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Commentary on Ezekiel 16 verses 44–59
The prophet here further shows Jerusalem her abominations, by comparing her with those places that had gone before her, and showing that she was worse than any of them, and therefore should, like them, be utterly and irreparably ruined. We are all apt to judge of ourselves by comparison, and to imagine that we are sufficiently good if we are but as good as such and such, who are thought passable; or that we are not dangerously bad if we are no worse than such and such, who, though bad, are not of the worst. Now God by the prophet shows Jerusalem,
I. That she was as bad as her mother, that is, as the accursed devoted Canaanites that were the possessors of this land before her. Those that use proverbs, as most people do, shall apply that proverb to Jerusalem, As is the mother, so is her daughter, Eze 16:44. She is her mother's own child. The Jews are as like the Canaanites in temper and inclination as if they had been their own children. The character of the mother was that she loathed her husband and her children, she had all the marks of an adulteress; and that is the character of the daughter: she forsakes the guide of her youth, and is barbarous to the children of her own bowels. When God brought Israel into Canaan he particularly warned them not to do according to the abominations of the men of that land, who went before them (for which it had spued them out, Lev 18:27, Lev 18:28), the monuments of whose idolatry, with the remains of the idolaters themselves, would be a continual temptation to them; but they learned their way, and trod in their steps, and were as well affected to the idols of Canaan as ever they were (Psa 106:38), and thus, in respect of imitation, it might truly be said that their mother was a Hittite and their father an Amorite (Eze 16:45), for they resembled them more than Abraham and Sarah.
II. That she was worse than her sisters Sodom and Samaria, that were adulteresses too, that loathed their husbands and their children, that were weary of the gods of their fathers, and were for introducing new gods, a-la-mode - quite in style, that came newly up, and new fashions in religion, and were given to change. On this comparison between Jerusalem and her sisters the prophet here enlarges, that he might either shame them into repentance or justify God in their ruin. Observe,
1.Who Jerusalem's sisters were, Eze 16:45. Samaria and Sodom. Samaria is called the elder sister, or rather the greater, because it was a much larger city and kingdom, richer and more considerable, and more nearly allied to Israel. If Jerusalem look northward, this is partly on her left hand. This city of Samaria, and the towns and villages, that were as daughters to that mother-city, these had been lately destroyed for their spiritual whoredom. Sodom, and the adjacent towns and villages that were her daughters, dwelt at Jerusalem's right hand, and was her less sister, less than Jerusalem, less than Samaria, and these were of old destroyed for their corporeal whoredom, Jde 1:7.
2.Wherein Jerusalem's sins resembled her sisters', particularly Sodom's (v. 49): This was the iniquity of Sodom (it is implied, and this is thy iniquity too), pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness. Their going after strange flesh, which was Sodom's most flagrant wickedness, is not mentioned, because notoriously known, but those sins which did not look so black, but opened the door and led the way to these more enormous crimes, and began to fill that measure of her sins, which was filled up at length by their unnatural filthiness. Now these initiating sins were, (1.) Pride, in which the heart lifts up itself above and against both God and man. Pride was the first sin that turned angels into devils, and the garden of the Lord into a hell upon earth. It was the pride of the Sodomites that they despised righteous Lot, and would not bear to be reproved by him; and this ripened them for ruin. (2.) Gluttony, here called fulness of bread. It was God's great mercy that they had plenty, but their great sin that they abused it, glutted themselves with it, ate to excess and drank to excess, and made that the gratification of their lusts which was given them to be the support of their lives. (3.) Idleness, abundance of idleness, a dread of labour and a love of ease. Their country was fruitful, and the abundance they had they came easily by, which was a temptation to them to indulge themselves in sloth, which disposed them to all that abominable filthiness which kindled their flames. Note, Idleness is an inlet to much sin. The men of Sodom, who were idle, were wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly, Gen 13:13. The standing waters gather filth and the sitting bird is the fowler's mark. When David arose from off his bed at evening he saw Bathsheba. Quaeritur, Aegisthus quare sit factus adulter? In promptu causa est; desidiosus erat - What made Aegisthus an adulterer? Indolence. (4.) Oppression: Neither did she strengthen the hands of the poor and needy; probably it is implied that she weakened their hands and broke their arms; however, it was bad enough that, when she had so much wealth, and consequently power and interest and leisure, she did nothing for the relief of the poor, in providing for whose wants those that themselves are full of bread may employ their time well; they need not be so abundantly idle as too often they are. These were the sins of the Sodomites, and these were Jerusalem's sins. Their pride, the cause of their sins, is mentioned again (Eze 16:50): They were haughty, with the horrid effects of their sins, their abominations which they committed before God. Men arrive gradually at the height of impiety and wickedness. Nemo repente fit turpissimus - No man reaches the height of vice at once. But, where pride has got the ascendant in a man, he is in the high road to all abominations.
