Text -- Ezekiel 16:44-63 (NET)

16:44 “‘Observe– everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 16:45 You are the daughter of your mother, who detested her husband and her sons, and you are the sister of your sisters who detested their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 16:46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lived south of you, was Sodom with her daughters. 16:47 Have you not copied their behavior behavior and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were! 16:48 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never behaved as wickedly as you and your daughters have behaved. 16:49 “‘See here– this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help the poor and needy. 16:50 They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them. 16:51 Samaria has not committed half the sins you have; you have done more abominable deeds than they did. You have made your sisters appear righteous with all the abominable things you have done. 16:52 So now, bear your disgrace, because you have given your sisters reason to justify their behavior. Because the sins you have committed were more abominable than those of your sisters; they have become more righteous than you. So now, be ashamed and bear the disgrace of making your sisters appear righteous. 16:53 “‘I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters (along with your fortunes among them), 16:54 so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in consoling them. 16:55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former status, Samaria and her daughters will be restored to their former status, and you and your daughters will be restored to your former status. 16:56 In your days of majesty, was not Sodom your sister a byword in your mouth, 16:57 before your evil was exposed? Now you have become an object of scorn to the daughters of Aram and all those around her and to the daughters of the Philistines– those all around you who despise you. 16:58 You must bear your punishment for your obscene conduct and your abominable practices, declares the Lord. 16:59 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant. 16:60 Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting covenant with you. 16:61 Then you will remember your conduct, and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. 16:62 I will establish my covenant with you, and then you will know that I am the Lord. 16:63 Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent when I make atonement for all you have done, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Eze 16:46

¹ tn Heb “left.”

² tn Heb “right.”

³ sn Sodom was the epitome of evil (Deut 29:23; 32:32; Isa 1:9-10; 3:9; Jer 23:14; Lam 4:6; Matt 10:15; 11:23-24; Jude 7).

NET Notes: Eze 16:47

¹ tn Heb “walked in their ways.”

² tn The Hebrew expression has a temporal meaning as illustrated by the use of the phrase in 2 Chr 12:7.

NET Notes: Eze 16:49

¹ tn Or “guilt.”

² tn Heb “strengthen the hand of.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:51

¹ tn Or “you have multiplied your abominable deeds beyond them.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:52

¹ tn Heb “because you have interceded for your sisters with your sins.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:56

¹ tn Or “pride.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:57

¹ tc So MT, LXX, and Vulgate; many Hebrew mss and Syriac read “Edom.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:60

¹ tn Or “eternal.”

NET Notes: Eze 16:63

¹ tn Heb “and your mouth will not be open any longer.”

² tn Heb “when I make atonement for you for all which you have done.”