Ezekiel 16:55

When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

When thy sisters {H269}, Sodom {H5467} and her daughters {H1323}, shall return {H7725} to their former estate {H6927}, and Samaria {H8111} and her daughters {H1323} shall return {H7725} to their former estate {H6927}, then thou and thy daughters {H1323} shall return {H7725} to your former estate {H6927}.

Your sisters, S'dom with her daughters and Shomron with her daughters, will return to their previous condition; and you with your daughters will return to your previous condition.

And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state. You and your daughters will also return to your former state.

And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

Ezekiel 16:55 is a powerful and somewhat shocking statement within a chapter where God confronts Jerusalem (personified as a harlot) with the depth of her spiritual infidelity and sin. This verse uses hyperbole to emphasize the severity of Jerusalem's transgression and the seemingly impossible conditions for her restoration.

Context

The entire chapter of Ezekiel 16 is an extended allegory, portraying Jerusalem's history as a foundling raised by God, who then committed spiritual adultery by worshipping idols and forming alliances with pagan nations. God meticulously details His covenant love and provision, followed by Jerusalem's shocking betrayal. By verse 55, Jerusalem's sin is deemed so great that she is judged as worse than her "sisters" – the notoriously wicked Sodom and her daughters (representing surrounding corrupt cities) and Samaria and her daughters (the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, known for its idolatry and eventual fall to Assyria). The preceding verses, particularly Ezekiel 16:47-52, explicitly state that Jerusalem's abominations were greater than those of Sodom and Samaria.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Justice: This verse underscores God's absolute impartiality in judgment. Even His chosen city, Jerusalem, would face severe consequences for her persistent rebellion, being held to account more strictly due to her greater light and privilege.
  • Rhetorical Hyperbole: The phrase "return to their former estate" for Sodom, a city utterly destroyed and made an eternal example of divine wrath, is a clear rhetorical device. It signifies an event that is humanly impossible. Therefore, the conditional statement ("When thy sisters... then thou...") emphasizes the extreme unlikelihood of Jerusalem's restoration based on her own merit or without profound, unprecedented divine intervention. It highlights the depth of Jerusalem's fall and the seemingly insurmountable obstacle to her recovery.
  • Humiliation and Hope: By equating Jerusalem's potential restoration with that of Sodom and Samaria, God aims to humble His people profoundly. However, within the broader context of Ezekiel's prophecy, this severe judgment is often followed by promises of a future, gracious restoration, not based on Israel's righteousness but on God's covenant faithfulness (e.g., Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrase for "return to their former estate" (shuwb shᵉbuwth) often carries the connotation of a "restoration from captivity" or "return to prosperity." While it is frequently used in prophecies of restoration for Israel, its application here to Sodom is deeply ironic and serves to underscore the utter desolation and hopelessness of Jerusalem's spiritual condition from a human perspective. It implies a reversal of fortunes that is utterly beyond human power or expectation.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 16:55 serves as a stark reminder that:

  • No individual or nation, regardless of past favor or privilege, is exempt from God's righteous judgment when persistent sin and rebellion characterize their actions.
  • God's judgment is often designed to bring about deep humility and a realization of utter dependence on His grace. The seemingly impossible condition for restoration highlights that true spiritual renewal is not earned but is a sovereign act of God.
  • Even in the darkest pronouncements of judgment, the underlying purpose of God is often to pave the way for a future, undeserved restoration, demonstrating His enduring covenant love and faithfulness, as seen later in Ezekiel's prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dry bones.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
  • Malachi 3:4

    Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
  • Ezekiel 16:53

    When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then [will I bring again] the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
  • Ezekiel 36:11

    And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better [unto you] than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

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