3.How much the sins of Jerusalem exceeded those of Sodom and Samaria; they were more heinous in the sight of God, either in themselves or by reason of several aggravations: "Thou hast not only walked after their ways, and trod in their steps, but hast quite outdone them in wickedness, Eze 16:47. Thou thoughtest it a very little thing to do as they did; didst laugh at them as sneaking sinners and silly ones; thou wouldst be more cunning, more daring, in wickedness, wouldst triumph more boldly over thy convictions, and bid more open defiance to God and religion: 'if a man will break, let him break for something.' Thus thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways." Jerusalem was more polite, and therefore sinned with more wit, more art and ingenuity, than Sodom and Samaria could. Jerusalem had more wealth and power, and its government was more absolute and arbitrary, and therefore had the more opportunity of oppressing the poor, and shedding malignant influences around her, than Sodom and Samaria had. Jerusalem had the temple, and the ark, and the priesthood, and kings of the house of David; and therefore the wickedness of that holy city, that was so dignified, so near, so dear to God, was more provoking to him than the wickedness of Sodom and Samaria, that had not Jerusalem's privileges and means of grace. Sodom has not done as thou hast done, Eze 16:48. This agrees with what Christ says. Mat 11:24, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee. The kingdom of the ten tribes had been very wicked; and yet Samaria has not committed half thy sins (Eze 16:51), has not worshipped half so many idols, nor slain half so many prophets. It was bad enough that those of Jerusalem were guilty of Sodom's sins, Sodomy itself not excepted, Kg1 14:24; Kg2 23:7. And though the Dead Sea, the standing monument of Sodom's sin and ruin, bordered upon their country (Num 34:12), and that sulphureous lake was always under their nose (God having taken away Sodom and her daughters in such way and manner as he saw good, as he says here, Eze 16:50, so as that one thing should effectually make their overthrow an example to those that afterwards should live ungodly, Pe2 2:6), yet they did not take warning, but multiplied their abominations more than they; and, (1.) By this they justified Sodom and Samaria, Eze 16:51. They pretended, in their haughtiness and superciliousness, to judge them, and in the days of old, when they retained their integrity, they did judge them, Eze 16:52. But now they justify them comparatively: Sodom and Samaria are more righteous than thou, that is, less wicked. It will look like some extenuation of their sins that, bad as they were, Jerusalem was worse, though it was God's own city. Not that it will serve for a plea to justify Sodom, but it condemns Jerusalem, against which Sodom and Samaria will rise up in judgment. (2.) For this they ought themselves to be greatly ashamed: "Thou who hast judged thy sisters, and cried out shame on them, now bear thy own shame, for thy sins which thou hast committed, which, though of the same kind with theirs, yet, being committed by thee, are more abominable than theirs," Eze 16:52. This may be taken either as foretelling their ruin (Thou shalt bear thy shame) or as inviting them to repentance: "Be thou confounded and bear thy shame; take the shame to thyself that is due to thee." It may be hoped that sinners will forsake their sins when they begin to be heartily ashamed of them. And therefore they shall go into captivity, and there they shall lie, that they may be confounded in all that they have done, because they had been a comfort and encouragement to Sodom and Samaria, Eze 16:54. Note, There is nothing in sin which we have more reason to be ashamed of than this, that by our sin we have encouraged others in sin, and comforted them in that for which they must be grieved or they are undone. Another reason why they must now be ashamed is because in the day of their prosperity they had looked with so much disdain upon their neighbours: Thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thee in the day of they pride, Eze 16:56. They thought Sodom not worthy to be named the same day with Jerusalem, little dreaming that Jerusalem would at length lie under a worse and more scandalous character than Sodom herself. Those that are high may perhaps come to stand upon a level with those they contemn. Or "Sodom was not mentioned, that is, the warning designed to be given to thee by Sodom's ruin was not regarded." If the Jews had but talked more frequently and seriously to one another, and to their children, concerning the wrath of God revealed from heaven against Sodom's ungodliness and unrighteousness, it might have kept them in awe, and prevented their treading in their steps; but they kept the thought of it at a distance, would not bear the mention of it, and (as the ancients say) put Isaiah to death for putting them in mind of it, when he called them rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah, Isa 1:10. Note, Those are but preparing judgments for themselves that will not take notice of God's judgments upon others.
