Keraia
Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 16:52

Judgment on Jerusalem · Ezekiel 16:35–58
Read Ezekiel 16

Translations

Modern
So now you must bear your disgrace, since you have brought justification for your sisters. For they appear more righteous than you, because your sins were more vile than theirs. So you too must bear your shame and disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.
Traditional
Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
Literal
So also you, lift up your own shame, that you have brought justification for your sisters in your sins that you made abhorrent beyond theirs. They are more righteous than you, so you too be disgraced and lift up your own shame in your justifying of your sisters.
Latin
Ergo et tu porta confusionem tuam, quæ vicisti sorores tuas peccatis tuis, sceleratius agens ab eis: justificatæ sunt enim a te: ergo et tu confundere, et porta ignominiam tuam, quæ justificasti sorores tuas.

Original

Hebrew
English
So now you must bear your disgrace, since you have brought justification for your sisters. For they appear more righteous than you, because your sins were more vile than theirs. So you too must bear your shame and disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous.

Notes

Ezekiel 16:51–52

Compared to Jerusalem, Samaria and Sodom seemed good. If God rightly destroyed both of Jerusalem's sisters for their sins, how could Jerusalem avoid God's coming anger?

Ezekiel 16:1–63

In Ezekiel 16, Jerusalem is described as an unfaithful wife and a prostitute. This language is very strong. Even in English, the chapter can be difficult to read. In its ancient setting, it would have sounded even more shocking.

Ezekiel used graphic language to show how serious Judah’s sin was. He did not try to make his message softer or more polite. He spoke in a direct and forceful way.

This strong language is the main point of the chapter. Ezekiel wanted the people to feel how terrible their sin was in God’s sight. The shocking description helped them understand that God’s judgment was not unfair.

If Ezekiel had used softer words, the people might not have understood the full seriousness of their sin. The strong picture was necessary to show why God’s judgment was justified (that is, right and fair).

Ezekiel 15:1–24:14

This section includes eight metaphors, each showing from a different angle the certainty of Jerusalem's upcoming judgment. The images are of:

  1. a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15);

  2. a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16);

  3. a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17);

  4. Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18);

  5. a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19);

  6. a sword (Ezekiel 21);

  7. two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and

  8. a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).

Events

Glossary

Adultery Bride of Christ Cities of the Plain Ezekiel, Book of Hell Sexual Immorality

Topics

Lasciviousness: Figurative Sin: The Wicked: Shall Bear the Shame of Sodom of Wickedness