Ezekiel 16:51

51 And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, but thou hast overcome them in thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou wroughtest. (And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, yea, thou hast gone over, or hast surpassed, them with thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified, or hast absolved, thy sisters with all thy abominations which thou hast done.)

Ezekiel 16:51 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 16:51

Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins
The sins of Samaria, or the ten tribes, of which Samaria was the metropolis, were the worshipping of the calves at Dan and Bethel; but the gods of Judah were according to the number of their cities, and they even set up their idols in the temple of Jerusalem, ( Jeremiah 2:28 ) ( 7:30 ) ( Ezekiel 8:5 Ezekiel 8:10 Ezekiel 8:14 Ezekiel 8:16 ) ; and, besides, their sins were aggravated by the benefits privileges they enjoyed; having the temple, the place of worship, among them; the priests of the Lord to officiate for them; the prophets to instruct and teach them; and many good kings to rule over them, who encouraged them in the pure worship of God, and set them examples; as also by their not taking warning at the captivity of the ten tribes, which were some years before; so that they were guilty of great ingratitude and obduracy: but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they;
than Samaria and her daughters, or the ten tribes; or than Sodom and Samaria, since both are intended in the next clause: and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou
hast done;
justified them in what they did; countenanced them in their wickedness, by doing the same abominations, and more, and much greater; saying, in effect, that they did right in what they did; and, by exceeding them in sin, made them to appear righteous in comparison of them; and gave them an opportunity of saying, in excuse for themselves, that the men of Judah had been guilty of more and greater sins than they, and yet had not been punished as they had been.

Ezekiel 16:51 In-Context

49 Lo! this was the wickedness of Sodom, thy sister, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance, and (the) idleness of her, and of her daughters; and they putted not hand to a needy man and poor (and they gave not their hand, or their help, to the poor and the needy).

50 And they were enhanced, and did other abominations before me; and I took them away, as thou hast seen. (And they were lifted up, that is, they were proud and haughty, and did other abominations before me; and so I took them away, as thou hast seen.)

51 And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, but thou hast overcome them in thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou wroughtest. (And Samaria sinned not the half of thy sins, yea, thou hast gone over, or hast surpassed, them with thy great trespasses; and thou hast justified, or hast absolved, thy sisters with all thy abominations which thou hast done.)

52 Therefore and thou bear thy shame, that hast overcome thy sisters with thy sins, and didest more cursedly than they; for they be justified of thee. Therefore and be thou shamed, and bear thy shame, which hast justified thy sisters. (And so bear thou thy shame, thou who hast gone over, or hast surpassed, thy sisters with thy sins, and didest more cursedly than they; for they be more justified, or appear more innocent, than thou. And so be thou shamed, and bear thy shame, thou whom hast absolved thy sisters.)

53 And I shall convert and restore them by the conversion of Sodom with her daughters, and by the conversion of Samaria and of her daughters; and I shall convert thy turning again in the midst of them, (But I shall restore the prosperity of Sodom and her daughters, and the prosperity of Samaria and her daughters; and I shall restore thy prosperity in their midst,)