Ezekiel 16 48

Ezekiel 16:48 kjv

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

Ezekiel 16:48 nkjv

"As I live," says the Lord GOD, "neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done.

Ezekiel 16:48 niv

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

Ezekiel 16:48 esv

As I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.

Ezekiel 16:48 nlt

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 48 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:48 conveys a startling and severe judgment from God against Jerusalem. It declares with divine certainty that even the infamously wicked city of Sodom, along with its surrounding towns, did not commit sins as egregious or extensive as Jerusalem and her people had. This statement highlights Jerusalem's extreme moral depravity and unfaithfulness, implying that her spiritual treachery against God surpassed the abominations for which Sodom was utterly destroyed, despite Jerusalem possessing vastly more spiritual light and covenantal privilege.

Ezekiel 16 48 Context

Ezekiel chapter 16 is a powerful, extended allegory where God addresses Jerusalem directly, recounting her history as a foundling girl adopted, raised, and betrothed by God Himself, only to become a notorious prostitute. She engaged in spiritual adultery, prostituting herself to surrounding nations and their gods, and even sacrificing her own children in idolatry. The chapter builds to an indictment of her unmatched depravity.

Verse 48 fits within a section (Ezek 16:44-59) where God intensifies His condemnation by introducing "sisters": Samaria (representing the idolatrous Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Sodom (the ancient paradigm of wickedness). Verses 44-47 establish the comparison, stating that Jerusalem's sins were worse than both of her "sisters." Specifically, Jerusalem "did more corruptly than they in all your ways," a profound insult to her self-perception. Verse 48 is the direct and astonishing pronouncement of this greater guilt, asserting with divine oath that Sodom did not commit as many abominations as Jerusalem. The subsequent verses (Ezek 16:49-50) further describe Sodom's sins—pride, gluttony, ease, and not helping the poor—only to reinforce that Jerusalem exceeded even these notorious acts in her treachery against God. The cultural context underscores the severity; for an Israelite to be compared to, let alone considered worse than, Sodom, was the ultimate degradation and an assault on their national identity and perceived righteousness.

Ezekiel 16 48 Word analysis

• As: The Hebrew particle אִם ('im), introducing a solemn oath, often rendered "surely" or "truly."

• I live: חַי אָנִי (chai 'ani) - A divine oath, expressing God's absolute certainty and unwavering truthfulness of the following statement. It means "as surely as I live," reinforcing that this is not merely a statement, but a divine decree, binding by God's very existence.

• declares: נְאֻם יְהוִה (ne'um YHWH) - A prophetic formula, affirming the message as a direct utterance from God, emphasizing its authoritative and divine origin.

• the Lord GOD: אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה ('Adonai Yĕhovih) - A compound title for God. 'Adonai signifies absolute sovereignty and mastership, while Yĕhovih (often transliterated as Yahweh, but here pointed as Elohim to avoid saying the divine name) refers to God's covenantal, personal nature. Together, they stress God's omnipotent authority and His personal relationship with His people, now violated.

• your sister: This is a figurative designation. Jerusalem (Judah) is depicted as having "sisters" in the metaphorical sense of having a common origin or shared spiritual lineage, albeit divergent paths in their covenant relationship. Here, it refers to Samaria and Sodom (Ez 16:45).

• Sodom: סְדֹם (Sedom) - The infamous Canaanite city, destroyed by God for its grave wickedness (Gen 18-19). It serves as the ultimate benchmark for moral depravity in ancient Israelite thought. The very name evokes severe judgment.

• and her daughters: A common ancient Near Eastern idiom referring to a major city and its surrounding villages, dependent towns, or inhabitants. It extends Sodom's culpability to its sphere of influence.

• have not done: This phrase indicates an absence of actions that reached the same degree or frequency. It's a statement of lesser sin, highlighting Jerusalem's comparative excess.

• as you: Refers to Jerusalem, personified as the unfaithful wife. The "you" is singular, directly accusing the core city.

• and your daughters: Refers to the towns and people dependent on Jerusalem/Judah, just as Sodom's "daughters" referred to its associated communities.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "As I live, declares the Lord GOD": This divine oath is an incredibly solemn and powerful declaration, used only when God wishes to emphasize the absolute certainty and irrefutability of His pronouncement. It removes all doubt about the truth of the forthcoming judgment and underlines the gravity of Jerusalem's actions in God's eyes. It suggests that what follows is profoundly important and divinely attested.
  • "your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done": This sets up the astonishing comparison. By placing Sodom—a byword for moral turpitude and divine judgment—in a position of relative 'innocence,' God magnifies Jerusalem's guilt. The grouping of "Sodom and her daughters" creates a complete representation of that wicked region. The explicit negative "have not done" means their historical transgressions were comparatively fewer or less severe.
  • "as you and your daughters have done": This climactic phrase unequivocally states that Jerusalem's sins surpassed those of Sodom. This is profoundly shocking. For an Israelite, to be deemed worse than Sodom was the ultimate condemnation, overturning their deeply held belief in their own unique sanctity and privileged status as God's chosen people. It implies a qualitative and quantitative difference, with Jerusalem having committed greater spiritual treachery and accumulated more abominations.

Ezekiel 16 48 Bonus section

• The Element of Shame and Humiliation: A primary intent of this pronouncement was to heap shame and humiliation upon Jerusalem. Being equated with Sodom was deeply offensive; being declared worse was an unspeakable degradation that would shock the prideful Israelites into confronting the truth of their spiritual condition.
• Greater Light, Greater Judgment: This verse perfectly illustrates the principle seen in the New Testament as well: privilege brings responsibility, and the rejection of revealed truth incurs a heavier penalty. Jesus made similar comparisons with cities like Capernaum and Bethsaida, declaring that Sodom would fare better on the day of judgment (Matt 11:20-24).
• Beyond Moral Degeneracy: While Ezekiel 16:49 points to Sodom's sins of pride, luxury, and social neglect, Jerusalem's paramount sin, according to the allegory, was spiritual adultery—the active rejection and replacement of her divine Husband with pagan idols and alliances. This direct covenantal treachery often ranks as an even graver offense in God's eyes than the general moral degradation of cities without specific covenant ties.

Ezekiel 16 48 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:48 is a chilling and intentionally provocative statement designed to utterly dismantle Jerusalem's self-righteousness. It is not asserting that Sodom was good or righteous in an absolute sense, but rather that Jerusalem's sin was so colossal that Sodom's transgressions appeared comparatively less severe. God uses this hyperbole, backed by a divine oath, to emphasize the unprecedented depth of Jerusalem's apostasy.

Jerusalem's unparalleled wickedness stems from her greater light and privilege. Sodom, a pagan city, did not have the covenant, the Law, the Temple, the prophets, or the personal revelation of God's love that Jerusalem enjoyed. Yet, Jerusalem, blessed with all these, betrayed her divine Husband in the most grievous manner possible through idolatry, injustice, and spiritual harlotry. This makes her actions far more reprehensible. Her sin was not merely against ethical codes, but a direct, covenantal betrayal of the God who adopted, adorned, and loved her. This passage underscores a crucial biblical principle: to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48). Jerusalem's betrayal was greater because her understanding of God was greater. The verse sets the stage for the inevitability and justice of God's impending severe judgment upon the city.