neighbor. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that true righteousness involves active compassion and justice, not merely the absence of specific transgressions. It underscores the biblical principle that a society's spiritual health is often reflected in how it treats its most vulnerable members, and that neglect of the poor is a serious indictment in God's eyes, revealing a fundamental lack of love.

* [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction")
* [Luke 16:19-31](/luke/16-19 "Luke 16:19-31 - The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus")
* [James 2:15-16](/james/2-15 "James 2:15-16 - Faith Without Works Is Dead")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 16:49 offers a timeless and piercing challenge for individuals and communities in every age. In a world often characterized by material abundance and increasing opportunities for leisure, this verse calls us to a profound self-examination. Are our blessings leading to pride and self-indulgence, or to gratitude and generosity? Does our comfort foster spiritual apathy and idleness, or does it free us to serve God and others more diligently? The stark warning about Sodom's neglect of the poor and needy compels us to consider our own responsibility towards those less fortunate. It reminds us that true faith is active, expressed not just in personal piety but in tangible acts of compassion, justice, and care for the vulnerable. To live out the implications of this verse is to cultivate humility, practice disciplined stewardship of resources, engage purposefully with life, and actively seek opportunities to "strengthen the hand" of those who are struggling.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might prosperity and comfort subtly foster pride or idleness in my own life or community?**
* **How am I, or is my community, actively working to "strengthen the hand of the poor and needy" rather than neglecting them?**
* **What practical steps can I take to cultivate a spirit of generosity and active compassion, countering the temptations of self-indulgence and apathy?**
* **How does this verse challenge my preconceived notions of what constitutes "sin" in God's eyes?**

### FAQ
**Was Sodom's primary sin really not sexual immorality, as this verse suggests?**

Answer: Ezekiel 16:49 does not negate the sexual sins associated with Sodom (as seen in [Genesis 19](/genesis/19 "Genesis 19 - The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah")), but rather provides a deeper, more foundational understanding of the societal conditions that led to its moral decay. The prophet Ezekiel emphasizes that the root "iniquity" was a combination of spiritual arrogance (pride), unchecked material indulgence (fulness of bread), spiritual lethargy (abundance of idleness), and a profound lack of social responsibility (neglect of the poor and needy). These internal conditions created an environment where all forms of wickedness, including sexual perversion, could flourish. Thus, while sexual sin was a manifestation of Sodom's depravity, Ezekiel points to the underlying systemic issues of self-centeredness and social injustice as core to their offense against God.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 16:49, by highlighting the sins of pride, self-indulgence, idleness, and neglect of the poor, powerfully foreshadows the very antithesis found in Jesus Christ. Where Sodom was characterized by its inward focus and lack of compassion, Christ embodies perfect humility, self-sacrifice, and active love. He, though "in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant" ([Philippians 2:6-7](/philippians/2-6 "Philippians 2:6-7 - Christ's Humility")). Unlike Sodom's "fulness of bread" that led to gluttony and neglect, Jesus is the "bread of life" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")) who gave Himself fully, even to the point of death, to nourish and sustain humanity. His life was one of purposeful action, never idleness, as He constantly went about "doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil" ([Acts 10:38](/acts/10-38 "Acts 10:38 - Jesus' Ministry")). Most strikingly, while Sodom failed to strengthen the hand of the poor and needy, Jesus actively identified with the marginalized, declaring that what is done for "the least of these my brothers" is done for Him ([Matthew 25:40](/matthew/25-40 "Matthew 25:40 - The Least of These")). His entire ministry was a demonstration of radical compassion, culminating in His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, which "made us rich" ([2 Corinthians 8:9](/2_corinthians/8-9 "2 Corinthians 8:9 - Christ's Poverty for Our Riches")) by addressing our deepest spiritual poverty. Thus, Christ perfectly fulfills the righteous standard that Sodom so utterly failed, offering both the condemnation of sin and the path to true spiritual and social health through His redemptive work.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Ezekiel 28:2

Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart [is] lifted up, and thou hast said, I [am] a God, I sit [in] the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou [art] a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

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.

Psalms 138:6

¶ Though the LORD [be] high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Luke 12:16

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

Luke 12:20

But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

Daniel 5:23

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

Proverbs 18:12

¶ Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is] humility.