Ezechiele 16:47-57

47 E tu, non soltanto hai camminato nelle loro vie e commesso le stesse loro abominazioni; era troppo poco; ma in tutte le tue vie ti sei corrotta più di loro.

48 Com’è vero ch’io vivo, dice il Signore, l’Eterno, Sodoma, la tua sorella, e le sue figliuole, non hanno fatto quel che avete fatto tu e le figliuole tue.

49 Ecco, questa fu l’iniquità di Sodoma, tua sorella: lei e le sue figliuole vivevano nell’orgoglio, nell’abbondanza del pane, e nell’ozio indolente; ma non sostenevano la mano dell’afflitto e del povero.

50 Erano altezzose, e commettevano abominazioni nel mio cospetto; perciò le feci sparire, quando vidi ciò.

51 E Samaria non ha commesso la metà de’ tuoi peccati; tu hai moltiplicato le tue abominazioni più che l’una e l’altra, e hai giustificato le tue sorelle, con tutte le abominazioni che hai commesse.

52 Anche tu porta il vituperio che hai inflitto alle tue sorelle! Coi tuoi peccati tu ti sei resa più abominevole di loro, ed esse son più giuste di te; tu pure dunque, vergognati e porta il tuo vituperio, poiché tu hai giustificato le tue sorelle!

53 Io farò tornare dalla cattività quelli che là si trovano di Sodoma e delle sue figliuole, quelli di Samaria e delle sue figliuole e quelli de’ tuoi che sono in mezzo ad essi,

54 affinché tu porti il tuo vituperio, che tu senta l’onta di tutto quello che hai fatto, e sii così loro di conforto.

55 La tua sorella Sodoma e le sue figliuole torneranno nella loro condizione di prima, Samaria e le sue figliuole torneranno nella loro condizione di prima, e tu e le tue figliuole tornerete nella vostra condizione di prima.

56 Sodoma, la tua sorella, non era neppur mentovata dalla tua bocca, ne’ giorni della tua superbia,

57 prima che la tua malvagità fosse messa a nudo, come avvenne quando fosti oltraggiata dalla figliuole della Siria e da tutti i paesi circonvicini, dalle figliuole dei Filistei, che t’insultavano da tutte le parti.

Ezechiele 16:47-57 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 16

In this chapter the Jewish nation is represented under the simile of a female infant, whose birth, breeding, marriage, grandeur, and conduct, are described, in order to show the wickedness and ingratitude of, his people; who, on account thereof, are threatened with judgments; though mercy is promised to a remnant that should repent. The prophet is directed to make known to Jerusalem her abominable sins, Eze 16:1,2; and, in order to this, is bid to take up the following parable of a female infant; whose descent, birth, and wretched condition, at the time of it, are pointed at, Eze 16:3-5; which are expressive of the low and forlorn estate of the Jews originally; and then follow the benefits and blessings of God bestowed upon them, both in their infant and adult state; the preserving them alive in Egypt, and their multiplication there; and afterwards the covenant made with them, when brought out from thence; and the Lord's espousal of them to himself, as his own people, having a strong affection for them, Eze 16:6-8; the large provision of good things he made for them, both in the wilderness, and especially in the land of Canaan; the riches he bestowed upon them, and the flourishing and prosperous kingdom he raised them to, which made them famous among all the nations round about them, Eze 16:9-14; and yet, after all this, such was the ingratitude of this people, as to commit spiritual whoredom, that is, idolatry, to a very great degree, Eze 16:15; which is aggravated by their converting and applying the good things which the Lord gave them to idolatrous uses, Eze 16:16-19; by sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols, which were the Lord's, Eze 16:20,21; by not calling to mind the former wretched estate out of which they were brought, Eze 16:22; by building high places in every street and way, and there committing idolatries, Eze 16:23-25; by the various nations, whose examples they followed, and with whom they joined, as the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, Eze 16:26-29; and by the great difference between them and all other harlots, whom they exceeded, Eze 16:30-34; wherefore, on account of all this, they are threatened to be dealt with as an adulterous woman; made a spectacle of; condemned to die, to be stripped, stoned, and burned, Eze 16:35-43; and, that the Lord might appear to be just in executing such judgments on them, they are declared to be as bad as the Hittites and Amorites their parents; and worse than their sisters Samaria and Sodom; and therefore could expect to fare no better than they; and should become proverb and a byword, and bear their sins, shame, and punishment, in the sight of their neighbours, and be despised by them, Eze 16:44-59; nevertheless, the covenant of grace made with his chosen people among them should stand firm; which being manifested to them, would be a means of bringing them to a sense of sin, shame for it, and an acknowledgment of the Lord's grace and goodness to them Eze 16:60-63.