Ezekiel 16:52

52 Bear your disgrace, which has actually improved your sisters' position. Because your sins and detestable acts were greater than theirs, they are now more righteous than you. Be ashamed, and bear the disgrace of making your sisters righteous!

Ezekiel 16:52 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 16:52

Thou also which hast judged thy sisters
Sodom and Samaria, by censuring and condemning them for their sins; see ( 2 Chronicles 13:8-10 ) ; in which sense Jarchi and Kimchi interpret the word; or by defending and patronizing them, acquitting and absolving them, by committing the same sins, and more heinous ones: bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more
abominable than they;
look upon thy sins, and blush at them; confess them with shame and confusion of face; take shame to thyself for them, in that thou hast censured and condemned these sins in others thou hast been guilty of thyself; and the rather, since thy sins are greater, and attended with more aggravating circumstances, than those thou hast blamed in others; or this is a prophecy of their punishment for their sins, when they should be carried captive, and be put to shame before their neighbours: or, "thou shalt bear" F4; shame is the fruit of sin, sooner or later: they are more righteous than thou;
in comparison of her; though neither of them were righteous in the sight of God, yet comparatively one was more righteous than another, having committed fewer sins, and lesser abominations: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast
justified thy sisters;
this is repeated in stronger expressions, and with the reasons of it, to show the great confusion they should be brought unto, and the certainty of it, the more to strike and affect their minds with it.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (yav ta) imperat. pro fut. i.e. "confunderis", Vatablus.

Ezekiel 16:52 In-Context

50 They became haughty and did detestable things in front of me, and I turned away from them as soon as I saw it.
51 Samaria didn't sin even half as much as you did. You've so outstripped her in multiplying your detestable practices, with all the detestable things you've done, that you've even made your sisters seem innocent.
52 Bear your disgrace, which has actually improved your sisters' position. Because your sins and detestable acts were greater than theirs, they are now more righteous than you. Be ashamed, and bear the disgrace of making your sisters righteous!
53 I will improve the circumstances of Sodom and her daughters and the circumstances of Samaria and her daughters. And what's left of your fortune will go to them,
54 so that you will bear your disgrace and be humiliated by all that you've done to make them feel better.
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