4.What desolations God had brought and was bringing upon Jerusalem for these wickednesses, wherein they had exceeded Sodom and Samaria. (1.) She has already long ago been disgraced, and has fallen into contempt, among her neighbours (Eze 16:57): Before her wickedness was discovered, before she came to be so grossly and openly flagitious, she bore the just punishment of her secret and more concealed lewdness, when she fell under the reproach of the daughters of Syria, of the Philistines, who were said to despise her and be ashamed of her (Eze 16:27), and under the reproach of all that were round about her, which seems to refer to the descent made upon Judah by the Syrians in the days of Ahaz, and soon after another by the Philistines, Ch2 28:5, Ch2 28:18. Note, Those that disgrace themselves by yielding to their lusts will justly be brought into disgrace by being made to yield to their enemies; and it is observable that before God brought potent enemies upon them, for their destruction, he brought enemies upon them that were less formidable, for their reproach. If less judgments would do the work, God would not send greater. In this thou hast borne thy lewdness, Eze 16:58. Those that will not cast off their sins by repentance and reformation shall be made to bear their sins to their confusion. (2.) She is now in captivity, or hastening into captivity, and therein is reckoned with, not only for her lewdness (Eze 16:58), but for her perfidiousness and covenant-breaking (Eze 16:59): "I will deal with thee as thou hast done; I will forsake thee as thou hast forsaken me, and cast thee off as thou hast cast me off, for thou hast despised the oath, in breaking the covenant." This seems to be meant of the covenant God made with their fathers at Mount Sinai, whereby he took them and theirs to be a peculiar people to himself. They flattered themselves with a conceit that because God had hitherto continued his favour to them, notwithstanding their provocations, he would do so still. "No," says God, "you have broken covenant with me, have despised both the promises of the covenant and the obligations of it, and therefore I will deal with thee as thou hast done." Note, Those that will not adhere to God as their God have no reason to expect that he should continue to own them as his people. (3.) The captivity of the wicked Jews, and their ruin, shall be as irrevocable as that of Sodom and Samaria. In this sense, as a threatening, most interpreters take Eze 16:53, Eze 16:55. "When I shall bring again the captivity of Sodom and Samaria, and when they shall return to their former estate, then I will bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them, and as it were for their sakes, and under their shadow and protection, because they are more righteous than thou, and then thou shalt return to thy former estate," But Sodom and Samaria were never brought back, nor ever returned to their former estate, and therefore let not Jerusalem expect it, that is, those who now remained there, whom God would deliver to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, Jer 24:9, Jer 24:10. Sooner shall the Sodomites arise out of the salt sea, and the Samaritans return out of the land of Assyria, than they enjoy their peace and prosperity again; for, to their shame be it spoken, it is a comfort to those of the ten tribes, who are dispersed and in captivity, to see those of the two tribes who had been as bad as they, or worse, in like manner dispersed and in captivity; and therefore they shall live and die, shall stand and fall, together. The bad ones of both shall perish together; the good ones of both shall return together. Note, Those who do as the worst of sinners do must expect to fare as they fare. Let my enemy be as the wicked.
