Ezekiel 16:47
Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is that Jerusalem didn't just match the wickedness of Sodom and Samaria, but actively surpassed them. The prophet emphasizes that it wasn't a matter of doing a little wickedly, but that their sin became so profound it made the sins of others seem insignificant by comparison.
Ezekiel's prophecy continues its scathing indictment of Jerusalem, portraying her as a faithless wife who has not only followed the wicked practices of her neighbors but has surpassed them in corruption. This verse emphasizes that Jerusalem's sin wasn't just imitation; it was a deeper, more pervasive depravity that exceeded even the notorious wickedness of Sodom and Samaria. The prophet is essentially saying that compared to Jerusalem's profound betrayal and pervasive sinfulness, the sins of those other cities now appear relatively minor.
It's one thing to stumble into sin, but what happens when we actively try to outdo others in wickedness? Ezekiel's message to Jerusalem cuts deep.
Jerusalem is accused of not merely following the sinful practices of surrounding nations like Sodom and Samaria, but of exceeding them.
The Comparison Game
When God compares Jerusalem's sin to that of other nations, it's not about finding an excuse. He's highlighting a profound failure. These nations were known for their extreme wickedness, yet Jerusalem managed to become 'more corrupt than they in all your ways.'
The Gravity of Light
This isn't about God setting an impossible standard. Instead, it underscores how Jerusalem, with all the blessings and knowledge of God's covenant, should have been far from such corruption. Having received more divine guidance, their straying into greater sin was a more grievous offense.
The phrase 'as if that were a very little thing' is key. What does it reveal about the mindset of a heart drifting further from God?
The verse uses the phrase 'as if that were a very little thing' to describe Jerusalem's attitude toward sin. This points to a callousness that develops over time.
Desensitization to Sin
What might have once seemed shocking or even a step too far gradually becomes normalized. The 'abominations' of other nations were not a boundary for Jerusalem; they were merely a starting point. The sin of others was seen as insignificant compared to the depth of their own corruption.
Accelerated Corruption
This phrase also suggests a swift descent into greater wickedness. It wasn't a gradual slide over centuries, but a rapid worsening, as if the previous sins were so minor they barely registered. This rapid acceleration highlights a heart that had actively chosen a path away from righteousness, quickly surpassing even the most notorious examples.
Understand the original words
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to detestable practices, particularly those involving idolatry or moral impurity, that are morally repugnant to God and violate His holiness.
shachath · Hebrew Verb/Adjective (as used in phrase)
A state of moral decay or spiritual depravity; it signifies the perversion of one's nature or actions away from God's righteous standards.
Ezekiel's sharp words about Jerusalem being more corrupt than Sodom and Samaria were delivered during and immediately after the devastating fall of Jerusalem. This historical context underscores the prophet's message: Judah's sin wasn't just a failure to keep up with infamous sinners, but a profound betrayal of God's covenant that led to unparalleled judgment.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its people. This event serves as a stark warning about the consequences of idolatry and disobedience to God.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem and begins deporting Judeans, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and many more prominent citizens. This further decimates Jerusalem's leadership and population.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar completely destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population to Babylon. This is the culmination of God's judgment on Judah for its persistent unfaithfulness.
This passage speaks of Manasseh's extreme wickedness, stating he misled Judah into doing more evil than the nations God had destroyed before them, highlighting a pattern of surpassing even established wickedness.
Matthew 11:23Jesus declares that Capernaum, despite its sins, will face less judgment than cities like Sodom that rejected Him, emphasizing that greater privilege and knowledge lead to greater accountability and deeper condemnation when one sins exceedingly.
Jeremiah 2:11This verse laments how a nation that should have known better exchanged its glory (God) for worthless idols, showing a similar theme of abandoning true worship for abominations, surpassing even other nations in spiritual faithlessness.
Ezekiel 5:6-7This earlier passage in Ezekiel already accuses Jerusalem of rebelling more than the surrounding nations and ordaining laws that led to abomination, setting the stage for the deeper indictment in chapter 16.
pulpitEzekiel 16:47: "Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways."
Verse 47. - The words in italics indicate, as usual, a difficulty. A better construction gives, Thou hast not... done after a small measure only. So the Vulgate, Neque secundum scelera earum fecisti pauxillum minus. The LXX. connects the words with the clause that follows: "Thou wast all but (παρὰ μικρὸν) co…
ellicottEzekiel 16:47: "Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways."
(47) As if that were a very little thing. —Better, thou hast not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations a little only, but hast done more corruptly than they, &c. This excess of wickedness is constantly charged upon the Jews (see Ezekiel 5:6-7 ). Sodom had indeed sinned grievously in its d…
What's easy to miss here is that Jerusalem didn't just match the wickedness of Sodom and Samaria, but actively surpassed them. The prophet emphasizes that it wasn't a matter of doing a little wickedly, but that their sin became so profound it made the sins of others seem insignificant by comparison.
Ezekiel's prophecy continues its scathing indictment of Jerusalem, portraying her as a faithless wife who has not only followed the wicked practices of her neighbors but has surpassed them in corruption. This verse emphasizes that Jerusalem's sin wasn't just imitation; it was a deeper, more pervasive depravity that exceeded even the notorious wickedness of Sodom and Samaria. The prophet is essentially saying that compared to Jerusalem's profound betrayal and pervasive sinfulness, the sins of those other cities now appear relatively minor.
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c. 571 BC
Ezekiel's Oracles Concluded
Ezekiel delivers his final prophecies, which often include messages of future restoration and hope for Israel after the period of judgment.
Ezekiel's prophecy continues its scathing indictment of Jerusalem, portraying her as a faithless wife who has not only followed the wicked practices of her neighbors but has surpassed them in corruption. This verse emphasizes that Jerusalem's sin wasn't just imitation; it was a deeper, more pervasive depravity that exceeded even the notorious wickedness of Sodom and Samaria. The prophet is essentially saying that compared to Jerusalem's profound betrayal and pervasive sinfulness, the sins of those other cities now appear relatively minor.
"Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways." — What's easy to miss here is that Jerusalem didn't just match the wickedness of Sodom and Samaria, but actively surpassed them. The prophet emphasizes that it wasn't a matter of doing a little w…
