Ezekiel 16:46 kjv
And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
Ezekiel 16:46 nkjv
"Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters.
Ezekiel 16:46 niv
Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.
Ezekiel 16:46 esv
And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters.
Ezekiel 16:46 nlt
"Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south.
Ezekiel 16 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 16:46 | Samaria, your elder sister, with her daughters, dwelling at your left. | Contextual positioning and comparison |
| Ezekiel 16:47 | Jerusalem, who sinned more than they in all your abominations. | Direct accusation of greater sinfulness |
| Jeremiah 3:8 | Israel committed adultery with a brothel. | Parallel to Jerusalem's spiritual adultery |
| Hosea 4:11 | Idolatry and drinking have taken away understanding. | Explanation for the spiritual blindness and sin |
| Isaiah 1:21 | The faithful city has become a harlot! | Description of Jerusalem's fallen state |
| Romans 2:21 | You who teach others, do you not teach yourself? | Self-condemnation through comparison |
| Jude 1:7 | Sodom and Gomorrah, by undergoing the vực của eternal fire as an example. | Sodom as a benchmark of severe divine judgment |
| 1 Corinthians 6:9 | Neither ... idolaters, nor adulterers will inherit the kingdom of God. | General consequence of the sins described |
| Revelation 17:5 | Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. | Symbolic representation of pervasive spiritual corruption |
| Genesis 13:13 | The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD exceedingly. | Establishing Sodom's notorious sinfulness |
| 2 Kings 17:20 | Samaria was cast off by the Lord. | The fate of Samaria for its idolatry |
| Deuteronomy 32:22 | For a fire is kindled in my anger, and it burns to the lowest Sheol. | Divine wrath against sin |
| Jeremiah 7:30 | For the sins of Judah have committed abomination before me. | Judah's similar pattern of sinfulness |
| Micah 6:16 | You have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab. | Specific reference to past corrupt leadership |
| Lamentations 1:8 | Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become a mockingstock. | The result of Jerusalem's severe sin |
| Psalm 51:4 | Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. | Confession of sin as primarily against God |
| Ezekiel 16:2 | Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. | God's directive to expose Jerusalem's sin |
| Ezekiel 16:49 | Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: ... but she and her daughters | Comparing Jerusalem's sin with Sodom's |
| Galatians 5:19 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, | Listing similar categories of sin |
| Zechariah 11:21 | and the foolish shepherd who neglects the flock. | Metaphor for spiritual leadership failure |
Ezekiel 16 verses
Ezekiel 16 46 Meaning
This verse contrasts Jerusalem with its elder sister, Samaria, and its younger sister, Sodom. It states that Jerusalem has multiplied its abominations more than both of them. This highlights Jerusalem's profound spiritual adultery and disobedience to God, exceeding even the wickedness of historically wicked cities.
Ezekiel 16 46 Context
Ezekiel 16 is a foundational chapter in the book of Ezekiel. It employs an extended allegory of Jerusalem as an abandoned infant, nurtured by God, who then becomes a harlot. This chapter vividly details Jerusalem's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry, assimilation of pagan practices, and corrupt leadership. The verse in question places Samaria and Sodom as benchmarks to underscore the unparalleled depth of Jerusalem's spiritual adultery. Historically, Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, known for its idolatry after the division of the kingdom. Sodom, infamous from Genesis, represented extreme wickedness and divine judgment. The people of Jerusalem, the audience for Ezekiel, were exiled due to their sins, and this prophecy serves as a severe indictment and a call to understand the reasons for their national calamity.
Ezekiel 16 46 Word Analysis
- "And" (וְ) - A conjunctive particle, connecting this verse to the preceding descriptions and comparisons.
- "Samaria" (שֹׁמְרוֹן) - Refers to the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Its "daughters" metaphorically represent towns or regions under its influence or sharing its corrupt practices.
- "Your elder sister" (אַחֹתֵךְ הַגְּדֹלָה) - Literally "your sister the elder." This establishes a relationship based on seniority, possibly referencing the northern kingdom's prior establishment as a kingdom.
- "Is Samaria" (שֹׁמְרוֹן) - Directly naming the sister city.
- "With her daughters" (וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ) - Literally "and her daughters." Signifies associated cities, towns, or the populace of Samaria and its territories.
- "Dwelling on your left" (עַל־שְׂמֹאלָהּ) - Implies a spatial or directional arrangement, often signifying a position of lesser prominence or authority. In some interpretations, "left" could imply being put aside or disfavored.
- "And your younger sister" (וְאָחֹתֵךְ הַקְּטַנָּה) - Literally "and your sister the younger." Referring to Sodom.
- "Is Sodom" (סְדוֹם) - Directly naming the sister city.
- "With her daughters" (וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ) - Again, signifies associated cities or inhabitants related to Sodom.
- "Dwelling on your right" (עַל־יְמִינָהּ) - Implies a position of greater proximity or possibly a more honorable standing in this metaphorical arrangement, though both sisters are characterized by wickedness.
Word-Group Analysis:
- "Samaria... and Sodom": The naming of these two cities serves as a comparison. Samaria represents the corruption of the northern kingdom of Israel, and Sodom represents ultimate human depravity.
- "Elder sister" and "Younger sister": These terms create a familial hierarchy in the allegorical representation, contrasting Jerusalem's spiritual delinquency not with social inferiors but with siblings.
- "With her daughters": This emphasizes that the sin and corruption were not isolated incidents but systemic and widespread within the respective spheres of influence.
- "Dwelling on your left" and "on your right": These directional terms create a visual scene. Samaria is placed to Jerusalem's "left" and Sodom to her "right." While specific interpretations vary, it generally positions them relative to Jerusalem in a descriptive manner, highlighting Jerusalem's place among them.
Ezekiel 16 46 Bonus Section
The analogy of sisters often carries nuances of jealousy or competition in sibling relationships. Here, however, the competition is tragically in sin. The choice of Samaria (a kingdom established much later than Jerusalem) as the "elder" sister might highlight the spiritual primacy or foundational covenant God gave to His people, symbolized by Jerusalem, even before Samaria's separate kingdom came into being. Samaria's ultimate destruction and exile by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17) serve as a preceding warning that Jerusalem failed to heed. Sodom's fate as a perpetually burning example of divine wrath underscores the gravity of the sins being discussed. The persistent sin of Jerusalem, as described throughout Ezekiel 16, represents a betrayal not just of laws, but of relationship.
Ezekiel 16 46 Commentary
Ezekiel 16 paints a stark picture of Jerusalem's moral and spiritual decline. By calling Samaria "elder" and Sodom "younger," the prophet establishes a lineage of perceived or actual seniority, only to then assert that Jerusalem's transgression surpasses both. Samaria's "daughters" likely represent cities that followed its idolatrous ways, perhaps emphasizing its pervasive influence. Sodom, eternally remembered for its extreme wickedness and destruction (Gen 19), serves as the ultimate human depravity against which Jerusalem is measured. The verse "Jerusalem, who sinned more than they in all your abominations" (Ezek 16:47) is the crucial point: Jerusalem, having received more of God's covenantal blessings and guidance, was expected to be holier, not more corrupt. Its abundance of sin therefore brought a greater degree of judgment. This serves as a powerful indictment of chosen people who betray their divine trust.