(Verse 55) And your sister Sodom and her daughters will return to their former state. And Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state. And you and your daughters will return to your former state. LXX: And your sister Sodom and her daughters will be restored as they were at the beginning, and Samaria and her daughters will be restored as they were at the beginning. And you and your daughters will be restored as you were from the beginning. The Jews, among their many fables and endless genealogies and delusions that they invent, even dream of this: that in the coming of their Christ, whom we know to be the Antichrist, and in his thousand-year reign, Sodom will be restored to its ancient state, so that it may be like the paradise of God, and like the land of Egypt; and that ancient Samaria will regain its prosperity, so that the Assyrians may return to the land of Judah (2 Kings 17, 18). For we read that the ten tribes were captured by the kings of Assyria, namely Phul, and Salmanassar, and Teglathphalassar, and they have remained captive there until today. Also, at that time, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, along with all its daughters, that is, the cities, villages, and castles that will be under its future power, they will flourish as they once did, and Jerusalem itself must be built with gold, silver, and precious stones, as prophesied by Isaiah: I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning, and after this you will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother of cities, Zion (Isa. I, 26); and our Apocalypse speaks of this (Apoc. XXI): And David sings: Do good, O Lord, in your good will to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt (Ps. L, 20). And in another place: The cities of Judah shall be built, and they shall dwell there, and they shall remain there, and their offspring shall be established forever (Ps. LXVIII, 36). But we, leaving the perfect knowledge of these things to the judgment of God, or rather, confidently confessing, after the second coming of the Lord and Savior, that nothing humble, nothing earthly will be in the future; but the heavenly kingdoms which are first promised in the Gospel, we say that in the state of the Church, all things are complete and are being completed daily. Sodom returns to its ancient state, when it regains its original nature and the impious soul recognizes the Creator. Samaria regains its ancient blessedness, having rejected the error of heretics and joined to the teaching and faith of Christianity. And when they have returned, and Jerusalem, the vision of peace, which is interpreted as the Church, will return to its former state. Of which it is written: 'His place was made in peace' (Psalm 75:2); and: 'Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together' (Psalm 122:3); and in the Apostle: 'But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all' (Galatians 4:25); and in the same: 'You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering' (Hebrews 12:22). And he returns with his daughters, who are scattered throughout the whole world. We have discussed this more fully in Isaiah's explanations.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 16:55 presents a rhetorically powerful and deeply humbling declaration, asserting that Jerusalem's restoration to its former glory is contingent upon the prior restoration of its "sisters," Sodom and Samaria, to their own previous estates. This seemingly impossible condition dramatically underscores the profound depth of Jerusalem's spiritual infidelity and moral degradation, portraying her sin as even more egregious than that of these notoriously wicked cities. Far from offering immediate comfort, the verse functions as a stark pronouncement of judgment, designed to shatter Jerusalem's self-righteousness and emphasize the absolute necessity of divine, unmerited grace for any future hope of recovery.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 16:55 is profoundly rich in Hyperbole, which stands as its most prominent literary device. The notion that Sodom, a city utterly annihilated by divine judgment, could "return to its former estate" is a deliberate and shocking exaggeration designed to emphasize the extreme unlikelihood of Jerusalem's restoration by any human means. This hyperbole serves to stun the audience and underscore the gravity of Jerusalem's sin, which is portrayed as even worse than that of Sodom and Samaria. The verse also employs Personification, referring to Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem as "sisters" with "daughters," giving these cities human-like relationships and extending their moral corruption and subsequent judgment to their dependent towns. There is a strong element of Irony in the use of the phrase "return to their former estate," which often carries connotations of restoration and blessing in other prophetic contexts, but here is applied to entities that have experienced irreversible judgment, thus highlighting the depth of their desolation and the seemingly hopeless state of Jerusalem. Finally, the verse is structured as a Conditional Statement ("When... then..."), which rhetorically presents an impossible premise leading to a seemingly impossible conclusion, thereby driving home the message of Jerusalem's profound spiritual bankruptcy and the necessity of divine intervention.