Ezekiel 16:52

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.)

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Ezekiel 16:52 In-Context

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,)

54 (so) that thou bear thy shame, and be shamed in all things which thou didest, comforting them.