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 16:55 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of sin, the impartiality of divine judgment, and the ultimate source of true restoration. It underscores God's absolute righteousness and unwavering justice, demonstrating that even His chosen people are not exempt from severe judgment when they persistently rebel against His covenant. The verse's hyperbolic nature powerfully conveys that human effort, merit, or religious privilege is utterly insufficient to reverse the catastrophic consequences of such deep-seated spiritual infidelity. Instead, it implicitly points to the necessity of a sovereign, unmerited act of divine grace for any genuine hope of renewal. This seemingly impossible condition for restoration is designed to humble the proud and self-righteous, paving the way for a deeper understanding of God's redemptive power, which operates not on human deserving but on His own covenant faithfulness, boundless mercy, and sovereign will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 16:55 stands as a sobering mirror for individuals and communities today, challenging any sense of spiritual complacency or presumption based on past privilege, religious heritage, or outward piety. Just as Jerusalem, despite her unique covenant relationship with God and abundant blessings, was judged more severely due to her greater light and knowledge, so too are we called to examine if our actions and attitudes truly reflect our professed faith. This verse reminds us that persistent sin, spiritual apathy, and a disregard for God's holiness can lead to a state of moral and spiritual degradation from which human effort alone cannot recover. The seemingly impossible condition for restoration should drive us to profound humility, recognizing our utter dependence on God's grace for true transformation. It teaches us that genuine spiritual renewal is not earned through our own striving but is a sovereign act of God, who alone possesses the power to bring life from spiritual death and restore what seems irrevocably lost. Our hope lies not in our ability to "return to a former estate" of innocence or self-sufficiency, but in God's power to create something entirely new within us, a work of grace that transcends all human limitations.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is God literally saying that Sodom will be restored to its former estate?
Answer: No, God is not literally stating that the historical city of Sodom, famously destroyed by fire and brimstone in Genesis 19, will be physically rebuilt and return to its previous state. The statement in Ezekiel 16:55 is a prime example of rhetorical hyperbole. It sets an utterly impossible condition to emphasize the extreme depth of Jerusalem's spiritual degradation and the seemingly insurmountable obstacle to her own restoration by human means. The profound point is that Jerusalem's sin was so grievous that her return to God's favor would be as miraculous and humanly impossible as Sodom's resurrection from ashes. While some later verses in Ezekiel (like Ezekiel 16:53) speak of the "return" of Sodom and Samaria alongside Jerusalem, this is understood not as a literal physical restoration, but as a metaphorical or theological point about the magnitude of God's grace that could extend even to the most despised, and to humble Jerusalem by showing that God's grace could encompass even those she deemed beneath her.
Why is Jerusalem considered worse than Sodom and Samaria?
Answer: Jerusalem is deemed worse than Sodom and Samaria primarily because of her greater spiritual privilege, profound knowledge of God, and unique covenant relationship. As the chosen city, the recipient of God's covenant love, miraculous deliverance, and direct revelation through the Law, the prophets, and the Temple, Jerusalem had an unparalleled intimacy with Yahweh. Despite this profound light and intimate relationship, Jerusalem engaged in even more egregious acts of idolatry, spiritual harlotry, and social injustice, as meticulously detailed throughout Ezekiel 16. Ezekiel 16:47 explicitly states that Jerusalem "did not merely walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly than they in all your ways." This principle is echoed elsewhere in Scripture, where greater knowledge brings greater accountability (e.g., Luke 12:48).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 16:55, with its stark declaration of an "impossible" restoration, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound answer in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Humanity, like Jerusalem, had fallen from its "former estate" of perfect fellowship with God due to sin, a state from which it was utterly incapable of returning or restoring itself by its own efforts. The "return" of Sodom and Samaria to their former estate serves as a powerful metaphor for the humanly impossible task of self-redemption and self-restoration. Yet, what is impossible with man is gloriously possible with God. Christ's incarnation, sinless life, atoning death on the cross, and glorious resurrection constitute God's sovereign and gracious act of bringing about the truly impossible restoration. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, making a way for those who were spiritually dead and condemned to be made alive together with Him. Through faith in Christ, believers are not merely returned to a former, imperfect state, but are made new creations, receiving a new heart and spirit, thereby fulfilling the very promises of radical spiritual restoration found later in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Thus, the seemingly hopeless pronouncement of Ezekiel 16:55 ultimately magnifies the boundless grace of God, who, in Christ, accomplishes what we could never achieve, demonstrating His love for us while we were still sinners.